Little Brother Montgomery: Biography

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• Discography
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• Erwin Helfer
• Otis Spann
• Sunnyland Slim
• Jimmy Yancey
• Curtis Jones
• Blind John Davis
• Black Ivory King

• Jelly Roll Morton
• Roosevelt Sykes
• Charles "Cow Cow" Davenport
• Georgia Tom
• James P. Johnson
• Louis Armstrong
• Clarence Williams

• Willie Dixon
• Paul Gayten
• Danny Barker
• Sunnyland Slim
• Pinetop Perkins
• Mr. B
• Frank Muschalle

• Eurreal Montgomery

Birth Name:

Eurreal Montgomery

Born:

Apr 18, 1906 in Kentwood, LA

Died:

Sep 6, 1985 in Champaign, IL

Genres:

Chicago Blues Music, Piano and Jump Blues Music

Decades Active:

1930's|1940's|1950's|1960's|1970's

Artistic Quality

Medium

Cultural Impact

Medium

Popularity

Medium

Ratings Guide

A notable influence to the likes of Sunnyland Slim and Otis Spann, pianist "Little Brother" Montgomery's lengthy career spanned both the earliest years of blues history and the electrified Chicago scene of the 1950s.

By age 11, Montgomery had given up on attending school to instead play in Louisiana juke joints. He came to Chicago as early as 1926 and made his first 78s in 1930 for Paramount (the booty that day in Grafton, WI, included two of Montgomery's enduring signature items, "Vicksburg Blues" and "No Special Rider"). Bluebird recorded Montgomery more prolifically in 1935-36 in New Orleans.

In 1942, Little Brother Montgomery settled down to a life of steady club gigs in Chicago, his repertoire alternating between blues and traditional jazz (he played

-Carnegie Hall with Kid Ory's Dixieland band in 1949). Otis Rush benefitted from his sensitive accompaniment on several of his 1957-58 Cobra dates, while Buddy Guy recruited him for similar duties when he nailed Montgomery's "First Time I Met the Blues" in a supercharged revival for Chess in 1960. That same year, Montgomery cut a fine album for Bluesville with guitarist Lafayette "Thing" Thomas that remains one of his most satisfying sets.

With his second wife, Janet Floberg, Montgomery formed his own little record company, FM, in 1969. The first 45 on the logo, fittingly enough, was a reprise of "Vicksburg Blues," with a vocal by Chicago chanteuse Jeanne Carroll (her daughter Karen is following in her footsteps around the Windy City). ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide