Otis Spann Is The Blues
Candid, 2022
9/10
Listen to Otis Spann Is The Blues
Considered perhaps the best blues pianist of all time, Otis Spann was making a name for himself in Chicago in the ‘40s, and by the early ‘50s he became the piano player for Muddy Waters.
Here, his debut solo album, recorded in 1960, returns with a remastered version by Bernie Grundman and new liner notes from Nat Hentoff. This first release on the Candid Label also features Robert Lockwood Jr. on guitar and vocals.
“The Hard Way” starts the listen with Spann’s soulful, soaring pipes alongside spirited guitar and warm keys in the cautious blues climate, and “Take A Little Walk With Me” follows with firm keys complementing the rugged yet tuneful singing.
“Country Boy” takes the middle spot, and pairs acrobatic keys with intricate guitar, as the booming vocals guide the vivid storytelling, while “My Daily Wish” flows with a melodic appeal that’s steeped in all the hallmarks of the blues that we will never tire of.
Further still, “I Got Rambling On My Mind #2”, the album’s best, rumbles with a frisky and emotive demeanor, and “Worried Life Blues” exits the listen with Spann’s inimitable Chicago Blues animated precisely.
Spann lived a short but prolific life, and this where it all began for the master of Chicago Blues, where his thinking man’s approach to song craft certainly resonates well on the superb reissue.
Travels well with: Charles Mingus- Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus; Max Roach- We Insist!