"Mr. Superharp" tocó con Muddy Waters, Howlin 'Wolf, B.B. King, Gregg Allman, KEITH RICHARDS, Santana y Grateful Dead, entre muchos otros
El virtuoso de la armónica del Blues y un tiempo lado derecho de Muddy Waters , James Cotton murió el jueves en un centro médico en Austin de pulmonía. Él tenía 81. El representante del músico confirmó su muerte.
Cotton, que nació en una granja en Tunica, Mississippi el 1 de julio de 1935, llegó a ser prominente musico en los años cincuenta cuando cortó dos sencillos para el sello discográfico Sun Records y actuó en conciertos con Waters. Cuando era niño, se había obsesionado con las transmisiones del Rey Biscuit Time de Sonny Boy Williamson II y, a los nueve años, comenzo a aprender el instrumento.
Lanzó su propia carrera como un adolescente y recorrió con Williamson y Howlin 'Wolf. En 1953, grabó su primer single de Sun, "Straighten Up Baby", que siguió con "Cotton Crop Blues". A los 20 años, comenzó a hacer giras y grabaciones con Waters y aparece en el álbum de su artista en Newport LP (1960), especialmente "Got My Mojo Working". Más tarde grabó una serie de temas para el sello Vanguard Chicago / The Blues / Today! Y tocó en el álbum de 1969 de Otis Spann Los Blues nunca mueren!
Cotton, apodado "Mr. Superharp", formó la banda James Cotton Band en 1966, con el grupo debutando en el mismo año. Sus músicos de la época eran el guitarrista Luther Tucker y el baterista Sam Lay. Cotton más tarde se encontraría tocando con Matt "Guitar" Murphy y Hubert Sumlin, y continuaría explorando el blues-rock con actuaciones con Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, BB King, Santana, Steve Miller y Freddie King, entre otros.
En los años setenta, grabó para Buda y Capitol, reuniendo con Waters para LPs producidos por el guitarrista Johnny Winter. El primero, Hard Again, salió en 1977 y ganó un Grammy. También hizo apariciones en álbumes de Sumlin, Memphis Slim, Steve Miller y otros, y dio la bienvenida a Miller, Winter, Dr. John, Todd Rundgren, David Sanborn y otros a sus propias grabaciones.
Cotton continuó registrando a través de los años ochenta, y ganó el Grammy de los mejores álbumes tradicionales para su LP , Deep in the Blues en 1997. Su álbum más reciente fue Cotton Mouth Man, que salió en 2013 y fue nominado Para un Grammy.
Cotton ganó seis Living Blues Awards en su vida y 10 Blues Music Awards. El Lincoln Center de Nueva York reconoció sus contribuciones al blues con un concierto de tributo en 2010 que incluyó a Sumlin, Taj Mahal, Shemekia Copeland y otros. Cinco años más tarde, el Festival Internacional de Jazz de Montreal Cotton recibió su Premio B.B. King por sus contribuciones al blues.
En 2013, Cotton - quien interpretó música profesionalmente durante seis décadas - contó a Rolling Stone sus pensamientos sobre la jubilación. "Trabajas tan duro para conseguirlo que una vez que lo consigues, no quieres dejarlo ir, porque en ese momento, es tuyo", dijo. "se pagó el precio por él, y es tuyo, no lo dejó cuando no tenía un lugar para dormir por la noche, porque quiere estar allí y disfrutar".
Los arreglos funerarios serán anunciados. Cotton será acompañado por su esposa, Jacklyn Hairston Cotton, las hijas Teresa Hampton de Seattle y Marshall Ann Cotton de Peoria, Illinois, y el hijo James Patrick Cotton de Chicago, así como sus nietos y bisnietos.
James Cotton, Blues Harmonica, Dead at 81
"Mr. Superharp" played with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Gregg Allman, KEITH RICHARDS , Santana and Grateful Dead, among many others
Blues harmonica virtuoso and onetime Muddy Waters sideman James Cotton died on Thursday at a medical center in Austin of pneumonia. He was 81. A rep for the musician confirmed his death.
Cotton, who was born on a cotton farm in Tunica, Mississippi on July 1st, 1935, came to prominence in the Fifties when he cut two singles for the fledging label Sun Records and performed gigs with Waters. As a child, he'd become obsessed with harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson II's King Biscuit Time broadcasts and, at age nine, moved in with the elder harpist to learn the instrument.
He launched his own career as a teenager and toured with both Williamson and Howlin' Wolf. In 1953, he recorded his first Sun single, "Straighten Up Baby," which he followed up with "Cotton Crop Blues." At age 20, he began touring and recording with Waters and is featured on that artist's At Newport LP (1960), most notably "Got My Mojo Working." He later recorded a number of tracks for the Vanguard label's Chicago/The Blues/Today! compilation series and played on Otis Spann's 1969 album The Blues Never Die!
Cotton, dubbed "Mr. Superharp," formed the James Cotton Band in 1966, with the group issuing a self-titled debut the next year. His fellow musicians at the time were guitarist Luther Tucker and drummer Sam Lay. Cotton would later find himself playing with Matt "Guitar" Murphy and Hubert Sumlin, and would go on to explore blues-rock with performances with Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Santana, Steve Miller and Freddie King, among others.
In the Seventies, he recorded for Buddha and Capitol, reuniting with Waters for LPs produced by guitarist Johnny Winter. The first, Hard Again, came out in 1977 and won a Grammy. He also made appearances on albums by Sumlin, Memphis Slim, Steve Miller and others, and welcomed Miller, Winter, Dr. John, Todd Rundgren, David Sanborn and others onto his own recordings.
Cotton continued to record throughout the Eighties, including a run on Alligator Records, and won the Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy for his Deep in the Blues LP in 1997. His most recent album was Cotton Mouth Man, which came out in 2013 and was nominated for a Grammy.
Cotton earned six Living Blues Awards in his lifetime and 10 Blues Music Awards. New York City's Lincoln Center recognized his contributions to blues with a tribute concert in 2010 that featured Sumlin, Taj Mahal, Shemekia Copeland and others. Five years later, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal gave Cotton its B.B. King Award for his contributions to the blues.
In 2013, Cotton – who played music professionally for six decades – told Rolling Stone about his thoughts on retirement. "You work so hard to get it that once you get it, you don't want to let it go, because at that point, it's yours," he said. "You paid the price for it, and it's yours. You didn't give it up when you didn't have a place to sleep tonight. It's because you want to be there and you enjoy yourself."
Funeral arrangements are to be announced. Cotton is survived by his wife, Jacklyn Hairston Cotton, daughters Teresa Hampton of Seattle and Marshall Ann Cotton of Peoria, Illinois, and son James Patrick Cotton of Chicago, as well as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
By Kory Grow, THANKS!
pics:
Keith Richards & James 'Mr. Superharp' Cotton jamming during rehearsal in NY of Feb 23, 2012. James died on March 16 of pneumonia at 81 in Austin, Texas. He played with Howling' Wolf and Muddy Waters over the years.
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