Here we are-- a brand new year! Hope everyone had a good Christmas season and a safe beginning to the New Year, with, hopefully, more to follow!
Some January Blues Births:
Some January Blues Births:
- January 3rd.,1933-- Otillie Patterson
- January 19th.,1936-- Willie " Big Eyes " Smith
- January 31st.,1952-- Paul Joseph deLay
Answer to The December 2016 Blues Question: the bluesman we were looking for was/is Maynard Silva, born February 20th., 1951, in Oak Bluffs, a town, which has several communities, on the island known as Martha's Vineyard, that is south of Cape Cod and is part of Massachusetts. At his birth, the family lived in the community of Vineyard Haven, where his father, Frank, worked at a gas station and managed the local cemetery. His mother, Mabel, worked at Vineyard Dry Goods. Maynard attended Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, from which he graduated in 1969. While still in that school, he met and then apprenticed with Peter Ortiz, a local sign painter. He had his musical interest peaked by his English teacher, Leroy Hazelton, who played a "Howlin' Wolf" record for him. Maynard would say in a later interview that that record and music scared him because it was so intense. He had only heard rock and roll before. Then he was further encouraged musically by his art teacher, Gene Baer, who was a boogie - woogie piano player, and explained music theory to Maynard. After graduation he entered Lindenwood College, near St. Louis. Not finding the blues scene he wanted, he travelled down-river to Memphis on weekends, where he would spend time in the clubs on Beale Street. He quit college to play blues in Memphis, which was the start of his career, around 1972, which is when he met and performed with Bukka White. From then on he was playing professionally, and touring extensively, performing with bluesmen such as Buddy Guy, J.B.Hutto, and Rick Danko. Sadly, as has happened to many musicians, he became an addict during this period. By the late 1980's he quit touring and returned to the Vineyard, started a family, and worked as a sign painter. That marriage ended in divorce, and he raised his son, Milo, on his own. In 1998 he met his second wife, a local artist, Basia Jaworski. They were married in 2007. During those years he still played local gigs and helped others to learn the music craft, as he was a great slide guitar player, as well as harmonica. He was known across the country by his usual performing outfit-- a top hat and red, high-top sneakers and the ever-present National steel guitar. He played and sang from the gut, as did the early bluesmen, not like some of today's players, who play from the head and the bank. Maynard passed away on July 16th., 2008, after a three year battle with cancer. He was 57.
January 2017 Blues Question: this bluesman had mastered the guitar by the age of 6. Born in Alabama, he migrated to Chicago to be with three of his brothers. He took his best-known stage name from a fictional character. He learned from and performed with at least twelve different big names in the Chicago blues clubs. He was only 49 years old when he passed. Any idea who this bluesman is/was??
Blues Trivia for January 2017: over the years, the music recording business in Chicago has been steady, good for some, not so good for others. Some labels have been around for a long time, while others have been/ were short-lived. One of those short-lived ones was Chief Records and its subsidiaries Profile and Age Records. They operated from 1957 to 1964. It was founded by a 25 year old R & B entrepreneur named Mel London ( 4-9-1932 / 5-16-1975). One of his main assets was a session man he had by the name of Earl Hooker, who worked closely with him. Hooker, who was recognized as one of the best blues guitarists in the Chicago area, was involved in over a dozen recording sessions. His playing was featured in at least 40 titles and over 25 singles. Twelve of those were released under his own name, with the rest showing him as a sideman for others, including Amos "Junior" Wells, A.C.Reed, Lillian Offitt, and Ricky Allen. Some of the other artists who recorded on the three different labels were Elmore James, Magic Sam (Maghett), Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker (as a sideman), and Johnny "Big Moose" Walker. Following some financial problems, the Chief and Profile labels were discontinued in late 1961. The Age label lasted until 1964. The trivia part is that on May 3rd.,1961, Earl Hooker recorded an instrumental blues (now a blues staple), called "Blue Guitar", with A.C.Reed on tenor sax, "Big Moose" Walker on organ, Lafayette Leake on piano, Earnest Johnson on bass, and Bobby Little on drums. Lo and behold, on June 27th., 1962, Muddy Waters "overdubbed" his vocal onto that track and re-named it "You Shook Me", and then released it. And, like most, you thought it was an original!! By the way, I also found a spot where someone credited it to Willie Dixon.
Some January Blues Passings:
- January 3rd., 1970-- James Moore, aka "Harmonica Slim" and "Slim Harpo"
- January 22nd., 1982-- "Tee" Tommy Tucker (remember the song Hi Heel Sneakers on the Checker label ?)
- January 30th., 2013-- Ann Rabson, one member of the group "Saffire-- The Uppity Blueswomen"
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