Little Arthur Duncan RIP

More sad news tonight. Little Arthur Duncan passed away after complications from brain surgery. As you know Arthur had been in the hospital for quite sometime. Below is a press release from Kevin Johnson at Delmark, and a news update from Bob Corritore. Also click here for a review of his last DVD.

Very, very sad Chicago blues news to report. Two of the nicest Chicago bluesmen passed away yesterday, our dear friend Little Arthur Duncan (from complications from brain surgery) and Phil Guy. Arthur and Phil were not only both underappreciated outstanding blues musicians, but truly great fans of the blues. While many musicians do not go out to the clubs unless they are playing, both Arthur and Phil were seen out all the time with big infectious smiles listening to their favorite blues artists. The Chicago Blues scene will not be the same...
Little Arthur Duncan was absolutely the sweetest guy I personally knew on the Chicago blues scene. He was a great friend, a proud and very well respected man, a wonderful story teller with a great sense of humor, and one of the last of the down home Chicago blues singers and harp players- Blues with a FEELING. Mr. Duncan also held the best blues parties, with his great southern soul food cooking. We'll miss you, Mr Back Scratcher!

Kevin Johnson
Delmark.com
jazzmart.com
bluesjazz@delmark.com
773 539 5001



This is from our friend Bob Corritore....

• RIP Little Arthur Duncan 2/5/1934-8/20/2008: It is with great sadness that we report yet another passing in this terrible week of losses to our blues community. Chicago harmonica ace Little Arthur Duncan passed away Wednesday morning, August 20, 2008 at Kindred Hospital in Northlake, IL. He was 74. He had been incapacitated for months with little hope of recovery. Born February 5, 1934 in Indianola, Mississippi, Arthur moved to Chicago at age 16, where he heard and befriended Little Walter, who inspired him to take up the harmonica. While holding down a construction day job, he began performing around Chicago with John Brim, Floyd Jones, and Hip Lankchan. He would later own and operate the Artesia Lounge on Lake Street, which moved to West Madison Street and reopened as Backscratcher's Social Club. Owning a club gave Arthur a regular place to perform, and he became a popular neighborhood attraction on the West Side. Twist Turner produced some of Arthur's first recordings, which appeared first on cassette and then on Cannonball Records' Blues Across America series. As Arthur's stature grew in Chicago, he recorded more, cutting two beautiful CDs for Delmark (Singin' With The Sun and Live At Rosa's Blues Lounge), and one for Random Chance (Live In Chicago). He was a simply great vocalist, with tremendous power and expressiveness; and his sparse harmonica was always on the money. He specialized in third position and chromatic harmonica. His final band included Illinois Slim, Rick Kreher, and Twist Turner. He had a warm and gracious personality, and his passing leaves a huge hole in the Chicago blues scene, as he was one of a handful of the dwindling old school harmonica masters. We will miss you, Arthur.

Blues Historian Review: Little Arthur Duncan, Live At Rosa's Blues Lounge

I just received a great DVD from the fine folks at Delmark Records, called Little Arthur Duncan: Live At Rosa's Blues Lounge. This is a great visual document of one of those players that the rest of the world needs to see and hear. Little Arthur was born in Indianola Mississippi in 1934, and like many Mississippi bluesmen moved north to Chicago. Little Arthur is a classic in all sense of the word. His set recorded at Rosa's is classic Chicago blues at its finest. I know that the blurb on the DVD talks about the band not being very slick(click here), but hey, that is what makes them so appealing. Duncan reminds me a little bit vocally like Sonny Boy Williamson II, and the band can certainly grove like those classic harp driven classics from the 50s. The band doesn't want to slow down, and keeps it up tempo until they get to the Howling Wolf classic Little Red Rooster, which is the 8 song of the set! Young Fashioned Ways makes me think one of the beauties of the blues is the love and respect that is paid to the older bluesman. I have always said that most forms of popular music is a young mans game. Especially today in our Star-Crazed, American Idol, what have you done for me lately, music business, but the blues is still an old mans game. We respect our elders, and they in return show us how its done. Little Arthur may be 70+ years old, but he is a master of the blues, and what Muddy Waters said many years ago is true that the blues takes a lifetime to master! If you would like to order this great DVD then Click HERE and while you are there check out some of the great blues and jazz recordings available at Delmark Records.