I Am the Blues

Biography

Memphis Slim (3 September, 1915 in Memphis, Tennessee – 24 February, 1988 in Paris, France) was a blues pianist and singer. His birth name was John Len Chatman although he himself claimed to be born Peter Chatman (the name he gave himself in honour of his father Peter Chatman Sr. when he first recorded for Okeh in 1940). He composed the blues standards "Every Day I Have the Blues" and "Mother Earth". Memphis Slim got his start playing the blues at the Midway Café, at 357 Beale Street (southeast...

Memphis Slim (3 September, 1915 in Memphis, Tennessee – 24 February, 1988 in Paris, France) was a blues pianist and singer. His birth name was John Len Chatman although he himself claimed to be born Peter Chatman (the name he gave himself in honour of his father Peter Chatman Sr. when he first recorded for Okeh in 1940). He composed the blues standards "Every Day I Have the Blues" and "Mother Earth". Memphis Slim got his start playing the blues at the Midway Café, at 357 Beale Street (southeast corner of Fourth and Beale Streets) in Memphis in 1931. Two years before his death, Memphis Slim was named a Commander in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France. Memphis Slim died on 24 February, 1988 in Paris, France at the age of 72. During his lifetime, he cut over 500 recordings and influenced blues pianists that followed him for decades.
Discography

REMEMBER Memphis died in 1988, many of the later albums listed were posthumous releases
Also recorded 2345 songs in total!!!!

YearTitleLabel
1959Memphis Slim and the Real Boogie-WoogieFolkways Records
1960Memphis Slim and the Honky-Tonk SoundFolkways Records
1960Travelling with the BluesStoryville
1960Blue This EveningBlack Lion
1960Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon - Vol 1Folkways Records
1960Songs of Memphis Slim and "Wee Willie" DixonFolkways Records
1961Tribute To Big Bill BroonzyCandid
1961Steady Rollin' Blues: The Blues Of Memphis SlimOBC
1961Memphis Slim U.S.A.Candid
1961Broken Soul BluesBeat Goes On
1961Alone With My FriendsBattle
1961Chicago Blues: Boogie Woogie and Blues Played and Sung By Memphis SlimFolkways Records
1961Blues by Jazz Gillum Singing and Playing His Harmonica: With Arbee Stidham and Memphis SlimFolkways Records
1961No StrainBluesville
1962Sonny Boy Williamson & Memphis Slim: In ParisGNP Crescendo
1962Pete Seeger at the Village Gate with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon - Vol 2Folkways Records
1962Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon at the Village Gate with Pete SeegerFolkways Records
1963All Kinds of BluesBluesville
1963Jazz In Paris: Aux Trois MailletzPolygram
1964Clap Your HandsMaison De Blues
1967Bluesingly YoursMaison De Blues
1968Lord Have Mercy On MeMaison De Blues
1969The BluesmanMaison De Blues
1969Mother EarthOne Way Records
1970The Blue Memphis SuiteMaison De Blues
1970Messin' Around with the Blues: The Very Best OfKing
1971Boogie WoogieMaison De Blues
1971Born With The BluesFuel 2000
1971Blue MemphisWounded Bird
1972South Side Reunion: Memphis Slim & Buddy GuySunny Side
1973Legacy of the Blues, Vol 7: Memphis SlimGnp Crescendo
1973Memphis SlimStoryville
1973Soul BluesAcrobat Records
1973Raining the BluesFantasy
1973Memphis Slim - Favorite Blues SingersFolkways Records
1973Very Much Alive and in MontreuxUniversal International
1975Going Back To TennesseeMaison De Blues
1981Rockin' the BluesCharly
1981Memphis Heat: Canned Heat & Memphis Slim (recorded in 1970)Sunny Side
1981I'll Just Keep On Singin' the BluesSLG, LLC
1990Steppin' Out: Live at Ronnie ScottsCastle Music UK
1990Together Again One More Time/Still Not Ready For EddieTexas Music Group
1990Parisian BluesPolygram
1990The Real Folk BluesMca
1992Blues Masters Vol 9: Memphis Slim
1993London Sessions 1960Sequel Records UK
1994The Blues Collection Vol 13: Beer Drinkin' WomanADD
1994LonesomeLegacy International
1994Live at the Hot ClubBMG International
1995Boogie After MidnightChicago Music Co.
1996The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1: 1940-1941 (Peter Chatman As Memphis Slim)EPM Musique
1996Come Back & Other ClassicsMasters Intercontinental
1996The Bluebird Recordings, 1940-1941RCA
1997Dialogue in Boogie: Memphis Slim & Philippe LejeuneHappy Bird
1998Lonely NightsCatfish
1998Very Best of Memphis Slim: The Blues Is EverywhereCollectables
1999Life Is Like ThatCharly UK
2000The Folkways Years, 1959-1973Smithsonian Folkways
2000Blues At MidnightCatfish
2000Memphis Slim at the Gate of the HornVee-Jay
2001The Complete Recordings, Vol. 2: 1946-1948EPM Musique
2001Essential MastersCleopatra
2001Blue and LonesomeArpeggio Blues
2001Ambassador of the BluesIndigo UK
2002The Complete Recordings, Vol. 3: 1948-1950EPM Musique
2002I Am The BluesPrestige Elite
2002Kansas CityClassic World
2002Boogie For My FriendsBlack & Blue France
2002The Come BackDelmark
2002Blues Legends: Memphis SlimLead
2003Three Women Blues
2003The Complete Recordings, Vol 4: 1951-1952EPM Musique
2004Worried Life Blues
2004Grinder Man BluesSnapper UK
2004The Best of Memphis SlimLiquid 8
2005Boogie For 2 Pianos Vol 1: Memphis Slim & Jean-Paul Amouroux
2005Paris Mississippi BluesSunny Side
2005Double-Barreled Boogie: Memphis Slim & Roosvelt SykesSunny Side
2006Forty Years of MorePassport Audio
2006Memphis SuiteSunny Side
2006Rockin' This House: Chicago Blues Piano 1946-1953 (CDs A&B)JSP Records
2006The Sonet Blues StoryVerve Records
2006An Introduction to Memphis SlimFuel 2000
2007The Ultimate Jazz Archive 14 1940-41 (1 Of 4)Carinco AG
2007Sings the BluesWnts
2007Chicago Blues Masters Vol 1: Muddy Waters And Memphis SlimCapitol
2007Cold Blooded WomanCollectables Records
2008Greatest MomentsStardust
2008Four WallsJukebox Entertainment
2008Born To BoogieUnlimited Media
2008Legend of the BluesWounded Bird Records
2009Fip Fil and Fim101 Distribution Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.