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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Jazz Milestones: Gerry Mulligan, Vol. 8
Gerry Mulligan, Jimmy Witherspoon
Jazz - Erschienen bei 21-Music am 10.10.2013
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1948-1949
Blues - Erschienen bei Classics Blues & Rhythm Series am 04.08.2008
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Cheaper Tricks
R&B - Erschienen bei tricki masters mind am 30.09.2020
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Live at Condon's 1990 (Live)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Good Time Records am 24.05.1990
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Above the Clouds
R&B - Erschienen bei getmyhits rec. am 23.06.2019
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Brown Skin Woman Blues (Blues Shouter - Recordings of 1950 - 1953)
Jimmy Witherspoon, Sherman Johnson, Max ( Blues) Bailey
Blues - Erschienen bei Blues Classics am 17.12.2022
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All the Best
Blues - Erschienen bei Don't stop the music am 09.03.2021
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How I Hate To See Christmas Come Around
Blues - Erschienen bei Tuff City Records am 01.01.1954
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1950-1951
Blues - Erschienen bei Classics Blues & Rhythm Series am 04.08.2008
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Jimmy Witherspoon - A Collection of Great Songs
Blues - Erschienen bei First Mile Recordings am 04.12.2015
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Feelin' The Spirit
Gospel - Erschienen bei Legacy International am 01.01.2006
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I'll Be Right on Down: The Modern Recordings 1947-1953
Blues - Erschienen bei ACE RECORDS am 30.06.2003
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