''The Blues Never Die!'' is an album by the blues pianist and vocalist

Otis Spann Otis Spann (March 21, 1924, or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician many consider the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Mississippi, ...

, recorded in Chicago in 1964 and released by the

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

label the following year.Wirz' American Music: Otis Spann Discography
accessed November 11, 2019 The story behind this album is unusual to say the least… but then again, it was the 1960’s! Producer Sam Charters had hosted a folk concert at Carnegie Hall where the Muddy Waters band had played. Muddy called Charters the next day to say that they hadn't been paid enough to get back to Chicago, and asked the producer to arrange a session for them which Charters did. Since Muddy was on contract to Chess, he was not to sing a lead vocal or to play a slide solo. Nor could they use his name. This album predated Charters' great "Chicago /The Blues /Today!" trilogy that was a further step in the careers of both Spann and Cotton.

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

reviewer Alex Henderson stated: "Boasting fellow Chicago blues dynamo James Cotton on both harmonica and lead vocals, ''The Blues Never Die!'' is one of Otis Spann's most inspired albums ... Spann and Cotton enjoy a very strong rapport on this consistently rewarding date."

Track listing

All compositions by Otis Spann except where noted # "The Blues Never Die" − 3:40 # "I Got a Feeling" − 2:50 # "One More Mile to Go" (James Cotton) − 3:45 # "Feelin' Good" (Cotton) − 3:25 # "After Awhile" − 3:57 # "

Dust My Broom "Dust My Broom" is a blues song originally recorded as "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" by American blues artist Robert Johnson in 1936. It is a solo performance in the Delta blues-style with Johnson's vocal accompanied by his acoustic guitar. A ...

" (

Elmore James Elmore James ( Brooks; January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ...

) − 2:40 # "Straighten Up, Baby" (Cotton) − 2:30 # "Come On" − 2:38 # "Must Have Been the Devil" − 2:38 # "Lightnin'" (Cotton) − 2:40 # " I'm Ready" (

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

) − 3:03

Personnel

− vocals, piano * Dirty Rivers − guitar * James "Pee Wee" Madison − guitar *

James Cotton James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists and with his own band. He also played drums early in his career. ...

− harmonica, vocals *Milton Rector − bass *S. P. Leary – drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blues Never Die!, The 1965 albums Otis Spann albums Albums produced by Samuel Charters Prestige Records albums