Jimmy Witherspoon
One of the great blues singers of the post-World War II period, Jimmy Witherspoon was also versatile enough to fit comfortably into the jazz world. Witherspoon was born on August 8, 1920 in Gurdon, Arizona. As a child, he sang in a church choir, and he made his debut recordings with Jay McShann for Philo and Mercury in 1945 and 1946. His own first recordings, using McShann's band, resulted in a number one R&B hit in 1949 with "Ain't Nobody's Business, Pts. 1 & 2" on Supreme Records. Live performances of "No Rollin' Blues" and "Big Fine Girl" provided 'Spoon with two more hits in 1950.
The mid-'50s were a lean time, with his style of shouting blues temporarily out of fashion; singles were tried for Federal, Chess, Atco, Vee Jay, and others, with little success. Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival (HiFi Jazz) from 1959 lifted him back into the limelight. Partnerships with Ben Webster or Groove Holmes were recorded, and he toured Europe in 1961 with Buck Clayton, performing overseas many more times in the decades to follow. Witherspoon's best 1960s recording is generally considered to be Evening Blues (Prestige), which features T-Bone Walker on guitar and Clifford Scott on saxophone.
As the '70s began, Witherspoon decided to take a short break from live performances, settled in Los Angeles, took a job as a disc jockey, and continued making records. In 1971, Witherspoon teamed up with former Animals vocalist Eric Burdon for the album Guilty. By 1973, Witherspoon was ready to get back on the road and assembled a band featuring a young Robben Ford on lead guitar. Those live shows had received positive reviews, rejuvenating Witherspoon's move toward a definite rock/soul sound. He traveled to London in 1974 to record Love Is a Five Letter Word with British blues producer Mike Vernon, who had produced critically acclaimed British blues albums by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, and Ten Years After. By the early '80s, Witherspoon was diagnosed with throat cancer. Although he remained active and was a popular concert attraction, the effect of the disease on his vocals was obvious. Witherspoon passed away on September 18, 1997 at the age of 77.
© Bob Porter, Scott Yanow & Al Campbell /TiVo
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Blues Around the Clock (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Released by Reborn recordings on May 9, 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Renaissance, Los Angeles
Blues - Released by SINETONE AMR on Jan. 12, 2016
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Trouble In Mind
Blues - Released by CTS Digital on Apr. 12, 2017
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Ain't Nobody's Business (Hq Remastered 2023)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on Nov. 6, 2023
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Roots (Hd Remastered, Jazz Best Edition, Doxy Collection)
Jazz - Released by Doxy Records on May 6, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Star Dreams Live (Live)
Blues - Released by jazz2jazz on May 31, 2017
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The 'Spoon Concerts (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Released by Reborn recordings on May 9, 2019
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Blues Around the Clock (Hd Remastered, Obc Edition, Doxy Collection)
Blues - Released by Doxy Records on May 9, 2019
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Tryin' Not to Fall
Vocal Jazz - Released by nagel heyer records on Nov. 28, 2018
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Blue Spoon (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Released by Reborn recordings on Jul. 8, 2019
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Rockin' with the Spoon (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Released by Reborn recordings on Jul. 8, 2019
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The Remasters (All Tracks Remastered)
Blues - Released by Millennium Digital Remaster on May 1, 2020
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Jimmy Witherspoon On Hit Single Records (All Tracks Remastered)
Blues - Released by Hit Singles Records on May 12, 2021
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The 'Spoon Concerts (Hq remastered)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on Aug. 21, 2022
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Milestones of a Jazz Legend - Ben Webster, Vol. 6 (1959, 1962)
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Intense Media GmbH on Mar. 15, 2019
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Mean Old Frisco (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Released by Reborn recordings on Jul. 8, 2019
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Roots (HD Remastered)
Blues - Released by Reborn recordings on May 6, 2019
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Goin' To Kansas City Blues (Hq remastered)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on Sep. 19, 2022
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Roots (Hq Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on Nov. 25, 2021
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Spoon so Easy: The Chess Years (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Released by Reborn recordings on May 9, 2019
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