A TRIBUTE TO EARL PHILLIPS, BLUES DRUMMER

[Eric LeBlanc-CISTI]

Legendary blues drummer EARL PHILLIPS would have been 75 today. He was
born on Sunday, April 25, 1920, Harlem, NY. He first recorded in NYC with
bass player Dallas Bartley's jump group with R&B vocalist Annie Laurie
("They raided the Joint", Cosmo Records, 1945) and jazz trumpeter
Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge ("Yard Dog", Decca Records, May/1946).
By the early 50s, he had moved to Chicago, and began is long association
with the Chicago blues scene, especially with Howlin' Wolf & Jimmy Reed.

He recorded extensively for Chance/VeeJay records - they even issued one
single under his own name (VeeJay 158 : Oop-de-oop / Nothing but
love). But it's as an accompanyists, especially for Jimmy Reed, that
his VeeJay sessions will be remembered for : Dr. JoJo Adams (Chance'52),
Billy Boy Arnold ("I ain't got you", "I was Fooled', VeeJay'55),
John Lee Hooker ("Maudie", "I'm goin' upstairs", VeeJay'59-61),
Snooky Pryor ("Someone to love", VeeJay'56), Eddie Taylor ("Big Town
Playboy", VeeJay'55). His 1955-1961 recordings with Jimmy Reed are
legendary :

"Ain't that lovin' you Baby" "Honest I do"
"Baby, what you want me to do" "Hush Hush"
"Big Boss Man" "My First Plea"
"Bright lights, Big City" "Take out some insurance"
"Going to New York" "You got me dizzy"

During the VeeJay period, he was also Howlin' Wolf's drummer between
1954 & 1958. He's on the following Chess Recordings :

"Evil (is goin' on)" "No Place to go"
"Forty Four" "Rocking Daddy"
"Goin' back Home" "Smokestack Lightnin'"
"Howlin' Blues" "Sittin' on top of the World"
"Moaning for my Baby" "Who will be next?"
"Nachez Burnin'" "Who's been talking"

EARL PHILLIPS died on Tuesday, November 20, 1990. Chicago, IL. He
belongs in the same group as the other 50s Chicago blues drummers :
Fred Below, Al Duncan, Jump Jackson, Odie Payne, and S.P. Leary.