So I was checking out the newly released albums today at New Releases Now and I see that the great James Cotton has a new release Cotton Mouth Man.
James Cotton (born July 1, 1935, Tunica, Mississippi, United States)[1] is an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who has performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time as well as with his own band.
Cotton began his professional career playing the blues harp in Howlin’ Wolf’s band in the early 1950s.[3] He made his first recordings as a solo artist for the Sun Records label in Memphis, Tennessee in 1953.[3] In 1954, he recorded an electric blues record “Cotton Crop Blues” which featured a heavily distorted power chord-driven electric guitar solo by Pat Hare.[4] Cotton began to work with the Muddy Waters Band around 1955.[3] He performed songs such as “Got My Mojo Working” and “She’s Nineteen Years Old”, although he did not appear on the original recordings; long-time Muddy Waters harmonica player Little Walter was utilized on most of Muddy’s recording sessions in the 1950s. Cotton’s first recording session with Waters took place in June 1957, and he would alternate with Little Walter on Muddy’s recording sessions until the end of the decade, and thereafter until he left to form his own band. In 1965 he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet, utilizing Otis Spann on piano to record between gigs with Muddy Waters’ band. Their performances were captured by producer Samuel Charters on volume two of the Vanguard recording Chicago/The Blues/Today!. After leaving Muddy’s band in 1966, Cotton toured with Janis Joplin while pursuing a solo career.[3] He formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1967. They mainly performed their own arrangements of popular blues and R&B material from the 1950s and 1960s. Two albums were recorded live in Montreal that year. Full Biography
So while I hope to listen tonight to the new album let’s go back to 1966 and listen and watch Muddy Waters and James Cotton perform “Got My Mojo Workin’
