8 Hours with Pinetop, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, James Cotton and Bob Stroger

Chance of a lifetime. I get a call from an officer of a big corporation (that I won't name). The guy says, "Look this is very secret, but we're flying in Muddy Waters old band and they're playing for the party we're throwing for our executives and major customers in a 3-4 state area. We want them to have quality equipment and I heard that you have a nice selection of quality tube amps you might loan us for these guys." It took me about 2 seconds to say, "When do they get here--I'll be there."

On the appointed day, I arrived just as the Hummer Limousine dropped them off at the back of the historic theatre. Having played behind a number of the old-time blues guys, I knew this would be fun and that they'd be nice guys. Pinetop Perkins (97) Bob Stoger (79) Willie Smith (79) and James Cotton (80) were everything I expected and more.

Kind, fun, and incredible musicians. We talked women, blues, the old days, Muddy Waters, Mississippi/Louisiana. We drank whiskey (except Willie who kept his bottle rocket filled with tequila). Cotton and Pinetop live in Austin now, which is my hometown, so we talked about people we all knew and the late Clifford Antone, Jimmie Vaughan, Marcia Ball, etc.

They let me ask them questions, they signed stuff for me, they let my good friend and great photographer, Steve Shulthies, take all the pics we wanted.

I don't want to write a book here, but I'll share three stories.

I asked how Muddy found Cotton and hired him to replace Little Walter. It goes like this--Muddy got fed up with Walter's drinking and fighting and, finally, fired him for the last time while at a gig in Memphis. After his gig that night, he asked around and several people told him about this 19 year old kid who could blow the harp "real good." Muddy found the little joint where Cotton was playing and walked in as they were quitting for the night. Now remember, at that time, they weren't putting pictures on the records, so Cotton had never seen Waters.

He walks up and says, "Say kid, I'm Muddy Waters." Cotton says, "Yeah and I'm Jesus Christ." Muddy ignored the remark and said, "I'm playing at the Hippodrome tomorrow night. Dress sharp, be there at 8 and show me what you got." Cotton, still thinking this was some blowhard claiming to be Muddy say, "Yeah, we'll see."

Next night he gets there, sets up with the band, and this same guy walks out. Cotton still doubts who it is. He says, "But then, he grabbed the mike and started singing, and I thought, Lord, that really IS Muddy Waters." He played for Muddy the next 12 years, as well as stints with Howlin' Wolf, Janis Joplin, and others before forming his own band.

Second story---The gig is a weeknight and it's about 10:30 when we finish. The guys say, since we're in New Mexico, let's go eat some Mexican food with that green chile. Well, I'm calling and all of the places are closed. They don't care, they want Mexican food. Then, I remember the Frontier Restaurant on the drag across from the University of NM. We pile into the limo, still swiggin Jack (at least Buddy, Pinetop's handler, and I are). Well, un-beknown to me, the university had been hosting a 4-state regional women's volleyball tournament all day, which had also just finished up at 10:30.

Here's the scene -- the Hummer Limo pulls up. There are about 180 beautiful women between the ages of 18 and 22 inside at all of he tables, they are wearing t-shirts and those very short, black, spandex shorts. They are all 5'7" to 6'3" and are all very healthy and fit.

They freeze as they see this old white guy and these old black guys, dressed up and groovin out of the limo and into the restaurant. The girls have no idea who we/they are, but they figure we must be somebody to have a 40 foot limo and be dressed up this late on a weeknight.

As we walk through, Willie leans over and says, "Damn, Gator, I ain't seen this much quality, young ***** in one place in 40 years!" I completely cracked up and it was truly a blues story to remember.

Story #3

I'm visiting with Pinetop before the gig. At 97, he is slower and a little hard of hearing, but very sharp. We talk about various things and get on the subject of Muddy. I tell him that when I was in Memphis and Mississippi in May with my brother, we took a detour of Hwy 61 and went to Muddy's birthplace, Rolling Fork. He nods and says, Yeah, I remember Rolling Fork. I said we got to meet Muddy's brother Robert. He turned and looked me straight in the eye and said, "You met Robert? I know Robert. He was a gospel singer."

It blew me away because in May, Robert Morganfield and I had talked about how Muddy went the blues route and how he took the gospel route, stayed home, and was just fine for it. As far as I could tell, Robert never really got more than a few miles out of town, so Pine's memory was likely from a very, very long time ago. In fact, in the biography of Muddy, I believe it states that 1950 was the last time he went to Rolling Fork and saw Robert.

Pine also remembered holding a little baby named James Cotton on his lap and singing to him. Yes . . . . the same James Cotton. What a trip to hear the stories from a guy who's been playing blues for more than 80 years.