Midnight Lady Called the Blues
| Midnight Lady Called the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Label | Muse[1] | |||
| Producer | Doc Pomus, Dr. John | |||
| Jimmy Witherspoon chronology | ||||
| ||||
Midnight Lady Called the Blues is an album by the American musician Jimmy Witherspoon, released in 1986.[2][3] It was recorded shortly after Witherspoon recovered from throat cancer.[4] Midnight Lady Called the Blues was dedicated to Big Joe Turner.[5] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male".[6]
Production
[edit]The album was cowritten and coproduced by Doc Pomus and Dr. John; it was allegedly recorded in eight hours.[7][8][9] It was the first time that Witherspoon had songs written explicitly for him.[10] Hank Crawford played saxophone on the album.[9] Bernard Purdie played drums.[11]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
| MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
The Miami Herald determined that, "while Witherspoon is responsible for the blues vibrations in the studio, every musician shines in support."[9] The Washington Post called Midnight Lady Sings the Blues "one of the grittiest R&B albums he's ever made."[11] Cash Box deemed it "a saucy, creamy, steamy LP."[15] Glenn O'Brien in Spin found it "a powerfully soulful, mature record from a singer, two songwriters, and a great band, all at the height of their achievement."[16]
AllMusic wrote that "the spirited set has more than its share of interesting and exciting moments despite the obscurity of the material."[12] The Guardian noted that the album "gave [Witherspoon's] admirers almost unalloyed satisfaction, thanks partly to sympathetic collaborators, but chiefly to his sheer professionalism."[17] MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide dismissed it as "bland, uninspired."[14]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "New York Blues" | |
| 2. | "The Barber" | |
| 3. | "Blinded by Love" | |
| 4. | "Happy Hard Times" | |
| 5. | "Something Rotten in East St. Louis" | |
| 6. | "Midnight Lady Called the Blues" | |
| 7. | "Blues Hall of Fame" |
Personnel
[edit]- Dr. John – piano
- Calvin Newborn – guitar
- Wilbur Bascomb – bass
- Bernard Purdie drums
- Hank Crawford – alto saxophone
- Charlie Miller – trumpet
- David Newman – tenor saxophone
- Jimmy Witherspoon – vocals
References
[edit]- ^ Popoff, Martin (September 8, 2009). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. Penguin.
- ^ Deffaa, Chip (September 21, 1996). Blue Rhythms: Six Lives in Rhythm and Blues. University of Illinois Press.
- ^ Palmer, Robert (25 July 1986). "Doc Pomus Still Writes, Rocks and Rambles". The New York Times. p. C23.
- ^ Morris, Chris (Oct 4, 1997). "Blues great Jimmy Witherspoon dies". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 40. p. 15.
- ^ "On the Record". News. United Press International. August 1, 1986.
- ^ "Jimmy Witherspoon". Recording Academy. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ O'Brien, Glenn (Dec 1986). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 2, no. 9. p. 35.
- ^ Friedman, Josh Alan (September 21, 2008). Tell the Truth Until They Bleed: Coming Clean in the Dirty World of Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. Hal Leonard Corporation.
- ^ a b c Moon, Tom (August 22, 1986). "Bluesman's Life Shapes His Songs". Miami Herald. p. 1D.
- ^ Simon, Larry (July 29, 2021). New York City Blues: Postwar Portraits from Harlem to the Village and Beyond. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-3474-4.
- ^ a b Joyce, Mike (August 15, 1986). "Witherspoon's Gritty Truths". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b "Jimmy Witherspoon Midnight Lady Called the Blues". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 743.
- ^ a b MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 411.
- ^ "Feature Picks". Cash Box. August 20, 1986. p. 20.
- ^ O'Brien, Glenn (December 1986). "Midnight Lady Called the Blues". Spin. Vol. 2, no. 9. p. 35.
- ^ Russell, Tony (24 Sep 1997). "Obituary: Jimmy Witherspoon: Shout it out loud". The Guardian Features Page. The Guardian. pp. 1, 17.