Jimmy Rogers

• Genre: Chicago Blues

About

Rogers was one of the finest blues musicians to ever pick up a guitar and a harmonica -- or to bellow a full-bodied melody. His career began on harp, alongside legends such as Big Bill Broonzy and Sonny Boy Williamson. But when he picked up a guitar he began to make a real name for himself. Rogers recorded rhythm guitar for countless studio sessions at Chess Records where he defined the Chicago style, backing everyone from Little Richard to Howlin' Wolf. His bread and butter collaborations were with Muddy Waters and Little Walter, a triumvirate of blues masters seldom matched. In the '70s he added a bit of Soul and a bit of Funk, working with Leon Haywood before returning to more traditional blues in the '80s and '90s. Rogers passed away in 1997.

- Jessy Terry