Jimmy Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American blues singer.Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Discography
2.1 LP, CD
2.2 DVDs
2.3 Filmography
3 References
4 External links

[edit]
Biography

James Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas.[1] He first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II. Witherspoon made his first records with Jay McShann's band in 1945. In 1949, recording under his own name with the McShann band, he had his first hit, "Ain't Nobody's Business,"[1] a song which came to be regarded as his signature tune. In 1950 he had hits with two more songs closely identified with him: "No Rollin' Blues", "Big Fine Girl", as well as "Failing By Degrees" and "New Orleans Woman" recorded with the Gene Gilbeaux Orchestra which included Herman Washington and Don Hill on the Modern Records label. These were recorded from a live performance on May 10, 1949 at a "Just Jazz" concert Pasadena, CA sponsored by Gene Norman. Another classic Witherspoon composition is "Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough".

Witherspoon's style of blues - that of the "blues shouter" - became unfashionable in the mid-1950s, but he returned to popularity with his 1959 album, Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which featured Roy Eldridge, Woody Herman, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines and Mel Lewis, among others.[2] He later recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Leroy Vinnegar, Richard "Groove" Holmes and T-Bone Walker.[1]

In 1961 he toured Europe with Buck Clayton and returned to the UK on many occasions, featuring on a mid-sixties live UK recording Spoon Sings and Swings (1966) with tenor sax player Dick Morrissey's quartet. In 1970, he appeared on Brother Jack McDuff's London Blue Note recording To Seek a New Home together with British jazz musicians, including Terry Smith and Dick Morrissey. In the 1970s he also recorded the album Guilty! (later released on CD as Black < White Blues) with Eric Burdon[1] and featuring Ike White < the San Quentin Prison Band. He then toured with a band of his own featuring Robben Ford and Russ Ferrante. A recording from this period, Spoonful, featured 'Spoon' accompanied by Robben Ford, Joe Sample, Cornell Dupree, Thad Jones and Bernard Purdie.[3] He continued performing and recording into the 1990s.[3]

Other performers with whom Witherspoon recorded include Jimmy Rowles, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Vernon Alley, Mel Lewis, Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wiggins, John Clayton, Paul Humphrey, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Smith, Long John Baldry, Junior Mance, Ellington bassist Jimmy Woode, Kenny Clarke, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Mullen, Count Basie, Gene Gilbeaux and others.

Witherspoon died of throat cancer in Los Angeles, California on September 18, 1997.[4]
[edit]
Discography This article may need to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help by adding relevant internal links, or by improving the article's layout. (July 2010)

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LP, CD
1959 Battle of the Blues, Vol. 3 Deluxe
1959 Jimmy Witherspoon < Jay McShann Black Lion
1959 Singin' the Blues Blue Note
1960 Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival [live]
1961 Spoon Collectables Records
1961 There's Good Rockin' Tonight World Pacific
1962 A Spoonful of Blues Who's Who in Jazz
1962 Roots Collectables Recordes
1962 Hey Mrs. JonesCollectables Records
1962 RootsCollectables Records
1963 Baby Baby Baby Bluesville/Original Blues Classics
1963 Mean Old Frisco Prestige Records
1963 Evenin' Blues Prestige/Original Blues Classics
1963 Blues Around the Clock Obc
1964 Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues Original Blues Classics
1964 Blue Spoon Concord Jazz
1964 Goin' to Chicago Prestige
1965 Blues for Spoon and Groove Surrey
1965 Spoon in London
1966 Blue Point of View
1966 Blues Box
1966 Blues for Easy Livers Original Blues Classics
1966 In Person Verve
1967 The Blues Is Now Verve
1968 Spoonful of Soul Verve
1969 Blues Singer BluesWay
1970 Handbags < Gladrags ABC Music
1970 Huhh BluesWay
1971 GuiltyUnited Artists Records
1973 Groovin'< Spoonin' Original Music
1974 Jimmy Witherspoon < Ben Webster Verve
1975 Love Is a Five Letter Word Rhino
1975 SpoonfulAvenue (Rhino)
1976 Live: Jimmy Witherspoon < Robben Ford Rhino
1976 LiveCrosscut (Germany)
1980 Jimmy Witherspoon with Panama Francis < the Savoy Sultans Sings the Blues Muse
1980 Spoon's Life Evidence
1981 Big Blues JSP
1985 Patcha, Patcha, All Night Long Pablo
1986 Midnight Lady Called the Blues Muse
1988 Rockin' L.A. Fantasy
1989 'Spoon Concerts Fantasy
1990 Live at Condon's Who's Who in Jazz
1991 Call Me Baby Night Train
1992 Live at the Notodden Festival Blue Rock'It
1992 The Blues, the Whole Blues < Nothing But the ... Buy Now! Indigo
1993 Hot Licks: Ain't Nobody's Business Sound Solutions
1993 Blowin' In From Kansas City Ace
1994 Amazing Grace Delta Distribution
1995 Spoon's Blues Stony Plain
1995 Ain't Nothin' New About the Blues [live] Aim Records
1995 Taste of Swing Time Tuff City Records
1995 American Blues Rhino
1996 Live at the Mint Private Music
1996 'Spoon < Groove Rykodisc
1997 Tougher Than Tough Blue Moon
1997 Jimmy Witherspoon With The Junior Mance Trio Stony Plain
1998 Jazz Me Blues: The Best Of Jimmy Witherspoon Prestige
2000 Big Boss Man [live] Starburst Recordings
2000 Jimmy Witherspoon with the Duke Robillard Band [live] Stony Plain
2000 Same Old Blues Catfish
2001 Goin' to Chicago Tim
2001 Sings Blues Aim
2002 Spoon Meets Pau Eureka
2002 Goin' Around the Circles Past Perfect (UK)
2003 Sings The Blues Sessions Ace
2004 Very Best Of Jimmy Witherspoon: Miss Miss Mistreater Collectables
2004 1948-1949 Classics
2006 1950-1951 Classics
2006 Ain't Nobody's Business SnapperLive
2008 Live At The 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival Monterey Jazz Festival
2009 Doctor Blues Blues Boulevard
2009 Olympia Concert CD Baby
2010 Live 59
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DVDs
2003 20th Century Jazz Masters: Mel Tormé/Jimmy Witherspoon/Carmen McRae/Lambert,Hendricks < Bavan
2003 Jimmy Rushing / Jimmy Witherspoon Jazz Casual
2009 Goin' Down Blues
[edit]
Filmography
2000 Jazz Casual: Jimmy Witherspoon < Ben Webster (Jazz Casual/Idem)[5]
2009 Jimmy Witherspoon: Goin' Down Blues with Marshall Royal and John Collins

Album reviews

Most searched Jimmy Witherspoon lyrics 1)  One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer   2)  Drinking Beer   3)  I've Been Treated Wrong   4)  Nobody Knows You   5)  I Never Will Marry   6)  Money's Gettin' Cheaper   7)  Grab Me A Freight   8)  Back Water Blues   9)  Cane River   10)  S.K. Blues