Somebody uploaded this back in May. THIS is blues harmonica. It's what twisted my soul up knots when I first heard it at age 16; seeing him play it live at age 17 put me on the trail that led, utimately, to this forum and this website.
Please note: he's playing unamplified. Probably a stock Marine Band. Also note: this is just about the hottest blues band that any harp player has ever fronted. Matt Murphy on guitar and a deadly rhythm section.
Final note: this is what blues harmonica sounds like in the hands of an innovator who followed Little Walter and didn't waste one moment--here, at least--trying to sound like him. It's an entirely fresh conception. Cotton was Sonny Boy's protege but he doesn't waste a moment here trying to sound like Sonny Boy, either. This is what true creativity, flowering, sounds like.
Cotton has always known how to pick his band members. Matt Murphy was amazing. His work with Memphis Slim is nothing short of great. The Michael Coleman-led James Cotton band from the 80's was pretty damn good, too. The live recording on Alligator feathers some great stuff.
When Cotton would do traditional Blues shows in Chicago, he would hire Sammy Lawhorn, Calvin Jones, Pinetop and Willie Smith. I fell sorry for the people that never got to see those shows.
Cotton has always been a great player and a helluva showman. Back in the day, he was a darn good singer.
When I decided to seriously learn to play harmonica I bought a blues compilation and this was on it. Out of all the different tracks and artists on there "Creeper Creeps Again" is the track I always flipped to and listened to over and over and over. It still gets me pumped up. ---------- Brad
In the early 70's I saw this lineup several times in Montreal at the Esquire Showbar. They played 4 sets until 3am and kicked ass all night long. He was my major inspiration when I started playing for real. Just an aside- I saw them again in Syracuse in 1975 opening for the Average White band in front of a 70% black audience. During The Creeper he got booed as the audience wanted to bring on the blue eyed funk. I couldn't believe my ears
I know BBQ is always stressing the importance of light breath force and control, he's right. James does some of that here along with wide open throttle. Sometimes I like to cruise my classic car but I also like to light the tires and listen to it scream, same for the harp. Cotton does it all here.
LR
PS, Every time this comes on in the garage my wife goes over and cranks it up.
Last Edited by on Aug 18, 2011 5:57 AM
Saw Cotton last fall. His 76 years were definitely showing, but he still played this one with some serious power. Hope I can play like that when I'm in my seventies (actually I can't even play like that now...) :-)
When I listen to this (the version at the top), I hear what must have been a lot of the inspiration for Magic Dick when he was workin' up Whammer Jammer. In fact, there are cetain riffs that, at least to my ears, sound like they were lifted right out and dropped into Whammer Jammer. The overall form and style of the song is so similar (right down to some of the drummer's fills).
This may be old news to most of the real harp nuts in here, but it was new news to me, as I must confess that I haven't listened to much Cotton.
I know, I know...how dare I ignore one of the Pantheon's greatest players, one of the faces on Mt. Harpmore.
What can I say? So much great harp playin'....so little time.
Anyway, it was a blast listenin' to this..so thanks Kudzu.
Last Edited by on Aug 18, 2011 8:38 AM
I've seen him do the Creeper many times over the years and have just about every recorded version he made of it, including this one which was originally on the Buddah label in '74, plus his first recording of it on Verve on his second LP for the called Pure Cotton, and on that one he quotes part of Count Basie's One O'Clock jump on it.
On this version Adam embedded, he is actually using an amp, and what he was using at the time was an Acoustic 450 head into a Dual Showman cabinet with 2-15's and set up to be, on purpose, CLEAN, as he was doing, much like other harp players from the late 30's all the way up through the late 60's and early 70's, also using the amp for vocals as well, AKA, a PA.
The first time I saw him in '73, he did this tune and turned a somersault while playing and never missed a note or a beat and that blew me away. He was quite the vocalist and showman back then and was notorios for stealing shows form big name rock acts whenever he opened for them. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I've been lucky enough to see James Cotton play several times over the years and he's coming back next month to the Long Beach Blues Bash. Back around 1987 or so I was looking through some discount cassett tapes in my local Wherehouse record store and I came across a copy of James Cottons's "Live From Chicago - Mr. Superharp Himself!" I just about wore out that tape driving around listening to it. My local blues show was playing some cuts from it the other week and it made me want to go out and get a another copy of it. Great horn band, great energy and great harp. I highly recommend it.
the band on that buddha records 100% Cotton is Matt Murphy(guitar), Little Bo (t-sax), Charles Calmese (bass guitar). anyone remember the drummers name?
this band recorded at least two records in the '80s on the buddha label.
outrageously great band. no one, but no one could touch these guys. i've heard nothing since that is better. maybe nothing as good either. ----------
MP doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
I've seen him do it in different tempos as well as in different keys, tho mainly in E. When I first saw him in 1972, he was still in his late 30's and so obviously you're gonna have a lot more piss and vinegar in you than if you're in your mid 70's.
In all of his versions of the Creeper, he is always quoting Lionel Hamptons' big band jazz classic Flying Home (the original lines of that were played by saxman Illinois Jacquet).
One of the real big secrets to his sound is his deep, slow vibrato, and the only one deepr and slower than his was Wolf's and if you tend to play too hard all the time, you won't be able to control the speed of the vibrato and it has to be really slowed down quite a lot to get it. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I've seen him do it in different tempos as well as in different keys, tho mainly in E. When I first saw him in 1972, he was still in his late 30's and so obviously you're gonna have a lot more piss and vinegar in you than if you're in your mid 70's.
In all of his versions of the Creeper, he is always quoting Lionel Hamptons' big band jazz classic Flying Home (the original lines of that were played by saxman Illinois Jacquet).
One of the real big secrets to his sound is his deep, slow vibrato, and the only one deepr and slower than his was Wolf's and if you tend to play too hard all the time, you won't be able to control the speed of the vibrato and it has to be really slowed down quite a lot to get it. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
So I listened to it two more times, just to be sure, but although it may be innovative and obviously inspiring to many (which is GREAT!), I just don't like it. It sounds hasty and flat to me. I probably won't be able to play it like he does, but that is not my point. I just don't feel the groove. Reason I'm posting this, I can hear some of you wondering? Well, I'm curious if I really am the only harpist in the world that feels this way :)
I'm really not just trying to stir up the pool, I didn't say this the first time this thread went up the board, but right now I'm just too curious: is it just me? Is my Mojo leaking?
Last Edited by on Aug 26, 2011 8:49 AM
