RIP James Cotton

[old goat]

The best of the best. I had a chance to see him a half dozen times. Playing at the Chessmate in Detroit, playing "Lovelight"--his signature tune, he ran out the club door and out onto the corner of 6 mile and Livernois in a blizzard, blowing his harp without a mic while the band played full volume in the club, and you could hear every note. Then came in and was doing somersaults across the floor in front of the state (and across the tops of my shoes) without missing a note. He was next to last act at the legendary 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival (the last was 90 year old Son House and his wife), a spot he deserved over such people as BB King, Freddy King, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, and Magic Sam, as well as dozens of others who played that festival. The greatest live act I ever saw. His records don't begin to do him justice.

[shakyknees]

Thanks for the post and the story OG, that sounds incredible, amazing that you saw him in 1969 and at a club in Detroit, wouldn't mind hearing more background about that, Detroit isn't on most peoples itinerary. I got introduced to the blues going to college on the south side of Chicago, Checkerboard lounge, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells often there, sometimes plugging in with whatever the house band was that night. I only saw James Cotton once, in the 90s at a club in the Hamptons, which was cool but probably not the same as the Chessmate or 1969. An old college friend (Rockin' Tom) was Cotton's road manager at the time so I got to meet him between sets, a gentleman of the road. The blues can really take you there, especially live. Rest in Peace James Cotton.

[highangle]

Nobody played a harp like James Cotton.

[billyk]

Saw him in the 70s when he opened a concert for Steve Miller. Stole the show.

[splat]

Sarah, one of two sisters next door when I was in high school, decided she wanted to meet Cotton at a show but somehow managed to find him at his hotel and fucked him. She was 14 and spent the night backstage and at his hotel. I gave her mad props for being a true groupie. I'm sure she's in mourning. How old was he when he died?

[Benny Profane]

Sarah, one of two sisters next door when I was in high school, decided she wanted to meet Cotton at a show but somehow managed to find him at his hotel and fucked him. She was 14 and spent the night backstage and at his hotel. I gave her mad props for being a true groupie. I'm sure she's in mourning. How old was he when he died?

Holy shit. Jailbait memories!

But, judge, judge, she told me she was 18! Judge.......!

NPR was playing a little tribute to him thus morning. Man, he could blow.

[old goat]

Thanks for the post and the story OG, that sounds incredible, amazing that you saw him in 1969 and at a club in Detroit, wouldn't mind hearing more background about that, Detroit isn't on most peoples itinerary. I got introduced to the blues going to college on the south side of Chicago, Checkerboard lounge, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells often there, sometimes plugging in with whatever the house band was that night. I only saw James Cotton once, in the 90s at a club in the Hamptons, which was cool but probably not the same as the Chessmate or 1969. An old college friend (Rockin' Tom) was Cotton's road manager at the time so I got to meet him between sets, a gentleman of the road. The blues can really take you there, especially live. Rest in Peace James Cotton.

The Chessmate was a small club with tables and some seats at the back--probably 100 people at most. When there wasn't music it was a coffee house where people actually played chess. It got a lot of blues acts from Chicago--Jr Wells and Buddy Guy, Otis Rush (my hero), Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, Sam Lay were all people I saw there. (My friend who played piano in our little band graduated to playing with Sam Lay; I went to shows with Bob and then got to see him play there. Neil Young played there before he was Neil Young--I didn't see that one. We used to drive by to see who was playing; if nobody good was playing there would usually be Chuck and Joni Mitchell. We never saw them. Never heard what happened to Chuck.
Some of my blues-loving friends did a couple of field trips to Chicago; I never did.

[shakyknees]

Thanks, that's some sweet reminiscence, seeing Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker in a coffee shop, passing on the Mitchells. Hearing fine music in intimate venues like that is what I miss most about city life.

[fatnslow]

The best of the best. I had a chance to see him a half dozen times. Playing at the Chessmate in Detroit, playing "Lovelight"--his signature tune, he ran out the club door and out onto the corner of 6 mile and Livernois in a blizzard, blowing his harp without a mic while the band played full volume in the club, and you could hear every note. Then came in and was doing somersaults across the floor in front of the state (and across the tops of my shoes) without missing a note. He was next to last act at the legendary 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival (the last was 90 year old Son House and his wife), a spot he deserved over such people as BB King, Freddy King, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, and Magic Sam, as well as dozens of others who played that festival. The greatest live act I ever saw. His records don't begin to do him justice.

That is funny, I saw him with Buddy Guy 3-4 times in the 80's at a small Blues Club in Portland. I think walking out the building and coming back was a signature move for him. I saw this move a few times from him.

[old goat]

That is funny, I saw him with Buddy Guy 3-4 times in the 80's at a small Blues Club in Portland. I think walking out the building and coming back was a signature move for him. I saw this move a few times from him.

He'd probably stopped doing somersaults by then. I last saw him playing with Boz Scaggs--straight blues set--at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass some years ago. By then he was playing sitting and not singing. Still meant a lot to me to see him one more time after all the great shows I saw in the 60's.