Blues Legend Jimmy Witherspoon died in his sleep of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on September 18. He was 74. Throughout his career, 'Spoon managed to span the worlds of blues, R&B and jazz with his deep baritone and unique style anchored in the big band blues traditions. His collaborators ranged from Count Basie to Eric Burdon, Gerry Mulligan to Van Morrison, and T-Bone Walker to Robben Ford.

His 1949 hit "Ain't Nobody's Business" was one of the biggest records of the era, a #1 R&B hit that stayed on the Billboard charts 34 weeks that year. 'Spoon made at least 200 albums since and was one of the few remaining true giants of the post-war blues boom. 'Spoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas in 1923, and raised in a musical family. His father, a railroad man, sang in local choirs, while his mother played piano. 'Spoon didn't pursue music professionally until after his World War II stint in the Merchant Marines, where he had his first live performance on an Armed Forces Radio broadcast from Calcutta, India where he sat in with an American jazz group residing at the Grand Hotel.

On his return to the states in 1944, he replaced the great Walter Brown in the Jay McShann Band (an earlier incarnation of which had featured a young Charlie Parker) and performed with Big Joe Turner and T-Bone Walker. He recorded with McShann for several years on the Mercury label before striking out on his own. 'Spoon's first hit record was "Ain't Nobody's Business" which he followed in 1949 with a reworking of the Leroy Carr blues "In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down". He recorded prolifically for a variety of labels through the fifties, including cornerstone sides with Swingtime, Federal, Chess, RCA and even a dixieland session with the Wilbur De Paris New Orleans Jazz Band for Atlantic in 1956.

'Spoon played the gangster dominated nightlife realm of Newport, KY in a band with another blues immortal, pianist Charles Brown. 'Spoon appeared with an all-star group of jazz musicians at the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival that included Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkinds, Woody Herman and Earl "Fatha" Hines. This searing, emotional performance was captured on the subsequent album, "Jimmy Witherspoon At Monterey", and vaulted him into the jazz world's leading ranks of blues singers. He appeared as a special guest the following year at Monterey, singing a featured part in jazz composer Jon Hendricks' celebrated "Evolution Of The Blues".

The second act of 'Spoon's long-running career took place on jazz stages around the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Newport Jazz Festival, from touring Japan as vocalist with Count Basie to European tours with the Buck Clayton All Stars. In 1963 'Spoon Recorded "Evenin' Blues" with T-Bone Walker and in 1968 Recorded "The Blues is Now" with his brother, organist Jack McDuff. In 1969, 'Spoon emerged again, this time in the world of the blues renaissance, with an album on ABC/Bluesway, accompanied now by blues-rock musicians from a new generation: guitarists Harvey Mandel of Canned Heat and Danny Kalb of Blues Project, organist Barry Goldberg of Electric Flag and harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite. The following year, he returned on Bluesway with albums that featured guitarists Earl Hooker and Mel Brown, pianist Charles Brown, rock icon Joe Walsh (the Eagles) and even comedian and jazz aficionado Bill Cosby served as producer on one track.

In the 70's 'Spoon met Robben Ford and brought him to the attention of 'Spoon's management firm, the same team that handled Eric Burdon and War at the time, and it was 'Spoon who provided Ford with his ticket to Los Angeles. 'Spoon sang on the 1971 Eric Burdon album "Guilty", and toured with the former Animals' vocalist. 'Spoon's 1975 Capitol Records album "Love Is A Five Letter Word", made the best-selling charts. He made records for labels like Blue Note and Fantasy, returned to the Monterey Jazz Festival and made regular appearances on the European Jazz and Blues festival circuit.

'Spoon was an indomitable figure who couldn't be stopped by the tragic health setback of cancer, which he overcame to continue as the reigning king of Jazz-Blues. After recovering, 'Spoon joined with drummer Panama Francis to recreate the Savoy Sultans, recording and performing with the group across Europe. He cut a remarkable 1986 album "Midnight Lady Called The Blues", written and produced by Dr. John and Doc Pomus. He reteamed with guitarist Robben Ford in the early nineties for "Live At The Notodden Blues Festival", and cut a 1992 album "The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothin' But The Blues" for Indigo Records.

For the past few years, guitarist Robben Ford had been repaying a long-standing debt to 'Spoon by throwing twice annual shows at the tiny but legendary blues club in Los Angeles, The Mint, with 'Spoon at the fore. The exclusive performance, formerly available "live" to a few hundred lucky people at most, is memorialized for the rest of us, on "Live At The Mint", 'Spoon's Grammy nominated (Best Tradional Blues Recording - 1997) debut for On The Spot/Private Music. The Witherspoon-Ford collaboration (both are four-time Grammy nominees for their respective solo works) had been going on since Witherspoon first met the then-teenage guitar phenom who was playing with his brothers in the Charles Ford Blues Band in the early seventies.

In the past few years 'Spoon made a special guest appearance on Van Morrison's "Live In San Francisco" recording as well as performing live with 'Spoon fans Morrison and Bonnie Raitt. He was also an accomplished actor and appeared in many film ("Georgia" with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mare Winningham and John Doe) and television ("the Big Easy") roles, as well as having his songs on movie soundtracks ("Devil In A Blue Dress"). 'Spoon's last recording "'Spoon's Blues" featured Duke Robilard and his band backing 'Spoon on all the tracks.

'Spoons last two concerts were very special engagements. On July 12 he performed at Yoshi's in Oakland, California on a "Legends of the Blues" show that featured 'Spoon with fellow blues icons Robert Lockwood, Jr., Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong and Francis Clay. 'Spoon's son Lucky Witherspoon joined his father on stage for the first time ever to sing "Going Down Slow". It was completely unrehearsed and it was the first time 'Spoon heard his son sing. "Spoon was surprised and enthralled by Lucky's performance and it was a very emotional moment for the musicians and the audience. 'Spoon invited Lucky to sit in for one song at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on August 9. This time Lucky got to perform with his father's band for the first time. This would be 'Spoons final engagement.

Over the years, as jazz developed into a high and increasingly abstract modern art, it's become too easy to forget that it all started with the blues. As one of the legends of an American musical tradition, 'Spoon was a singer who constantly reminded us that, without the blues, jazz simply would not exist. Critics may differ over whether Spoon was an unusually jazzy bluesman or bluesy jazzman, but such arguments only reinforce the essential truth of his artistry. Blues is at the very center of the jazz tradition. For the past 55 years 'Spoon was among the music's best singers. Up until his last show, 'Spoon still had a big, rangy, booming voice, an intimate and highly personal way with a lyric, and an ability to plumb the emotional depths and soar to the ecstatic peaks that mark a true-blue jazz performer as genuinely great. 'Spoon was the genuine article, the real deal.

Jimmy Witherspoon is survived by three children; Angela Witherspoon-Ballard, Regina Witherspoon-Welch, and James "Lucky" Witherspoon, Jr., Four grandchildren; Marcus Ballard, Michael Welch, Alexis Witherspoon, and Ahkello Witherspoon. his sister Jimmie-Lois Witherspoon, his brother Leonard Witherspoon and his wife Diana Witherspoon-Atkins. A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 26 at the True Vine Baptist Church (ph 310-672-9370), 1437 Centinela in Inglewood, California. You can send your regards to 'Spoon's family at 4200 Don Tapia Place, Los Angeles, California 90008 or call American Legends at 415-771-5891.

- by Michael James