Listen Here

Born in Arkansas in 1920, Jimmy Witherspoon was one of the old school “blues shouters” of the 1940s, making his first records with Jay McShann’s band in the immediate post-war years. He enjoyed a long career, continuing to record for over 50 years until not long before his death in 1997 at the age of 77. His career had distinct phases, with the emphasis changing to a focus on the album market after the mid-1950s, and this collection addresses his formative decade or so when he recorded 78s and 45s for a variety of labels. This 78-track 3-CD collection comprises most of his releases during this era releases under his own name and with the bands of Jay McShann, Buddy Tate, Al Wichard and Lou Spreigner on the Aladdin, Mercury, Supreme, Swing Time, Down Beat and Modern  labels. It features all his R&B hits from these years, including the R&B No. 1 “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”, and the Top 10 hits “Big Fine Girl”, “In The Evening”, “No Rollin’ Blues” and “The Wind Is Blowin’”. The last two are among the ‘live’ recordings in the set from Gene Norman’s famous concert promotions. It’s a substantial and reasonably comprehensive overview of the years when he established his reputation, and it’s a fine showcase for his distinctive style as a blues, R&B and jazz performer.