Biography

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Willie Buck
Cell Phone Man
Delmark DE 825

Willie Buck is one of the last holdouts on the Chicago blues scene today who is still playing the style made famous in the 1950s. Nothing especially slick or fancy, a little raw at the edges, just good time music with a strong groove, a tight band that knows the meaning of ‘50s-style ensemble playing, and a lot of soul. The end result is one of the best collections of '50s blues recorded since the '50s.

1. Doin' Good And Bad At The Same Time 3:26
2. Darling I Miss You 3:23
3. Strange Woman 5:40
4. Cell Phone Man 3:38
5. I Want My Baby 3:12
6. I Don't Know Why 3:33
7. Two Women Talking 3:52
8. Two Trains Running 3:25
9. The Love We Share 4:34
10. Going Down Main Street 2:31
11. Streamline Woman 3:55
12. What's The Matter With The Mill 2:29
13. Tow Truck Man 3:49
14. Tried To Work Something Out With You 2:54
15. My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble 4:27
16. I Wanna Talk To My Baby 3:58
17. Blow Wind Blow 3:15

Willie Buck, vocals
Rockin' Johnny, Rick Kreher, guitar
John Sefner, bass
Steve Bass, drums
and special guests:
Bharath Rajakumar, Martin Lang, harmonica
Barrelhouse Chuck, piano

Recorded June 20, 21, 2012
Delmark's Riverside studio, Chicago



1. Doin' Good And Bad At The Same Time 3:26 (Willie Buck, Bob Bell Publishing, BMI)
2. Darling I Miss You 3:23 (Ted Taylor, Ronnat Music, BMI)
3. Strange Woman 5:40 (Morganfield/Bass, Watertoons Music/Pudua Music, BMI)
4. Cell Phone Man 3:38 (Willie Buck, Bob Bell Publishing, BMI)
5. I Want My Baby 3:12 (Willie Buck, Bob Bell Publishing, BMI)
6. I Don't Know Why 3:33 (P.D.)
7. Two Women Talking 3:52 (Willie Buck, Bob Bell Publishing, BMI)
8. Two Trains Running 3:25 (Muddy Waters, Watertoons, BMI)
9. The Love We Share 4:34 (Willie Buck, Bob Bell Publishing, BMI)
10. Going Down Main Street 2:31 (McKinley Morganfield, Arc Music/Watertoons, BMI)
11. Streamline Woman 3:55 (Muddy Waters, Watertoons, BMI)
12. What's The Matter With The Mill 2:29 (P.D.)
13. Tow Truck Man 3:49 (Gene Halton, JakeGem Music)
14. Tried To Work Something Out With You 2:54 (Willie Buck, Bob Bell Publishing, BMI)
15. My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble 4:27 (P.D.)
16. I Wanna Talk To My Baby 3:58 (Willie Buck, Bob Bell Publishing, BMI)
17. Blow Wind Blow 3:15 (McKinley Morganfield, Arc Music/Watertoons, BMI)

Willie Buck, vocals
Rockin' Johnny, electric guitar, acoustic guitar (8,16)
Rick Kreher, electric guitar (except 14)
John Sefner, bass
Steve Bass, drums
and special guests:
Bharath Rajakumar electric harmonica (3,10,11,12), acoustic harmonica (1,4), electric guitar (14)
Martin Lang, electric harmonica (2,4,5,6,7,9,13,14,15,17)
Barrelhouse Chuck, piano, electric piano (12)

Produced by Rockin' Johnny and Steve Wagner
Album Production and Supervision: Robert G. Koester
Recorded at Riverside Studio, Chicago by Steve Wagner





Willie Buck is one of the last holdouts on the Chicago blues scene today who his still playing the style made famous in the blues mecca back in the heyday of the music in the 1950s. Arriving in Chicago from Mississippi as a teen in the early 1950s, his first exposure to live blues in the big city came when an older relative snuck him in to see Muddy Waters at the very peak of his powers and fame. The sound of Muddy’s classic band had such an impact on Willie that he quickly absorbed it as his own, and even in the face of all the changes and developments in music over the next half century, he's held onto to it with unwavering devotion ever since.
As the economics of being a full-time working musician forced other bluesmen to adapt and update their sounds when rock & roll, soul and R&B, and funk and disco took turns at the forefront of popular music, Buck was mostly immune to these pressures. He's always maintained a good day job as an auto mechanic, performing his music mainly on weekends and short out-of-town jaunts. Without the economic incentive to update his style in order to make a living in the clubs, Buck simply remained true to the sounds that moved him most. And as time has gone by and the ranks of classic Chicago blues singers have dwindled, Buck's classic sound has always been able to find an audience in the clubs, initially among the original fans of the older sounds, and eventually as one of the last direct connections to that era for blues fans who weren't there to enjoy it the first time around.
Muddy Waters' songs have played a big role in WIllie's repertoire over the years in part because it’s often been easier for Willie to direct backing musicians to do a specific Muddy number, rather than trying to explain the nuances of the classic style and adapt it to a new or unknown original. This is especially true in more recent times as fewer blues players have a natural feel for the ‘50s style, so Muddy's covers have always made up a sizable chunk of Willie's set list.
As a result, Buck has sometimes been categorized as a Muddy Waters imitator. He certainly has a handle on Muddy's music that few others possess, but his sound is really more an example of the overall Chicago blues style of the '50s, a hybrid of down-home grit and big city drive. But on this CD - his first full length set of newly recorded music for a domestic label since his self-produced debut LP 30 years ago (re-issued as The Life I Love, Delmark 805) - he pulls out a handful of originals that show he's more than a mere tribute act.
Through it all, Willie Buck has simply put his head down and plowed ahead, playing Chicago blues the way it was meant to be played - nothing especially slick or polished, a little raw at the edges, just good time music with a strong groove, a tight band that knows the meaning of ‘50s-style ensemble playing, and a lot of soul.
He's supported here by a hot Chicago ensemble that usually works as The Rockin' Johnny Band, featuring former Muddy Waters guitarist Rick Kreher, and augmented by Barrelhouse Chuck on piano, and harp aces Bharath Rajakumar and Martin Lang. The end result is one of the best collections of '50s blues recorded since the '50s.

-Scott Dirks