When it comes to music, my sweet spot was the British Invasion of the 60’s and 70’s. It gave me perspective and appreciation of the styles that came before (Rockabilly, Blues, Jazz, Bebop, Bluegrass, C&W) and the post Invasion period of the 80’s and 90’s when music reinvented itself with punk, new wave, grunge and hip-hop. Now in post 2000, music re-reinvented itself yet again.
Today’s music scene has proven to be quite compelling. Artists like the Black Keys, Phish, moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Derek Trucks, Gov’t Mule, String Cheese, etc. are just a few of the bands keeping the torch of rock and roll blazing white and hot. And I absolutely love it!!
Listening to the virtuosic diversity of Phish or the raw driving Black Keys, I continue to marvel at today’s music scene. I expressed to my son David that this is the reason why I love music so much. Old gems like the remastered Led Zeppelin recordings or recent releases of the aforementioned bands… it all merges beautifully into this wonderful musical tapestry that makes life worth living.
With fifty years of music appreciation, I wanted to introduce a column to a younger audience. There are musical treasures that need to be rediscovered, “JamFather Gems” if you will. I’d like to start with some of my favorite blues recordings, for without the blues, there is no Led Zeppelin, there is no Rolling Stones, no Beatles, no Elvis and on and on.
So we start with the king of Chicago blues…Muddy Waters. Blues 101. Muddy was born McKinley Morganfield (1915-1983), in rural Mississippi. Morganfield earned his nickname as a child, because he loved to play in the muddy waters by his home. At the age of 17, Muddy picked up a guitar, eager to follow in the footsteps of his heroes, Robert Johnson and Son House.
The guitarist was first discovered by Alan Lomax, an archivist who traveled to through the South to record and preserve the legacy of American country-blues musicians. As Waters himself tells it, “He brought his stuff down and recorded me right in my house, and when he played back the first song I sounded just like anybody’s records. Man, you don’t know how I felt that Saturday afternoon when I heard that voice and it was my own voice. Later on he sent me two copies of the pressing and a check for twenty bucks, and I carried that record up to the corner and put it on the jukebox. Just played it and played it and said, ‘I can do it, I can do it.'” Very prophetic.
In 1943, Muddy left the rural south to Chicago. There were better paying jobs and a chance to make his way as a musician. Dozens followed, and the Southside of Chicago became the focal point of the developing Black Blues scene. Blues was transformed from the plaintive delta roots of the Deep South, to an urban sound with more energy and more rhythm… eventually giving birth to rock and roll. Of the Chicago Blues scene, Muddy was the undisputed king. (not to overshadow the accomplishments of Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Chuck Berry, etc.).
My introduction to Muddy Waters was similar to many of my social upbringing. In the late 60s, listening to Pigpen from The Dead, Cream, The Allman Brothers, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin – the name Muddy Waters names kept popping up when reading musical credits. Like any curious, musically-devoted teenager, I decided to explore. Black blues musicians were verboten on AM and FM radio, and one could not find them anywhere on the shelves of my parents comfortable New Jersey suburban home. So I ventured out and bought a Muddy Waters record. The recording quality was poor, and after a couple turns on the record player, I abandoned it. Too harsh, too raw and too foreign for my tastes.
Fast forward a couple of years. I was attending my first Eric Clapton concert, and Mr. Waters was the opening act. I figured, we’ll get through this set, hopefully rather quickly, and then Eric Clapton will perform. What came next was one of the seminal moments of my life. Muddy Waters came out and played his goddamn ass off. By the end of the set, everyone was literally standing on their seats, roaring with such appreciation at his magnificent performance. By the time he closed his set with a rollicking version of “Got My Mojo Working,” I was hooked big time – forever and ever. I became completely devoted to the Blues. Poor Eric Clapton…he did not stand a chance. Following Muddy Waters is musical suicide; especially with a staid performer like Clapton. Perspective would’ve have dictated that Clapton open for Muddy (and I bet EC would agree).
So I went back to my old LP, and grew very fond of my Muddy Waters album. Alas the poor audio quality left me wanting. Muddy Waters, like many of his blues brothers, was a product of Chess Records. Chess did a wonderful job signing blues acts and selling them to the black public, but it was done on a shoestring budget. The recordings never captured the energy and force of these legendary artists in the live setting. But there was one man who recognized the injustice…Johnny Winter.
Johnny Winter (1943- ) was raised, with his younger brother Edgar, by musical parents down in Texas. There, he had access to Race Records, and blues stations at the end of the dial. Being albino and shunning the sunlight, he turned to music, and eventually fell in love with the blues. Especially Muddy Waters. At a young age, he declared that he would one day play with Muddy.
Johnny’s career took off in the late 1960s (he played Woodstock) with a powerful blues energy that was raw and exciting. He briefly fell from the music scene as he battled with drugs. Fortunately, however, he was rescued by his brother Edgar and Rick Derringer, who produced his comeback album: Still Alive and Well (1973). Johnny’s raw edge was a bit more polished, and the end result is magic. Every song on this album is great… pure passion, exquisite guitar playing and a must have. And after you hear the title cut, “Still Alive and Well,” you will be hooked.
After Still Alive and Well, Johnny was influenced to release more records by Columbia Records; ostensibly to sell more Rock and Roll LPs. And he did that with a very good result. Check out “Boney Maroney,” where Johnny proves to be one of the all-time great guitarists with one of the most fun songs ever recorded.
Johnny’s fame was rising to new heights. But Johnny in his heart of hearts was a bluesman. He turned away from commercial rock and channeled all his energy back to the blues. Remembering his boyhood vow, he sought out Muddy Waters, with the mission to record on the best possible audio equipment. The objective: to keep the music raw but to also capture the essence of the live Muddy Waters experience. Ultimately, Johnny did what Chess Records could not.
Muddy Waters was struggling to keep relevant… his previous few records were disasters. He tried adding a psychedelic edge, he tried adding brass, but it was a horrible mismatch. With Chess Records folding in 1976, Muddy was convinced to sign with Johnny’s label, Blue Sky Records. There, Johnny produced and added his guitar genius to the mix, and the result is the best quality Muddy Waters recordings every released. And this is not just my opinion. Muddy’s first two albums with Blue Sky, Hard Again (1977) and I’m Ready (1978), won Grammys for best blues album of the year. The Blue Sky Recordings are cornerstone for any blues collection.
In 1977, Hard Again was released to widespread critical acclaim. Muddy is laughing, joking, and clearly having the time of his life. He was older (64), but he was clearly in the zone, belting out number after number in the richest blues baritone voice ever witnessed on this planet. There is excited chatter by Muddy during the LP’s opening with “Mannish Boy” and “Bus Driver,” each drives forward with gritty, dirty blues performed with ebullient passion. The energy and the wit will strike you with a fullness that is sure to affect you in ways that cannot be expressed in mere words. He is backed by Johnny’s virtuoso lead guitar and Muddy’s friends; Pinetop Perkins on piano, James Cotton adding soulful harmonica, and one of the preeminent blues drummers Willie “Big Eye” Smith leading the beat. Check out “I Can’t Be Satisfied.” Johnny’s steel guitar is sublime and they know it. Muddy says, ”You are picking your ass off,” and Johnny retorts, “We got that one down.” Priceless!!
This is what blues is all about. Together, the two made sure to capture that raw blues essence in its pure musical glory. Not to be outdone, the second release, in 1978, was called “I’m Ready.” Muddy and Johnny did it again! The album kicks off with a the title track (my personal favorite) with Muddy saying…”Thank you very much..Here we go!!!”
Muddy may be a senior citizen, but he is indeed ready for whatever comes. Not to be missed is the best version ever of his blues classic “Hoochie Coochie Man.” This version is Muddy’s finest; redoing the song he made famous in 1954 (The Allman’s cover on their second album, Idlewild South, is also stuff of legends and not to be missed).
So, thank you for being open minded. Today, the jam genre has proven itself artistically important and relevant. What is particularly gratifying, to me, is discovering the jam band audiences to be very open-minded and musically knowledgeable. I constantly get nods of approvals at the concerts (especially by my beloved Phish brothers and sisters).
Yeah I really miss Jerry Garcia, but not to the exclusion of what is happening today. I absolutely hate when one of my contemporaries says, “The best music was in the 60’s and 70’s – there is nothing good anymore.” They are living in the past, and are paying $300 a ticket to see The Eagles play. They need to be educated. I am alive and vibrant when I’m rocking with the kids thirty years younger than me. It’s what I live for these days.
So trust me, Hard Again and I’m Ready are truly Jamfather gems.
-Rick “The Jamfather” Melamed