Otis Rush

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Otis Rush
Otis Rush (2002)
Otis Rush (2002)
Background information
Birth name Otis Rush
Born April 29, 1934 (1934-04-29) (age 74)
Origin Philadelphia, Mississippi
Genre(s) Chicago blues
Electric blues
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar
Years active 1956–2004
Website http://www.otisrush.net/

Otis Rush (born April 29, 1934 in Philadelphia, Mississippi) is a blues musician, singer and guitarist. His distinctive guitar style features a slow burning sound, jazz-style arpeggios and long bent notes. With similar qualities to Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Buddy Guy and Albert King, his sound became known as West Side Chicago blues and became an influence on Michael Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Rush is left-handed and, unlike many left-handed guitarists, plays a right-handed instrument upside-down without restringing it. It is widely believed that this contributes to his distinctive sound. Other guitarists who use this method include Albert King, Dick Dale, Doyle Bramhall II, Coco Montoya and Lefty Dizz. He has a wide-ranging, powerful tenor voice.

Contents

[edit] Career

After moving to Chicago in 1948[1], Rush made a name for himself playing in clubs on both the South Side and West Side blues scenes. From 1956 to 1958, he recorded for the Cobra label. His first single "I Can't Quit You Baby" in 1956 reached No. 6 on the Billboard's R&B Chart.[1] During his tenure with Cobra, he recorded some of his well known songs such as "Double Trouble" and "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" (both covered by Eric Clapton).

After Cobra Records went bankrupt in 1959, Rush landed a contract with Chess Records in 1960. He recorded 8 tracks for the label, but none of them were released at the time.[2] (6 tracks came out on "Door To Door" album, a compilation with Albert King in 1969) He also went into the studio for Duke Records in 1962, but only one single "Homework" (known to rock fans by a cover done by The J. Geils Band) b/w "I Have To Laugh" (Duke 356) was released from the label.[3] In 1965, he recorded for Vanguard which can be heard on the label's compilation album Chicago/The Blues/Today! Vol.2.

In the 60's, Rush began playing in other cities in the U.S. and also to Europe, most notably the American Folk Blues Festival.

In 1969, the album Mourning in the Morning was released on Cotillion Records. Recorded at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the album was produced by Michael Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites of Electric Flag. The sound that incorporated soul and rock was a brand new direction for Rush.

In 1971, Rush recorded the album Right Place, Wrong Time in San Francisco for Capitol Records, but Capitol somehow decided not to release it. The album finally saw the light of day in 1976 when Rush purchased the master from Capitol and had it released by P-Vine Records in Japan. Bullfrog Records in the U.S. released it in the U.S. soon after. The album generally has since gained a reputation as one of the best works by Rush.

In the 70's, he also released some albums from Delmark Records and also from Sonet Records in Europe, but by the end of the decade, he literally stopped performing and recording.

Rush made a come back in 1985 making a U.S. tour and releasing the live album Tops recorded at the San Francisco Blues Festival.

In 1994, Rush released Ain't Enough Comin' In, the first newly recorded studio album in 16 years. Any Place I'm Goin' followed in 1998, and Rush earned his first Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1999.

Though he has not recorded a new studio album since 1998, he continued to tour and perform. In 2002, he was featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley - A Tribute!, performing the song "I'm A Man".

However, he suffered a stroke in 2004 which has kept him from performing since. It has been reported that he has since recovered, (albeit not to the extent that would allow resuming his career).

In 2006, Rush released his latest CD, Live and From San Francisco on Blues Express Records, a live recording from 1999. A video footage of the same show had been released as DVD Live Part 1 in 2003 from the label.

Rush has two daughters, Lena and Sophia.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Original Albums

  • 1969 Mourning In The Morning (Cotillion)
  • 1974 Screamin' And Cryin' (Black And Blue)
  • 1975 Cold Day In Hell (Delmark)
  • 1976 So Many Roads (Delmark)
  • 1976 Right Place, Wrong Time (Bullfrong)
  • 1978 Troubles Troubles (Sonet)
  • 1989 Tops (Blind Pig)
  • 1989 Blues Interaction -Live In Japan 1986- (P-Vine)
  • 1994 Ain't Enough Comin' In (This Way Up)
  • 1998 Any Place I'm Going (House Of Blues)
  • 2006 Live and From San Francisco (Blues Express)

[edit] Compilations

  • I Can't Quit You Baby - The Cobra Sessions 1956-1958 (P-Vine)
  • Good 'Uns - The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956-1958 (Westside)
  • 1969 Door To Door (Chess) (coupled with Albert King)
  • 2000 The Essential Otis Rush - The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956-1958 (Fuel 2000)
  • 2005 All Your Love I Miss Loving - Live at the Wise Fools Pub, Chicago (Delmark)
  • 2006 Live At Montreux 1986 (Eagle Rock Entertainment) (Joint performance with Eric Clapton and Luther Allison)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Singles 1942-1988 (Record Research)
  2. ^ Living Blues magazine Issue 28 (Jul-Aug/1976)
  3. ^ Otis Rush Disk Guide