Jimmy Rogers dies at 73

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Jimmy Rogers, who wrote several blues standards and was a member of Muddy Waters' band, died Dec. 20 following cancer surgery. He was 73.

Rogers may best be remembered as Waters' guitarist for his seminal 1950s recordings. His rhythm style was developed to generate a big sound, and it was considered "not particularly spectacular, but very effective," according to Gerard Herzhaft's Encyclopedia of the Blues.

Rogers joined Little Walter and Elgar Edmonds as Waters' regular band in the 1950s. Rogers originally played harmonica, and Little Walter played guitar. They switched when they realized they were playing the wrong instruments, and helped Waters create an amazing body of work.

Born in 1924, Rogers moved from Georgia to Memphis following World War II. He moved to Chicago after a short stay in Memphis. He learned his guitar style by listening to Memphis Minnie and John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson.

It was following a 1950 session for Waters that Rogers stepped out to the front. Rogers recorded "That's All Right," and it became a hit in Chicago. Len Chess of Chess Records recognized Rogers as a great singer and composer, and recorded about 30 songs by Rogers in the next nine years.

Among his classics were "The World Is in a Tangle," "I Used to Have a Woman" (which featured the first use of saxophone in postwar Chicago blues) and "Money, Marbles and Chalk."

When Waters sought out flashier, faster guitarists, Rogers left the music business. He held several jobs until returning to music in 1970. He played several Chicago clubs, U.S. festivals and toured Europe regularly.

Unfortunately, Rogers' work with Chess Records has not been reissued. His early work appears on several anthologies, but is mostly available through imports. His later work is available on Antone's Records and APO, where he is accompanied by harpists Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thun-derbirds and Carey Bell, an Alligator Records artist.

Rogers was a regular in Memphis, playing the Beale Street Music Festival last year, and returning to B.B. King's Blues Club in September. Rogers also was a regular at the W.C. Handy Awards, presented each year in Memphis.

Regrettably, he joins a long list of blues greats who have passed away in the past 12 months - including Luther Allison, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland and Jimmy Witherspoon.