Willie Buck – Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends on Delmark: Video, Photos

WILLIE BUCK & The Delmark All-Stars
Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends (download, CD, and LP) – DE 882, Street Date: Aug 30, 2024

“Live At Buddy Guy’s Legends” is Willie Buck’s fourth album on Delmark. First came “The Life I Love”, followed by “Cell Phone Man” and Delmark LLC’s kickoff blues release “Willie Buck Way”. An elder statesman of the Chicago Blues style, who has performed with everybody and knows everyone on the scene, Willie is one of the last standard bearers of the “old school” blues at its best. This album was recorded at Buddy Guy’s Legends, ground zero for this genre in Chicago, blues capital of the world. For the occasion, Willie brought his right-hand man of many years, guitarist Thaddeus Krolicki, to join the Delmark All-Stars consisting of some of the most experienced and respected performers of the Chicago tradition.

➊ Jumping (INSTRUMENTAL BLUES JAM)
➋ Kansas City
➌ Tried To Work Something Out
➍ What We Were Talking About
➎ Let’s See if We Can Come Together
➏ Snow
➐ Willie Buck Talking
➑ Rock Me
➒ Walking and Swimming
➓ HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN

All songs by William Crawford, (BMI) aka Willie Buck
except: track 1 – Admin. Delmark Records
track 2 – Leiber & Stoller (Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI)
track 8 – McKinley Morganfield (Arc Music, BMI)
track 10 – Willie Dixon (Hoochie Coochie Music, BMI)

Willie Buck: vocals
Scott Dirks: harmonica
Thaddeus Krolicki: guitar
Billy Flynn: guitar
Johnny Iguana: piano
Melvin Smith: bass
Willie “The Touch” Hayes: drums

IN MEMORIAM • WILLIE “THE TOUCH” HAYES • 1950-2023

THIS IS WAS THE LAST RECORDING IN THE
AMAZING CAREER OF THE GREAT WILLIE HAYES

RECORDED LIVE BY Connor Korte AT Buddy Guy’s
Legends, Sunday August 28, 2023.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION & SUPERVISION BY
Julia A. Miller and Elbio Barilari

MIXED BY Julia A. Miller AND Elbio Barilari
MASTERED BY Julia A. Miller AT Delmark Records
PRODUCED BY Elbio Barilari
PHOTOS BY Peter Hurley
GRAPHIC DESIGN BY Al Brandtner, Brandtner Design

Street Date: August 30, 2024

The DELMARK ALL-STARS is a band that showcases a legion of Chicago blues instrumentalists that have been present for years in the label’s catalogue. Some of the most talented guitarists, harmonicists, bassists, keyboardists and drummers, take turns performing with this emblematic ensemble. This album features an experienced and illustrious team among Delmark’s stars, perfectly adapted to play the “old school” blues that Willie loves so much.

➊ Jumping (INSTRUMENTAL BLUES JAM) (6:33) (Admin. Delmark Records)
➋ Kansas City (4:23) (Leiber & Stoller) (Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI)
➌ Tried To Work Something Out (5:14) (William Crawford) (BMI)
➍ What We Were Talking About (6:03) (William Crawford) (BMI)
➎ Let’s See if We Can Come Together (4:48) (William Crawford) (BMI)
➏ Snow (6:27) (William Crawford) (BMI)
➐ Willie Buck Talking (1:04) (William Crawford) (BMI)
➑ Rock Me (6:23) (McKinley Morganfield) (Arc Music, BMI)
➒ Walking and Swimming (5:20) (William Crawford) (BMI)
➓ HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN (6:30) (Willie Dixon) (Hoochie Coochie Music, BMI)

“LIVE AT BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS” IS WILLIE BUCK’S FOURTH ALBUM ON DELMARK, and the label wanted to present something very special. It was agreed to be a live recording, the situation in which WILLIE BUCK feels most comfortable, on stage, with a great band and surrounded by his fans. It was also agreed the recording was going to take place at Buddy Guy’s “Legends”, ground zero for the blues in Chicago, the world capital of this genre.

For such an occasion, Willie and the label assembled the most suitable band for an “old style” blues session. Willie Buck is one of the last “story tellers” in the blues scene, within a tradition that goes back to Muddy Waters and even to the pre-WWII era bluesmen, as far and early as Big Bill Broonzy and other pioneers of the urban blues Chicago tradition.

THE DELMARK ALL-STARS are an outfit which showcases a legion of Chicago blues instrumentalists who have been present for years in the label’s catalogue. Some of the most talented guitarists, harp players, bassists, keyboardists and drummers take turns playing with this emblematic ensemble.

The label appealed to an experienced and illustrious team amongst Delmark’s stars, perfectly adapted to play the “old school” blues that Willie loves so much. Also, Willie brought his right-hand man of many years, guitarist THADDEUS KROLICKI, who studied with Dave Specter and has played with many prominent Chicago blues artists, such as Eddie Taylor Jr, Barrelhouse Chuck, James Wheeler, Lil’ Ed Williams, Eddie C. Campbell, and Tail Dragger. Among his influences Thaddeus includes Louis Myers, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Lockwood, Otis “Big Smokey” Smothers, Left Hand Frank and Sammy Lawhorn.

BILLY FLYNN: Since the 70’s, when he started performing with Jimmy Dawkins, Sunnyland Slim, Mighty Joe Young, and Luther Allison, Billy has become one of the most sought-after blues guitar players. The list of blues celebrities hiring Billy includes Pinetop Perkins, Kim Wilson, Otis Rush, John Primer, Barrelhouse Chuck, Jimmy Burns, Lurrie Bell, Jody Williams, Billy Boy Arnold, Bob Stroger, Johnny Burgin, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Mississippi Heat, The Cash Box Kings, and of course, the Delmark All-Stars.

SCOTT DIRKS: A front row seat at a Muddy Waters performance in the mid 1970’s sent teenage Scott Dirks down the musical path he is still following today. Picking up the harmonica soon afterwards, he began collecting blues records, with a special interest in the many local blues Chicago artists who were still active on the local scene. As a harmonica player, he sought out and played with many musicians who had been associated with blues harp icon Little Walter and learned important lessons playing with post-war blues pioneers Dave and Louis Myers, Jimmy Rogers, Johnny Littlejohn, Jimmie Lee Robinson, Louisiana Red, Jody Williams, and countless others. Dirks has been involved in music production, working with Lurrie Bell, Carey Bell, Jimmy Burns, Willie Buck, and Jimmie Lee Robinson among others. He co-produced the Grammy Award winning box “Little Walter-The Complete Recordings 1950 -1967”, and also co-authored the award-winning book “Blues With A Feeling – The Little Walter Story”. Dirks lives in Chicago, where he has fronted his own band, Chicago Bound, for over 30 years.

JOHNNY IGUANA was Junior Wells’ pianist of choice. When he was 22 he moved from his hometown of Boston to Chicago, to join Junior’s band. He was also part of the band for Willie Buck’s previous album on Delmark, the best-selling “Willie Buck Way”. Among many other accomplishments, Johnny toured with the Junior Wells Band for three years, also toured with Otis Rush and recorded with Carey and Lurrie Bell, Lil’ Ed, and more. Johnny went on to play on Grammy-nominated albums by Junior Wells, “Chicago Blues History” and the “Muddy Waters 100 Band”, and he played all the piano on the “Chicago Plays the Stones” album (2018). Those releases feature Johnny playing with Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Derek Trucks, Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Winter, Shemekia Copeland, and more. After appearing on dozens of blues albums released by other artists, Johnny released his debut blues album as a leader, on Delmark Records. “Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular” which features Lil’ Ed, John Primer, Billy Boy Arnold, Bob Margolin, Matthew Skoller, Billy Flynn, Kenny Smith, Bill Dickens, and Michael Caskey. He also recorded for Delmark a full solo piano album on a luxurious reel-to-reel all analogue format, to be released in 2024!

MELVIN SMITH: bass player extraordinaire – his career includes long periods of working with Koko Taylor, as well as Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, Deitra Farr, Lefty Dizz, Zora Young, John Primer, and more. He is on several Delmark albums, some of them with one of his favorite drummers, the late Willie Hayes. “For an outstanding example of just how well Smith and ‘The Touch’ work together, slide Lurrie Bell’s critically-acclaimed 2013 disc – ‘Blues In My Soul’ (Delmark Records) – into the CD player. That’s old school Chicago blues at its finest”, wrote Terry Mullins in “Bluesblast”.

WILLIE “THE TOUCH” HAYES, who sadly passed away November 5th 2023, was one of the greatest drummers in blues history. “Live At Legend’s” is the last session Willie ever recorded. When he was 14 he was already on the road with Mighty Joe Young and with Koko Taylor. At 16 he became Magic Sam’s drummer. When he was 18 he joined Jimmy Johnson. His legendary nickname, “The Touch”, was given to him by Luther Allison. He performed blues, jazz, funk and R&B, and also played with Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, Son Seals, Lurrie Bell, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, The Temptations, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, and Ike and Tina Turner. As an actor, Willie Hayes appeared in movies such as “Thief,” “Ali,” “Hardball” and “Road to Perdition.” While selecting the band members for this live album, Willie “The Touch” Hayes was the obvious choice.

THE ONE AND ONLY WILLIE BUCK
WILLIE BUCK was born Willian Crawford, 1937, in the small town of Houston, Mississippi. The closest “big” town was Tupelo, around 40 miles away. His father was a minister, as were many of his uncles and as is his son. Willie’s grandmother was Native American. Several of the family members played guitar, including Willie’s two sisters. “My grand-mother also had a wind-up phonograph at home. We used to have records by Big Boy Crudup, I remember one record he made, ‘I Love Your Mellow Peaches’, I used to play that all the time”, says Willie.

“Willie’s legendary life includes working on a paper mill for $5 an hour and singing around town in the evenings. During his youth he was a popular figure in what it was called the “Chitlin Circuit”, performing all across the South.

Willie’s earliest live blues experience happened when B.B. King arrived in town to play at Sally’s Juke Joint.

“I was too young to get inside the door, but I sat outside and listened. I never will forget, the last time he came to my hometown. Some of the guys, they got a little jealous, and cut his tires. He never did come back no more!”, Willie reminisces.

He also heard B.B. King broadcasting from Memphis on WDIA: “I used to listen to him on that station, he’d come on around 12:00, 12:15 in the afternoon, advertising Pepticon. He would sing that, ‘Pepticon sure is good!’”

Like many of his peers, he migrated to Chicago, in 1953, becoming one of the usual entertainers at the mythological “Maxwell Street” scene. “My brother-in-law was real good friends with Muddy and this guy that used to run the radio station, WOPA, I believe it was, Big Bill Hill. He was on the air five days a week. And by my brother-in-law being such good friends with everyone, they used to let me in the clubs, at least until the owner saw me and kicked me out! We used to see Muddy down at 35th and Indiana, Smitty’s Corner. And on 43rd Street, I was to sing with him, it was called Johnny Pepper’s. Also at Sylvio’s. He used to play in there a lot.”

Though many blues lovers have enjoyed Willie exclusively as a vocalist, it would be interesting to learn that Willie also played bass until he broke his wrist in 1964. Among others, he played bass with Magic Sam. Around 1970 Willie started putting together his own bands. “I used to hire Fred Below on drums, we’d go pick him up. Odie Payne played drums with me too. Odie Payne played on ‘Disco Blues’”.
He also had Louis Myers, Eddie Taylor, Sammy Lawhorn, Byther Smith, pianist Johnny “Big Moose” Walker, harp player Big Leon Brooks, and other Chicago “old-timers”. Willie has played with everybody and he knows everybody. When Willie and his band are joined on stage by Buddy Guy, at “Legends”, which happens frequently, Buddy likes to tell the audience how “When I started playing in Chicago, Willie was one of the guys that was already here”. Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Sammy Lawhorn, Bobby Blue Bland, “Pine Top” Perkins, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Bob Margolin, “Moose” Walker, the Myers brothers, you name them, Willie has been on stage with all of them.

In the 80’s Willie owned a club for four years. It was located at 1249 N. Clybourn, the “New Fun Lounge” where he used to present Big Time Sarah, Melvin Taylor and Junior Wells, among others. During the 80’s, Willie also owned also an auto shop, “C & T Towing & Auto Service”. The traditional pinup calendar issued by Willie’s company would also promote the bands, including Willie, of course, and artists such as Big “Moose” Walker, Louis Myers, Odie Payne Jr. and “Dimestore” Fred. “I worked with the Myers brothers (Dave and Louis) for a long time. They were called ‘The Aces’. We were always respectful of each other when we got together. Matter of fact, they played with me until they weren’t able to play anymore. We had some great times together. Me and them and Junior Wells used to play at a place called the Auxiliary Club, a great big place on 37th and Indiana. We played there every Friday and Saturday night for I don’t know how long.”

His loyalty to the “old-school” blues has paid-off: in 2004 Willie Buck was inducted to the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame.

Willie’s discography on Delmark includes:

“THE LIFE I LOVE”, originally recorded in 1985 with a cracking band including the Myers brothers, Louis on guitar and Dave on bass, John Primer also on guitar, Little Mac Simmons on harmonica and “Big Moose” Walker on keyboards.

“CELL PHONE MAN”, featuring Johnny Burgin (known at the time as Rockin’ Johnny) and Muddy Waters’ guitar player Rick Kreher.

“WILLIE BUCK WAY”, with Thaddeus Krolicki, Billy Flynn, Johnny Iguana, and Scott Dirks, all present also on Willie’s new album, “LIVE AT LEGEND’S”.

– ELBIO BARILARI • DELMARK ARTISTIC DIRECTOR