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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Jimmy Witherspoon: Singin' the Blues
Jazz - Erschienen bei Blue Velvet am 26.09.2016
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Jimmy Witherspoon: At the Renaissance 1959
Jazz - Erschienen bei Blue Velvet am 20.10.2015
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Skid Row Blues
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei SKEETCHES am 02.06.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Ralph J. Gleason's Jazz Casual, Vol. 2
Jimmy Witherspoon, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Rushing
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz Casual Records am 28.08.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Going to Chicago
Jazz - Erschienen bei Dance Plant Records Inc am 09.07.2012
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Highlights of Jimmy Witherspoon
Pop - Erschienen bei Weishaupt Music & Entertainment am 09.04.2017
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Olympia Concert
Jazz - Erschienen bei Inner City Records am 22.04.1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Vintage Selection - Jimmy Witherspoon
Blues - Erschienen bei Retro Music Box am 20.10.2020
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Ain't Nobody's Business: The Singles Collection 1945-53
Blues - Erschienen bei ACROBAT am 05.04.2024
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Jimmy Witherspoon Selected Favorites
R&B - Erschienen bei Charly Records am 20.06.2006
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Ain't Nobody's Business
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz Hour am 01.10.1996
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Jimmy Witherspoon: Feelin' the Spirit
Jazz - Erschienen bei Blue Velvet am 27.09.2016
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Flapping Wings
Jazz - Erschienen bei Wings in Hell am 25.11.2020
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Evenin' Blues (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 09.05.2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Blues Around the Clock (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 09.05.2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Renaissance, Los Angeles
Blues - Erschienen bei SINETONE AMR am 12.01.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Trouble In Mind
Blues - Erschienen bei CTS Digital am 12.04.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo