Big Joe Wiliams: Baby Please Don't Go

Not sure if I posted this one before, or if it was one of 200+ videos that Youtube deleted last year. However, this is good enough to post again if I did:-)

Big Joe Williams, And Count Basie: Going To Chicago

Big Joe is one of those under-rated blues singers. I am not sure how the jazz folks feel about him, but Joe and a lot of the Kansas City style bluesmen, and women, seemed to be less noticed among the blues fans than the more recognized Chicago,Delta, and Memphis blues artists. Big Joe Williams had a smooth voice, and easily moved from jazz to blues. This video is of him and Count Basie performing a song made popular by Count's first vocalist Jimmy "5x5" Rushing, called Going To Chicago.

Going to Chicago
Uploaded by icedrum

Count Basie and Big Joe Williams: Well Alright, Okay, You Win

Big Joe Williams, not the delta bluesman, but the KC jump blues shouter. I wish there were more video of him around. I know that he played on the Johnny Carson show almost monthly in the late 70s, but I haven't found many videos of him. He had a great mellow voice, and could really swing. He is more associated with jazz, but anyone who played with the Count as much as he did could be considered a bluesman.

Artist of the Week Jimmy Rushing

Artist of the Week is Jimmy Rushing. Jimmy's fame came from singing with the legendary Count Basie. Of the videos below it looks like the second one is from the Newport jazz festival. I have been trying to post it for three weeks. You need to watch the first few minutes before Jimmy comes up to sing Going to Chicago, which is a song the our own Jimmy Pryor used to love to sing. Of course the first few minutes of the Newport footage is that of the mellow blues singer Big Joe Williams. (not to be confused with the guitar player Big Joe Williams) I have also noticed that Google is slowly taking over the video duties from Youtube, so the small videos from the sidebar may come from either Google, or youtube.