Sugar Blue (born James Joshua "Jimmie" Whiting, December 16, 1949, Harlem, New York City) is an American blues harmonica player. He is probably best known for playing on the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

' single " Miss You", and in partnering Louisiana Red. The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' said, "The sound of Sugar Blue's harmonica could pierce any night... it's the sound of a musician who transcends the supposed limitations of his instrument."

Biography

In the mid-1970s, Blue played as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

on Johnny Shines's ''Too Wet to Plow'' (1975) and with Roosevelt Sykes. While in the company of the latter, he met Louisiana Red, and the two toured and recorded in 1978. Taking advice from Memphis Slim, in the late 1970s Blue traveled to Paris, France. According to

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a ...

, Blue was found by

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pra ...

on the city streets. This led to him playing on several of the tracks on The Rolling Stones' '' Some Girls'' and '' Emotional Rescue'' albums: " Some Girls", "

Send It to Me "Send It to Me" is a song by English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones featured on the 1980 album ''Emotional Rescue''. Credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Send It to Me" is largely the work of Jagger, with him saying at the time of ...

", "Down in the Hole" and " Miss You".

Trombonist The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

Mike Zwerin backed Blue on his solo debut album, ''Crossroads'' (1979). Following the release of his ''From Chicago to Paris'' (1982), Blue joined Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All Stars. In 1984, Blue's track "Another Man Done Gone", appeared on the compilation album ''Blues Explosion''. It won a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1985 for Best Traditional Blues Album. Blue appeared with Brownie McGhee in the film '' Angel Heart'' (1987). Sugar Blue joined as a side musician recording with Willie Dixon on the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

winning album, '' Hidden Charms'' (1988). His next album, ''Blue Blazes'', was released in 1994 and it included his version of "Miss You". It was followed by ''In Your Eyes'' (1995) and ''Code Blue'' (2007). He played on the album ''Down Too Long'', by Southside Denny and the Skintones, in 1988. Sugar Blue's next album, ''Threshold'', was released by Beeble Music on January 26, 2010. Writing in the ''

'', music critic Howard Reich said, "There's no mistaking Sugar Blue incendiary virtuosity. The speed and ferocity of his playing are matched by its inventiveness, with Blue packing nearly every phrase with trills, glissandos, clusters and chords. At times, it sounds as if two harps were working at once... intense, melodically ornate, punctuated by growls and swooping pitches, it's the sound of a musician who transcends the limitations of his instrument."

Discography

Albums

Compilations and reissues

References

External links