In case you missed it, Bob Margolin gives Thanks to celebrate 50 years since he joined Muddy Waters Band! He plays the same Gibson archtop electric guitar that he played next to Muddy and The Band in The Last Waltz on every song on the album.
He recorded one song by Muddy from 1952, and one that he and Muddy wrote together in 1977. He sings “The Shape I’m” In by The Band as a blues with four-part harmony. He interprets Willie Dixon’s “Who,” first done by Little Walter but later performed with Bob by R&B legend Nappy Brown. He covered “Hard Working Man” by his friend Jimmy Rogers, a Chicago Blues legend who played guitar with Muddy 25 years before Bob did. He rearranged Paul Gayten’s “For You My Love,” which Bob used to play with piano legend Pinetop Perkins when they played together with Muddy until Pinetop passed at 97 in 2011. And he played four of his own songs, rearranging them to be played on that Gibson archtop now.
Old songs, old guitar, new fire.
Bob created every sound on the album except for the joyous bark of Levon Margolin, Bob’s Border Collie, during the guitar solo in “No Consolation.” He tracked, mixed, mastered and produced the album – a very personal labor of love and a five-decade journey. His time in Muddy’s band ended in 1980 and Muddy passed in 1983. Muddy’s unique spirit and voice are gone, but he deliberately placed Bob on the bandstand where he could follow, watch and learn. Particularly on slide guitar, Bob can evoke Muddy.
We would like to celebrate Bob Margolin’s 75th birthday with an exclusive video premiere! When Bob wrote “Lonely Man Blues” in 1977, Muddy liked what he heard and added a verse of his own, shared the credit and recorded it for his I’m Ready album — his second for Johnny Winter’s Blue Sky label.
Here’s what Bob has to say about the song on his “Deep Dive Liner Notes,” along with a special accompanying picture:
Before CDs, vinyl records could only be about 35 minutes long or bassy sounds would make the stylus jump out of the groove. Our song did not make it onto the original vinyl album. But in 2003, my friend – Sony Legacy producer Steve Berkowitz – gave me the opportunity to co-produce reissues of Muddy’s Blue Sky albums.
I heard the song again for the first time in 25 years. I played bass on it, with Muddy, Jimmy Rogers, Johnny Winter, Big Walter Horton, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and Pinetop Perkins — not a shabby Chicago Blues band. In 1998, I recorded it for my Hold Me To It album. For this album, I use the ES-150, the perfect guitar for it. And I play it in Muddy’s Mississippi Open-G Tuning slide guitar style.
I also add a second guitar part that thanks Jimmy Rogers’ complementary, beyond the concept of lead and rhythm guitar. Jimmy told me he and Muddy did that deliberately and called it ‘filling in the cracks.’
Already in Memphis for the Blues Music Awards events which happened yesterday, tonight Bob hosts the VizzTone Label Showcase at the Rum Boogie from 7-10 pm.
