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Junior Wells
Junior Wells was considered the direct musical descendant of modern blues harmonica legends John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, "Sonny Boy" Williamson II (Rice Miller) and Little Walter Jacobs. An exponent of blues, funk and soul music, Wells developed a style incorporating all of those genres, and was a consummate stage performer who could back it all up. Born Amos Blakemore in 1934, Junior was raised on a farm in rural West Memphis and Marion, Arkansas. He became intensely interested in the music flowing from the fertile blues culture of Memphis and learned harmonica from his cousin Little Junior Parker. After his parents separated, the wild and rebellious Junior moved with his mother to Chicago in 1946. There he discovered that music would be the most important thing in his life. His teenage years were spent playing hooky from school, scrambling change from odd jobs and practicing his harmonica. His interest in the local blues musicians found the underage Junior sneaking into various clubs, vying to "sit-in" with bands. His earliest such escapade was in 1948 sneaking into the C & T Lounge where Tampa Red and Johnny Jones let the young harpist show his skills. A now famous incident was when Junior convinced his sister and her then-boyfriend, a Chicago policeman, to escort him to Sam's Ebony Lounge where the celebrated Muddy Waters band (with Little Walter Jacobs and Jimmy Rogers) were playing. "I went up to Muddy and told him I played harp...Muddy said he'd let me try. Little Walter said, "That little shrimp." They stood me on a coke box to reach the mike and I made $45 in tips....Walter asked me if I ever played the sax before!" When Little Water left the Muddy Waters band to tour with his new found fame, Junior was called to replace him. Junior stayed on with Waters until 1952. In 1953, Wells was inducted into the army, but he didn't let this get in the way of his music career - some of his first recording sessions done for the States label were done while he was AWOL. Upon his return from the army in 1955, Willie Dixon introduced Junior to Mel London, who recorded classic Wells' songs "Messin' With The Kid," "Come On In This House," and "Little By Little" for the Chief and Profile labels. The 1960's found Junior working frequently with Chicago blues guitarist Buddy Guy. The duo gigged the clubs and became a regular fixture in the city.
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Junior Wells’ Chicago Blues Band: Hoodoo Man Blues
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by Nic Jones
Being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame could, in the overall scheme of things, mean everything or nothing, considering that Hoodoo Man Blues is as powerful an example of the Chicago Blues as has ever been captured on record. Singer/harmonicist Junior Wells was one of those surprisingly rare individuals who knew how to stir an audience without showboating, and if one had been present on these recording sessions from September 22 and 23, 1965, chances are ...
read moreJunior Wells & the Aces: Live In Boston 1966
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by Nic Jones
Here's a particularly potent exercise in musical archaeology. By the time the year of this recording rolled around, blues singer/harmonicist Junior Wells had been in the music game for nearly fifteen years, and it seems as though every one of those had been a period of learning. What's particularly interesting is that Wells elected to play this gig in the company of the Aces, the band that helped to make Little Walter famous. The resulting unit is tighter than tight, ...
read moreJunior Wells, with Buddy Guy - Hoodoo Man Blues (1965, Reissue)
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Something Else!
For Junior Wells, there was just something about working with Buddy Guy. On Hoodoo Man Blues, a spark-filled mid-1960s Chicago blues album, Wells stops on more than one occasion, while letting loose these flying shards of harmonica blasts, to issue a pleased grunt. So very in the moment, his vocals start with an unguarded joy, a sexual power, then move all the way into open-hearted distortion. At the same time, Buddy Guycalled Friendly Chap" (get it?) on the original back ...
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Junior Wells and the Aces - Live in Boston 1966 (Delmark, 2010)
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Music and More by Tim Niland
Harmonica ace and singer Junior Wells had recently recorded his classic blues LP Hoodoo Man Blueswhen this live set was recorded (possibly originally a bootleg or radio broadcast) featuring him with the crack band known as The Aces: Louis Myers on guitar, Dave Myers bass, and Fred Below on drums. These musicians were very familiar with each other and it shows throughout the performance, as they are tight as can be. Highlights of the album include Man Downstairs" where they ...
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Junior Wells/Buddy Guy - Southside Blues Jam (1970)
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Something Else!
By Nick Deriso Several of Muddy Waters' great sidemenJunior Wells, Buddy Guy and Otis Spannappear on the loose and funky Southside Blues Jam," originally issued by Chicago's Delmark Records. Funny, for all their marquee value, Wells and GuyBuddy was born in Lettsworth, Louisianaare very nearly overshadowed by the intricate, intelligent playing of the shoulda-been legendary Spann. In this, his last studio appearance, Spann's fecund blues genius is writ large. Even as Junior Wells (ever the showman) chicken-legs through each song"I ...
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