After more than sixty years blowin' the blues and always a showman, James Cotton has few legitimate rivals for the title of MR. SUPERHARP! Legendary blues harmonica master James "Jimmy" Cotton has worked with some of the biggest names in the blues, including Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Otis Spann, as well as toured with Janis Joplin.
Cotton began to work with the Muddy Waters Band in 1955. He performed songs such as "I Got My Mojo Working" and "She's Nineteen Years Old." Muddy would often compare young Cotton to Little Walter. In 1965 he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet with Otis Spann on piano to record between gigs with Waters' band. Their performances were captured by producer Samuel Charters on volume two of the classic Vanguard recording Chicago/The Blues/Today! After leaving Muddy's band in 1966, Cotton toured with Janis Joplin while pursuing a solo career. Alone, Cotton wrote many classic songs, including "Cotton Crop Blues," "Rocket 88," and "Hold Me In Your Arms." He formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1967, played harmonica on Muddy Waters' Grammy Award winning 1977 comeback album Hard Again, produced by Johnny Winter. Cotton has been nominated for a Grammy Award five times for his recordings.
Cotton has always been known for having one of the best bands in the business. The line-up for the past several years has been: Slam Allen, guitar, vocals; Tom Holland, guitar; Charles Mack, bass; and Mark Mack, drums. His eyes light up when he talks about his band, "My audience always tells me how I'm doing. If I look out there and don't like what I see, I work harder." This will be a memorable evening with an international treasure and a true Living Legend of the Blues.
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