Jimmy Dawkins at the 3rd Harelbeke R&B Festival

It's been too many years since Dawkins played in mid Europe. Two tours in Sweden last year were only possible through the help of personal friends & musicians in this northern country, where Dawkins is supported by hard core blues fans since the 70s. Finally, I've got the privilege to catch a Dawkins gig in Belgium as part of two festival appearances scheduled for July 2000 (further including Wales). Dawkins fans know that he has no regular touring band, so he's backed by local bands changing every year. This could be a major drawback, resulting in a set including mostly standards and less or no own material. Taking in mind the many strong own songs recorded in the last 30 years, you don't have to expect an "all-you-want" performance. So far for the critics. Nevertheless, you can relay on the guitar sound, the phrasing and the joy in playing. I can only speak for what I've seen, and it was all there. Most important for me: Jimmy still enjoys to play for the people, to interact with the band and to spread his thrilling sound around. Introduced by the festival MC as a legend of Chicago Blues, he payed tribute to the West Side sound with a tone as much as powerful as on live recordings from the 70s. Directly in your face, letting each move of his fingers punch in your ear and soul. The sound and phrasing take it all - the songs were not arranged by rehearsing or practice but by a spontaneous interaction and understanding.

Entering the stage, Jimmy - well dressed and physical fit - showed a bit of arrogance, reflected by his slow walk and his (not-spoken) complaint about the mis-tuned amplifier. After the first tuning he headed into the right direction: Up-tempo numbers, a joyride through standards, a lot of playing, improvising, showing his unique style. Jimmy said - as a sorry-for - "We [the band and I] don't know each other, but we play the blues." The backing band laid down the right foundation for Chicago Blues. Don't forget that this was the first gig together. Good work. The virtual song list included: "Everyday I have the blues", "Going down", "That's alright", "Rock me baby", "All your love" (Magic Sam), "Sweet home Chicago", "Mojo", "5 long years" - not a single Dawkins tune.

I'm not a guitar player, but I saw hundreds of them, and I can say, that his technique is totally different from others. He has two hands of phrasing figures and combines them in a tasteful manner using Jimmy Reed runs. That is my description. The solo are never figured out, though they go the way they have to go. Therefore the fast numbers are strictly "danceable". And the people at the festival liked it - being catched by the ground-shaking sound and unconventional playing of a man, they - I would say 95 percent of them - didn't know before.

A Dawkins performance is different in one aspect from the 70s: His voice is no more "that piercing contrast between his aggresive or heart rending guitar styles and his withdrawn, weary and resigned voice" as Marcelle Morgantini wrote in the liner notes of "Come Back Baby". Today his singing is heavily in the highs, and not a well-formed speaking of words, but an equivalent to the string bending. It's a shouting right along the phrasing - and it deeply shows the soul of the man. He puts as much feeling into the words as he tries to wring out of the guitar strings.

That's enough for the words - I hope the following photos can demonstrate a little bit of the moments described above. And don't forget Jimmy's invitation (from My Way, 1981):

"Well, if you really love the blues, come on up and see me some time.
I'm gonna get my old guitar, sing you what's on my mind."

Jimmy Dawkins at the 3rd Harelbeke R&B Festival Harelbeke/Belgium - July 8, 2000 Jimmy Dawkins (voc, g) - Sonny Black (g, voc) - George Pearson (b) - Dino Coccia (dr)
written by Joe
It's been too many years since Dawkins played in mid Europe. Two tours in Sweden last year were only possible through the help of personal friends & musicians in this northern country, where Dawkins is supported by hard core blues fans since the 70s. Finally, I've got the privilege to catch a Dawkins gig in Belgium as part of two festival appearances scheduled for July 2000 (further including Wales). Dawkins fans know that he has no regular touring band, so he's backed by local bands changing every year. This could be a major drawback, resulting in a set including mostly standards and less or no own material. Taking in mind the many strong own songs recorded in the last 30 years, you don't have to expect an "all-you-want" performance. So far for the critics. Nevertheless, you can relay on the guitar sound, the phrasing and the joy in playing. I can only speak for what I've seen, and it was all there. Most important for me: Jimmy still enjoys to play for the people, to interact with the band and to spread his thrilling sound around. Introduced by the festival MC as a legend of Chicago Blues, he payed tribute to the West Side sound with a tone as much as powerful as on live recordings from the 70s. Directly in your face, letting each move of his fingers punch in your ear and soul. The sound and phrasing take it all - the songs were not arranged by rehearsing or practice but by a spontaneous interaction and understanding. Entering the stage, Jimmy - well dressed and physical fit - showed a bit of arrogance, reflected by his slow walk and his (not-spoken) complaint about the mis-tuned amplifier. After the first tuning he headed into the right direction: Up-tempo numbers, a joyride through standards, a lot of playing, improvising, showing his unique style. Jimmy said - as a sorry-for - "We [the band and I] don't know each other, but we play the blues." The backing band laid down the right foundation for Chicago Blues. Don't forget that this was the first gig together. Good work. The virtual song list included: "Everyday I have the blues", "Going down", "That's alright", "Rock me baby", "All your love" (Magic Sam), "Sweet home Chicago", "Mojo", "5 long years" - not a single Dawkins tune. I'm not a guitar player, but I saw hundreds of them, and I can say, that his technique is totally different from others. He has two hands of phrasing figures and combines them in a tasteful manner using Jimmy Reed runs. That is my description. The solo are never figured out, though they go the way they have to go. Therefore the fast numbers are strictly "danceable". And the people at the festival liked it - being catched by the ground-shaking sound and unconventional playing of a man, they - I would say 95 percent of them - didn't know before. A Dawkins performance is different in one aspect from the 70s: His voice is no more "that piercing contrast between his aggresive or heart rending guitar styles and his withdrawn, weary and resigned voice" as Marcelle Morgantini wrote in the liner notes of "Come Back Baby". Today his singing is heavily in the highs, and not a well-formed speaking of words, but an equivalent to the string bending. It's a shouting right along the phrasing - and it deeply shows the soul of the man. He puts as much feeling into the words as he tries to wring out of the guitar strings. That's enough for the words - I hope the following photos can demonstrate a little bit of the moments described above. And don't forget Jimmy's invitation (from My Way, 1981): "Well, if you really love the blues, come on up and see me some time. I'm gonna get my old guitar, sing you what's on my mind."
















15 new photos: (added 2001-05-28)