Since 2005, Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has dedicated himself to highlighting deserving yet overlooked Chicago musicians through the Secret History of Chicago Music.
Recently, inspired by a bleak national climate, he’s chosen to spotlight a Chicago blues legend in July: guitarist Jimmy Rogers.
Jimmy Rogers, known as an early collaborator with Muddy Waters, played a crucial role in shaping the Chicago blues scene.
Born James Arthur Lane on June 3, 1924, in Dougherty Bayou near Ruleville, Mississippi, his life in music began in the Delta where he played in a harmonica quartet with friend Snooky Pryor.
Rogers spent his formative years in Charleston, Mississippi, where he picked up the guitar and began performing country blues in the Delta.
He moved around, living in places like Atlanta, Saint Louis, and Indiana before settling in Chicago in the early 1940s.
Almost immediately, he was amidst blues legends such as Memphis Minnie, Tampa Red, and Big Bill Broonzy, scooping up inspiration from the pioneers of the genre.
As many of his contemporaries, Rogers began performing at Maxwell Street, a vibrant open-air market that became the epicenter for the burgeoning Chicago blues scene.
This culturally rich venue, initially rooted in Jewish immigrant history and later transformed by Black and Latine communities, fostered a dynamic musical environment.
In this setting, Rogers jammed with fellow musicians like Little Walter and Muddy Waters, who had relocated to Chicago in 1943.
Though Waters was still on his path to fame, Rogers played a pivotal role, assisting Waters with his guitar skills in equipment that shaped their early sounds.
Their band, featuring harmonica and additional guitarists, was infamously known as the Headhunters or Headcutters.
They were notorious for showing up at other artists’ performances to outplay them, a testament to their talent and confidence.
In 1996, in an interview with Jas Obrecht, Rogers reflected on his collaborative songwriting processes with Waters and the development of their musical arrangements.
He noted how they would work together, influencing artists like Little Walter, who often listened without contributing much but absorbing the creative atmosphere.
Rogers’s journey as a solo artist began in 1946 when he recorded “Round About Boogie,” miscredited to Memphis Slim & His House Rockers.
Throughout the late 1940s, he contributed as a versatile artist, lending his talent to various recordings that later gained recognition.
Among these, he worked with notable figures such as Floyd Jones and Howlin’ Wolf, as well as participating in iconic Chess productions.
Notably, he collaborated on classic hits like “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Mannish Boy,” recorded in the mid-50s with Muddy Waters.
In addition to his contributions to Waters’s recordings, Rogers had several successful singles, including “Walking by Myself” in 1956, featuring an impressive lineup of musicians.
Tracks such as “Chicago Bound” from 1954 showcased a blend of blues and proto-rock influences, reflecting his versatility and the evolving music scene.
As the early 1960s rolled in, Rogers joined Wolf’s band but only stayed for about a year due to the decline in blues popularity.
After his stint in music, he took a break, driving a cab and managing a clothing store, which was destroyed in the turmoil following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968.
Despite the challenges he faced, the legacy of Jimmy Rogers continues to influence contemporary blues artists.
His contributions and the songs he penned deserve a renewed appreciation, particularly “Chicago Bound,” which ought to echo as loud as other anthems representing Chicago.
Advocates for Chicago blues should actively include Rogers’s music in playlists and encourage DJs to rotate his tracks for wider recognition.
As the blues resonate through the Windy City today, let’s honor Rogers’s vast, yet sometimes underappreciated, impact on the genre, ensuring his music remains alive and relevant in the modern cultural landscape.
image source from：chicagoreader
