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Song Story

Paris Blues

ArtistT-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Otis Spann
Recorded1969, Los Angeles, California
LabelBluesTime Records
Show PlacementNo show match found

Cut for the Super Black Blues album, producer Bob Thiele put three titans into a Los Angeles studio. You have the architect of electric guitar (Walker), the king of the blues shouters (Turner), and Muddy Waters' legendary piano player (Spann) all trading blows. It's a slow, grinding blues jam where you can hear the deep mutual respect in the room. Spann's rolling Chicago piano fills the gaps while Walker delivers his patented, jazzy chord substitutions underneath Turner's booming vocal declarations.

Floating Verse / Song DNA

The floating-verse lineage for this recording (who else recorded it, where the melody or lyric traveled, and how it was adapted) is still being mapped. This section will trace the song's DNA across the archive.

Contributions welcome at OlMrRead@ccblues.com.