John PRIMER - All Original 2008

John PRIMER - All Original 2008

Blues

Grammy Award and Handy Award Nominee, John Primer's history is the real deal! John's life started in Camden Mississippi on his grandmother's sharecropper land, dreaming of a better life and working in the fields. His biggest dream in life was to someday play his guitar with his idol Muddy Waters. John ended up doing that and much, much more! John should be credited for helping Muddy Waters bring the Blues to Chicago and for taking it into the 21st Century. John has been that perfect liaison, filling the gap between the older traditional style and the younger Chicago Blues style. John went from field songs and gospels, into traditional Blues, then R&B and Soul then finally pioneering the infamous Chicago Blues style we know today. All Original is a dream come true for John. 12 all original songs recorded for his very own record label, Blues House Productions, is another first. Cataloging his own music, writing, producing, teaching young musicians and sharing his experiences with the world is now his focus and life mission. All Original starts out fast with "Add A Little Touch", shaking you up and getting you ready for a for a full Blues Experience. "Going Back To Mississippi" pays tribute to his home and let's you into his heart. "I Called My Baby" is a slide guitar lovers dream! "Everyday Brings By A Change" is one of John's favorites and represents how he looks at life. "Blue Eyed Woman", "Other Man", "The Woman That I am Loving" and "Bad Child" are all great examples of John's diverse Blues skills. "Keep On Loving The Blues" is another Primer favorite. John sings this at the end of most of his shows to send the audience home remembering to keep on loving the Blues. "At Home Alone" is a great soul-felt, minor key song, highlighting Johns R&B, soulful voice. "Say Yes, Don't Say No" shows John's playful spirit. "All Original" ends with "Love In My Heart For You" a traditional acoustic duet with just John and Harmonica Hinds.
**
“All Original” is a dream come true for John. 12 all original songs recorded for his very own record label – Blues House Productions.
Cataloging his own music, writing, producing, teaching young musicians and sharing his experiences with the world is now his focus and life mission.
This first CD is only the beginning, putting 12 all originals into it’s collection.
“All Original” starts out fast with “Add A Little Touch”, shaking you up and getting you ready for a full blues experience. “Going Back To Mississippi” pays tribute to his home and let’s you into his heart.
“I Called My Baby” is a slide guitar lovers dream! “Everyday Brings By A Change” is one of John’s favorites and represents how he looks at life.
“Blue Eyed Woman”, “Other Man”, “The Woman That I am Loving”, and “Bad Child” are all great examples of John’s diverse Blues skills.
“Keep On Loving The Blues” is another Primer favorite. John sings this at the end of most of his shows to send the audience home remembering to keep on loving the Blues.
“At Home Alone” is a great soul-felt, minor key song, highlighting John's R&B, soulful voice. “Say Yes, Don’t Say No” shows John’s playful spirit.
“All Original” ends with “Love In My Heart For You”, a traditional, acoustic duet with just John and Harmonica Hinds. John’s 3 year old daughter Aliya Makayla Becker is with them dancing around the studio, keeping daddy’s music alive and well!
This is only the beginning for John’s new label, Blues House Productions. Many more CD’s are already being worked on. The label’s intent is to preserve the Blues’ precious past, helping less fortunate musicians, while producing original music for our future.
**
Primer is a Chicago blues guitarist who spent many years as a side man for the likes of Magic Slim, Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters. In the mid-90's Primer finally branched out on his own and has been a solo act ever since. Although Primer has released quite a few albums over the years, this is the first one to feature all original material with no covers. If you like your blues traditional Chicago style this album should be just what you are looking for. The music on this disc is textbook Chicago blues, with lots of tasty guitar and Primer's seasoned voice leading the way. The songs themselves cover typical blues related subject matter. This album is no frills traditional electric blues, but done in a very pleasant way. All in all a fine album from Mr. Primer and company.
By Steven Sly.
**
John PRIMER- LEAD GUITAR/VOCALS
Melvin "HARMONICA" HINDS- HARMONICA
David ROSS- PIANO/ORGAN
Michael MORRISON- BASS
Vernon RODGERS- DRUMS
**
01. Add a Little Touch 5:02
02. Going Back to Mississippi 4:36
03. I Called My Baby 6:28
04. Everyday Brings By a Change 5:05
05. Blue Eyed Woman 5:34
06. Other Man 3:59
07. The Woman That I'm Loving 5:25
08. Bad Child 4:17
09. Keep On Loving the Blues 4:37
10. At Home Alone 6:15
11. Say Yes, Don't Say No 5:05
12. Love in My Heart for You 4:10
**

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John PRIMER - Stuff You Got To Watch 1992

John PRIMER - Stuff You Got To Watch 1992

Blues

John Primer still remains true to his blues, deeply rooted in the classic Chicago blues of Muddy Waters and Elmore James. This review of his first US release on Earwig appeared back in Jazz & Blues Report in 1993 while he was still a member of Magic Slim & the Teardrops.

Fans of straight ahead Chicago blues should check out John Primer's "Stuff You Got to Watch" on Earwig. The Mississippi born Primer was in the houseband at Theresa's Lounge where he was befriended by the late Sammy Lawhorn. Later he was in Muddy Waters' last band and has been with Magic Slim and the Teardrops for the past few years. While he has an album for the Austrian Wolf label, this US debut certainly makes one wonder what took him so long to get hooked up with a US label. Among those on this date are fellow Teardrop, Nick Holt, on bass, Harmonica Hinds on harp and Carl Snyder on keyboards. It is an excellent studio band which strongly supports Primer's delta rooted vocals and guitar . While much of this is Primer's originals, his covers are imaginative with a strong nod to Muddy on the title track. His renditions of Freddy King's "See See Baby" and Magic Sam's "That's All I Need" are wonderfully paced performances while he personalizes Otis Rush's "Double Trouble," giving it a fresh cast that almost is as good as Rush's original (which had Ike Turner's guitar in addition to Rush's). Jimmy and Jeannie Cheathem's "Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On," is answered by Primer's original "Bring Your Clothes Back Home." Less expected is his transformation of Texas country bluesman Little Son Jackson's "Cairo Blues" into a Chicago band blues. The instrumental "Lawhorn Special" is a fitting nod to the late guitar giant and his mentor. To these ears, the only misguided effort is "Rhinestone Cowboy" (the Glen Campbell pop-country hit), but perhaps it will get him on Nashville Now. This is first-rate album of Chicago blues that comes from (to borrow a Bob Margolin phrase) "The Old School."
By R. Weinstock.
**
Chicago guitarist Primer's domestic debut album was doubtless an eye-opener for anyone not familiar with his searing slide work and sturdy vocal abilities. Apart from a very ill-advised cover of Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" (yuck!), the album resonates with mean, lowdown guitar work and fine ensemble backing. By Bill Dahl. AMG.
**
01. Stuff You Gotta Watch (3:01)
02. See See Baby (4:20)
03. Inflation Blues (5:51)
04. Cairo (5:25)
05. Lawhorn Special (4:03)
06. Double Trouble (5:56)
07. Rhinestone Cowboy (4:46)
08. Fed up Baby (6:32)
09. Baby, Bring Your Clothes Back Home (5:07)
10. That's All I Need (5:26)
11. I'm Gonna Ride Until I Get Satisfied (4:55)
12. Travelin' Blues (6:04)
13. The Mojo Boogie (6:48)
**

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John PRIMER - Blue Steel, A Tribute To Elmore James 2003

John PRIMER - Blue Steel, A Tribute To Elmore James 2003

Blues

The highlight of any John Primer show is when he pulls out the bottleneck and uses it to vivaciously perform ripping and pumping slide guitar. On Blue Steel you can experience his enthusiastic slide for 56 minutes via 14 staple cuts which are mostly short and sweet. Appropriately, most of them are Elmore James classics but Primer sneaks in 3 of his own on the self-produced CD. After a very brief (one release) stint with Telarc, Primer returns on Wolf Records. Shaped under the pressure of backing greats like Muddy Waters and Magic Slim, Primer is a modern day traditional electric Chicago blues master. He has played with the best of them and now he is one of them. Backed by regular touring members of his Real Deal Blues Band (Bo Trisko rhythm guitar, Michael Morrison bass and Mark Diffenderffer drums), John works his listeners into a blues trance.
Shake Yo Moneymaker is played the way it was intended. Here (and throughout), a completely revitalized Detroit Junior comes alive on the piano and performs like a man half his age. On Sunnyland Train, John's guitar sounds just like a charging locomotive clicking and clacking down the track. Experience real deal blues on Too Much. Forget about the tribute and sit back and enjoy a brilliant blues tune where Steve Bell's harp sounds like it is going to split in two. Little Bobby Neely's saxophone creates an atmosphere of the era these songs are originally from on I'm In Love. Can't Stop Loving is up-tempo and bouncing with Bo on lap steel guitar. Here, ballroom dancers will be in their glory. You will not want the infectious rhythm of Stranger Blues to stop. I'm A Bluesman was written and is performed by someone who is truly qualified to write and sing the blues, Mr. John Primer. On lyrics like 'I was born with the blues and I haven't had enough of the blues yet' and 'blues gave me a feeling that can't be beat', John's strong, confidant voice has as much conviction as a preacher. Ironically, this song and 1839 were recorded with completely different musicians (including Magic Slim) and these tunes are two of the disc's best.

Many tribute discs don't work. This is one that does thanks to the genuine homage from one of today's blues experts to one of yesteryear's - both originally from Mississippi. Primer is quoted from Lisa Becker and Bo Trisko's fantastic liner notes, 'I wanted Elmore to be recognized for the incredible impact he had on all of us . a new generation will be exposed to Elmore, keeping his style alive.' Primer seems to have made a personal musical ambition to bring the older blues traditions to a wider, modern audience. Blue Steel contains authentic down home blues and magnificent slide which the larger labels avoid. Sure, some of the more common riffs are repeated once too often. However, Primer proves himself a blues slide guitar aficionado. This is old-style blues we can NOT afford to lose.
**
Personnel John Primer- (Guitar);
Magic Slim- (Guitar);
Stanley Banks- (Keyboards);
Johnny B. Gayden, Nick Holt- (Bass);
James Harrinton, Earl Howell- (Drums);
and
Real Deal Delta Blues Band.

01. Shake Yo Moneymaker (2:04)
02. It Hurts Me Too (4:20)
03. Sunnyland Train (3:01)
04. Too Much (5:57)
05. I'm In Love (4:03)
06. Can't Stop Lovin (2:23)
07. Since My Baby Left This Town (5:23)
08. I'm A Blues Man (6:02)
09. I'm Worried (4:39)
10. 1839 (3:17)
11. Fine Little Mama (2.38)
12. I Held My Baby (3:23)
13. I Had A Dream Last Night (5:18)
14. Stranger Blues (3:26)
**

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John PRIMER - Blues Behind Closed Doors 1998

John PRIMER - Blues Behind Closed Doors 1998

Blues

John Primer has a legendary charisma on stage, tall, confident and immaculately dressed for the occasion just like a seasoned entertainer who is known as the genuine article, the real deal even he is Behind The Close Doors..
By themonk.
**
Stanley Banks- Keyboards
Mike Barber- Trumpet
Big James Montgomery- Trombone
Billy Branch- Harp
Charles Kimble- Saxophone
Nick Holt- Bass
Earl Howell- Drums
Charles Kimble- Saxophone
Magic Slim- Guitar
James "Big James" Montgomery- Trombone
Johnny B. Moore Guitar- (Acoustic)
John Primer Guitar- (Acoustic), Guitar, Vocals
And
Chicago Playboys Horns Ensemble
**
01. 1839 (316)
02. Somebody Have Mercy (457)
03. Good Morning Heartache (804)
04. Don't You Hear Me Cryin' For You (448)
05. Blues Behind Closed Doors (700)
06. I'm Just Your Fool (422)
07. Smokestack (445)
08. Next Time You See Me (431)
09. Country Boy (531)
10. Yes, I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby (354)
11. It Ain't Easy Been Easy (428)
12. Tore Down (354)
**

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John PRIMER - Cold Blooded Bluesman 1997

John PRIMER - Cold Blooded Bluesman 1997

Blues

John Primer is one of the driving forces in helping to keep alive the more traditional Chicago blues sound. Born in 1945 in Camden Mississippi John was raised on share-cropper land. I went to school in the morning, he said, and worked in the fields in the afternoon and night. After moving to Chicago in the early 60’s one of the first things John did was put together a band. By the end of that decade he landed a gig playing lead guitar with the house band at Theresa's where he backed up the likes of Junior Wells, Louis Myers, Jimmy Johnson, Lonnie Brooks, Paul Butterfield, Johnny Winter, Bonnie Raitt and many others. From there he joined Willie Dixon's band, The Chicago Blues All Stars in 1979. Six months later he was asked to join Muddy Water's band after being referred by Mojo Buford. This turned out to be Muddy's last band (with Lovie Lee on piano) and it was a shock to Primer when Muddy died. Primer said, Muddy was a great guy and I was ready to play with him as long as he wanted me to. After that great experience he played for the next 13 years with Magic Slim & The Teardrops saying he really enjoyed all those years, We were like a family, like brothers. Finally, in 1996 with the encouragement of Maurice Holt, John set out on his own with his own band and his new solo album.
**
Earl Howell- (Drums),
John Primer- (Vocals), (Guitar)
Billy Branch- (Harmonica),
Nick Holt- (Bass),
Sigurd Fassl- (Guitar),
Eddie Shaw- (Tenor Sax),
Michael Jackson- (Tenor Sax),
Chris Sandera- (Harmonica),
Little Mack Simmons- (Harmonica),
George Baze- (Guitar),
Magic Slim- (Guitar)
**
01. Dreaming (5:52)
02. Cuttin' Loose (4:42)
03. Cold Blooded Blues Man (4:07)
04. What Love Will Do (5:34)
05. Meet Her In The Dark (5:04)
06. Sad, Sad Day (7:13)
07. Mojo Hand (4:46)
08. Cairo (3:26)
09. I'm Worried (4:21)
10. Malted Milk (4:23)
11. Waitin' For My Time (4:04)
12. Love In Vain (4.48)
13. Red House (3:01)
**
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John PRIMER & The Real Deal Blues Band - It's A Blues Life 2000

John PRIMER & The Real Deal Blues Band - It's A Blues Life 2000

Blues

Primer deserved his own share of the spotlight. In 1993, Michael Frank's Chicago-based Earwig logo issued Primer's debut domestic disc, Stuff You Got to Watch. It was a glorious return to the classic '50s Chicago sound, powered by Primer's uncommonly concise guitar work and gruff, no-nonsense vocals. With the 1995 emergence of The Real Deal -- produced by Vernon and featuring all-star backing by harpist Billy Branch, pianist David Maxwell, and bassist Johnny B. Gayden, Primer's star appeared ready to ascend. He soon transferred back to the Wolf label for sets such as 1997's Cold Blooded Blues Man, 1998's Blues Behind Closed Doors,
and 2000's It's a Blues Life.
By Bill Dahl, All Music Guide.
**
John Primer- Vocals, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Bert Robinson- Drums
Steve Bell- Harmonica
Tom Holland- Guitar
Ken Barker- Bass Guitar,Piano 
Nick Holt- Bass Guitar

01. I've Been Abused
02. Maggie
03. Last Night
04. Mama Talk to Your Daughter
05. Party Girl
06. Empty Arms
07. Lonesome For Your Love
08. Sweet as a Georgia Peach
09. Every Time You Leave Me
10. Can't You See What You're Doin' to Me
11. Give Me Back My Wig
12. Rock Me
**
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John PRIMER - Poor Man Blues 1991

John PRIMER - Poor Man Blues 1991

Blues

Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 6 showcases the exceptional guitar skills of John Primer, who long served as a guitarist for Muddy Waters and Magic Slim. Primer falls somewhere between the two, turning out tough Chicago blues fueled by his biting slide guitar. His original songs aren't particularly interesting, but they function as good vehicles for exciting jams. In the end, Primer might not add anything new to Chicago blues, but he has a great time playing, and it sure is fun to listen to him play.
By Thom Owens. AMG.
**
Billy Branch- (Harmonica)
Michael Coleman, Magic Slim, Junior Pettis- (Guitar)
Leo Davis- (Piano)
James Harrington, Jerry Porter- (Drums)
Nick Holt- (Bass)
John Primer- (Guitar, Vocals)
**
01. Add a Little Touch 4:10
02. Smile in Your Faces 6:15
03. Poor Man Blues 3:39
04. If I Could Hold You in My Arms 6:55
05. Hiding Place 3:28
06. I'm a Blues Man 6:01
07. My Eyes Keep Me in Trouble 4:24
08. My Baby Don't Love Me 5:21
09. Try My Lovin' 4:12
10. Corrine 5:44
11. Forgive Not Forget 3:45
**
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John PRIMER - Knocking At Your Door 2000

John PRIMER - Knocking At Your Door 2000

Blues

John Primer's debut leaves a bit to be desired for fans of down-home blues. Although Primer sings and plays with extreme conviction, the problem is the backing band on this 12-song set. With the McCray brothers on guitar and drums, Matthew Skoller on harmonica, and Ken Saydak on piano, there's simply way too much busy playing for the group to sound like a well-meshed ensemble. Skoller's harp swamps everything in its path, and McCray's drumming is lumbering in spots. With a more sympathetic backing group, Primer has the makings of a great album in him somewhere.
By Cub Koda.
**
John Primer- (Vocals, Guitar);
Larry McCray- (Guitar);
Matthew Skoller- (Harmonica);
Ken Saydak- (Piano, Organ);
Al Brown- (Bass);
Steve McCray- (Drums);
Mike Vernon- (Percussion).
**
01. Knocking at Your Door 3:56
02. Change Your Evil Ways 4:19
03. Lonely Days and Nights 3:05
04. Excited by Your Charms 5:27
05. Hard Working Woman 3:52
06. Brutal Hearted Woman 5:01
07. Everytime You Touch Me 4:20
08. That's Alright 4:45
09. Woman Was Made to Be Loved 4:20
10. I Been Dogged Around 4:35
11. I Want to Know 4:09
12. Kiss of Fire 3:47
**
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