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The Blues Is Where It's At
''The Blues Is Where It's At'' is an album by blues pianist/vocalist Otis Spann recorded in 1966 and originally released by the BluesWay label. accessed November 11, 2019 Track listing All compositions by Otis Spann except where noted # "Popcorn Man" () − 2:20 # "Brand New House" ( Bobby Darin, ) − 3:04 # "Chicago Blues" (Otis Spann, George Spink) − 3:19 # "Steel Mill Blues" − 4:17 # "Down On |
Otis Spann
Otis Spann (March 21, 1924 or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1930, but researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc concluded on the basis of census records and other official information that he was born in 1924 in Belzoni, Mississippi. Spann's father was, according to some sources, a pianist called Friday Ford. His mother, Josephine Erby, was a guitarist who had worked with Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, and his stepfather, Frank Houston Spann, was a preacher and musician. One of five children, Spann began playing the piano at the age of seven, with some instruction from Friday Ford, Frank Spann, and Little Brother Montgomery.Harris, S. (1981). ''Blues Who's Who''. New York: Da Capo Press. pp. 477–479. . Career By the age of 14, he was playing in bands in the Jackson area. He moved to C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porter Grainger
Porter Grainger ( Granger; October 22, 1891 − October 30, 1948) was an American pianist, songwriter, playwright, and music publisher. Biography When Grainger was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Granger family name did not include an "i". Although the exact date at which Grainger changed his name is unknown, he registered for the World War I draft by signing his name "Grainger". At that time, he was living in Chicago, and by 1916, he had begun his professional career. In the spring of 1920 he left Chicago for New York City, and by 1924, he was living in Harlem. Working with another pianist and composer Bob Ricketts, in 1926, Grainger wrote and published the book ''How to Play and Sing the Blues Like the Phonograph and Stage Artists''. Though he would never really be known as an exceptional soloist in his own right, Grainger thrived as an accompanist, working with singers such as Fannie May Goosby, Viola McCoy, Clara Smith, and Victoria Spivey. From 1924 to 1928, he wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otis Spann Albums
Otis may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Otis (Superman), in the films ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' and related DC Comics media ** Otis Graves, in the TV series ''Supergirl'' * Otis (''The Walking Dead''), in the Image Comics series * Otis the Aardvark, on Children's BBC * Otis Campbell, in the TV series ''The Andy Griffith Show'' * Otis Driftwood, in Rob Zombie's ''Firefly'' film series * Otis Flannegan or Ratcatcher, a DC Comics character * Otis Johnson (comics), a Marvel Comics character * Otis Johnson Jr., a Marvel Comics character * Otis, in ''The Adventures of Milo and Otis'' * Otis, in the 2006 film ''Barnyard'' * Otis, in the 1997 film ''Good Burger'' * Otis Blake, in the 2009 film ''Crazy Heart'' * Otis Milburn, in the TV series ''Sex Education'' * Otis Otis, in Heather Brewer's book series ''The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod'' * Otis Owl, in ''Jim Henson's Pajanimals'' Film and television * ''Otis'' (film), a 2008 American comedy horror film * "Otis" ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1966 Albums
Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo is deposed by a military coup in the Republic of Upper Volta (modern-day Burkina Faso). * January 10 ** Pakistani–Indian peace negotiations end successfully with the signing of the Tashkent Declaration, a day before the sudden death of Indian prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. ** The House of Representatives of the US state of Georgia refuses to allow African-American representative Julian Bond to take his seat, because of his anti-war stance. ** A Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in Lagos, Nigeria, primarily to discuss Rhodesia. * January 12 – United States President Lyndon Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended. * January 15 – 1966 Nigeria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francis Clay
Francis Clay (November 16, 1923 – January 21, 2008) was an American jazz and blues drummer, best known for his work behind Muddy Waters in the 1950s and 1960s, and as an original member of the James Cotton band. Clay's jazz-influenced style is cited as an influence by many of the British Invasion rock 'n' rollers of the 1960s such as Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones and Faces (band), Faces, respectively. Born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois, Rock Island, Illinois, he started playing jazz, professionally at the age of 15, played drums behind many of the biggest names of 20th century popular American music. In his career, Clay claimed to have backed Gypsy Rose Lee, and played with Jay McShann and Charlie Parker early on and with Jimi Hendrix while in New York's Greenwich Village. He can be heard on recordings including John Lee Hooker's ''Live at the Cafe Au Go-Go'' and can be seen and heard on documents from the Waters band's 1960 Newport Jazz Festival ap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mac Arnold
Mac Arnold (born June 30, 1942), is an American blues musician from South Carolina. Early years Mac Arnold was born in Ware Place, South Carolina, one of 13 children born and raised on his father's farm. Arnold's musical journey began in the 1950s when he and his brother Leroy fashioned a guitar from a steel gas can, broomsticks, wood, nails, and screen wire: Arnold has since become famous for the gas-can guitar and has taught many other people how to make them. His early career included working with a young James Brown in the band, J. Floyd & the Shamrocks. Arnold moved to Chicago in 1965, where he worked with A.C. Reed prior to joining Muddy Waters' band in 1966. Arnold appears on the November 1966 live recording released in 2009 as ''Muddy Waters - Authorized Bootleg''. He formed the Soul Invaders in 1967, finding work backing up B.B. King, The Temptations, Little Milton and many others. Mac's studio work in the 1960s includes playing bass on several notable blues album ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sammy Lawhorn
Sammy David Lawhorn (July 12, 1935 – April 29, 1990) was an American Chicago blues guitarist, best known as a member of Muddy Waters's band. He also accompanied many other blues musicians, including Otis Spann, Willie Cobbs, Eddie Boyd, Roy Brown, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton and Junior Wells. Biography Lawhorn was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. His parents soon separated, and his mother remarried, leaving him in the care of his grandparents. He made his own diddley bow, nailing baling twine to the side of their house. He frequently visited his mother and stepfather in Chicago. They bought him a ukulele, then an acoustic guitar and finally an electric guitar. By the age of fifteen, he was proficient enough to accompany Driftin' Slim on stage. With further guidance from Sonny Boy Williamson II, Lawhorn began playing with him on the radio program ''King Biscuit Time''. He was conscripted in 1953 and served in the United States Navy. On a tour of duty i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson
Luther Johnson (born Lucious Brinson, August 30, 1934 Jacques Morgantini, Liner notes for ''Born in Georgia'' LP Retrieved 21 April 2020 or 1941 Retrieved 21 April 2020 – March 18, 1976), sometimes credited with the s "Georgia Boy", "Snake", or "Snake Boy", was an American and |
George "Harmonica" Smith
George "Harmonica" Smith (born Allen George Smith, April 22, 1924 – October 2, 1983) was an American electric blues harmonica player. Apart from his solo recordings, Smith is best known for his work backing both Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornton. Life and career Born in West Helena, Arkansas, United States, but brought up in Cairo, Illinois, Smith's mother taught him how to play the harmonica from the age of 4. In his teenage years he performed in a country band with Early Woods and Curtis Gould. He also joined Mississippi gospel group, the Jackson Jubilee Singers. From the late 1930s and into the 1940s, Smith travelled throughout the south and played harmonica on the streets. In 1941, Smith moved to Rock Island, Illinois and joined a group with drummer Francis Clay. Around this time he was working at the Dixie theatre and began to use an amplifier he'd salvaged from an old projector to amplify his harmonica playing on the streets. He moved to Chicago and began playing profess ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Prince (composer)
Robert Prince (May 10, 1929 – March 4, 2007) was an American composer of music for dance, theater, television, film and records and a graduate of the Juilliard School. In addition to his work as composer and arranger he also performed on vibraphone and timpani.George Avakian, liner notes to RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2435 Dance and theater Prince is noted for composing the jazz-influenced music for '' N.Y. Export: Op. Jazz'' (1958) and ''Events'' (1961). These were groundbreaking modern ballets choreographed by Jerome Robbins for his company Ballets USA. Prince also composed incidental music for the play ''Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad'' which Robbins directed off-Broadway in 1962. He also composed and arranged music for the musicals ''Something More!'' (1964), ''Half a Sixpence'' (1965) and ''The Office'' (1966). Film and television Prince composed the music for Francis Ford Coppola's 1966 film ''You're a Big Boy Now'', the George Peppa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clarence Williams (musician)
Clarence Williams (October 6, 1898 or October 8, 1893 – November 6, 1965) was an American jazz pianist, composer, promoter, vocalist, theatrical producer, and publisher. Biography Williams was born in Plaquemine, Louisiana, to Dennis, a bassist, and Sally Williams, and ran away from home at age 12 to join Billy Kersands' Traveling Minstrel Show, then moved to New Orleans. At first, Williams worked shining shoes and doing odd jobs, but soon became known as a singer and master of ceremonies. By the early 1910s, he was a well-regarded local entertainer also playing piano, and was composing new tunes by 1913. Williams was a good businessman and worked arranging and managing entertainment at the local African American vaudeville theater as well as at various saloons and dance halls around Rampart Street, and at clubs and houses in Storyville. Williams started a music publishing business with violinist/bandleader Armand J. Piron in 1915, which by the 1920s was the leading African-A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ain't Nobody's Business
"Ain't Nobody's Business" (originally "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do") is a 1920s blues song that became one of the first blues standards. It was published in 1922 by Porter Grainger and Everett Robbins. The song features a lyrical theme of freedom of choice and a vaudeville jazz–style musical arrangement. It was first recorded, as "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do", in 1922 by Anna Meyers, backed by the Original Memphis Five. Recordings by other classic female blues singers, including Sara Martin, Alberta Hunter, and Bessie Smith soon followed. In 1947, the song was revived by the jump blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon as "Ain't Nobody's Business". It was the best-selling race record of 1949 and inspired numerous adaptations of the song. In 2011, Witherspoon's rendition was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame as a "Classic of Blues Recording". Composition and lyrics The early versions of "Ain't Nobody's Business" feature vocals with piano and sometimes horn a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
