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.
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Working 'Round The Clock (Live Chicago '91) (Live)
Jimmy Witherspoon, Richard Groove Holmes
Blues - Erschienen bei Wolf Tree am 18.09.2023
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Feelin' the Spirit
Jimmy Witherspoon, Randy Van Horn Singers
Gospel - Erschienen bei HIFI Records am 02.06.1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jimmy Witherspoon Sings The Blues
R&B - Erschienen bei Crownstar Records am 26.01.2006
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Jazz After Midnight (feat. Jazz After Midnight)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Silver Classics Jazz am 05.11.2014
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'Spoon and Groove
Jimmy Witherspoon, Groove Holmes
Blues - Erschienen bei Tradition Records am 09.06.1964
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Jimmy Witherspoon at Monterey (Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Avid Entertainment am 09.03.2014
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Jimmy & Louis Play the Blues
Jimmy Witherspoon, Louis Jordan
Blues - Erschienen bei Orange Leisure am 05.04.2010
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Jazz Box (The Jazz Series)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Two Bass Hits am 26.09.2014
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All Blues, Jimmy Witherspoon
Blues - Erschienen bei LucasRecords am 09.11.1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Spoon sings the blues (1946-1950)
Blues - Erschienen bei EPM am 05.02.2002
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Goin' to Kansas City Blues
Jimmy Witherspoon, Jay McShann And His Band
Jazz - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 31.08.2020
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It's None Of Your Business
Jazz - Erschienen bei Reminisce Music am 29.05.2023
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Live at the Renaissance 1960
Soul - Erschienen bei Good Time Records am 16.06.2023
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Move Me Baby! Greatest Hits and More (1947-1955)
Blues - Erschienen bei Jasmine Records am 06.11.2020
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Just at the Turn of the Tide
Jazz - Erschienen bei turn of the tide am 07.04.2023
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Jimmy Witherspoon: Goin' to Kansas City Blues with Jay McShann and his Band
Jazz - Erschienen bei Blue Velvet am 12.07.2017
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Hey Mrs. Jones
World Music - Erschienen bei TP4 Music am 06.01.2023
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Rain, Rain, Rain
Blues - Erschienen bei Vintage Jukebox am 26.01.2024
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With The Junior Mance Trio
Blues - Erschienen bei Stony Plain Records am 08.04.1997
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