Chicago | All About Blues Music

JOHNNY LITTLEJOHN

Johnny Littlejohn was a Delta-born slide-guitar player whose style had much in common with Elmore James, but despite a long career on the Chicago club scene, and travelling the world as a side-man, he remained almost undiscovered outside his adopted hometown. Johnny Funchess was born in Lake MS in 1931 and Henry Martin, a friend…

JOHN BRIM

Although he was never a big star in his own right, John Brim made a significant contribution to the Blues catalogue by writing some great songs that heve been covered many times, and mentoring some great young talent in his band The Gary Kings. John’s long career took in the early years of electric Chicago…

BIG MACEO MERRIWEATHER

Maceo Merriweather was in important interpreter of urban piano Blues technique, who helped to transform the rough barrel-house styles of the Southern juke-joints and ‘sporting houses’ into the more sophisticated improvisations heard on the Chicago club scene. Performing solo or in a small band setting, Maceo incorporated the understated good taste of Leroy Carr with…

JAZZ GILLUM

While John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson was the undoubted King of the Chicago harp players in the 40s, Jazz Gillum was the big noise there many years before him. As part of Lester Melrose‘s stable of session musicians, Jazz performed on hundreds of ARC and Bluebird recordings, and his long partnership with Big Bill Broonzy…

BIG DADDY KINSEY

Big Daddy Kinsey played a range of Blues that told of his Delta roots and the Golden Age of Chicago Blues, and with the wider influences of his sons in The Kinsey Report, included funky rock and reggae in an act that appealed to Blues fans all over the world. Lester Kinsey of Pleasant Grove…

LOVIE LEE

Pianist Lovie Lee is best known as a member of Muddy Waters‘ band in its final incarnation, and he won that position as a result of many years relentless gigging around the Chicago club scene. Lovie’s big grin, affable stage presence and huge repertoire made him a popular man in his neighbourhood, while he remained…

GOOD ROCKIN’ CHARLES

Charles Edwards played his harp around Chicago for 25 years, backing veteran players like Johnny Young and ‘Smokey’ Smothers, and spent two years in Jimmy Rogers band. Leaving behind his birthplace in Tuscaloosa AL and his given name of Henry Lee Bester, Charles moved to Chicago in 1949. His harp playing owed something to his…

JIMMY YANCEY

Jimmy Yancey was a veteran Blues and boogie pianist who was very influential on the younger Chicago players who started the boogie-woogie craze of the late thirties. Jimmy did not make a record until he was over 40 years old, but his elegant playing on the club and rent-party circuit in Chicago was legendary. Although…

BIG JOHN WRENCHER

On any Sunday lunchtime in the 60s, Chicago‘s Maxwell Street market would echo to the sound of Big John Wrencher singing and playing his harp. Trade was always brisk, and ‘One Arm John’ loved to play for his neighbours, dancing, clowning and showboating all over the street. He continued his ‘residency’ for the rest of…

LEROY ‘Baby Face’ FOSTER

Leroy Foster was never exactly a Blues star, but he certainly made his mark in Chicago as one of ‘The Headhunters’, along with Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers and Little Walter. They got that nick-name because they would meet up in some South-side club, then invade the stage when the band finished their set, proceeding to…