Some talents are big; some are just part of the scene, the tradition. Little Mack Simmons falls into this second category. Good, basic, workmanlike harp--and decent vocals. (I don't love his vocals; I like them. I think he strains for effect and does some unintentionally comic things.) On harp, he's got Rice Miller mixed with Junior Wells, if I'm hearing correctly. Good entertainer/bandleader. To me this is most interesting because it shows the blues being modernized. These are 70s blues, not 1950s blues:
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Dec 18, 2013 6:49 PM
Mac was a bad motherfucker! Check out his recordings for Cadillac Baby. They kick ass! He recorded a ton throughout the 60's and 70's. He was capable of paying downhome blues and uptown Bobby Bland or Tyrone Davis stuff while mixing the harp in on it. He was a fine songwriter. He had some serious tone. Check out High and Lonesome, an album he recorded in St George. His amplified tube was completely bad ass!
I would go to see Mac Simmons before most of today's great payers. He was a fantastic player.
I really love Simmons soul and funky recordings in 70s. I recommend to everybody check out his cd's "Mack Simmons - Inflation Blues" and "PM/Simmons Collection". It's a real deal funky music from 70s with cool and tasty harmonica! ---------- my music
Last Edited by wheel on Dec 19, 2013 12:36 AM
So Joe, if he was that good, why do you think he's a relatively unfamiliar name, compared with the Usual Suspects? It sounds as though you think he's severely undervalued--as though he's a gem that's slipped through the cracks. Does he, in your estimation, belong right up there with the Walters, Junior Wells, Kim, Rod, and Rick? Not as an entertainer, but strictly as a harp player?
Based on that one video above, which is a terribly limited sample, I hear a notable but secondary player--more like a Good Rockin' Charles or Wild Child Butler. Important to have around, but not quite as original, flavorful, or distinctive as the guys in the top rank. Certainly there are players on every instrument who are underground wonders and deserve much more attention. If Simmons is one of those, he'll get it here.
Fire away, everybody. Post videos. Post links to old import LPs.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Dec 19, 2013 4:27 AM
There seems to always be "unsung heroes" of harmonica in every larger city across the US.
Some just couldn't "break through" to wider recognition and some are not really interested in doing more than playing excellently where they are. ---------- The Iceman
Adam - this is a harmonica forum. If you asked that question to a bunch of blues fans, you might get a different answer. The guys you mentioned rarely toured for a variety of reasons. In and around Chicago, those guys were well known and respected.
There is a philosophy among some artists in Chicago that I'll share with you. If a person can make a living and sleep in their own bed, why tour? It's a sucky living.
Mac was a hustler. He had lots of ways to make a living. There probably wasn't a lot of reason for him to plays gobs of music. There was also a period of time were he couldn't work as a harp player.
Was he the greatest player? No. His recordings are quite good. If you are a harmonica head, don't bother wasting your time. If you're a blues guy, Mac's recorded legacy speaks for itself. For a long time, they weren't easy to find. Many of them are. Why not buy a few? He does some interesting stuff.
