Jimmy Dawkins at the 19th Annual Chicago Blues Festival

On the last festival day I concentrated my efforts on just one act. First I'd to wait nearly an hour until they opened the gate to the Petrillo Music Shell, then I'd to wait another 40 minutes for the first band. After that it was time for the Jimmy Dawkins Band. These days Dawkins, at age 65, rarely plays festivals or clubs, even in Chicago where he lives since 1955. He started to play guitar in 1957, the rest is history - though this is quite an exaggeration since he never made the final step to a broader, long-term success in the blues circuit. He's definitely the prime guitarist of 70s Chicago blues, but these days are long gone. In 1992 he started a comeback with his now classic "Kant Sheck Dees Bluze" album for Earwig and continues recording albums and performing overseas. But I digress from the subject - I use the term JD band in reminiscence of the 70s and early 80s, when he had Sylvester Boines, Rich Kirch, Tyrone Centuray, and later Jimi Schutte in his band. The festival brought a re-union of the remaining members plus the saxes of Eddie Shaw & Maurice John Vaughn, and Billy Flynn & Keith Scott on guitar. An impressive 9-piece band layed the basis for a set of up-tempo tunes which was opened by Billy Flynn on "Nothing But Trouble".

Dawkins did "Luv Sumbody" (his best known song, now a staple in Chicago), "Feel So Bad" (another keeper), "I Ain't Got It" (one of the few newer songs that he performs in concert), "Ode To Billy Joe" (a trademark instrumental) , and "Going Down" (this was for the crowd). Nora Jean was seen as guest singer on "Big Boss Man" and "Breaking Up Somebody's Home". Dawkins gave her and Eddie Shaw a lot of room, the latter had many fans in the audience who went crazy everytime he got into a solo. The positive picture became clouded only by Dawkins' guitar sound which wasn't big as usual. Later he told me that they didn't bring his amplifier to the stage, and that he was really disappointed. Having seem him at a club two years ago and having stood just 6 feet from his amp I know what his big sound is all about. I was not the only one who had liked to hear that sound spreading out into Grant Park. Regarding his band, the selection of songs and his overall performance & stage presence I would call it still a good show, and I guess the people liked it, too.

Photos avaiable here

Jimmy Dawkins at the 19th Annual Chicago Blues Festival Chicago, USA - 2002, July 2 Jimmy Dawkins (voc, g) - Nora Jean (voc) - Billy Flynn (g) - Rich Kirch (g) - Keith Scott (g) - Rob Waters (keys) - Eddie Shaw (sax) - Maurice John Vaughn (sax) - Murphy (b) - Jimi Schutte (dr)
written by Joe
On the last festival day I concentrated my efforts on just one act. First I'd to wait nearly an hour until they opened the gate to the Petrillo Music Shell, then I'd to wait another 40 minutes for the first band. After that it was time for the Jimmy Dawkins Band. These days Dawkins, at age 65, rarely plays festivals or clubs, even in Chicago where he lives since 1955. He started to play guitar in 1957, the rest is history - though this is quite an exaggeration since he never made the final step to a broader, long-term success in the blues circuit. He's definitely the prime guitarist of 70s Chicago blues, but these days are long gone. In 1992 he started a comeback with his now classic "Kant Sheck Dees Bluze" album for Earwig and continues recording albums and performing overseas. But I digress from the subject - I use the term JD band in reminiscence of the 70s and early 80s, when he had Sylvester Boines, Rich Kirch, Tyrone Centuray, and later Jimi Schutte in his band. The festival brought a re-union of the remaining members plus the saxes of Eddie Shaw & Maurice John Vaughn, and Billy Flynn & Keith Scott on guitar. An impressive 9-piece band layed the basis for a set of up-tempo tunes which was opened by Billy Flynn on "Nothing But Trouble". Dawkins did "Luv Sumbody" (his best known song, now a staple in Chicago), "Feel So Bad" (another keeper), "I Ain't Got It" (one of the few newer songs that he performs in concert), "Ode To Billy Joe" (a trademark instrumental) , and "Going Down" (this was for the crowd). Nora Jean was seen as guest singer on "Big Boss Man" and "Breaking Up Somebody's Home". Dawkins gave her and Eddie Shaw a lot of room, the latter had many fans in the audience who went crazy everytime he got into a solo. The positive picture became clouded only by Dawkins' guitar sound which wasn't big as usual. Later he told me that they didn't bring his amplifier to the stage, and that he was really disappointed. Having seem him at a club two years ago and having stood just 6 feet from his amp I know what his big sound is all about. I was not the only one who had liked to hear that sound spreading out into Grant Park. Regarding his band, the selection of songs and his overall performance & stage presence I would call it still a good show, and I guess the people liked it, too. Photos avaiable here
(c) by Joe