The work of Jimmy Rogers came across my radar recently.
I had ‘Walking by Myself’ on a collection of Blues tracks
and had instantly dismissed it. There was something about the jaunty swing of
the number that I just couldn’t relate to; it was too damned….cheery, (despite
the forlorn lyric theme).
But, listen to the harmonica backing.
It hovers in the
background, active and busy but subtly lurking underneath the main theme, and
then when Rogers pauses for breath – in comes a harp solo that is breathtaking!
The story is that the regular sidesman was not available for the
harp part and Big Walter Horton was parachuted in at the last moment. Horton is
without a doubt one of the most accomplished, confident and coolly relaxed harp
players on the Chicago scene, and here is Big Walter at his best.
Jimmy Rogers is probably better known for ‘That’s alright’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU0rBtYCIHg
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