(from walkin’ to runnin’) Blues on two feet

Jimmy Davis on Answers.com: There he became a fixture of the West Side’s Maxwell Street marketplace area, performing his distinctive brand of traditional Mississippi blues amidst the daily hustle-and-bustle of local merchants and shoppers; in the wake of the folk-blues revival of the early ’60s, he recorded the LP Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis for Elektra,

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame : While on staff at Chess Records, Willie Dixon produced, arranged, and played bass on sessions for Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson, and others. In no small way, he served as a crucial link between the blues and rock and roll.

Bo Diddley : “Bo Diddley“. The origin of the name is somewhat unclear, as several differing stories and claims exist. Some sources state that it was his nickname as a teenage Golden Gloves boxer, while others claim that it originates from the a one-stringed instrument called the diddley bow. Bo Diddley himself has said that the name first belonged to a singer his adoptive mother was familiar with, while harmonicist Billy Boy Arnold once said in an interview that it was originally the name of a local comedian that Leonard Chess borrowed for the song title and artist name for Bo Diddley‘s first single.

Johnny Winter : There’s a famous story about a time in 1962 when Johnny and his brother went to see B.B. King at a Beaumont club called the Raven. The only whites in the crowd, they no doubt stood out. But Johnny already had his chops down and wanted to play with the revered B.B.”I was about 17,” Johnny remembers, “and B.B. didn’t want to let me on stage at first. He asked me for a union card, and I had one. Also, I kept sending people over to ask him to let me play. ….”

Houston Institute for Culture : Hearing Lightnin’ Hopkins on the radio in Los Angeles changed Chris Stachwitz’ life. Stachwitz, inspired by Hopkins’ music, founded Arhoolie Records to document the spectacular folk music being lost to the growing popular recording industry. Hopkins treaded the streets of Houston. Two streets were his regular stomping grounds: Dowling Street in the heart of Third Ward where Hopkins lived, and West Dallas Street where he earned money playing guitar.

Perfect Sound Forever : RL Burnside is the real deal. He grew up in the Depression-era deep south and saw things most people only read about or see on the History Channel during Black History Month. His life has been one long constant roller-coaster ride of the blues. To hear him tell it (and that’s the best part), things weren’t so bad back then. In fact, he makes it sound like better times.

James Cotton : By his ninth year both of his parents had passed away and Cotton was taken to Sonny Boy Williamson by his uncle. When they met, the young fellow wasted no time – he began playing Sonny Boy’s theme song on his treasured harp. Cotton remembers that first meeting well and says, “I walked up and played it for him. And I played it note for note. And he looked at that. He had to pay attention.”

Magic Slim : Magic Sam also gave Slim tips on playingthe guitar, and it was Sam who called his bass player “Magic Slim,”because back then Slim was lean and tall and he learned from Samquickly. Sam told Slim to create his own guitar style. “Magic Sam told me,do not try to play like him, and do not try to play like no one else; he saidget a sound of your own.”

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