George "Mojo" Buford
George "Mojo" Buford | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | George Carter Buford, Jr. |
| Born | November 10, 1929 Hernando, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | October 11, 2011 (aged 81) Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Genres | Blues |
| Instrument(s) | Harmonica |
| Years active | Early 1950s–2011 |
| Labels | Various |
George Carter Buford, Jr. (November 10, 1929 – October 11, 2011),[1] known as Mojo Buford, was an American blues harmonica player best known for his work in Muddy Waters' band.
Biography
Buford relocated from Hernando, Mississippi, to Memphis, Tennessee, in his youth, where he studied the blues.[2] He relocated to Chicago in 1952,[3] forming the Savage Boys, which eventually was known as the Muddy Waters, Jr. Band. They substituted for Waters at local nightclubs while he was touring.[2]
Buford first played in Waters's backing band in 1959, replacing Little Walter, but in 1962 moved to Minneapolis to front his own band and to record albums.[2] In Minneapolis he gained the nickname Mojo, because of audiences requesting him to perform his cover version of "Got My Mojo Working."[4] Buford returned to Waters's combo in 1967 for a year, replacing James Cotton.[4] He had a longer tenure with Waters in the early 1970s and returned for the final time after Jerry Portnoy departed to form the Legendary Blues Band.[2]
He also recorded for the Mr. Blues label. These recordings were later reissued by Rooster Blues, Blue Loon Records, and the British JSP label.[2]
Buford died on October 11, 2011, in Minneapolis, after a long hospitalization.[2][5] He was 81.
Discography
- Exciting Harmonica Sound of Mojo Buford (BluesRecordSoc, 1963)
- Mojo Buford's Chicago Blues Summit (Rooster Blues, 1979)
- State of the Blues Harp (JSP, 1989)
- Harpslinger (Blue Loon, 1993)
- Still Blowin' Strong (Blue Loon, 1996)
- Home Is Where My Harps Is (Blue Loon, 1998)
- Champagne & Reefer (Fedora Records, 1999)
- Blues Ain't a Color (Kpnbeat, 2005)[6]
See also
References
- ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 228. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b c d e f Bill Dahl. "George "Mojo" Buford | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
- ^ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 96. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ a b "George Mojo Buford, a Mississippi musician". Mswritersandmusicians.com. 1929-11-10. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
- ^ "Mojo Buford, former Muddy Waters harmonica player, has passed". Ameriblues.com. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
- ^ "George "Mojo" Buford | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
External links
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