A.C. Reed

To hear tenor saxist A.C. Reed bemoan his fate on-stage, one might glean the impression that he truly detests his job. But it's a tongue-in-cheek complaint -- Reed's raspy, gutbucket blowing and laid-back vocals belie any sense of boredom.

Sax-blowing blues bandleaders are scarce as hen's teeth in Chicago; other than <a href="spotify:artist:62Cl3kOtJGWR09eIHhkUgO">Eddie Shaw</a>, Reed's about all there is. Born in Missouri, young Aaron Corthen (whether he's related to blues legend <a href="spotify:artist:41ZMMuFFLPTVPkUsSI5KlV">Jimmy Reed</a> remains hazy, but his laconic vocal drawl certainly mirrors his namesake) grew up in downstate Illinois. A big-band fan, he loved the sound of <a href="spotify:artist:243sVplrS0QzuiY3rkjm5t">Paul Bascomb</a>'s horn on an obscure <a href="spotify:artist:56FeQ03tAPYJ2gwmGhrpbF">Erskine Hawkins</a> 78 he heard tracking on a tavern jukebox so much that he was inspired to pick up a sax himself.

Arriving in Chicago during the war years, he picked up steady gigs with <a href="spotify:artist:3Ev1WS21x5Jav9j214A19O">Earl Hooker</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7rmHrwuyVuFNIvikHchsQn">Willie Mabon</a> before the '40s were over. In 1956, he joined forces with ex-<a href="spotify:artist:0FAxkBiT0g3jKF2AaKEipb">Ike Turner</a> cohort <a href="spotify:artist:50cMVoXDtklh90IMChs0Sa">Dennis "Long Man" Binder</a>, gigging across the southwest for an extended period. Reed became a valuable session player for producer Mel London's Age and Chief labels during the early '60s; in addition to playing on sides by <a href="spotify:artist:4WvCQ0gcwE3sEgqDvoMK2J">Lillian Offitt</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3bhW5qL3xrhU1qrJD45mIe">Ricky Allen</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3Ev1WS21x5Jav9j214A19O">Hooker</a>, he cut a locally popular 1961 single of his own for Age, "This Little Voice."

More gems for Age -- "Come on Home," "Mean Cop," "I Stay Mad" -- followed. He cut 45s for USA in 1963 ("I'd Rather Fight Than Switch"), Cool ("My Baby Is Fine," a tune he's recut countless times since) and Nike ("Talkin' 'Bout My Friends") in 1966, and "Things I Want You to Do" in 1969 for T.D.S.

Reed joined <a href="spotify:artist:2gCsNOpiBaMNh20jQ5prf0">Buddy Guy</a>'s band in 1967, visiting Africa with the mercurial guitarist in 1969 and, after harpist <a href="spotify:artist:78CBFzwo7wwNaaTYVP5btK">Junior Wells</a> teamed with <a href="spotify:artist:2gCsNOpiBaMNh20jQ5prf0">Guy</a>, touring as opening act for <a href="spotify:artist:22bE4uQ6baNwSHPVcDxLCe">the Rolling Stones</a> in 1970. He left the employ of <a href="spotify:artist:2gCsNOpiBaMNh20jQ5prf0">Guy</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:78CBFzwo7wwNaaTYVP5btK">Wells</a> for good in 1977, only to hook up with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Alligator%22">Alligator</a> acts <a href="spotify:artist:0phMS1UDPTZlxuEnarDUKt">Son Seals</a>, and then the Master of the Telecaster, <a href="spotify:artist:1uFixbBAduJkFAeRKznkvW">Albert Collins</a>. Reed appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:1uFixbBAduJkFAeRKznkvW">Collins</a>' first five icy <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Alligator%22">Alligator</a> LPs, including the seminal Ice Pickin'.

During his tenure with <a href="spotify:artist:1uFixbBAduJkFAeRKznkvW">Collins</a>, Reed's solo career began to reignite, with four cuts on the second batch of <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Alligator%22">Alligator</a>'s Living Chicago Blues anthologies in 1980 and two subsequent LPs of his own, 1982's Take These Blues and Shove 'Em! (on Ice Cube Records, a logo co-owned by Reed and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4z48KHyYSxfg2fe9u6Sz9w">Casey Jones</a>) and I'm in the Wrong Business! five years later for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Alligator%22">Alligator</a> (with cameos by <a href="spotify:artist:4KDyYWR7IpxZ7xrdYbKrqY">Bonnie Raitt</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5fsDcuclIe8ZiBD5P787K1">Stevie Ray Vaughan</a>). Until his death from cancer in February of 2004, Reed remained an active force on the Chicago circuit with his band the Spark Plugs (get it? AC spark plugs? Sure you do!). ~ Bill Dahl, Rovi