Wed 11 Mar 2009
Hear the Bob Margolin interview. Bob talks about his days in the Muddy Waters Band and about making his CD In North Carolina.
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See other great photos by Aigars Lapsa at his Website.
Bob Margolin was born in 1949 and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He was listening to soul and rock’n roll in the mid-sixties while still in high school. Bob was inspired to play guitar by listening to Chuck Berry so he looked into seeing who inspired him. This led Bob to discovering Muddy Waters and Chicago Blues music. Bob said, “When I heard that I fell in deep and I say I haven’t crawled out yet”. The first thing that got him was the voice of Muddy Waters, and the slide guitar was incredible too. Bob started playing guitar in bands that played blues music. Sometimes when Muddy would come to town Bob’s band would open for Muddy Waters. Muddy liked that Bob was trying to play Chicago blues so he would give Bob pointers. In 1973 Muddy came to town after firing his guitarist. Bob was asked to join the band because he was interested in playing what would make Muddy sound good, not what would draw attraction to himself. Muddy made a record in 1975 called the Woodstock Album this won the Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording.
Artists on the record are:
Muddy Waters on vocal,guitar
Paul Butterfield on harmonica
Levon Helm on bass, drums, producer
Bob Margolin on guitar
Sammy Lawhorn on guitar
“Pinetop” Perkins on piano
Garth Hudson on accordion, keyboards, saxophone
Howard Johnson on saxophone
The following year Muddy asked Bob to accompany him at the Band’s fair well concert. If you watch the DVD of The Last Waltz to the right of Muddy you will see Bob playing guitar. Even though “Pinetop” Perkins is on piano and Paul Butterfield on harmonica you only see Muddy and Bob because only one camera was working by then so they keep it on Muddy and Bob was right next to him.
In 1977 Johnny Winter started working with Muddy Waters as a producer and guitarist on Hard Again, I’m Ready, Muddy “Mississippi” Waters Live and King Bee. Bob played on all of these but King Bee. These are arguably some of the best Muddy Waters records. Hard Again was the first one they made and it won a Grammy Award in 1977 for Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording. The next year Bob arranged for Muddy’s original guitarists Jimmy Rogers to play on what would be the I’m Ready record. This left Bob with out a job so Muddy said you should play bass guitar. Muddy had seen Bob play a year or so earlier in Europe with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown when his bass guitarist was sick. Muddy had liked what he heard so Bob got the bass job. Bob said one of the great things about this recording was getting to hear Jimmy Rogers and Muddy Waters playing together for the first time in almost twenty years. What was special about the way they played together is how they would weave in and out of each other with leads and rythmns. Everything would complement each other. Muddy Waters and Bob Margolin made one more record Muddy “Mississippi” Waters Live in 1979. Bob said he felt this was their best record together. Bob has in recent years worked on liner notes for the reissue of these, as well as working on re-mastering some of them. Bob produced a record called Breakin’ It Up & Breakin’ It Down in 2007. This was from some tapes that had been lost of a 1977 tour that Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter and James Cotton had done. This CD won the Blues Music Award for Best Historical Recording in 2007.
Johnny Winter in 1977 made an album called Nothin’ But The Blues. Johnny wanted to play and produce the record so he hired Bob to not only play guitar but also be the bandleader.
The band was:
Johnny Winter – guitar & production
Bob Margolin – guitar
James Cotton – harmonica
Pinetop Perkins – piano
Charles Calmese – bass
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith – drums
Near the end of the seventies Muddys health was deterring. Less concerts were being done, so the band split up. Bob toured the southern part of the United States for the next nine years as a solo artist. Only releasing two records The Old School in 1988 and Chichago Blues in 1990. Bob then got on Alligator Records for three CD’s that gave him world recognition. A full list of his CD’s is near the end of this article.
In this week’s show, you will get to hear songs from the 2006 CD, In North Carolina. Bob said this CD was to be just the music he would play around the house for family or friends. It’s music he liked to play. No attention was put on what would sell best, it’s just what Bob liked to do for a change. This made for a very diverse group of songs. With up beat songs like Muddy Waters’ “Tell Me Why” or the T-Bone Walker’s song “Natural Blues”. A very beautiful slide instrumental of Floyd Smith’s called “Floyd’s Guitar Blues” only out done by one of Bob’s originals “Colleen”. Then we have country blues of “Hard Feelings”. What ever kind of blues you like you’re bound to find some of it here.
Bob said he always enjoyed playing “Tell Me Why” on stage with Muddy because it rocked. This was also a good song to show case the way Muddy and Jimmy Rogers would weave in and out of each other. By the way I should mention right here that Bob Margolin plays all the instruments on this CD. The title song “In North Carolina” is a very beautiful song about missing his wife while he was touring Australia. This song is in the podcast so you can hear how truly wonderful this is. “You Rascal You” is a Louis Armstrong song that Bob really likes as well as a Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan version where they trade lines. Bob really does a fine job on singing this song with good voice inflection on the lyrics. Bob wrote “Lonely Man Blues”, although Muddy did add a verse to it. Muddy did it as a shuffle on the I’m Ready (re-issue) CD. Bob does it more as a Texas rockin’ blues song. “Red Hot Kisses” does a good job of paying tribute to Robert Lockwood Jr.’s guitar style. Not having the harp playing of Sonny Boy Williamson really changes the style of the song. The song is still very enjoyable even without the harp playing. “She And The Devil” is one of the stories you’re going to hear in the show. Bob’ has a great story about how he got the inspiration for this very cool song. This would be a great time for you to turn the show on and hear Bob tell you more about his fascinating career as well as hear songs from this wonderful CD In North Carolina.
Bob Margolin won 2008 Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist – Guitar
Bob Margolin is a columnist for Blues Revue magazine as well as BluesWax.
Keep you’re eyes and ears open for an up coming live CD from Bob Margolin. There may also be a live CD of Bob with Pinetop Perkins and Ronnie Earl. Both are still in the early workings but Bob said he is hoping for a 2009 release.
Songs in the show:
Colleen
Just Before Dawn
Hard Feelings
She and the Devil
In North Carolina
Solo CD’s by Bob Margolin:
1988 The Old School
1990 Chicago Blues
1993 Down in the Alley
1995 My Blues & My Guitar
1997 Up & In Buy Now!
1999 Hold Me to It
2003 All-Star Blues Jam
2006 In North Carolina
Buy Bob Margolin’s In North Carolina from VizzTone.com
Buy Bob Margolin’s In North Carolina from Amazon.Com
You can also buy Bob Margolin’s In North Carolina from iTunes
I would like to thank Bob Margolin for taking time out of his very busy day to talk to me.
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