Muddy Waters Blues Band Mud In Your Ear

Muddy Waters Blues Band

Mud In Your Ear

Douglas

Douglas Records has made available on compact disc, “Mud In Your Ear”, 15 selections by the Muddy Waters Blues Band originally issued on two vinyl albums issued back over forty years ago on what was then Alan Douglas’ new label. Muddy Waters is on the session, but limited to backing guitar although taking a few recognizable slide solos. His band at that time included Luther ‘Snake Boy’ Johnson on vocals and guitar; George ‘Mojo’ Buford on harmonica and vocals; Otis Spann on piano; Sammy lawhorn on guitar; Lawrence ‘Sonny’ Wimberly on bass and Francis Clay on drums. 

Johnson and Mojo, along with Spann, would have been featured on the Band’s opening selections before Muddy would be brought up. This recording allows Johnson and Buford to have more of the spotlight then they would live as well as allows us to hear this edition of Waters Band upfront. Johnson takes the bulk of the vocals including a nice rendition of Washboard Sam’s “Diggin’ My Potatoes,” and Muddy’s “Long Distance Call,” with his take on the “another mule kicking in my stall” climax. The title track, heard in a lengthy version and a brief reprise, is an rocking instrumental rendition of “Got My Mojo Working.” There are also solid renditions of “Coming Home Baby” and Jimmy Smith’s “Chicken Shack,” songs that were typical opening numbers. 

Johnson’s “I’m So Glad” is a pretty strong original with Muddy adding some stinging slide. Also nice are his interpretations of a couple lesser known Waters numbers, the brooding “Remember Me,” and Waters’ “Evil,” where he sings that when you see him coming better run and hide. Spann is particularly superb on these and Buford adds some nice harp. Buford comes across well on the first-rate “I’m So Glad,” and “Watch Dog.” The latter number is a slow blues with a clever lyric about needing a watch dog to look after things when he goes away on business. 

This was a tight band and these are solid performances. Johnson did record overseas after leaving Muddy Waters but died much too young while Buford made several albums until his passing a few years back. This is a good document of the Muddy Waters band of the time before Spann left, and while this is not an essential reissue, it is a welcome one.

This was a purchase. This review originally appeared in the September-October 2012 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 344). Here is a performance from Luther ‘Snake Boy’ Johnson.

Muddy Waters Paris 1972

Muddy Waters
Paris 1972
Pablo

A part of Norman Granz’ Jazz at the Philharmonic Series of recordings (that includes albums by Ray Charles and Cannonball Adderley) this is a valuable new live recording of Muddy waters from a quarter-century past. He’s with his then working band of Pinetop Perkins/piano, Mojo Buford/harp, Calvin Jones/bass, Willie Smith/drums and Louis Myers on guitar, filling in for then ailing Sammy Lawhorn, and relegating himself to a mostly supporting role.

This is a “what you see is what you get” sort of recording. Muddy sounds in good form, singing robustly and plays a fair amount of slide guitar , Pinetop Perkins shows what a fine backing pianist he is, and even Mojo Buford, not my favorite of Waters’ harp players, acquits himself well on his steady, if unspectacular accompaniments. The material should be fairly familiar, with Clouds in My Heart, Hootchie Cootchie Man, Blow Wind Blow, Honey Bee, Walkin’ Blues and Got My Mojo Workin’.

Produced in cooperation with Waters’ estate, this is a lively, highly entertaining addition to Waters’ discography.

I likely received a review copy from Fantasy Records who owned the Pablo catalog. This review appeared originally in the July-August 1997 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 223). Here is Muddy in 1976 performing "Rollin' and Tumblin'."

Muddy Waters in Mississippi and Paris

Muddy Waters was a towering perfumer who I had the opportunity to see a number of times ranging from him opening for Moby Grape at Central Park (where one could not hear Otis Spann’s piano) to touring with the band that had Pinetop Perkins, Luther ‘Guitar Jr.’ Johnson, and Bob Margolin outside of Buffalo. Here are a couple of older reviews I have done of his recordings over the years. The first review appeared in the April 1994 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 190) while the second one appeared in July/August 1997 (Issue 223) issue.

The Complete Plantation Recordings 

If Muddy Waters had never made it to Chicago, and was simply some person who had only recorded for Alan Lomax and the Library of Congress, he would still be regarded as one of the great delta blues musicians. MCA/Chess’ The Complete Plantation Recordings makes available all the extant Library of Congress recordings, including 4 interview segments.

Whether magnificent solo blues like the two versions of Country Blues adapted from Walking Blues, I Be’s Troubled, the spiritual You Got to Take Sick and Die Some of These Days, Ramblin’ Kid Blues with the Son Sims Four or You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone, these performances are significant not simply as a harbinger of his Chess recordings, but as among the greatest country blues recordings.

The mastering of rough source material is as good as one can get, and while some may fine this noisy, it is unreservedly recommended.

Paris 1972

A part of Norman Granz’ Jazz at the Philharmonic Series of recordings (that includes albums by Ray Charles and Cannonball Adderley) Paris 1972 (Pablo) is a valuable new live recording of Muddy Waters from a quarter-century past. He’s with his then working band of Pinetop Perkins/piano, Mojo Buford/harp, Calvin Jones/bass, Willie Smith/drums and Louis Myers on guitar, filling in for then ailing Sammy Lawhorn, and relegating himself to a mostly supporting role. This is a “what you see is what you get” sort of recording. Muddy sounds in good form, singing robustly and plays a fair amount of slide guitar , Pinetop Perkins shows what a fine backing pianist he is, and even Mojo Buford, not my favorite of Waters’ harp players, acquits himself well on his steady, if unspectacular accompaniments. The material should be fairly familiar, with Clouds in My Heart, Hootchie Cootchie Man, Blow Wind Blow, Honey Bee, Walkin’ Blues and Got My Mojo Workin’. Produced in cooperation with the Waters’ estate, this is a lively, highly entertaining addition to Waters’ discography. Now here is  Muddy a few years later after Bob Margolin and Luther 'Guitar Jr. Johnson joined the band and the great Clark Terry sitting in.

George 'Mojo' Buford 1929-2011

I had the pleasure of seeing George ‘Mojo’ Buford sing with James Cotton at the 2006 Pocono Blues Festival, but never had the chance to see him play harmonica.  Word of his passing on October 11 hit hard for those of us who are fans of old school Chicago-styled blues. Born in Hernando, Mississippi, Buford moved to Memphis while still young and got his early blues schooling there before moving to Chicago in the early 50’s where he became a band that became known as the Muddy Waters Jr. Band. It was not a band of Muddy imitators, but rather Muddy's selected band to fill-in for him at Chicago clubs when Muddy was on the road. Buford, himself, would have several stints as part of Muddy’s band replacing Little Walter and James Cotton. He was a member Muddy’s band when that legend passed away in 1983.

After Muddy’s death, Mojo performed as a leader and also with other blues legends, serving a spell with James Cotton as vocalist after Cotton lost his singing voice. His last performance was with Cotton and guitarist Hubert Sumlin at Yoshi’s in San Francisco this past July. Shortly after returning to Minneapolis, he had heart surgery from which he never fully recovered, and he died on October 12 of heart failure. He was survived by nine children.

James Cotton and Mojo Buford at 2006 Pocono Blues Festival. Photo © Ron Weinstock

Buford physically relocated to Minneapolis in 1962 which would remain his home for the rest of his life and he would be a major figure in that community’s blues scene. In 1964, his first album, Exciting Harmonica Sound of Mojo Buford (Blues Record Society) was issued and it would not be until 1979 when Mr. Blues issued Mojo Buford’s Blues Summit, would he have another full album as a leader. This was subsequently issued on Mr. Blues and the Japanese P-Vine label. He shared albums with other members of the Muddy Waters Band for Douglas Records and was a sideman on a Bluesway album by Otis Spann as well as on some live performances by Muddy Waters. Subsequent to the Mr. Blues album, he recorded several albums for JSP, Blue Loon and Fedora. The latter label issued a 1998 live recording, Champagne & Reefer which was Buford's last album.

Ironically I had uploaded two of his albums to itunes on my Mac computer a few weeks ago. These were Still Blowing Strong, a 1996 recording originally issued on Blue Loon, and Champagne & Reefer, the live Fedora CD I have mentioned. Both recordings are solid efforts that show him to be influenced by Muddy Waters as a vocalist and a capable harmonica player in the Little Walter vein with a fat, crying tone. Both of these albums are currently available.

Still Blowing Strong was a studio recording with a solid Chicago styled band (and not having the physical CD in front of me I can’t provide personnel). It has some solid idiomatic originals, performed in the style of the Muddy Waters Band. There is some Muddy styled slide guitar provided on Apple On A Tree, a nice cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s In My Younger Day, and a couple of instrumentals that showcase his harp playing.

Recorded in Phoenix, the performances on Champagne & Reefer are solid with a band that included Bob Margolin on guitar and Chico Chism on drums. Margolin, in introducing Buford, notes that Buford got him to join Muddy’s band right after one of Muddy’s guitarists had left, which Margolin thanks him publicly for. He provides guitar in the vein of Muddy as Buford delivers forceful vocals on the title track, Blow Wind Blow, Long Distance Call, Don’t Go No Further, and other songs associated with Muddy. There also are spirited versions of Willie Dixon’s Wee Wee Baby, and Sonny Boy Williamson’s Nine Below Zero.

Information in this review was based on Bill Dahl’s biography at allmusic.com and the obituary in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Bob Corritore, who produced Champagne & Reefer, has an appreciation of Mojo Buford on his website, http://www.bobcorritore.com/WhatsNew.html. It is an entry dated October 11, 2011.