Guy didn’t find true success until his 1991 comeback album “Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues” on the Silvertone label. Primarily a session guitarist, solo singles like “The First Time I Met the Blues” barely hinted at the flamboyant style that influenced Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Although he was known for his anarchic guitar playing onstage, the Chess brothers reigned him in on record. From the gritty soul of “In the Basement” and “Tell Mama” to the heartache of “I’d Rather Go Blind,” James’ versatile voice found success for the rest of the decade.īuddy Guy showed up in Chicago in 1957 and quickly fell under the wing of Muddy Waters. Her breakthrough came the following year with “At Last.” The gorgeous soul ballad was a bit of a departure for the label – guitars and harmonicas were replaced by a lush string orchestra. She signed to Chess in 1960 and converted Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful” into an R&B hit. She was discovered at age 14 by bandleader Johnny Otis, and recorded with him for Modern Records in the late 1950s.
The other took more than three decades to reach his commercial potential, but stands today as the greatest living link to Chess and Chicago blues.Įtta James was born in Los Angeles to an unwed, 14-year-old mother. One of their biggest signings of the decade was an immediate success. Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley had helped formed rock and roll, and the label had branched into more genres, including R&B, comedy, jazz and gospel.īut Leonard and Phil were still looking for new ways to stay on top of the trends and build their roster. Thanks to the proselytizing of the British Invasion bands, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and other blues artists were performing for the largest crowds of their careers. The wonderful Etta James during her Chess period.Īs the 1960s dawned on Chess Records, label founders Leonard and Phil were at the peak of their powers.
0 kommentar(er)
