Masters of Modern Blues

Performer: Johnny Shines
Artist: Otis Spann
Producer: Pete Welding
Distributor: City Hall

Notes: Personnel includes: Johnny Shines (vocals, guitar); Walter Horton (harmonica); Otis Spann (piano); Lee Jackson (bass); Fred Below (drums). Personnel: Johnny Shines (vocals, guitar); Big Walter Horton (harmonica); Otis Spann (piano); Fred Below (drums). Audio Remixer: Mark Linett. Liner Note Author: Pete Welding. Recording information: One-Derful Studios, Chicago, IL (06/1966). Photographers: Ray Flerlage; Pete Welding. Johnny Shines had been playing the blues steadily since the 1930s (travelling and playing extensively with Robert Johnson), and had moved to Chicago in the '40s, where he regularly performed with an electric band, but he made only a handful of recordings during that time. Shines quit playing music in the late '50s due to frustration with the industry, but '66's MASTERS OF THE MODERN BLUES helped revive his career, and restored him to his rightful position as a notable figure in the genre. With the help of Windy City heavyweights Big Walter Horton (harmonica) and Otis Spann (piano), and bassist Lee Jackson and drummer Fred Below lending nuanced support, Shines unleashes his old-school tricks, which include bottleneck playing and the intricate phrasing of Delta blues. Shines translates the Mississippi style effectively to an electric context, aided by his understated tone and the sensitivity of his accompanists. Shines does not pack the rollicking punch of many Chicago artists, but instead maintains the mournful, trance-like feel of early acoustic blues. This can be heard especially on "Mr. Tom Green's Farm," a fluidly paced duet between Shines and bassist Jackson. The rest of this distinctive album is of equally high quality.

Down Beat (5/95, p.57) - 4.5 Stars - Very Good Plus - "Absolutely killer... propelled by the best drummer in postwar blues, Fred Below....100 percent rock-solid."

Delta bluesman Johnny Shines is most famous for having traveled and performed with Robert Johnson in the '30s, but his career extended several decades beyond Johnson's. He eventually wound up in Chicago, where he recorded for Job Records, but like many blues players of his generation Shines drifted out of music. In the late '60s he was among those whose careers were given a fresh start via "rediscovery" by the folk-revival generation. Shines began recording and performing again with a vengeance, his gritty voice and slide guitar still powerful. Failing health slowed him down in the early '80s, but even then he continued to play until his death in 1992.

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