James Cotton was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time and with his own band. He played drums early in his career but is famous for his harmonica playing.
Cotton began playing blues harp in Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1950s and in 1955 he was recruited by Muddy Waters to come to Chicago and join his band. Cotton became Waters' bandleader and stayed with the group until 1965. After that he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet, with Otis Spann on piano, to record between gigs with the Muddy Waters band. He eventually left to form his own full-time touring group. His first album, on Verve Records, was produced by the guitarist Mike Bloomfield and the singer and songwriter Nick Gravenites, who later were members of the band Electric Flag.
In the 1970s, Cotton recorded several albums for Buddah Records. This 3 CD collection features three of those recordings. Live & On The Move was released in 1976 by Buddah and faithfully captures the boogie-burning capabilities of the mid-'70s Cotton outfit. Cotton then went to New Orleans to work with producer Allen Toussaint releasing the “disco blues” High Energy. Before that came 100% Cotton, an album that some regard as his zenith featuring the non-stop "Boogie Thing," a driving "How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong," and a racy "Rocket 88".
Cotton died in March 2017.
Live & On The Move
Cotton Boogie, One More Mile, All Walks of Life, Born in Missouri, Flip Flop and Fly, Mojo, Rocket 88, Goodbye My Lady, I Don't Know, Caldonia, Boogie Thing, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Oh Baby, You Don't Have to Go, Help Me, Hot 'N Cold, Teeny Weeny Bit, Blow Wind Blow, How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong
High Energy
Hot 'N Cold, Chicken Heads, Hard Time Blues,
I Got a Feelin', Weather Report (The Weather Man Said), Keep Cooking Mama, Fannie Mae, Caldonia, Rock 'N Roll Music (Ain't Nothing New), James' Theme
100% Cotton
Boogie Thing, One More Mile, All Walks of Life, Creepers Creeps Again, Rocket 88, How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong, I Don't Know, Burner, 'Fatuation, Fever
Album Review
