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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Spoon Sings the Blues, 1946-1950Blues Collection
Blues - Erschienen bei EPM am 05.02.2002
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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 Redwood Records am 12.03.2014
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Time To Relaxe
R&B - Erschienen bei fsp analog 2be am 17.06.2020
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Spoon in Australia (Live)
Jimmy Witherspoon, Peter Gaudion's Blues Express
Jazz - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 31.08.2020
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Jazz Milestones: Jimmy Witherspoon, Vol. 2
Jimmy Witherspoon, Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster
Jazz - Erschienen bei 21-Music am 10.10.2013
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Winter Holidays
Blues - Erschienen bei fsp analog 2be am 10.07.2020
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The Ultimate Jazz Archive 16 (2 Of 4)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Carinco AG am 18.02.2007
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A Prairie Windstorm
Jazz - Erschienen bei prairie windstorm am 29.01.2023
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Under The Christmas Tree
R&B - Erschienen bei The Christmas Tree am 10.12.2021
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In Person
Blues - Erschienen bei Black Sheep Music am 06.09.2013
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Live From Monterey
Vokalmusik (weltlich und geistlich) - Erschienen bei Legends Live am 05.01.2010
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Live at the Renaissance
Blues - Erschienen bei Mojo Workin' am 08.11.2021
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The Ox and the Frog
Blues - Erschienen bei the Frog am 19.01.2022
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The World Is A Paradise
Blues - Erschienen bei paradise partner musics am 23.08.2020
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