Contents description by former Living Blues contributor Edward Meyer:

Living Blues #88, September-October 1989, Hubert Sumlin, Ali Farka Toure, Chess Records

Cover Photo: Hubert Sumlin by James Fraher

List of Articles:

Editorial:

How Can I Be Black When I’M So Doggone Blue by Peter Lee

-artists mentioned: John Weston, Willie Cobbs, Little Walter, Lonnie Shields, the Delta Blues Brothers,

Article summary: denies common belief that the blues is dying; reports on the Blues Foundation contest winner from Helena, Arkansas, and a night out in Clarksdale filled with young bluesmen; magazine moving from an antebellum house to proper offices (still on campus, but a new address)

Blues News

Public Radio Tunes into the Blues by Anita Chadwell

-artists mentioned: Ruth Brown, Dr. John, Denise LaSalle, Koko Taylor, Guitar Slim Jr.

Article summary: Ruth Brown to host a blues radio show on NPR; will feature live appearances recorded on location in nightclubs around the country

2120 S. Michigan by John Rockwood/David Nelson

-artists mentioned: John Cougar Mellencamp, Willie Dixon

Article summary: attempts being made to save the historic Chess studios building; John Cougar Mellencamp recorded Dixon’s Seventh Son, live from the building and promised all royalties to go to the Blues Foundations efforts to save the building

A Star for Muddy by David Nelson

-artists mentioned: Muddy Waters

Article summary; despite efforts by the Rosebud Agency, Muddy Waters was rejected for the second year in a row for a star on the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame; plea for readers to write in votes for Muddy

George Jackson Benefit by David Nelson

-artists mentioned: Little Hatch & the Houserockers, Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Dr. Ross, Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 2)

Article summary: Delta style slide guitarist sick; he didn’t play, but the Kansas City Blues Society held a benefit in his honor to pay hospital bills; 69 year old has lived most of his life in Kansas City, but has played in Washington, D.C., and did one European tour in 1974

Exhibition of Early Houston Rhythm & Blues Photographs by Anita Chadwell

-artists mentioned: B.B. King, Little Frankie Lee, Della Reese, Junior Parker, Albert Collins, Mahalia Jackson, Joe Hinton

Article summary: museum exhibition of historic Houston blues photos taken by Duke/Peacock records photographer, Benny Joseph; curated by writer Alan Govenar, from a 40-year collection of over 10,000 negatives; show was previously exhibited at the University of Mississippi

European Blues Releases -compiled by Jacques Depoorter

-article summary: list of 38 recent LP blues releases in England (23), Denmark (12) and Austria (3), organized by label as well as by country

Festivals:

Toledo, Ohio: Rock, Rhythm and Blues, photos by John Rockwood

-artists shown: Elmore James Jr., Big Jack Reynolds, Chicago Pete, Big Rodger, Lazy Lester, Albert Collins, Eddie Burns, DJ Famous Coachman, Honeyboy Edwards, Roman Griswold

Buck County Blues Society Picnic, July 29 by Helen Doob Lazar

-artists mentioned: John Lee Hooker, Bobby Rush, C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Charlie Musselwhite Blues Band, Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets with Sam Myers, Roy Carrier

Article summary: Bucks County Blues Society is one of the oldest in the country, founded in 1977 (12 years); for the last 6 of those they have held a multi-band annual picnic; author mentions there were 7 acts this year, but only discusses 3: Chenier, Funderburgh & Musselwhite 

Mississippi Delta Blues Festival, Brooklyn, New York, May 12-13

-artists pictured: Booba Barnes

Peer Blues Festival, Belgium, July 15

-artists shown: B.B. King, Fred Clark, Johnny Otis, Otis Clay, Eddie Kirkland

Second Annual River Blues Festival, Penns Landing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 15-16

-artists shown: Albert Collins,

Spring Blues Festival, Ecaussines, Belgium, May 27, 1989

-artists shown: Luther Allison with Sulaiman Hakim, Carey & Lurrie Bell, Bernard Allison

My Years with Wolf by Hubert Sumlin

-artists mentioned: A.D. Sumlin, James Cotton, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Charley Patton, “Bigfoot Chester”/ “Bullcow” (aka Howlin’ Wolf), Junior Parker, Willie Johnson, Pat Hare, Ike Turner, Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 2),  Henry Gray, Sam Lay, Jimmy Rogers,  Johnny Littlejohn, Eddie Taylor, Jody Williams, Bobby Bland, Willie Nix, Little Walter, Eddie Boyd, Elmore James, Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim, Louis Myers, Willie Kent, George Harmonica Smith, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Earl Phillips, Albert King, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, the Rolling Stones, Mike Bloomfield, Sunnyland Slim, the Beatles, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Clifton James, Sleepy John Estes, Hammie Nixon, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang, Elvis Presley,

Article summary: born in the Delta; entire family was musical; brother played diddley bow; liked Wolf from the first time he heard him; Ike Turner got Wolf on records in 1951; previously Wolf had a radio show; Wolf went to Chicago and lived with Muddy; took Muddy’s regular gigs around town while Muddy travelled but didn’t have a regular band (hard rules about drinking, made it hard to keep musicians for any length of time (Sumlin was the only one who stayed with him for a long time); Wolf sent to Memphis specifically to get Sumlin (53?)-Willie Johnson went with Sumlin to Chicago (by train);  first person he played with in Chicago was George Harmonica Smith; initially was nervous/shy on stage started with Wolf after only two weeks (Wolf had got them into the union); style changed (found his own sound) when he stopped using picks; though he and Wolf often fought they were inseparable best friends, like father and son;  left Wolf and played with Muddy for a year (56-57), but didn’t like being on the road as much as Muddy toured; returned to Wolf after a fight with Muddy; from that point on Wolf and Muddy were rivals, Muddy didn’t talk to Hubert for a year, and Wolf never forgave Muddy; stayed with Wolf from that point until Wolf’s death (1957-76); recalls fighting over the recording of Smokestack Lightnin’ after which never used two guitars again as he had featured earlier (Wolf did play guitar himself on some songs-noticeably  Little Red Rooster); 1964 American Folk Blues Festival was his first time on a plane; recorded his first song (an instrumental) on a tour bus in 1964; stayed for three months travelling by bus; claims he met the Stones, the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix in England [but Hendrix was not in England yet—J.O.]; went back to England ten years later (Howlin’ Wolf in London session); stopped playing for three months after Wolf died; then played for three years with Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang  before going solo (circa 1980)

Ali Farka Toure: From the Sahel to the Delta by Erik L. Goldman

-artists mentioned: John Lee Hooker, Mississippi John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Elizabeth Cotten, Amadou Cisse

Article summary: Malian guitarist (also plays other African traditional instruments) who has musical commonalities with John Lee Hooker; first North American tour in 1989; speaks 12 languages (including French more than English); was hoping to meet Hooker at the 1989 New Orleans jazz Fest but it didn’t happen; familiar with Hooker’s music, but no one else; from a noble family, not of musical background; broke out of traditional caste system to play music (he is not considered a griot); first learned on a one-stringed “gurkel”; notes that the music he plays is based on oral histories and improvisation: there are no notes , no measures written down

Blacks, Whites and Blues: The Story of Chess Records, Part 1, by Pete Golkin

Artists mentioned: Muddy Waters, Dave Young, Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Gene Ammons, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Andrew Tibbs, Lazy Bill Lucas, Sunnyland Slim, Big Crawford, Jimmie Bell, Jimmie Rogers, Little Milton Campbell, Odie Payne, Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 2) , Etta James, Johnny Shines, John Lee Hooker, Little Walter, Eddie Boyd, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Mabon, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, the Moonglows, the Flamingoes, the Dells, Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, Wes Montgomery

Article summary: Lazer Shmuel Chez, (Leonard Chess) founder of Chess Records, and Muddy Waters, his greatest discovery, were both inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in the Hall’s second year; Chess came from Russian -Jewish ghetto in the 20s at age 11 to Chicago; from delivering milk he and his younger brother Phil got into the bar business; starting with the southside jazz club, the Macomba Lounge; rather than let Andrew Tibbs leave and go record in Hollywood, he decided to record him himself (1946-47; pre-Chess the label was called Aristocrat; left the bar business to Phil in order to concentrate on the record business; didn’t know anything about blues (or music in general, just went on what people told him, and gut feel); both sides of the first record were controversial, one against Chicago unions, the other against Mississippi governor, Theodore Bilbo, which got banned in the South; Muddy never had a contract in 22 years; Muddy liked him, but other artists like Jimmie Bell hated him and considered him a huge cheat; changed the name to Chess Records in 1950; hired Willie Dixon for production in 1951; made it big by hard work and lots of travel, 20,000 miles by a car a year meeting DJs and distributors; first record on “Chess” was jazzman Gene Ammons; gruff production style, worked the musicians hard to do it his way; lots of questions of ethics: cheated musicians, bribed DJs—son Marshall says it was the times; arguments on both sides, Jews didn’t know blacks so didn’t systematically hate them or cheat them, but at the same time they were in business to make money….;  most musicians wanted to record for Chess because they knew the records would get played and therefore they would make money, even if Chess made much more, but both Eddie Boyd and Willie Mabon had serious troubles at Chess and Mabon even threatened Leonard with a  gun (neither artists stayed long with the label); success and style of the label changed dramatically with  the introduction of Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley in 1955; Chess cheated Berry out of writing royalties on Maybellene and got involved in payola with Alan Freed to a big extent (Marshall again suggests “everyone did it” and they never “broke the law”-Leonard went to his grave defending his business style: maybe not fair, but not illegal); Dixon also claims to have lost songwriter royalties due to shady practices by Chess; recording engineers Malcolm Chisholm  and Ralph Bass offer there opinions, and are defensive of Chess (“everyone did these things, no one paid their artists; artists made their money in personal appearances”); most questionable of all dealings was Alan Freed’s name on Maybellene as 1/3 writer, and Bo Diddley selling all his publishing rights in the early ‘60s for needed cash ; in summary virtually all the artists came to the conclusion Chess was a thief, whereas the whites give him the benefit of the doubt

Obituaries

Good Rockin’ Charles -1933-1989 by Illinois Slim

-artists mentioned: real name: Henry Lee Bester, aka Charles Edwards; Big Boy Spires, Johnny Young, Big Smokey Smothers, Otis Rush, Louis Myers, Lee Jackson, John Brim, Big Leon Brooks, Jimmy Rogers, Frank Thomas Jr., Left Hand Frank, Lee Jackson, Hayes Ware, Sam Lay, Big Guitar Red, Chico Chism, Jimmy Lee Robinson, Little Willie Anderson, Little Walter, Fuzzy Jones, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf.

Article summary:  from Alabama, arrived in Chicago in 1949; played with several bands, most noticeably Jimmy Rogers in the 1950s; stopped playing until 1970; first LP in 1975; toured Europe in 1979; stopped playing due to health 84; a life-long hustler, frequent Maxwell Street performer; claims of him being as good as singer as Little Walter in the 50s (but no recorded evidence); unhealthy for several years prior to his death

Benjamin Clarence “Bull Moose” Jackson -age 70, died of cancer

Nesuhi Ertegun- co-founder of Atlantic Records, died of cancer

Vivian Carter-founder of Vee-Jay Records, died of complications from diabetes

Blues Rare & Well Done, by Ron Weinstock

-artists mentioned: Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Johnny Shines, Walter Horton, Clifton James, Sunnyland Slim, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Percy Mayfield, Lowell Fulson, Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins, Tony Hollins, Buster Pickens, Billy Bizor, Don Cooks, Spider Kilpatrick, Joe Pullum, Sonny Boy Williamson (No.1), Smoky Hogg, Clifton Chenier, Furry Lewis, Jim Jackson, Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr, K.C. Douglas ,Tommy Johnson, Tommy McClennan, Richard Riggins, Ron Thompson

Article summary: discussion of lyrics as poetry, but vocal passion is seen as more important than the lyrics themselves; downplays Willie Dixon, claiming he was a better producer than singer/performer; for songwriting he prefers Hopkins over Dixon; critique of ACE reissue LPs from Bluesville early 60s (Hopkins, Furry Lewis, Scrapper Blackwell, K.C. Douglas)

Living the Country Blues: Memphis Minnie by Mary Katherine Aldin

-artists mentioned: real name Lizzie Douglas, Kansas City Joe McCoy, Casey Bill Weldon, Ernest Son Joe Lawlers, Jo Ann Kelly

Article summary: born in Louisiana, raised in Walls, MS, fame in Memphis; played with travelling carnivals early in her career; married three times (all husbands were musicians); recorded both solo, and duets with husbands; best known song: 1941 Me and My Chauffeur; inactive from 1960; in a nursing home until death in 1973, but lived “okay” off of song royalties; article ends with short discography of reissues: 8 LPs ( 3 domestic, 5 foreign); article includes song lyrics  for two songs: Nothing in Ramblin’ and you Can’t Rule Me; author sees Minnie as an early independent self-made woman long before Women’s Liberation

From the Blues Archive: A Word About Photographs by Suzanne Steel

Article summary: photographs are copyrighted for the life of the photographer plus 50 years; article lists the rules the archives follows regarding copying photographs, including third person signed permissions; noted that photos do not need to actually have been copyrighted to have copyright protection if photographer can prove they took the photo; article states the rules of both Living Blues and the archives in use of their collections; the archives acts as a go-between between photographers  (donors) and publishers  but does not negotiate terms of republishing; Living Blues works from originals, but all originals submitted, belong to the archive once used by the magazine; archivist request that photographers label their pictures and leave contact information 

Video Reviews

Hubert Sumlin: Living the Blues, produced by Jim Kent and Sumner Burgwyn (Juke Joint Films)

Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together, produced by Stevenson J. Palfi (Stevenson Productions Inc)

Record Reviews

Zuzu Bolin, Texas Bluesman (Dallas Blues Society)

Pinetop Perkins with Little Mike & the Tornadoes, After Hours (Blind Pig)

Big Walter Price, Big Walter Boogies from Coast to Coast (England-Ace)

Little Johnny Taylor, Ugly Man (Ichiban)

Charles Brown, One More for the Road (Alligator)

Jeannie & Jimmy Cheatham, Back in the Neighborhood (Concord)

Jimmy Witherspoon, Rockin’ L.A. (Fantasy)

Tony Matthews, Alien in My Own Home (S.D.E.G.)

Carey and Lurrie Bell, Dynasty! (England-JSP)

Clarence Carter, Touch of Blues (Ichiban)

Various artists, The Blues Vol. 4 (Chess)

Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger, Chess/MCA

Chuck Berry, After School Sessions (Chess/MCA)

Muddy Waters, Muddy, Brass & the Blues (Chess/MCA)

Sugar Pie DeSanto, Down in the Basement- The Chess Years (Chess/MCA)

Paul Gayten, Chess King of New Orleans- The Chess Years (Chess/MCA)

Various artists, Wrinkles -Classic and Rare Chess Instrumentals (Chess/MCA)

Honeyboy Edwards, White Windows (Blue Suit)

Barbara Lynn (Netherlands-Good Thing)

Alabama Red (Curtis Ray), Chicago Windy City Blues (Big Boy)

Chuck Berry, the Chess Box (MCA/Chess)

Nappy Brown, Just for Me (English-JSP)

Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Meat’s Too High (British-JSP)

Etta James, the Sweetest Peaches (MCA/Chess)

Margie Evans, Too Late Rising Sun (Marvic)

Memphis Slim, Memphis Blues: The Paris Sessions (Stash)

Little Richard, the Formative Years: 1951-53 (Germany-Bear Family)

Dwight Ross, Ross 1 (Ichiban)

Albert King, Live Wire/Blues Power (Stax)

Little Milton, Walkin’ the Back Streets (Stax)

Albert King/Little Milton, Chronicle (Stax)

Isaac Hayes, Shaft (Stax)

Isaac Hayes, To Be Continued (Stax)

Soul Children, Chronicle (Stax)

Various artists, The Stax Blues Brothers (Stax)

Various artists, the Stax Blues Brothers (Stax)

Various artists, the Stax Soul Sisters (Stax)

Various artists, the Stax Groups (Stax)

Radio Charts

Top 20 for July 1989

-artists listed: Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Lucky Peterson, Howlin’ Wolf, Boozoo Chavis/Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas, Kenny Neal, Delbert McClinton, Lou Ann Barton, Marcia Ball, Various artists (Black Top Vol. 1), Various artists (Back Top Vol. 2), Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, Etta James, Willie Dixon, Various artists (Rounder), Sugar Ray & the Blu Tones, Pinetop Perkins, Charles Brown, The Cheathams, Johnnie Johnson, Grady Gaines, Doug Sahm

Top 20 for August 1989

-artists listed: Kenny Neal, Lou Ann Barton, Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Lucky Peterson, James “Thunderbird”, Davis, Various artists (Rooster), Howlin’ Wolf, Wild Child Butler, Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, Joanna Connor, Various artists (Home Cooking), Legendary Blues Band, Various artists (Black Top Vol. 1), Muddy Waters, Delbert McClinton, Dr. John, Willie Dixon, Pinetop Perkins, Various artists (Black Top Vol. 2), Spencer Bohren

List of Adverts

Delmark Records, p. i

Rhapsody Films, p. 4

Wolf Records (Austria), p. 34

Honeyboy Edwards/Blue Suit, p. 34

University Microfilms International, p. 36

Earwig Records, p. 36

Pipeliner Records & T-Shirts, p. 38

Jimmy Ley/Funkaphonic Records, p. 38

Hawkeye Herman/ Redwood Music, p. 38

Tom Radai Blues Management, p. 38

2-Speed Music Study Recorder/Workshop Records, p. 38

Sing Out Folk Song magazine, p. 39

Alligator Records, p. 40

Blind Willies (Atlanta nightclub & T-shirts), p. 41

Spencer Bohren/Great Southern Records, p. 43

Blues & Rhythm and the Gospel Truth (magazine), p. 45

Red Beans Records, p. 45

Home Cooking Records, p. 47

Leroy Airmaster/Blues Central/Booking Management, p. 50

Elderly Instruments, p. 50

Chicago Blues Poster by James Fraher, p. 50

1989 Blues Summit/the Blues Foundation Tenth Anniversary, p. 53

Classified Ads, pp.58, 60-61

Little Charlie & the Nightcats/Alligator Records, p. 59

Living Blues Bumper Stickers, p. 61

B.L.U.E.S (Chicago nightclub), p. 61

Wild Child Butler/ Stackhouse Record Mart & Rooster Blues, p. 62

Down Home Music, p. 63

Blind Pig Records, p. 63

Wavelength (magazine), p. 63

Otis Spann Blues Festival, Jackson MS., p. 65

Chess Records, p. 66 (Back cover)

Number of Pages: 67

Published -in Mississippi – $ 3.00 [new address: Sam Hall on Rebel Drive]