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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Take Me Back Baby
Vocal Jazz - Released by Jazz Arena on 8 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1959 Monterey Jazz Festival
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Milestones: Jimmy Witherspoon, Vol. 1
Jazz - Released by 21-Music on 10 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Back In The Game
R&B - Released by the music game companys on 7 Aug 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Cold Blooded Boogie
Blues - Released by Night Train International on 1 Jul 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Milestones: Jimmy Witherspoon, Vol. 4
Jazz - Released by 21-Music on 10 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hittin' The Blue Notes, Volume 2
Jazz - Released by Origin Records on 15 Mar 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Strange Things Happening In The Dark (Blues Shouter - Recordings of 1955 - 1956)
Jimmy Witherspoon, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Wynonie Harris
Blues - Released by Blues Classics on 17 Dec 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Good Rockin' Tonight
Jazz - Released by Maestro Entertainment, Corp on 4 Jun 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Figures / Jimmy Witherspoon (1950-1951)
Jazz - Released by Collector Records Greece on 2 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jazz Milestones: Gerry Mulligan, Vol. 8
Gerry Mulligan, Jimmy Witherspoon
Jazz - Released by 21-Music on 10 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1948-1949
Blues - Released by Classics Blues & Rhythm Series on 4 Aug 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wish you a Merry Christmas
Blues - Released by xmas angels 44 on 22 Dec 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Don't Forget Your Mother
Blues - Released by Your Mother on 20 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -