John Primer & The Teardrops

John Primer & The Teardrops - Easy Baby Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 6 - 1999 - Wolf Records

This CD is John Primer's fourth for Wolf Records and his very first full-length live album. It was recorded in the late 1980s at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the time of the recording, John Primer was already an established musician on the Chicago blues scene. He had finished a long stint with Muddy Waters and was in the middle of a 14 year stay as guitarist for Magic Slim and the Teardrops.The album is a blend of traditional and contemporary Chicago blues and soul. The collection includes covers of songs by Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf), Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Robert Johnson and more. There is one John Primer original on the album. West Side legend, Magic Sam's influence can be heard on songs associated with him, like “Easy Baby”, “That’s All I Need”, and “I Need You So Bad”. John plays some great 50s style lead on “Walkin’ Thru The Park”, with great backing from Magic Slim on guitar, Nick Holt on bass, and drummer Michael Scott (The Teardrops). “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” is a good funky number. John really jams the blues on “Rocking Daddy”, again with terrific backing from The Teardrops. John's own song, “My Baby’s Gone” has an authentic and traditional blues groove, while “I’ve Got A Problem” is genuine Chicago blues. John Primer said “We recorded for one week straight and Wolf chose the songs for the CD. I didn’t plan the songs, I kept it spontaneous and exciting. Magic Slim encouraged me to master my style and do the songs I wanted to do. The crowd at the Zoo Bar is wild and they love the blues with passion. This is the only album so far that I have done live and it is one of my favorites. You can really feel the passion in my heart for what I am singing on this CD and you can tell the crowd feels it too. ” The material on this album never goes "over the top". There are no flashy guitar solos, and John Primer would later improve on his composing skills. A good solid Chicago blues album. Listen to John Primer's brilliant "The Real Deal" album [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 124 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 A String to Your Heart - Jimmy Reed 6:09
2 My Baby's Gone - John Primer 4:12
3 Gambler's Blues - Riley King, Johnny Pate 5:02
4 Walkin' Thru The Park - McKinley Morganfield 4:31
5 I've Got a Problem - Robert Johnson, Sam Ray Mosley 6:31
6 Rocking Daddy - Howlin' Wolf 4:57
7 Little Rain - Ewart Abner, Jimmy Reed 5:08
8 I Need You So Bad - Riley King, Sam Ling 5:07
9 Easy Baby - Willie Dixon 4:27
10 That's What Love Will Make You Do - Milton Campbell 6:59
11 That's All I Need - Magic Sam 5:41
12 Woke up This Morning - Riley King, Jules Taub 4:24
13 Get Your Money Where You Spend Your Time - Tommy Tate 6:27

MUSICIANS

John Primer - Guitar, Vocals
Magic Slim - Guitar
Nick Holt - Bass
Michael Scott - Drums

BIO

By any yardstick, Chicago guitarist John Primer has paid his dues. Prior to making The Real Deal for Mike Vernon's Atlantic-distributed Code Blue label, Primer spent 13 years as the ever-reliable rhythm guitarist with Magic Slim & the Teardrops. Before that, he filled the same role behind Chicago immortals Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. All that grounding has paid off handsomely for Primer. His sound is rooted in the classic Windy City blues sound of decades past: rough-edged and uncompromising and satisfying in the extreme. He's one of the last real traditionalists in town. By the time he came to Chicago in 1963, Primer was thoroughly familiar with the lowdown sounds of Waters, Wolf, Jimmy Reed, B.B. and Albert King, and Elmore James. He fronted a West Side outfit for a while called the Maintainers, dishing out a mix of soul and blues before joining the house band at the Southside blues mecca Theresa's Lounge for what ended up being a nine-year run. Elegant guitarist Sammy Lawhorn proved quite influential on Primer's maturing guitar approach during this period. Always on the lookout for aspiring talent, Willie Dixon spirited him away for a 1979 gig in Mexico City. After a year or so as one of Dixon's All-Stars, Primer was recruited to join the last band of Muddy Waters, playing with the Chicago blues king until his 1983 death. Right after that, Primer joined forces with Magic Slim; their styles interlocked so seamlessly that their partnership seemed like an eternal bond. But 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. © Bill Dahl © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-primer-p33475/biography