Lester Davenport
Encyclopedia
Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport (January 16, 1932 – March 17, 2009), was an American
Chicago blues
harmonica
player and singer.
Born in Tchula
, Mississippi
, United States
, Davenport moved from Mississippi to Chicago
, Illinois
, when he was 14. There he played with Arthur Spires, Snooky Pryor, and Homesick James
, then worked with Bo Diddley
, with whom he played harmonica on a 1955 Chess Records
session. He led his own group in the 1960s while he worked during the day as a paint sprayer. In the 1980s he was the harmonica player for the Indiana
group The Kinsey Report
.
In July 1994, Wolf Records released the Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis
album, Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 11, the tracks of which Davis had recorded in 1988 and 1989. The collection included Davenport on harmonica, and Kansas City Red playing the drum
s.
Davenport released his first album under his own name in 1992 and recorded a follow-up in 2002.
Davenport died in March 2009 in Chicago, from prostate cancer
, at the age of 77.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Chicago blues
Chicago blues
The Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums,...
harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player and singer.
Born in Tchula
Tchula, Mississippi
Tchula is a town in Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,332 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tchula is located at ....
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Davenport moved from Mississippi to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, when he was 14. There he played with Arthur Spires, Snooky Pryor, and Homesick James
Homesick James
Homesick James was an American blues musician. He most notably played slide guitar, and recorded covers of "Stones In My Passway" and "Homesick"...
, then worked with Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, with whom he played harmonica on a 1955 Chess Records
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
session. He led his own group in the 1960s while he worked during the day as a paint sprayer. In the 1980s he was the harmonica player for the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
group The Kinsey Report
The Kinsey Report
The Kinsey Report is a Gary, Indiana based band, established in 1984 by the brothers Donald, Ralph, and Kenneth Kinsey, plus a family friend, Ron Prince. As Big Daddy Kinsey and the Kinsey Report, they effectively backed their father, Big Daddy Kinsey...
.
In July 1994, Wolf Records released the Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis
Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis
Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis was an American electric blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He played with John Lee Hooker, recorded an album for Elektra Records in the mid 1960s, and remained a regular street musician on Maxwell Street, Chicago, for over 40 years.He was also known as Jewtown...
album, Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 11, the tracks of which Davis had recorded in 1988 and 1989. The collection included Davenport on harmonica, and Kansas City Red playing the drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s.
Davenport released his first album under his own name in 1992 and recorded a follow-up in 2002.
Davenport died in March 2009 in Chicago, from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, at the age of 77.
Discography
- When the Blues Hit You (Earwig MusicEarwig Music CompanyEarwig Music Company is an independent American blues and jazz record label, founded October 1978 in Chicago by Michael Frank.Before setting up his label Michael Frank from 1975 until 1977 had been - like Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records and Jim O'Neal of Living Blues magazine - employed in Bob...
, 1992) - I Smell a Rat (Delmark RecordsDelmark RecordsDelmark Records is an independent American jazz and blues record label, based in Chicago since 1958. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when owner Bob Koester released a recording of the Windy City Six, a traditional jazz group, under the "Delmar" imprint.-History:Born in 1932 in...
, 2002)
External links
- Bill Dahl, [ Lester Davenport] at Allmusic