Remembering the great Jimmy Reed this week (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) | Don’s Tunes

The success of Jimmy Reed is one of the most fascinating in American roots music. At first listen, his lazy vocals and squeaky harmonica solos might not seem like a sound particularly suited to mainstream taste. Yet, for the better part of a decade, in the 50s and early 60s, Reed’s songs, such as “Honest I Do” and “Baby What You Want Me to Do,” made regular appearances on both the Billboard R&B and pop charts, even cracking the Top 40 on a few occasions.

Born Mathis (or Matcher) James Reed in Leland, Mississippi, in 1925, Reed learned the rudiments of guitar from his friend Eddie Taylor, a far more accomplished guitarist who would serve as Reed’s accompanist for much of his career. After being discharged from the US Navy in 1945, he followed the migration of many Southern African-Americans to Chicago, where he worked first in the steel industry, at Wisconsin Steel Works and the Valley Mold Iron Company, and then at the Armour Packing Company. In Chicago, Reed began taking his music seriously, hitting upon the idea of playing guitar and harmonica simultaneously, and fashioning a harmonica holder from a coat hanger.

His sound changed little throughout his career, but it was a formula that worked. Like many great blues artists – think of Elmore James or Muddy Waters – there could be no mistake that one was listening to Jimmy Reed, with the gentle force of his personality, his “lump-de-lump” rhythm, and his high harmonica sound creating an indelible impression. He also had the advantage of recording with the legendary engineer Bill Putnam at Chicago’s Universal Recording Corporation. Putnam was a pioneer in developing reverb and echo effects that he used to subtle advantage on Reed’s records, and his drum sounds – especially Earl Phillips’ snare – are breathtaking even today.

By Scott Billington / Udiscover

Don's Tunes

Many classic blues standards would be written by Reed not least this classic (‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’) that anyone worth their chops learned to play early on, Big Boss Man was an early purchase EP (ask your grandparents!) I think on the Charly label a series I loved with pictures sleeves and usually four classic tracks from the artists they covered

Honest I Do - Jimmy Reed 

My EP had these two following numbers which I carry with me ever since I heard them this one predicted my experience of bosses I worked for!

Big Boss Man - Jimmy Reed (with Eddie Taylor) live

Bright Lights, Big City - Jimmy Read (Live at Carnegie Hall)