Roots of Blues -- Memphis Slim „Diggin' My Potatoes No 2"

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John "Memphis Slim" Chatman (born September 3, 1915, Memphis, Tennessee; died February 24, 1988, in Paris, France) was a blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump-blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. His 1952 composition "Every Day I Have the Blues" was recorded by Joe Williams, and Lowell Fulson, B. B. King, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Natalie Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughan, Carlos Santana, Lou Rawls, John Mayer to name a few. He cut over 500 recordings and influenced blues pianists that followed him for decades.

He spent most of the 1930s performing in honky-tonks, dance halls, and gambling joints in Memphis, Arkansas, and southern Missouri. He settled in Chicago in 1937, shortly after teamed with Big Bill Broonzy in clubs. In the late 1940s he recorded two songs for Bluebird Records that became part of his repertoire for decades, "Beer Drinking Woman," and "Grinder Man Blues," which were released under the name "Memphis Slim," given to him by Bluebird's producer, Lester Melrose. Slim became a regular session musician for Bluebird, and his piano talents supported established stars such as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Washboard Sam, and Jazz Gillum. In particular, many of Slim's recordings and performances until the mid-1940s were with guitarist and singer Broonzy, who had recruited Slim to be his piano player after Josh Altheimer's death in 1940.

Memphis Slim's 1952 masterpiece composition "Every Day I Have the Blues," was recorded by Lowell Fulson, and B. B. King, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Natalie Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughan, Carlos Santana, Lou Rawls, just to name a few.. The 1956 version by Joe Williams (Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings) was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1992. "Every Day I Have the Blues" is also seen in John Mayer's, Where The Light Is, a DVD (and CD) live recording in Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre featuring Steve Jordan (drums) and Pino Palladino (bass). In 1959 he recorded with guitarist Matt "Guitar" Murphy such as Memphis Slim at the Gate of the Horn, twelve of his compositions, includes songs "Mother Earth," "Gotta Find My Baby," "Rockin' the Blues," Steppin' Out," and "Slim's Blues."

Slim first appeared outside the United States in 1960, touring with Willie Dixon, with whom he returned to Europe in 1962 as a featured artist in the first of the series of American Folk Festival concerts organized by Dixon and promoter Willie Dixon that brought many notable blues artists to Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. He moved permanently to Paris in 1962, and his engaging personality and well-horned presentation of playing, singing, and storytelling about the blues secured his position as the most prominent blues artist for nearly three decades. He appeared on television in numerous European countries, acted in several French films and wrote the score for another, and performed regularly in Paris, throughout Europe, and on return visits to the United States. In the last years of his life, he teamed up with respected jazz drummer George Collier. The two toured Europe together and became friends. After Collier in August 1987, Slim appeared in public very little. Two years before his death, Slim was named a Commander in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France. In addition, the U.S. Senate honored Slim with the title of Ambassador-at-Large of Good Will.

Memphis Slim died on February 24, 1988, of renal failure in Paris, France, at the age of 72. He is buried at Galilee Memorial Gardens, Memphis Shelby County, Tennessee, USA

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Blues
• Roots_of_Blues
• History_of_music

[dahtoy2003]

Love

This

original

sound

track.

[Georgie2047]

@nitro38134 - Kinda right... he was actually born John but later changed it to Peter to honour his father.

[shalom4263]

חופרת לי במוח

[lapislazuli7]

@supermabel1 I am jealous!!! :) Thanks again for the information.

[supermabel1]

@lapislazuli7 DutchBluesFan has posted one other song from that 1940 session - The Jive Blues. The personnel on the session, which was Slim's first, were Peter Chatman (Memphis Slim) piano/vocal, unknown harmonica, Leroy Batchelor bass, Washboard Sam washboard. All 3 vocals sound to be the same man to me. Slim was still in great voice the last time I saw him live at the Cambridge Folk Festival in the mid 1980s.

[lapislazuli7]

@supermabel1 Thank you, that is a very nice song, too! Love that harp. It still does not give any credits!! Getting confused now.... I do not think I can tell who sings what by now.

[lapislazuli7]

@supermabel1 No, I am quite certain this is not Memphis Slim singing. But I only know what his voice sounds like about 20 years later, it was much deeper then (Compare his live performance "Memphis Slim - Everyday I Have The Blues" here on YT). Then again I would not bet on it. ;)

[supermabel1]

@lapislazuli7 I found another track from Peter Chatman/Memphis Slim's 1940 session - check out Memhis Slim's Miss Ora Lee Blues posted by DutchBluesFan. Same band, same singer.

[supermabel1]

@lapislazuli7 No, I think this is Memphis Slim singing - must be his 1940 recording, which had unidentified harmonica plus Washboard Sam on washboard, according to the discography. This is the only version he made that I can find..

[lapislazuli7]

@supermabel1 Is it also Washboard Sam singing here? I only know the version used for the "Funny Bones" soundtrack and his voice was different then.

[MrMississippiJohn]

Love SLIM!!! Sounds like is was based on an old Bill Broonzy tune by the same title - they played a lot together in the 40s.