''Blue Spoon'' is an album by blues vocalist

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

which was recorded in 1964 and released on the

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

label.Prestige Records discography
accessed May 14, 2013

Reception

Richie Unterberger, in his review for

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, says "''Blue Spoon'' was one of Witherspoon's jazzier sessions, still retaining his characteristic jazz-blues blend, but lighter on the soul, pop, and shouting R&B elements of some of his other releases".Unterberger, R
Allmusic listing
accessed May 14, 2013

Track listing

All compositions by Jimmy Witherspoon except where noted. # " I Wonder" (

Cecil Gant Cecil Gant (April 4, 1913 – February 4, 1951) was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist, whose recordings of both ballads and "fiery piano rockers" were successful in the mid- and late 1940s, and influenced the early development of ...

, Raymond Leveen) – 2:19 # "It's Only a Low Down Dirty Shame" ( Ollie Shepard) – 2:25 # "

Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" is a blues standard written by pianist Jimmie Cox in 1923 and originally performed in a Vaudeville-blues style. The lyrics in the popular 1929 recording by Bessie Smith are told from the point of vie ...

" (

Jimmy Cox James Cox (July 28, 1882 – March 3, 1925) was an American vaudeville performer, and songwriter famous for his Roaring Twenties hit, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" is a blues standard wri ...

) – 2:19 # "Back to New Orleans" (

Brownie McGhee Walter Brown "Brownie" McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996) was an American folk music and Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaboration with the harmonica player Sonny Terry. Life and career McGhee was ...

Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and oc ...

) – 1:47 # " It's All in the Game" (

Charles Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-rec ...

Carl Sigman Carl Sigman (September 24, 1909 – September 26, 2000) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish-American family, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his bar exams to practice in ...

) – 2:54 # "Blues in the Morning" (Kenny Burrell) – 5:08 # "

I'll Never Be Free "I'll Never Be Free" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin and George Weiss and performed by Kay Starr and Tennessee Ernie Ford. It reached #2 on the U.S. country chart and #3 on the U.S. pop chart in 1950. Other charting versions *Louis Jorda ...

" (

Bennie Benjamin Claude August "Bennie" Benjamin (November 4, 1907 – May 2, 1989) was a Virgin Islands-born American songwriter. He had particularly successful songwriting partnerships with Sol Marcus, with whom he wrote "I Don't Want To Set The World On F ...

, George Weiss) – 4:11 # "Once There Lived a Fool" (

Jessie Mae Robinson Jessie Mae Robinson (née Booker, October 1, 1918 – October 26, 1966) was an American musician and songwriter, whose compositions included many R&B and pop hits of the 1940s and 1950s, including " Black Night", "I Went To Your Wedding", an ...

) – 2:32 # "For Old Time's Sake" – 2:15 # "The Time Has Come" – 2:46

Personnel

– vocals *

Gildo Mahones Hermenengildo "Gildo" Mahones (June 2, 1929, New York City – April 27, 2018) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Mahones was born to Puerto Rican parents in East Harlem in New York City. Early in his career, he played with Joe Morris (1948 ...

– piano *

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

– guitar *

Eddie Khan Eddie Khan (born 1935, died 1985 or 1986) was an American jazz bassist who worked extensively with Max Roach, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard and Andrew Hill. Allmusic credits/ref> Discography As sideman * Bill Barron: ''Modern Windows Suite'' ( ...

– bass *

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jazz ...

– drums

References

{{Authority control Jimmy Witherspoon albums 1964 albums Prestige Records albums Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio Albums produced by Ozzie Cadena