Our Blues Roots: Jimmy Dawkins, Hot Wires!

[Don D.]

I hope everyone is doing well.

Thanks for checking this out. The next Blues Roots will appear on Thursday, May 24.

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Those who know, know, but Jimmy Dawkins isn’t well-enough-known. Based on his raw, expressive power, I would think Jimmy Dawkins would be among a lot more people’s favorite guitarists. Jimmy Dawkins was a serious-minded musician whose powerful singing and playing expressed the feelings of the ghetto—as the following song shows, he didn’t always need vocals to do that (useful, interesting bios and stories at first two links; Wikipedia at third).

He spent his first 18 years in Mississippi—getting his first guitar from his mother when he was 15 or 16—then he followed his mother and sisters to Chicago when he was 18.

The live videos (through number 13), followed by albums, full concerts and select songs (number 14 through 49, the album Tell Me Baby is the last one—although he lived to 2013, his last solo album was released in 2004) on this playlist are arranged chronologically through number 49 (slowly adding to that chronological section).

His earliest recordings , made on November 27, 1967, were on an Arhoolie record called Chicago Blues by Johnny Young and Big Walter Horton (discography in link). His contemporary playing wasn’t a natural fit with the older country-style players, and people have said negative things about his contribution to the record, but I like it. Johnny Young (vocals, guitar), Walter Horton (harmonica), Jimmy Dawkins (guitar), Lafayette Leake (piano), Ernest Gatewood (bass), Lester Dorsie (drums), released 1968 (also numbers 14-18 on playlist).

He was nicknamed Fast Fingers and that’s what his first album was called (1969), but although it’s widely known, there are multiple statements from people who knew him that he didn’t care for the nickname.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8a8cutYP7fqOKTk2clkSUaJCnYCTS0KI

All For Business, his second album with guest vocalist Andrew “Big Voice” Odom on 8 songs (Jimmy Dawkins only sings on one, “Down So Long”) and Otis Rush (recorded in Chicago on October 27 and November 1, 1971; released 1973), is the one I go back to more often than any other.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i99nUDcnRSQ

“Cold Sweet Blues,” Jimmy Dawkins (guitar), Jimmy Johnson (rhythm guitar), Sylvester Boines (bass), Tyrone Centuray (drums), 1975

This is Jimmy Dawkins regular band. It’s also the band that toured Japan with Otis Rush, playing on the So Many Roads, Live in Concert record, Tokyo, July 20 and 29, 1975. Jimmy Dawkins also toured Japan at this time with the same band, but he isn’t on the Otis Rush record, don’t know if either of them ever guested at the other’s shows.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDb0WKMQo3UyrORMsaPW-Vk_ME7RGRPfU

“Shufflin’ the Blues” was one of four bonus tracks on the 1996 reissue of 1976 album Blisterstring. Jimmy Dawkins (vocal, guitar), Jimmy Johnson (rhythm guitar), Sonny Thompson (the veteran pianist was a special guest), Sylvester Boines (bass), Tyrone Centuray (drums)

This same basic band accompanies Andrew “Big Voice” Odom on this live album, recorded Ma Bea’s, Chicago, October 28, 1976 (also see Andrew Odom section below).
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2RVpwrkuvRMhbw2QpIGcl08lgNvGvvRf

Two songs associated with Albert King. Jimmy Dawkins (vocal, guitar), Rick Kirch (guitar), Sylvester Boines (bass), Tyrone Centuray (drums), Chicago, November 10, 1976

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Andrew “Big Voice” Odom was the most intense singer I’ve heard. It sounds like he’s always engaged. And he’s always in the best company.

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Edward “Bee” Houston , Terry DeRouen (guitars), Jay Hodge (alto), Sonny Campbell (tenor), Frank “Honeyboy” Patt (bass), Chuck Davenport (drums), recorded in Los Angeles between August 1968 and March 1970.

Same as above except Bee Houston sings and date is March 5, 1970.

Not sure about personnel and recording dates on the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSrbVg-xOEQ

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Yesterday was the 93rd anniversary of Albert King’s birth. If you aren’t already a fan, start with the old 45s (numbers 12 through 24; Albert King is the drummer on the Jimmy Reed 45). If you like him, check out numbers 5 through 8 for some very low-quality film of a meeting between him and Albert Collins (probably mid-late 1970s).

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This great website contains a lifetime worth of reading, including a great John Lee Hooker discography (yes, I’ve posted this discography before).

Here’s part 1 of a 2-part series on Blues Unlimited featuring Eddie Taylor.

Wouldn’t want to forget the old masters. Here’s an article with new information about Robert Petway (“Catfish,” 1941).

Don D.

[Billy]

Another great OBR Son, this will keep us all reading and listening well in to next month.
Thank you for putting in the time and effort in bring to us this fantastic series.

..Billy..

[sunjamr]

Both sound great, but Bee can really make that guitar sing.

Sunjamr Steve

[Don D.]

Hi Billy, thanks for checking in. Some of those links will lead to months of reading material.

The very last one, the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund, is the website of an organization that locates bluesmen and -women’s gravesites and has markers added—not just bare rocks with names and dates, they are sometimes beautiful monuments. While my concerns are for the living, I respect and appreciate their mission. If I had “unlimited” time and money, I’d contribute.

I made a mistake related to the article from that site. The information about Robert Petway is no longer new; the article was first published in 2011.

Thanks Steve! I’ve liked Bee Houston a long time but haven’t gone very deep into his work. He was the longtime guitarist for Willa Mae “Big Mama” Thornton and he can obviously play just about anything he likes. I hope to spend more time listening for sure.

This give me the opportunity to make a point that was in the back of my mind as I was putting the materials together. Although Bee Houston is the more talented singer and guitarist (on guitar there’s a runaway difference), I don’t love Bee Houston’s music any more than Jimmy Dawkins’. Jimmy Dawkins has a quality that transcends his limitations—have to come back to this and get to work.

By the way, yes, the next installment of the guitarists of Muddy Waters is overdue—way overdue. Nothing is certain yet, but I’ve been listening to the Johnny Winters trilogy, trying to get back inside it.

Don D.

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