Conversation With a Blues Legend
James Cotton, Blues Harp King!

by Joe Curtis

I recently attended an awesome blues concert July 26th at the Horseshoe Tavern here in Toronto, Ontario, where I’m from. Blues harp legend James Cotton was here with his extraordinary, heavy-duty blues band. James and the boys really got the packed house full of blues lovers going all night long with some of the finest blues they’ll ever hear. After the concert was over it was my pleasure to talk to Mr. Cotton after his mind-blowing, harp-blowing concert. Before I had a chance to speak to James, a young guy in his early twenties asked him, “What did your mother call you when you were a little boy?” The question almost seemed like a put down or come-on at Cotton’s expense. James looked down and appeared a little upset, then responded with “She called me ‘Man’!” That insightful answer from Cotton floored me, as well as I’m sure it did the young guy who asked the question. Finally James (the legend) was free for a few minutes so I could freely talk to him without interruption. I introduced myself to him and was flattered he remembered me from nine months earlier, when he last played the Horseshoe. It was Oct. 12th, only a month after the fateful Sept. 11th disaster that shook the whole world, and will leave it as such. (As a side note, the Stones played a surprise concert at the Horseshoe in ’98 just before their World Tour.)

Joe:

James … do you remember me asking you last time you were here if it was true what Donnie Walsh of Downchild Blues Band told me about the time Muddy (Waters) fired you after the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960?

James:

Yeah I remember!

Joe:

Can you go into some details about how and why it happened?

James:

Well … Otis Spann (Muddy’s piano player) and I had rehearsed our harp and piano parts together for “Put a Tiger in Your Tank” based on how the lyrics went. We played it as rehearsed at the concert. After it was over, Muddy came over and told me I played the wrong parts for the song. Otis and I had rehearsed it with the original lyrics to the song. I told Muddy, “We rehearsed it with the lyrics, and you got them wrong when you sang it!” He just looked at me and said, “I’m Muddy Waters and I don’t get things wrong! You’re fired!” Well … a few weeks later Muddy listened to the Chess (Records) recording of that night, and heard the lyrics he sang. He realized he’d got them wrong after all. 31 days exactly, after Muddy fired me, he came to me and said, “C’mon … lets go into the studio!” He never did apologize to me or tell me I was re-hired … that’s all he said.

Joe:

Wow … what a great story, and a real piece of music history too! (James laughs a little.) I heard that Sonny Boy Williamson ll taught you how to play harp.

James:

That’s right.

Joe:

How did that happen?

James:

Well … I used to listen to the King Biscuit Hour Sonny Boy had on the radio Saturday afternoons. I played harp along with him on that program, from home.

Joe:

How old were you then?

James:

I was nine years old.

Joe:

How old were you when you decided to play professional?

James:

Ever since I was nine years old I knew I wanted to play harp for a living. My uncle took me down to the radio station to meet Sonny Boy one Saturday afternoon. I played some harp for him and he liked it. After that, he took me under his wing and showed me what he knew.

Joe:

Thanks James. That’s really great I heard both those stories fro ys be glad you did! James Cotton’s website is: www.jamescottonsuperharp.com. It’s well worth checking out too!