Jimmy Dawkins

Chicago guitarist Jimmy Dawkins hoped to shed his longstanding nickname "Fast Fingers," a label that never quite captured his approach. His West Side guitar lines slashed and surged without relying on flashy speed, and his blues tended toward brooding introspection rather than pyrotechnics or theatrical display. Progress from respected local figure to nationally recognized recording artist came slowly. After boarding a Greyhound bus from Mississippi in 1955 dressed for Chicago's notorious cold, he stepped into a sweltering July afternoon instead. Harpist Billy Boy Arnold provided early support, helping Dawkins establish himself amid West Side competition that included Magic Sam and Luther Allison. Sam later connected him with Delmark Records founder Bob Koester. The resulting 1969 debut Fast Fingers stood as Dawkins' strongest Delmark effort, a taut and uncompromising album that earned the Grand Prix du Disque de Jazz from the Hot Club of France as the top jazz release of 1971. On the 1971 follow-up All for Business, Andrew "Big Voice" Odom handled part of the vocals while Otis Rush contributed second guitar. Intensity waned on later Delmark sessions after Blisterstring, only returning with the 1991 release Kant Sheck Dees Bluze on Earwig Records. Subsequent albums appeared on Ichiban and Fedora, and Dawkins maintained a busy touring schedule until health issues intervened. He died on April 10, 2013.