RIP James Cotton

[Muskrat]

Pneumonia; 81

After parting ways with Muddy, the Mississippi native formed The James Cotton Band in 1966 and toured the world relentlessly. Cotton, known as “Mr. Superharp,” recorded nearly 30 solo albums, won a Grammy, scored six Living Blues awards and was a 2006 inductee into the Blues Hall Of Fame. In more recent years he recorded for Alligator Records and was awarded the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal’s 2015 B.B. King Award for his seven decades of contributions to the blues.

[PresMuffley]

I have 100% Cotton somewhere. Not overly familiar with him. 81 seems like a good time to go.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

My friend Greg, proprietor of Groover's Paradise, wrote this:

When I lived in Austin in the 80s, I was a regular at the Antone's location on Guadalupe. It was truly a magical time with Clifford bringing literally every great living bluesman to town to play. I saw them all, truly some of the greatest music I've ever seen. But the greatest night of all wasn't one of the superstar filled anniversary shows. It was a Monday night with about 30 people in the club. When we walked in James Cotton was at the bar, looking none too happy. After a short wait the band assembled on stage. Jimmie Vaughan, Pinky Hubbard, George Rains and Mel Brown. After a couple of instrumentals, Cotton ambled on stage and announced "I got the goddam blues TONIGHT". What followed was an hour and a half of the most primal, from the soul harp playing and singing I have ever seen anywhere. At the end he was drenched in sweat but smiling, have worked the blues out. I'll never forget it. Rest In Peace Mr. Cotton.

[Spock!]

Saw him for the first time on the Hard Again tour. Magical experience. Phenomenal artist. RIP & thanks.

[Jimbo]

RIP James Cotton.

I'm pretty sure Cotton didn't starve for his art but how our blues greats aren't at the top of pop charts is a shame. There is no genre more fun, more danceable, more lyrically profound, more easy to grasp, more joyful, more natural, more liberating, less pretentious than the blues. Shit, gimme a guitar, harmonica, a couple of horns, a shuffle shoveler drummer and singer in a world of trouble and I am set for music, thank you. Keep your synthesizers and your stupid haircuts and give me the blues.

[Foxhound]

Very sad. The last time I saw James Cotton was about ten years ago at a club here in Toronto but he was already in his declining years.



I still really enjoy his The Biggest Thing Since Colossus... LP that he recorded with Fleetwood Mac in 1969:

[toomanyhatz]

Ummm....

[Foxhound]

I just checked again. Sadly James is still dead.



More frightening on a personal basis though is that somehow I confounded an Otis Spann LP with one of James Cotton's. I think I'll put it down to job related stress as opposed to the onset of senility.

This is the only James Cotton LP I have right now: