Biography

Carey Bell is one of Chicago's premier harmonica players. Born in Macon, Mississippi in 1936, he taught himself to play the harmonica when he was 8 years old. By the age of 13, he had left Macon to live and work in Meridian, Mississippi. His first professional gigs in Meridian were mostly with country and western bands, one of which was led by his godfather, the well-known pianist Lovie Lee.

Bell had accompanied Lee to Chicago in 1956. In order to support himself, he worked during the day, but found time to sit in at various clubs on the south and west sides at night, and play for tips on Maxwell Street on weekends. He took lessons from both Little Walter and Big Walter Horton, whom he considers his "musical father". A quick learner, Bell absorbed the teachings of his mentors and was soon gigging with top blues artists like Earl Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon.

Carey cut his first record as a sideman with Earl Hooker in 1968. For the next 2 years, he and guitarist Eddie Taylor led the house band at Big Duke's Flamingo Club on Chicago's west side. He found the time to leave Big Duke's on occasion, touring Europe with John Lee Hooker in 1969, and finally quitting for good when Muddy Waters offered him a job in 1970. He stayed with Muddy for a year, recording an album with him and Steve Winwood in London before deciding to strike out on his own once again.

For the last 2 decades, Carey has continued to tour extensively as a bandleader and, on occasion, as a sideman. He toured Australia and New Zealand with Willie Dixon in 1974, and has been a frequent visitor to Europe and Canada, often with his talented guitarist son Lurrie. Stylistically, he remains true to his "musical father" in his use of melody and dynamics, yet there is a difference. Whereas Walter Horton's melodies were often ethereal, Bell's remain firmly rooted in reality. Like many great musicians, he "speaks" with his harmonica, reinforcing and commenting on the lyrics of whatever song he is singing, whether happy or sad.

Mellow Down Easy is an appropriate title for Bell's Blind Pig recording. The music has a relaxed feel to it, from J.T. Brown's "Short Dress Woman" to Jimmy Rogers' (J.A. Lane) "Walkin' By Myself". Bell pays tribute to his former bandleaders with 2 originals, "Delta Time" (to Muddy Waters) and "Big Walter Strut" (to Big Walter Horton) and his cover of "Mellow Down Easy", written by the great Willie Dixon. A master of chromatic harp, he brings Little Walter-like elements to the opening bars of "St. Louis Blues" before breaking into a light and jazzy swing tempo. "One Day" is an original twelve bar blues with Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller) vocal stylings, its light tone in sharp contrast to the following, more heartfelt tune, "So Easy To Love You".

Carey Bell's blues are timeless. Mellow Down Easy is comprised of both original and cover material, yet labels such as "contemporary" and "traditional" do not necessarily apply. What you have here is simply the blues played and sung with honesty and exuberance by one of the best in the business.

Postscript: Carey Bell passed away on May 6, 2007.