Albums That Deserve Another Listen

Otis Spann - Sweet Giant Of The Blues (1969)

01 - Got My Mojo Working                                                    

02 - Sellin' My Thing                                                       

03 - Moon Blues                                                             

04 - I'm A Dues Payin' Man                                                  

05 - I Wonder Why                                                           

06 - Bird In A Cage                                                         

07 - Hey Baby                                                               

08 - Make A Way

Musicians:

Piano & Vocals: Otis Spann

Guitar: Louie Shelton

Guitar & Banjo: Mike Anthony

Sax & Flute: Tom Scott

Bass: Max Bennett

Drums: Paul Humphrey

Originally released on Bluestime LP BT 29006 (1969)

Otis Spann (March 21, 1924 or 1930 - April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist.

Reviews:

One of the classic bluesmen Bob Thiele signed to his Bluestime label in 1969, Otis Spann is best known as Muddy Waters' sideman, but in the '60s he often stepped into the spotlight himself. Sweet Giant of the Blues, a 1969 session for Bluestime released in 1970, is one of his very last albums, he died at the age of 40 in April 1970, around the time this hit the stores, and if it can't be called definitive, it's nevertheless a robust example of his gifts. Sweet Giant of the Blues isn't definitive because it is indeed tied to its time, like so many of Thiele's productions for Bluestime. He teamed Spann with younger players raised on blues and rock, giving the supporting musicians, anchored by drummer Paul Humphrey and bassist Max Bennett, along with guitarist Louie Shelton but saxophonist/flutist Tom Scott often pops up, lots of room to roam in solos and also grooves, letting the rhythms breathe in a way they never did on Muddy's sessions. This is loose and unpredictable in a predictable fashion, delving into a little bit of Latin beats and rhumba and a whole lot of rock & roll. Unlike the Turner record, this focuses on new songs, many written by Spann, but Thiele co-wrote "Moon Blues" so slow it flirts with a dirge ("Bird in a Cage," another crawling 12-bar, in contrast, feels much livelier and not just due to the fuzz; the band digs down deep here), which makes Sweet Giant of the Blues feel contemporary in a very strict fashion; this is the music of the time, the point where tradition met hippie jams. As such, it now seems somewhat dated, particularly with regard to the fuzz and the elongated rhythms, but Spann seems to seize the changes and enjoys playing with the band, never trying to play against his support. He's lively enough that it only winds up accentuating his early loss.

Spann made few of his own records, until he went solo in 1968. In the year and a half until his untimely death in 1970 he made several albums, including Sweet Giant of the Blues produced by Bob Thiele. Teamed with some top-level West Coast session musicians, the set contains some well-placed revivals such as 'Got My Mojo Working' but was mainly a showcase for some fantastic Spann originals. It was his final recording session.

When producer Bob Thiele launched Flying Dutchman Records in 1969, he also introduced two other imprints to give his new company depth and breadth: Amsterdam for pop material and Bluestime to concentrate on the developing blues boom. Thiele had been in charge of ABC’s Bluesway label, where he had made records with many vintage blues artists. He opened Bluestime with albums by three of those performers: “The Real Boss Of The Blues” by Joe Turner, “Sweet Giant Of The Blues” by Otis Spann and “Every Day I Have The Blues” by T-Bone Walker.

The last album ever from the mighty Otis Spann, and maybe one of the greatest, too. The set's got Otis working in a hip blend of blues and jazz, served up with some tight combo work from west coast players who include Tom Scott on tenor and flute, Max Bennett on bass, Louie Shelton on guitar, and Paul Humphrey on drums. Otis plays piano, and sings with this raspy sound that's just right for his Chicago roots, and the use of electric bass by Bennett gives most of the numbers a funky undercurrent we really love. The approach is like some of the best ABC Bluesway sides of the same time, a mode that updates the Spann sound a bit, but never in a straight funk style, and titles include the mighty "I'm A Dues Payin' Man", plus "I Wonder Why", "Bird In A Cage", "Make A Way", and "Sellin' My Thing".

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