Jimmy Witherspoon

James “Jimmy” Witherspoon, né le 8 août 1920 à Gurdon en Arkansas aux États-Unis, mort le 18 septembre 1997 à Los Angeles en Californie, États-Unis, est un chanteur de blues et jump blues américain. 

Carrière

Il enregistre son premier disque en 1945 avec l'orchestre de Jay McShann. Il effectue une tournée en Europe en 1961, avec Buck Clayton. Il se produit à Paris le 21 juin 1976 accompagné par Frank Roberts (piano), Ernest Mothle (bass) et Martin Ditcham (batterie). 

Discographie

Albums

• Wilbur De Paris Plays & Jimmy Witherspoon Sings New Orleans Blues (Atlantic, 1957)
• Goin' to Kansas City Blues with Jay McShann (RCA Victor, 1957 [1958])
• Singin' the Blues (World Pacific, 1958 [1959])
• At the Monterey Jazz Festival (HiFi Jazz/Everest, 1959 [1960])
• Feelin' the Spirit (HiFi Jazz/Everest, 1959)
• At the Renaissance with Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster (HiFi Jazz/Everest, 1959 [1960])
• Jimmy Witherspoon (Crown, 1960)
• Sings the Blues (Crown, 1960)
• With Buck Clayton (Vogue [UK], 1961)
• Spoon (Reprise, 1961)
• Hey, Mrs. Jones (Reprise, 1962)
• Roots (Reprise, 1962)
• Baby, Baby, Baby (Prestige, 1963 [1964])
• Evenin' Blues (Prestige, 1963 [1964])
• Blues Around the Clock (Prestige, 1963 [1964])
• Blue Spoon (Prestige, 1964 [1965])
• Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues (Prestige, 1964 [1965])
• Spoon in London (Prestige, 1965 [1966])
• Blues for Easy Livers (Prestige, 1965 [1966])
• Blues for Spoon and Groove with Richard "Groove" Holmes (Surrey, 1965)
• Jimmy Witherspoon in Person (Vogue [UK], 1965) reissue of With Buck Clayton
• Spoon Sings and Swings with Dick Morrissey (Fontana [UK], 1966)
• A Spoonful of Blues (Ember, 1966) reissue of Jimmy Witherspoon
• A Blue Point of View (Verve, 1966)
• The Blues is Now with Jack McDuff (Verve, 1967)
• A Spoonful of Soul (Verve, 1968)
• Live with Ben Webster (Stateside [UK], 1968)
• The Blues Singer (ABC/Bluesway, 1969)
• Hunh! (ABC/Bluesway 1970)
• Handbags and Gladrags (ABC, 1971)
• Guilty with Eric Burdon (MGM, 1971)
• The Spoon Concerts (Fantasy [2LP], 1972) reissues of At the Monterey Jazz Festival and At the Renaissance
• Previously Unreleased Recordings with Ben Webster (Verve, 1973)
• Love is a Five Letter Word (Capitol, 1975)
• Spoonful (Blue Note, 1975)
• Live Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford (LAX/Avenue Jazz/Rhino, 1977)
• Live at the Watts Jazz Festival, Volume 1 with Willie Bobo, Gene Ammons (LAX/Avenue Jazz/Rhino, 1977)
• Live in Paris with Buck Clayton (Jazz Vogue [UK], 1977)
• Sings The Blues (Black & Blue, 1978)
• Spoon's Life (Isabel, 1980)
• Olympia Concert (Inner City, 1980) reissue of Jimmy Witherspoon in Person
• Big Blues (JSP, 1981)
• Sings the Blues with Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans (Muse, 1983)
• Spoonful O' Blues (Kent, 1984) compilation
• Patcha, Patcha, All Night Long with Big Joe Turner (Pablo, 1985)
• Midnight Lady Called the Blues (Muse, 1986)
• Never Knew This Kind of Hurt Before: The Bluesway Sessions (Charly, 1988) compilation
• Rockin' L.A. (Fantasy, 1989)
• Live (At Condon's, New York) (Who's Who in Jazz, 1990)
• Spoon So Easy (The Chess Years) (Chess/MCA, 1990) compilation
• Jay's Blues (The Complete Federal Sessions) (Charly R&B, 1991) compilation
• Blowin' in from Kansas City (Flair/Virgin, 1991) compilation
• Call My Baby (Night Train International, 1991) compilation
• Live at the Notodden Blues Festival with Robben Ford (Blue Rock'it, 1992)
• The Blues, the Whole Blues and Nothing But the Blues (Indigo, 1993)
• Ain't Nobody's Business (The Blues Collection) (Orbis, 1992) compilation
• Live at the Mint with Robben Ford (On The Spot/Private Music, 1994 [1996])
• Cold Blooded Boogie (Night Train International, 1995) compilation
• Spoon's Blues (Stony Plain, 1995)
• Jimmy Witherspoon with the Junior Mance Trio (Stony Plain, 1997) previously unreleased live recording from 1969
• Tougher Than Tough (Blue Moon, 1997) reissue of At the Renaissance
• Jazz Me Blues: The Best of Jimmy Witherspoon (Prestige, 1998) compilation
• Jimmy Witherspoon with the Duke Robillard Band (Stony Plain, 2000)
• Spoon Meets Pao with Eugene Pao (Eastside, 2002) recorded 1990
• Urban Blues Singing Legend (JSP [4CD], 2006) compilation
• Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival with Robben Ford (Monterey Jazz Festival/Concord, 2008)

Chart singles

• 1949 : "Ain't Nobody's Business (Parts 1 & 2)" (Supreme)
• 1949 : "In the Evening" (Supreme)
• 1949 : "No Rollin' Blues" (Modern)
• 1949 : "Big Fine Girl" (Modern)
• 1952 : "The Wind is Blowin'" (Modern)
• 1965 : "You're Next" (Prestige)
• 1975 : "Love is a Five Letter Word" (Capitol)

DVDs

• 2003: 20th Century Jazz Masters: Mel Tormé/Jimmy Witherspoon/Carmen McRae/Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan
• 2003: Jazz Casual: Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy Rushing
• 2009: Jimmy Witherspoon: Goin' Down Blues

Filmographie

• 2000: Jazz Casual: Jimmy Witherspoon & Ben Webster (Jazz Casual/Idem)
• 2009: Jimmy Witherspoon: Goin' Down Blues with Marshal Royal and John Collins