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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Sings the Blues Sessions
Blues - Erschienen bei ACE RECORDS am 25.07.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jimmy Witherspoon at the Renaissance
Jimmy Witherspoon, Jerry Mulligan, Ben Webster
Jazz - Erschienen bei HIFI Records am 06.07.1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jimmy Witherspoon: The Concerts
Jazz - Erschienen bei Blue Velvet am 28.09.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Very Best of Jump Blues Musicians Jimmy Witherspoon & Lionel Hampton
Jimmy Witherspoon, Lionel Hampton
Blues - Erschienen bei Platinum Collection am 14.02.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jimmy Witherspoon (Have I Got Blues Got You)
Blues - Erschienen bei Imperial Presents am 06.12.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Spoon's Blues
Blues - Erschienen bei Stony Plain Records am 20.06.1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jimmy Witherspoon at the Renaissance (Live)
Jimmy Witherspoon, Jerry Mulligan, Ben Webster
Jazz - Erschienen bei HIFI Records am 06.07.1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
American Blues
Jimmy Witherspoon, Howard Scott
Blues - Erschienen bei Avenue records am 01.01.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
As Blue as They Can Be
Jimmy Witherspoon, Richard Groove Holmes
Jazz - Erschienen bei Good Time Records am 28.02.1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jimmy Witherspoon
Blues - Erschienen bei ACE RECORDS am 01.01.1960
Qobuz’ Schallplattensammlung16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Rockin' L.A.
Jazz - Erschienen bei Fantasy Records am 01.01.1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Midnight Blues
Blues - Erschienen bei Fresh Sound Records am 18.12.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Blusey Gents
Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Turner, Amos Milburn
Blues - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 28.07.2015
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Singin' The Blues (Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Efor, S.L am 25.09.2012
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Dark City Nights
Jazz - Erschienen bei umore catalog am 20.11.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Roots Plus Jimmy Whitherspoon Plus 3 Bonus Tracks
R&B - Erschienen bei Shake It Up! Records am 04.10.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -