Bob Corritore Blues Newsletter: Carey Bell passes

May 7, 2007
 * Blues Harmonica Master Carey Bell Passes (November 14, 1936 to May 6, 2007): It is with great sadness that we pass on the news that blues harmonica master, Carey Bell died of heart failure last night at 9:30pm at Kindred
Hospital in Chicago. He was 70 years old.
Carey had been hospitalized three weeks ago in a diabetic coma. The doctors were able to revive him and get his vital signs to a pretty good place, but they found many other health problems, and had told Bob and Susan
Koester  that Carey was not likely to leave the facility. This news comes at a time of great loss for the blues,
as so many of the masters of this genre are leaving us. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carey's son Lurrie, who also recently lost his wife, Susan Greenberg.
 Carey Bell was born in Macon, Mississippi and learned to harmonica at an early age. He moved to Chicago to live with his godfather, pianist Lovie Lee.his  While in Chicago he befriended Little Walter and Nig Walter Horton who both became major influences in his style.  He worked in the bands of Johnny Young, Honeyboy Edwards, Earl Hooker, Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters early on in his Chicago career. Carey's 1969 debut album, Blues Harp on Delmark Records, showed him to be a brilliant singer and harmonica player with a unique mastery of the chromatic harmonica. This album elevated Carey beyond sideman status
to that of a band leader. Three years later he was featured on the Alligator release Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell, which cemented his stature as one of the windy city's top harmonica men. Carey would go on to record albums on other labels such as JSP, Blind Pig,ABC Bluesway, and Rooster Blues. He also made great recordings as a cherished sideman with the greatest of Chicago Blues artists including Muddy Waters, Eddie Clearwater , Eddie Taylor, Sunnyland Slim, Louisiana Red, Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Eddie C. Campbell, W.W. Williams, Little Mack Simmons, Big Walter Horton, Lovie Lee, Johnny Littlejohn, Bob Margolin,  Jimmy Rogers, Bob Riedy, Buster Benton and others. He was a part of the historic gathering called Harp Attack on Alligator Records which put Carey together with fellow
Chicago blues harp masters Junior Wells and Billy Branch. Carey and his son Lurrie had just released a magnificent CD and DVD on Delmark Records called Gettin' Up which will stand as the final work of his brilliant career. We will miss Carey Bell and the great joy that his warm personality and his live performances gave us. His legacy is secure as a master of Chicago blues and his stunning recordings will live on forever as definitive works.
 M