Harmonica Lessons › Community Forum › Audio & Progress Updates › Jimmy Reed’s birthday

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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  • Rooftop CatRooftop Cat
    Participant
    September 7, 2022 at 08:05
    Post count: 131
    #24023

    Jimmy Reed (Mathis James Reed) was born Sept 5th, 1925 on a plantation around Dunleith, Mississippi, where be busked and learned harp & bottom-string boogie rhythm-like guitar from Eddie Taylor. He served in the Navy for two years during WWII, after traveling to Chicago in 1943. When he returned, he married Mary Lee, aka Mama Reed, who was an uncredited background singer in many of his recordings and known to sit next to him on a piano bench while whispering the lyrics to him, line for line, as he’d forgotten due to long term alcohol abuse. They moved to Indiana where he worked a meat packing plant, while he was making a name for himself in the blues scene. By the early 50s, he worked as a sideman and busked. He was declined by Chess, but through the help of Albert King, signed with Vee-Jay Records, where he reunited with Eddie Taylor and they released multiple flavorful numbers. Known for titles such as Honest I Do (1957), Baby What You Want Me to Do (1960), Big Boss Man (1961), Bright Lights, Big City (1961), You Don’t Have to Go (1954), and Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby (1955). He influenced Slim Harpo, Elvis, & Rolling Stones, to name a few. Jimmy sings from his soul and you can really hear it in his music. He would play harmonica with a neck-rack attachment that hung around his neck.

    Bb harp, 2nd position

    A harp, 1st position

    Attachments:

    1. Jimmy-Reed-GettyImages-73909226.jpg

    FreddieFreddie
    Participant
    September 9, 2022 at 23:19
    Post count: 606
    #24027

    Thanks Ryan , I truly appreciate when you post these… for one because I’m a total history nerd and I love getting to learn the background story behind the musician… and two because I usually get introduced to someone I hadn’t really heard before. And that playing… man that is some soothing blues playing!

    Rooftop CatRooftop Cat
    Participant
    September 10, 2022 at 10:38
    Post count: 131
    #24028

    Hey Shawn! I truly appreciate your responses!

    And your response here makes me happy, because that’s the same way I feel when I see other people put up these type of posts on social platforms. I get exciting hearing about these fascinating musicians. Hearing their stories and song can really project one into their mindset… a feelings for the times… a better grasp on the origins of their sound…

    And yes, that cat really could play!
    Cheers!

    Rooftop CatRooftop Cat
    Participant
    September 10, 2022 at 10:40
    Post count: 131
    #24029
    FreddieFreddie
    Participant
    September 14, 2022 at 01:03
    Post count: 606
    #24033

    Whoa you are nailing those upper bends!!! I was totally confused because all I could see on the thumb nail the other day was “Jimmy Reed” and I figured I’d come back and give it a listen when I had a moment to enjoy it… then there’s this cute cat… and I thought… is this Jimmy Reed’s cat? Lol! But to my surprise… that was you wailing on that upper register! Damn that sounded good… you’ve been putting in some time!! And wow is mew mew cute as ever… all rollin around…totally diggin that song… mew mew must be a real mew-sic lover😉😎🎵🎶🖤😂😂😂

    Rooftop CatRooftop Cat
    Participant
    September 14, 2022 at 15:10
    Post count: 131
    #24035

    Thanks! Haha “mew-sic.” You’re right! She loves to hang out with me and listens to da tunes :)

    HenkHenk
    Participant
    September 15, 2022 at 19:02
    Post count: 89
    #24036

    Hi Rooftop Cat,

    Loving the history of harp players thanks for the post on Jimmy Reed, he was a true master on the high end of the harmonica sweet blowbendings.
    It’s horrible when starting to practise them at first until you get the hang of it 🤭 you doing great by the way.

    Reading the history of blues players from the “old day’s” they all had a rough time.
    I’m currently reading “the blues dream of Billy Boy Arnold” man he has a lot of first hand stories from great players like Sonny Boy Williamson I and II, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Bo Didley and many more.
    If you got a chance this is definitely a good book to read.

    Rooftop CatRooftop Cat
    Participant
    September 15, 2022 at 23:33
    Post count: 131
    #24037

    Hey Henk,

    Thanks for that! I appreciate all of yalls support! :D And thanks for the suggestion on a book for blues history! I think it was right around the time I was starting to really get into the harp when I’d seen Kim White mention that he was producing this book, and it was before I’d even known of many of these great musicians’ names. I’ve heard really good things about the book, and first hand stories – doesn’t get much better. I look forward to purchasing myself a copy of it one of these days here.

    Cheers!

    Rooftop CatRooftop Cat
    Participant
    September 16, 2022 at 08:43
    Post count: 131
    #24038

    Whoops, I meant Kim Field.

    Kim White was my old teacher. jeezz… Wish I could just edit that comment. Oh well.

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