James Cotton

Hubert Sumlin dies at 80; guitarist shaped Howlin' Wolf's sound

2011-12-10 00:00:00

When Howlin' Wolf romped through "Wang Dang Doodle" or thundered in "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy," the snarling guitar that accompanied him belonged to one of the greatest bluesmen to pick up the instrument: Hubert Sumlin. The cry of Sumlin's guitar &#...

Our Picks: 3 Awesome Blues Shows in Greater Hartford

2013-05-20 07:15:00

1) The James Cotton Blues Band, Bridge Street Live, 41 Bridge St., Collinsville, (860) 693-9762. Fri., 9 p.m., $30, $40. 41bridgestreet.com. 2) Jeff Pitchell with Texas Flood, Billy Tee's, 150 Sebethe Dr., Cromwell, (860) 632-1333. Fri., 9 p.m., $10....

Tonight's top show: James Cotton at Mayne Stage

2013-05-10 11:34:00

James Cotton: As a boy growing up in Mississippi, Cotton learned to play harp from Sonny Boy Williamson, and later was a key member of Muddy Waters’ tough-as-nails Chicago blues band. Now he’s a band leader in his own right, with a series of...

Blues legend James Cotton tells his story, in song

2013-05-07 09:28:00

Bluesman James Cotton has lived the kind of life they make movies about. He toiled on a Mississippi plantation from earliest childhood, found himself orphaned at age 9, practically was raised by blues master Sonny Boy Williamson II and flourished as a...

Chicago Blues Festival: Shemekia Copeland, James Cotton to headline

2013-04-03 07:55:00

Shemekia Copeland, Irma Thomas, Otis Clay, James Cotton and Billy Branch will be among the headliners at the 30th annual Chicago Blues Festival, running June 6 through 9. The festival, expanded to four days this year, will open for the first time at the...

A rosy new stage for Sugar Blue

2013-03-26 14:03:00

These are very sweet days for Sugar Blue. In a few months, he'll be a father once more, his wife and bass player Ilaria Lantieri expecting their first child together in late May or early June. In the meantime, the two — who own a home in...

Jumping at the 'Crossroads'

2013-03-14 23:00:01

When Jody Williams took the stage Wednesday night at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, he didn't dive into a rendition of the blues standard "Don't Start Me to Talkin'." But it might have been appropriate. The 78-year-old Williams, a...

Blues veterans to join in tribute

2013-03-07 20:50:00

Ask Jody Williams about Howlin' Wolf's legacy, and he'll rattle off remarkable numbers about the old Chicago bluesman. Not chart statistics. Measurements. "Well, he was a pretty big man," said Williams, 78, who played guitar for Wolf (a.k.a. Chester...

Singer/guitarist who filled in for ailing headliner at Valley festival dies five months later

2013-02-22 04:29:40

UPDATE: Chicago guitarist announced to replace ailing headliner at Blast Furnace Blues fest

2012-09-11 16:24:24

Bluesman James Cotton, after 60 years and health woes, says he plays better than ever

2012-09-12 16:24:24

ArtsQuest's Blast Furnace Blues festival is moving out (side)

2012-09-16 16:24:17

James Cotton of the James Cotton Blues Band makes eye contact with special guest Matt "Guitar" Murphy during a performance on the main stage at the Chicago Blues Fest in 2010.

2013-05-07 07:38:00

Vocalist Kim Wilson, guitarist Bob Margolin and blues harmonica legend James Cotton perform during “Blues at the Crossroads Two” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on Wednesday night.

2013-03-14 00:00:00

The McAninch Arts Center's Blues at the Crossroads series pays tribute to blues legends Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) and Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett).

2013-01-23 14:21:00