Whose Muddy Shoes

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Side 1 Ice Cream Man* (5-4-53) Whose Muddy Shoes* (1-17-53) Madison Blues* (4-60) I See My Baby* (1-17-53) You Got Me (4-5-56) My Best Friend* (1-17-53) The Sun Is Shining (4-60) Side 2 Talk To Me Baby (4-60) Rattlesnake (3-53) Be Careful (4-5-56) Dust My Broom (1-17-53) Tool Bag Boogie (1-17-53) Tough Times (3-54) Call It Stormy Monday (4-60) Vintage Series compiled, edited and produced by T.T. Swan Engineer: Dave Purple Originally produced by Leonard and Phil Chess Album design: Cathy Swan Layout and typography: Michael Reid Design Cover photo courtesy of Willie Dixon Backliner photo: Elmore James-George Adins John Brim, courtesy of Grace Brim Album Supervision: Marshall Chess Assistance and encouragement: Pete Welding Little Walter blows harp on tracks 1,5,9 and 10 Jimmy Reed blows harp on track 13 Elmore James... Canton, Mississippi, January 18, 1918... one of the most influential and widely imitated postwar blues stylists whose recordings, with his Broomdusters in the early 1950’s, achieved phenomenal popular acceptance... started on guitar at age 12 and over the next few years developed a fully integrated style that was based and extended aspects of the earlier approaches of the gifted Delta blues man Robert Johnson... James was particularly adept at the slide guitar style that Johnson had refined in such songs as Dust My Broom, a tune Elmore in fact recorded several times during his career... Elmore James was no imitator... rather he adapted the style to electric guitar and ensemble demands of post-war blues... he was a powerful, deeply emotional singer... this allied with his rough, propulsive and vigorous playing made him very successful during his lifetime… Elmore James died of a heart attack in Chicago, May 23, 1963. Pete Welding John Brim... Hopkinsville, Kentucky, April 10, 1922... an unfortunately lesser known singer-guitarist of the mature Chicago blues idiom... took up guitar as a youngster... Inspired by the records of Big Bill Broonzy and Tampa Red... perfected his solid, rough-hewn style in Indianapolis in 1941 and in Chicago in 1945... Professionally active 1947, later working with Muddy Waters and pianist-vocalist Big Maceo Merriweather. After the latter’s death, Brim and his drummer-wife Grace settled in Gary, Indiana, formed their own group “John Brim and His Gary Kings”, performing there and in Chicago throughout the 50’s... Recordings noted for a relaxed yet forceful rhythm and beautifully though character... Superb accompaniment, featuring Little Walter on harmonica, emphasizing Brim’s own feelingful vocals, John Brim has not regularly sought work as a musician since the early 1960’s P.W Blues Records 1943-1966, a discography by Mike Leadbitter and Neil Slaven will furnish more information on the above recordings. It is published in the U.S Chess/Janus Records, A Division of GRT Corporation 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10019.

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