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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Remind and Reflecting
R&B - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 24 Aug 2016
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Splash Of Color
Blues - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 24 Aug 2016
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Man At His Leisure
Jazz - Released by classics & more on 17 Jul 2016
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Secret Meeting
Blues - Released by classics & more on 29 Jun 2016
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Contrary to Accepted
R&B - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 31 May 2016
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Cloud Covered
Jazz - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 24 May 2016
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Sings The Blues
Jazz - Released by exclusiv for streaming partners on 29 Jan 2016
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Take A Stroll
Jazz - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 20 Mar 2016
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Switch Off
Blues - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 12 Mar 2016
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Hunting For Good
R&B - Released by Sandmann & Walther on 2 Mar 2016
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Caribbean Cruise
Blues - Released by classics & more on 20 Feb 2016
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Meet And Greet On Broadway
R&B - Released by classics & more on 20 Feb 2016
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The Glamorous Mega Collection
Blues - Released by glamorous music on 3 Feb 2016
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The Lp Library
Blues - Released by old library records on 2 Jan 2016
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