Erwin Helfer

During his early teenage years amid Chicago's thriving 1950s blues scene, when local clubs reached their height and imprints such as Chess Records enjoyed strong success, Erwin Helfer first encountered piano blues. Born on the city's south side, he spent considerable time in those venues even as a boy, yet he also completed his schooling and obtained a college degree in music. This path led him to New Orleans for three years in the late '50s, where he performed jazz. The musicians who shaped him most deeply were Jimmy Yancey, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, and Speckled Red, while he also maintained a close friendship with guitarist Big Joe Williams. Helfer went on to work as both a performer and an educator, playing blues piano on tours throughout Europe and instructing college students in Chicago across the full span of the 1970s. His approach suits blues and jazz with equal facility.