News


LEE ROCKER APPEARS ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S WEEKEND EDITION SATURDAY
9/24/2007
Bassist / vocalist / songwriter Lee Rocker joined host Scott Simon on Saturday, September 22 on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Saturday.

LEE ROCKER on Cover of Rockabilly Magazine. Interview on Rockabilly.TV
8/24/2007
Lee Rocker is the cover story of the new issue of Rockabilly magazine. Watch Lee Rocker talk about his new CD, Black Cat Bone, and other fascinating topics on Rockabilly.tv.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS BLUES AND SOUL VOCALIST JANIVA MAGNESS!
8/20/2007
Alligator Records is proud and pleased to announce the signing of blues, soul and R&B vocalist Janiva Magness.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS BLUES AND SOUL VOCALIST JANIVA MAGNESS!

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS BLUES AND SOUL VOCALIST JANIVA MAGNESS!

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS BLUES AND SOUL VOCALIST JANIVA MAGNESS!

NEW CD SET FOR 2008

 

“When saucy blues singer Janiva Magness delivers a song, you’re convinced. She blurs the lines between blues and soul, singing with elegance and authority.”

--Los Angeles Times

 

Alligator Records is proud and pleased to announce the signing of blues, soul and R&B vocalist Janiva Magness. A 30-year veteran of the music scene, Magness has a soulful, husky voice and absolute command over her material. Winner of the 2006 and 2007 Blues Music Awards for Best Contemporary Female Artist Of The Year, Magness’ steady ascension to the top of the blues world will undoubtedly continue its upward trajectory. Magness has seven solo recordings to her credit and has made countless guest appearances on CDs from Kid Ramos, RL Burnside, Doug MacLeod, Jeff Turmes and others. Her presence on stage is legendary, as she performs 200 nights a year at clubs, festivals, and concert halls all over the world. A survivor of an impossibly rough childhood, Magness’ life experience informs her music in a way that is both brutally honest, emotionally moving and, above all, spiritually healing.

 

According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, signing Magness was a natural move for the label. “I've been watching Janiva over the last few years and seeing her mature into a major artist. Her deep, subtle understanding of blues and R&B music is obvious in every note she sings. Plus, her live performances simply captivate the audience. She's going to be a wonderful addition to the Alligator roster, and prove to be one of today’s and tomorrow’s crucial blues voices.

 

And Magness is equally thrilled. “I am so very grateful for all the gifts in my life. One of those gifts is joining the Alligator family. I’m very excited about this new chapter in my life. This is a huge step up for my career.”

 

Born in Detroit, Magness was inspired by the blues and country she heard on her father’s record collection and by the vibrant music of the city’s classic Motown sound. By her teenage years, though, her life was in chaos. She lost both parents to suicide by the time she was 16. She lived on the streets, was in 12 foster homes in two years, became a teenage mother who gave her baby up for adoption, bounced from city to city, and felt hopeless and desperate.

 

One winter’s night, Magness hitchhiked across Minneapolis to attend an Otis Rush concert, and for the first time saw her future. “It opened up some other place in me, like letting oxygen into a sealed crypt for the first time.” She began going to as many blues shows as possible, soaking up the sounds of her favorite artists, including Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins. She listened to James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and all the other R&B greats.

 

It was music, particularly the blues, that sparked the young woman. Several years later, while working as an intern at a recording studio, she was approached to sing some supporting vocals on a track. Finding her voice, she soon began working regularly as a background singer. By the early 1980s, Magness made her way to Phoenix and befriended Bob Tate, the musical director for the great Sam Cooke. With Tate’s mentoring, she formed her first band, Janiva Magness and the Mojomatics, and within the year was named the city’s Best Blues Band by the influential Phoenix New Times. She moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and slowly began finding work. She married musician and songwriter Jeff Turmes with whom she recorded her first studio album, It Takes One To Know One, in 1997. After three more independent releases, Janiva signed with Northern Blues, and recorded Bury Him At The Crossroads in 2004 and Do I Move You? in 2006. Both CDs were co-produced by Magness along with Canadian roots star Colin Linden, and both garnered Magness a massive amount of critical and popular attention. Magness and Linden won the prestigious Canadian Maple Blues Award for Producers Of The Year for Bury Him At The Crossroads in 2004. Do I Move You? was the #1 Blues CD Of The Year in 2006 on Living Blues magazine’s radio chart.

 

In addition to her musical accomplishments, Magness is active in the Blues In Schools programs as well as being a National Spokesperson for Casey Family Programs promoting National Foster Care Month year round, a position she is honored to hold. She has reconnected with her daughter, and is now the proud grandmother of a six-year-old boy. “I have a life today I never could have imagined,” says Magness. “The tragedies of my life no longer define me.”

 

What defines Janiva Magness is the strength, power and passion of her deeply soulful, emotionally moving music, sung with truth and soul-shaking talent. With plans to return to the recording studio shortly, Magness is busy mapping out her upcoming Alligator debut while simultaneously barnstorming across the country. With the stars seemingly all lined up for her, Janiva Magness will delight her current fans and earn legions of new admirers all around the globe.

 

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THREE ALLIGATOR ARTISTS WIN FOUR LIVING BLUES AWARDS!
8/14/2007
Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, and Lil’ Ed Williams all received top honors from Living Blues magazine in their just-published Readers’ and Critics’ Polls.

THREE ALLIGATOR ARTISTS WIN FOUR LIVING BLUES AWARDS!

THREE ALLIGATOR ARTISTS WIN FOUR LIVING BLUES AWARDS!

 

Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, and Lil’ Ed Williams all received top honors from Living Blues magazine in their just-published Readers’ and Critics’ Polls. Williams, leader of the houserocking Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, was named Blues Artist of the Year (Male) in both the Readers’ and the Critics’ Poll. Taylor, world-renowned as Queen of the Blues, was named Blues Artist of the Year (Female). Texas pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball was named Most Outstanding Musician in the Readers’ Poll. 
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ALLIGATOR RECORDS TO REISSUE FIRST TWO ALBUMS -- BLACKWATER and LOCHLOOSA -- FROM MOFRO!
8/14/2007
Following the success of Country Ghetto, the label debut from Jacksonville, FL-based JJ Grey & MOFRO, Alligator Records will reissue the band’s first two independent releases on October 23, 2007.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS TO REISSUE FIRST TWO ALBUMS -- BLACKWATER and LOCHLOOSA -- FROM MOFRO!

ALLIGATOR RECORDS TO REISSUE FIRST TWO ALBUMS FROM MOFRO!

 

BLACKWATER AND LOCHLOOSA TO BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 23

 

Following the success of Country Ghetto, the label debut from Jacksonville, FL-based JJ Grey & MOFRO, Alligator Records will reissue the band’s first two independent releases (credited solely as MOFRO) on October 23, 2007.

 

Both Blackwater (originally released in 2001 on the Fog City label) and Lochloosa (originally released in 2004 on Swampland) have been unavailable for over a year. The albums are highly sought after by the band’s wildly enthusiastic fan base. Both CDs feature the distinctive “front porch soul” created by gifted songwriter and vocalist JJ Grey.

                                   

JJ Grey comes from a long tradition of Southern storytellers, and his songs oftentimes use the loss of his natural surroundings and the marginalization of the Southern culture he grew up in as a metaphor for universal truths. The band delivers his material with brilliant musicianship, resulting in music that is thought provoking, rhythmically dynamic and texturally mesmerizing.

 

Since the release of Country Ghetto, the band has received rave reviews in USA Today, The New York Times, Harp, Paste, Billboard, Guitar World, No Depression, Relix, Jambase and many other major daily, regional, and on-line publications.

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JJ GREY & MOFRO TO HOST THE 1ST ANNUAL BLACKWATER SOL REVUE!
8/14/2007
JJ Grey & MOFRO will perform live and host the 1st Annual Blackwater Sol Revue at the newly renovated St. Augustine Amphitheatre in St. Augustine, FL on Sunday, September 2.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS THE SMOKIN’ JOE KUBEK BAND FEATURING BNOIS KING!
8/7/2007
Alligator Records is pleased to announce the signing of The Smokin’ Joe Kubek Band Featuring Bnois King.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS THE SMOKIN’ JOE KUBEK BAND FEATURING BNOIS KING!

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS
THE SMOKIN’ JOE KUBEK BAND FEATURING BNOIS KING!

NEW CD EXPECTED IN JANUARY 2008

“Smokin’ Joe Kubek's big-as-Texas lead guitar and Bnois King's jazz-laced rhythm guitar and hearty vocals are a great combination. They are simply the best tandem on the scene today. King's jazzy guitar work is the perfect foil to Kubek's more incendiary style."                                                                           –Blues Revue


Alligator Records is pleased to announce the signing of The Smokin’ Joe Kubek Band Featuring Bnois King. The Texas-based rock and blues band is fueled by the raucous roadhouse guitar of Smokin’ Joe Kubek, perfectly complimented by the more jazz-oriented guitar work and vocals of Bnois King. The band, which was formed in 1989, will release their as yet untitled label debut in January 2008, to be produced by Kubek and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer

According to Iglauer, “Joe and Bnois are a real powerhouse blues combination. Joe is an amazing guitarist who can play anything in blues, from the most traditional Texas style to totally blowout blues/rock. Bnois is a gorgeous singer with deep Texas soul, and his guitar playing is subtle and melodic. Together they make an unbeatable two-man front line backed by a solid, versatile rhythm section.”

And Kubek is simply thrilled to be with Alligator. “Alligator is the Rolls Royce of blues labels. After all my life of being a musician, this is the greatest achievement and brightest spot of my career. I’m looking forward to making the best recordings I’ve ever made, and I’m looking forward to seeing all of our fans on tour.”

Kubek was born in Grove City, PA in 1956 but grew up in Dallas. He was leading his own bands when he was only 14, and was bowled over by the blues a short time after first hearing Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Kubek soon discovered the music of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and other early blues masters. By the time he was 19, he was backing many famous blues players in the area, including legend Freddie King. In 1976 Kubek was about to head out on tour with King when King died suddenly of a heart attack.

Kubek next worked with R&B singer Al “TNT” Braggs and made a host of new friends, including B.B. King, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and many other blues icons. He often found himself jamming with these larger-than-life blues stars while playing constantly around the Dallas area.

In 1989, Kubek met guitarist/vocalist Bnois King, a native of Monroe, Louisiana. The two melded their seemingly divergent styles – Kubek a rocking and fierce picker and slider, King a jazz-inflected chorder – into one of the most potent guitar combinations the Southwest had ever produced. Kubek explains the relationship succinctly: “I pull the blues out of him, and he pulls the jazz out of me.”

Calling themselves The Smokin’ Joe Kubek Band Featuring Bnois King, they were signed to Bullseye Blues and released their debut CD, Stepping Out Texas Style, in 1991. The band immediately grew out of the Southwest and began touring nationally. After a successful series of Bullseye releases, they signed to Blind Pig Records in 2003. Their popularity continued to build on the strength of their music and the energy of their live shows, which number over 150 dates per year.

Now, as the band’s newest chapter is unfolding, they will reach their largest audience yet. Kubek and King are itching to get into the studio and record in Dallas in September, and even more excited to hit the road and bring their distinctive and incendiary music to every corner of the blues-loving world.

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LEE ROCKER'S BLACK CAT BONE SET FOR AUGUST 14 RELEASE
7/6/2007
Alligator Records has set an August 14, 2007 street date for Black Cat Bone, the new CD from bassist/vocalist/songwriter (and Stray Cats co-founder) Lee Rocker.

LEE ROCKER'S BLACK CAT BONE SET FOR AUGUST 14 RELEASE

LEE ROCKER'S BLACK CAT BONE SET FOR AUGUST 14 RELEASE

Alligator Records has set an August 14, 2007 street date for Black Cat Bone, the new CD from bassist/vocalist/songwriter (and Stray Cats co-founder) Lee Rocker. Since the release of his Alligator debut, Racin’ The Devil, Rocker’s solo career has been skyrocketing. Publications from USA Today to Billboard raved about Rocker’s music. OffBeat declared, “What’s most satisfying about Lee Rocker is his ability to graft classic Sun licks and shuffles onto Americana. He bridges the gap between Bruce Springsteen and Hank Williams, Sr.” Lee’s live shows, fueled by his barnstorming, rocking band, grow wilder each night out.

 

With musical muscle from his road-tested band (guitarists Brophy Dale and Buzz Campbell, and drummer Jimmy Sage) Black Cat Bone is an amazing collection of ten Rocker originals (and one co-written with guitarist Brophy Dale), one song by guitarist Buzz Campbell, and reinvented covers from Bob Dylan (One More Night) and Leon Payne (Lost Highway, made famous by Hank Williams). The CD’s scorching rockabilly, roadhouse romps and straight-ahead, old-school rock ‘n’ roll create by far the strongest set of songs of Rocker’s solo career.

Born Leon Drucker in Massapequa, Long Island in 1961 to world-renowned classical musician parents, Rocker grew up with music all around him. He began taking classical cello lessons at age eight and initially hated them, but ultimately grew to enjoy playing. As his ears widened into rock 'n' roll, he picked up the electric bass, and quickly mastered the instrument. During grade school, his close friends included Jimmy McDonnell (later to become Slim Jim Phantom) and Brian Setzer. The three jammed together often, playing a wide variety of rock 'n' roll, before discovering classic blues musicians like Muddy Waters and rockabilly giants like Carl Perkins. Rocker picked up the acoustic bass to emulate the sounds he heard on those records, and the band began playing more and more roots music. By 1979, this trio, now known as The Stray Cats, began to single-handedly revive rockabilly music in the U.S. and eventually around the world.

 

Adding a contemporary punk attitude to traditional slap-bass, twangy guitar and drums, The Stray Cats headlined famous New York haunts like CBGB's and Max's Kansas City, drawing overflow crowds every time they played. They moved to London in 1980 and became an even bigger success, even attracting The Rolling Stones to their shows. The group's first American album, 1982's Built For Speed, became a huge hit, and held the #2 spot on the Billboard chart for 26 weeks, right behind Michael Jackson's Thriller.

 

By 1984 the group was exhausted and decided to temporarily call it quits. But the furious touring of the early 1980s turned Rocker into one of the best showmen working in any genre. In 1985 Rocker and Phantom hooked up with ex-David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick to form Phantom, Rocker & Slick, scoring a minor hit with the song Men Without Shame. The Stray Cats reformed in 1986, performing together briefly. Rocker never stopped rocking, as he befriended and collaborated with his hero Carl Perkins as well as with Dave Edmunds, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jeff Beck and Willie Nelson.

 

Rocker's solo career took off in 1994 with the release of Big Blue and in 1995 with Atomic Boogie Hour, both on Black Top Records. Four more releases followed, and Rocker toured relentlessly, becoming one of the premiere Americana/ rockabilly/ roots artists in the U.S. and Europe. In 2002, Rocker toured the U.S. with ex-Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore. In 2003 The Stray Cats reunited for an 18-city tour of Europe, culminating in a filmed show at London's Brixton Academy. The show was released on DVD as Rumble In Brixton in 2004. This summer, The Stray Cats will reunite once again to play to tens of thousands of appreciative fans across the U.S.

With Racin’ The Devil, Rocker reclaimed his spot in the rockabilly world and forged a new base with fans of Americana. From garage rockers and deeply textured roots anthems to the rockabilly sounds he helped reinvent, Racin’ The Devil is a rich piece of American music, as timeless and unique as the songs Rocker fell in love with as a youngster.  Now, with Black Cat Bone, Rocker returns with the most rock solid album of his career. With his band rocking, rolling, and burning behind him, this legendary musician will continue to rip it up and rock it out all around the world.

 

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QUEEN OF THE BLUES KOKO TAYLOR RECEIVES CHICAGO TREASURE AWARD!
5/29/2007
The City of Chicago Department of Aging presented Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor with the coveted Chicago Treasure Award.

QUEEN OF THE BLUES KOKO TAYLOR RECEIVES CHICAGO TREASURE AWARD!

QUEEN OF THE BLUES KOKO TAYLOR RECEIVES CHICAGO TREASURE AWARD!

 

The City of Chicago Department of Aging presented Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor with the coveted Chicago Treasure Award at the Serendipity: Celebrating Chicago Seniors Onstage event held at the famed Chicago Theatre on Thursday, May 24, 2007. Taylor, whose new cd OLD SCHOOL is being hailed as the best of her long, storied career, headlines the Chicago Blues Festival on Thursday, June 7.
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Tinsley Ellis' New CD, MOMENT OF TRUTH, Set for June 26, 2007 Release
5/22/2007
Alligator Records has set a June 26 release date for MOMENT OF TRUTH, the blistering new CD from guitarist/ vocalist/ songwriter Tinsley Ellis.

Tinsley Ellis' New CD, MOMENT OF TRUTH, Set for June 26, 2007 Release

TINSLEY ELLIS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM!
  

Alligator Records has set a June 26 release date for MOMENT OF TRUTH, the blistering new CD from guitarist/ vocalist/ songwriter Tinsley Ellis. Tinsley’s hometown paper, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, calls his music, “a potent, amazing trip through electric blues-rock.” Rolling Stone said, “feral blues guitar…non-stop gigging has sharpened his six-string to a razor’s edge…his eloquence dazzles…he achieves pyrotechnics that rival Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.” MOMENT OF TRUTH is Ellis’ lyrically deepest, most guitar driven and aggressive album of his career.

 
Produced by Ellis, MOMENT OF TRUTH captures all the power and energy of his legendary live performances. His vocals reach new heights of soulfulness and expressiveness; his guitar playing is ferocious and relentless, but, when the mood calls for it, gentle and moving. But what really sets the album apart is the depth of Ellis’ songwriting. The material deals in matters both personal and universal and runs the gamut of human emotions. MOMENT OF TRUTH is Ellis’ most wide-ranging and inspired recording.
 
Born in Atlanta in 1957, Ellis grew up in southern Florida and first played guitar at age eight. He found the blues through the backdoor of the British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream, and The Rolling Stones. He especially loved the Kings – Freddie, B.B. and Albert – and spent hours immersing himself in their music. His love for the blues solidified when he was 14. At a B.B. King performance, Tinsley sat mesmerized in the front row. When B.B. broke a string on Lucille, he changed it without missing a beat, and handed the broken string to Ellis. After the show, B.B. came out and talked with fans, further impressing Tinsley with his warmth and down-to-earth attitude. By now Tinsley’s fate was sealed; he had to become a blues guitarist. And yes, he still has that string.

Already an accomplished teenaged musician, Ellis left Florida and returned to Atlanta in 1975. He soon joined the Alley Cats, a gritty blues band that included Preston Hubbard (of Fabulous Thunderbirds fame). In 1981, along with veteran blues singer and harpist Chicago Bob Nelson, Tinsley formed The Heartfixers, a group that would become Atlanta’s top-drawing blues band. After cutting Cool On It and Tore Up with The Heartfixers, Ellis was ready to head out on his own. He sent a copy of the master tape for his solo debut to Bruce Iglauer at Alligator Records. “I had heard Cool On It," recalls Iglauer, “and I was amazed. I hadn't heard Tinsley before, but he played like the guys with huge international reputations. It wasn't just his raw power; it was his taste and maturity that got to me. It had the power of rock but felt like the blues. I knew I wanted to hear more of this guy.”

GEORGIA BLUE, Tinsley’s first Alligator release, hit an unprepared public by surprise in 1988. Critics and fans quickly agreed that a new and original guitar hero had emerged. Before long, Alligator arranged to reissue COOL ON IT and TORE UP, thus exposing Tinsley’s blistering earlier music to a growing fan base. Tinsley’s next releases, 1989’s FANNING THE FLAMES, 1992’s TROUBLE TIME, 1994’s STORM WARNING and 1997’s FIRE IT UP  (produced by the legendary Tom Dowd), solidified Ellis’ reputation as a guitar hero with depth and substance.
 
Ellis’ 2005 return to Alligator (after short stints with Capricorn and Telarc Records), the searing guitar-fueled LIVE-HIGHWAYMAN, was the live recording his fans had been demanding for years. Recorded at a packed club just outside Chicago, the CD takes Ellis’ extended soloing and heartfelt vocals to staggering heights. The Chicago Tribune said, “Incendiary live performances, inspired, original and funky.” 

Averaging over 150 live shows a year, Ellis has played in all 50 states, as well as Canada, Europe, Australia and South America. Whether he’s out with his own band or sharing stages with The Allman Brothers, Robert Cray, Koko Taylor or Widespread Panic, he spreads his jaw-dropping licks, thunderous axe work and intense vocals everywhere he goes. With the massive touring supporting MOMENT OF TRUTH, Ellis will bring his high-energy, guitar-drenched performances to people all over the world. Tinsley Ellis’ time has come. For him and his growing legion of fans, the moment of truth is now.
 
 
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THREE ALLIGATOR ARTISTS RECEIVE BLUES MUSIC AWARDS!
5/11/2007
On May 10, 2007, The Blues Foundation announced the recipients of the annual Blues Music Awards (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards).

THREE ALLIGATOR ARTISTS RECEIVE BLUES MUSIC AWARDS!

THREE ALLIGATOR ARTISTS RECEIVE BLUES MUSIC AWARDS!

 

On May 10, 2007, The Blues Foundation announced the recipients of the annual Blues Music Awards (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards). Three Alligator recording artists received honors: Marcia Ball was named the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year, Guitar Shorty won the award for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year for We The People, and Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials won the award for Blues Band Of The Year.

 

The Blues Music Awards ceremony and concert were held May 10, 2007 in Memphis, TN, at the Cook Convention Center. Alligator award recipients are as follows:

 

MARCIA BALL

+Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year - Marcia Ball

 

GUITAR SHORTY

+Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year – “We The People”

 

LIL’ ED AND THE BLUES IMPERIALS

+ Band Of The Year

 

 

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CHICAGO BLUES HARMONICA LEGEND CAREY BELL 1936 – 2007
5/7/2007
Blues harmonica master Carey Bell died on May 6, 2007 of heart failure in his hometown of Chicago, IL. He was 70.

CHICAGO BLUES HARMONICA LEGEND CAREY BELL 1936 – 2007

CHICAGO BLUES HARMONICA LEGEND CAREY BELL 1936 – 2007


Raucous and exuberant in the great Chicago tradition ... tender introspection, emotional complexity,

sensitivity and tonal control."
--LIVING BLUES

 

            A blues harp master, Carey Bell has jaw-dropping technique…stunning intensity, elegantly lowdown.”
 --CHICAGO TRIBUNE

 


Blues harmonica master Carey Bell died on May 6, 2007 of heart failure in his hometown of Chicago, IL. He was 70. Bell – the 1998 winner of the Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Artist Of The Year – was a veteran of both Muddy Waters’ and Willie Dixon’s bands as well as an award-winning solo artist, and a guest artist on countless blues recordings. Bell's classic, funky and deeply soulful blues place him firmly on the short list of blues harmonica superstars.

Bell was one of the very few harmonica players who didn't learn his craft by listening to old records, but by studying directly under his teachers Big Walter Horton, Little Walter Jacobs and Sonny Boy Williamson II. It didn't take long for Bell to develop his signature "chopped" harmonica phrasing and deep-blues style.


Carey Bell Harrington was born in Macon, Mississippi on November 14, 1936. A fan of Louis Jordan, Bell originally wanted a saxophone, but economic realities forced his grandfather to buy him a harmonica instead. He taught himself to play by the time he was eight, and began playing professionally with his godfather, pianist Lovie Lee, when he was 13. In 1956, Lee convinced Carey that Chicago was the place to be for aspiring bluesmen, and on September 12, 1956 they arrived. Almost immediately, Bell went to see Little Walter perform at the Club Zanzibar at 14th and Ashland. The two became friends and Walter delighted in showing the youngster some of his tricks. Carey went on to meet and learn from Sonny Boy Williamson II, but it was Big Walter Horton who really inspired him and became his mentor.

Carey learned his lessons well but by the late 1950s and early 1960s the gigs were drying up for harp players as the electric guitar began to take over as the predominant instrument of Chicago blues. Bell decided to increase his worth by becoming a bass player (learning the ropes from Hound Dog Taylor). He quickly mastered the instrument and began getting gigs as a bassist with Honeyboy Edwards, Johnny Young, Eddie Taylor, Earl Hooker and Big Walter. While playing bass in Big Walter's band, Bell studied every harp trick in the book first-hand from one of the all-time great harmonica players.

Bell, back on harp full-time, recorded behind Earl Hooker in 1968 for Arhoolie. By 1969 Bell was fronting his own band. His friend, harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite brought him over to Bob Koester at Delmark Records in 1969, who promptly signed Bell and recorded CAREY BELL'S BLUES HARP. Bell spent 1971 traveling and recording with Muddy Waters (he can be heard on Muddy's THE LONDON SESSIONS and UNK IN FUNK albums on Chess). Willie Dixon chose Bell for the featured role in his Chicago Blues All-Stars, with whom Bell worked regularly throughout the 1970s, both touring and recording.

Even though Dixon kept Carey busy, Bell still found time for his own projects. In 1972 he teamed up with his friend Big Walter and recorded what was to be Alligator Records’ second-ever release, BIG WALTER HORTON WITH CAREY BELL. In 1973 he made a solo album, LAST NIGHT, for ABC Bluesway and was featured in 1978 on Alligator’s Grammy-nominated LIVING CHICAGO BLUES series (both with his own band and playing behind Lovie Lee).

By the 1980s Bell had established himself worldwide as a giant among blues harmonica players. He recorded albums as a leader and as a sideman for a variety of labels both in the United States and Europe, and was constantly playing live. In 1990 Bell, along with fellow harpslingers Junior Wells, James Cotton and Billy Branch, got together and recorded the Blues Music Award-winning Alligator album, HARP ATTACK!.


In 1995, Bell's very first full-length solo album on Alligator, DEEP DOWN, secured his reputation as modern blues legend. His follow-ups, 1997’s GOOD LUCK MAN (which received an Blues Music Award for Traditional Album of the Year), and 2004’s SECOND NATURE (an acoustic album recorded with his guitarist/vocalist son Lurrie Bell), pushed the blues farther out with Bell’s rich vocabulary of deep grooves and contemporary sounds. Most recently, in 2007, Delmark Records released GETTIN’ UP LIVE, a CD/DVD featuring Bell once again performing with his son Lurrie.

Bell fathered 15 children and is survived by 10.

 

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS AS FOLLOWS:

 

Friday, May 11, 2007

4:00pm – 7:00pm Visitation

Calahan Funeral Home

7030 S. Halsted

Chicago, IL

 

Saturday, May 12, 2007

10:00am – 11:00am Visitation

11:00am – Service

Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church

7023 S. Halsted

Chicago, IL

 

2:00pm – Burial

Mt. Hope Cemetery

11500 S Fairfield Ave. (115th & Fairfield)

Chicago, IL

 

 

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

1969  Carey Bell's Blues Harp             Delmark

1973  Last Night                                 ABC Bluesway / One Way

1977  Heartaches and Pain                  Delmark

1982  Goin' on Main Street                  Evidence

*1983  Son of a Gun                           Rooster Blues

1988  Harpslinger                               JSP

*1990  Dynasty!                                 JSP

1990  Harp Attack!                            Alligator

1991  Mellow Down Easy                   Blind Pig

1994  Harpmaster                              JSP

1995  Deep Down                             Alligator

1997  Good Luck Man                       Alligator

*2004  Second Nature                       Alligator

*2007 Getting’ Up Live                      Delmark

 

*with Lurrie Bell

 

 

 

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