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Little Arthur Duncan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Little Arthur Duncan
Birth nameArthur Duncan[1]
Born(1934-02-05)February 5, 1934
Indianola, Mississippi,United States
DiedAugust 20, 2008(2008-08-20)(aged 74)
Northlake, Illinois,United States
GenresChicago blues,electric blues[2]
Occupation(s)Harmonicist,singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Harmonica, vocals
Years active1950–2008
LabelsBlues King,Delmark,Random Chance

Little Arthur Duncan(February 5, 1934 – August 20, 2008) was an AmericanChicago bluesandelectric bluesharmonica player, singer, and songwriter. He was a member of the Backscratchers and over his career was associated withEarl Hooker,Twist Turner, Illinois Slim and Rick Kreher.[3]

Life

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Duncan was born inIndianola, Mississippi.[2]His first instrument was the drums.[4]In 1950, aged 16, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, and became acquainted withLittle Walter,who helped him to learn the rudiments of harmonica playing, andJimmy Reed.He found work playing the harmonica accompanyingEarl Hooker,John BrimandFloyd Jones.[2][4]Billed and henceforth commonly known as Little Arthur Duncan, he played primarily in and around Chicago and built up a local reputation over the years. He performed with his own band in the Backscratcher's Social Club, which he owned.[2]He worked in construction during the 1960s and 1970s, so was limited to playing and singing in the evenings.[4]

In 1989, Duncan recorded the albumBad Reputation,which was released on the Blues King label.[2][4]He later appeared on acompilation album,Blues Across America: The Chicago Scene,with Emery Williams Jr. and Robert Plunkett. In 1999, Duncan recorded forDelmark Records,which released the albumSingin' with the Sunthat year.[2]On the album he was accompanied by the guitar playersBilly FlynnandEddie Taylor Jr.[5]Live in Chicagofollowed in 2000.[1]

His final recording wasLive at Rosa's Blues Lounge,a live album recorded in Chicago in August 2007. Onemusic journalistnoted that "spirited, gritty performances ofReed's "Pretty Thing,"Wolf's"No Place to Go," and twoDixonfavorites ( "Young Fashioned Ways" and "Little Red Rooster") leave no doubt that Duncan lives and breathes electric Chicago blues."[6]However, a subsequent lengthy illness and hospitalization prevented Duncan from building on this success.[1]

Duncan died inNorthlake, Illinois,in August 2008, of complications following brain surgery, at the age of 74.[3]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Title Record label
1989 Bad Reputation Blues King Records
1999 Singin' with the Sun Delmark Records
2000 Live in Chicago Random Chance Records
2007 Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge Delmark Records

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Compilation albums

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Year Title Record label Notes
1998 Blues Across America: The Chicago Scene Cannonball Records with Duncan,Detroit Junior,Mark Hummel,and Robert Plunkett
2002 Harmonica Blues Orgy Delmark Records with Duncan,Willie "Big Eyes" Smith,Martin Lang, and Easy Baby

[8][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcGordon, Keith A. (August 25, 2008)."Blues Artist Little Arthur Duncan, R.I.P."Blues.about.com.RetrievedDecember 16,2011.
  2. ^abcdefAnkeny, Jason."Little Arthur Duncan".Allmusic.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2015.
  3. ^abDoc Rock."2008 July to December".The Dead Rock Stars Club.Retrieved2015-10-06.
  4. ^abcdHanson, Karen (2007).Today's Chicago Blues.Chicago: Lake Claremont Press. p. 146.ISBN978-1-893121-19-5.
  5. ^"Little Arthur Duncan,Singin' with the Sun:Credits ".Allmusic.com.RetrievedDecember 16,2011.
  6. ^"Little Arthur Duncan,Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge:Review ".AllMusic.com.RetrievedDecember 16,2011.
  7. ^"Little Arthur Duncan | Album Discography".AllMusic.2008-08-20.Retrieved2015-10-06.
  8. ^"Blues Across America: The Chicago Scene> Overview ".AllMusic.RetrievedDecember 16,2011.
  9. ^"Harmonica Blues Orgy> Overview ".AllMusic.RetrievedDecember 16,2011.
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