Illinois Entertainer March 2018 | Page 18

By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates REMEMBERING EDDIE Eddie Shaw E ddie Shaw was a Chicago blues icon whose talents, personality and knowledge helped define and shape the essence of the genre. If you never witnessed Eddie blasting his tenor sax over 12 bar notes and belting out clas- sics like “Ode to Howlin’ Wolf” or "I Ain’t Superstitious,” then you have missed out on a seminal Chicago blues experience. An outsized presence who captured stages as well as hearts easily, Eddie Shaw was beloved by everyone he met. During his 60+ year career, he col- lected awards, albums, and accolades. Eddie was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2014, and he performed with Chicago blues greats Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Magic Sam, Elmore James and Otis Rush, but he never lost his humility and warmth. A gracious mentor for several generations of blues musi- cians, his influence will live on for decades to come. “Eddie was one of the last of the eld- ers, he represented one of the last rem- nants of his generation,” said blues harp master Billy Branch. “He was a direct link to Howlin’ Wolf and all the Chicago Food for the Body, Music for the Soul FRI MAR 2 Marty Sammon Band with Devon Allman SAT MAR 3 & SUN MAR 4* www.210live.com John McHugh ThuMar8 Corey Dennison FriMar9 The Goo Roos SunMar11 Paul Bedal * with ThuMar1 WED MAR 7 SAT MAR 10 Soul Message Bill Porter Chris Foreman Orchestra Dr Lonnie Smith WED MAR 14 WED MAR 28 Scott Guberman FRI MAR 23 SAT MAR 24 SUN MAR 25 March 14 featuring Sunday no cover charge SAT MAR 17 Maybe so, but Eddie’s talent and genial personality played as much a part as luck when it came to his musicianship. When Howlin’ Wolf died in 1976, Eddie contin- ued his legacy by leading various incarna- tions of the Wolf Gang band throughout his career. In addition to popularizing the saxo- phone in Chicago blues, Eddie was one of the few blues musicians that also man- aged to run a nightclub. The popular 1812 Club was a West Side hallmark during the ‘70s, which featured greats like Jimmy Dawkins, Otis Rush and was reputed to be Howlin Wolf’s favorite hangout. At various times, Eddie also managed to run a barbecue joint and a laundromat all while touring, writing and performing. A keen songwriter, Eddie was never content just to play the old blues classics. He developed his own evocative tales, from the swaggering instrumental “Blues For The West Side,” to the humorous “I Don’t Trust Nobody,” later covered by George Thorogood. Eddie produced a consistent stream of standout albums, including King of the Road (Rooster Blues) in 1986 and Can’t Stop Now (Delmark) in 1997. In 2007, Eddie took a page from the book of his veteran actor son Stan Shaw and appeared in the 2007 film about an Alabama juke joint, *Honey Dripper. But with all his versatility, Eddie loved being on the road best of all. “He lived to play the blues. I never knew anybody to be on the road like he did, at his age. He’d get in that van and drive to Canada, to the east coast, wherever he had a kid,” recalled Billy Branch. As Eddie always said “Blues is a feel- ing, baby” and he carried that feeling with him until the end. Delmark Records Live Recording 210 Green Bay Road, Highwood, Illinois 60040 847.433.0304 greats. He recorded with them all. Eddie was a Chicago institution; he was one of the last remaining from the golden era of Chicago blues.” Born on a Mississippi plantation, Eddie moved to Greenville and learned to play the trombone, clarinet, and saxo- phone in high school. Surrounded by the fertile ground of blues heritage, he absorbed blues in all its forms. Eddie even learned to play the “Mississippi Saxophone” – also called the harmonica - since it was such an essential element in blues music. He joined the local band, The Green Tops as a teen and started playing at area dances. Soon, he was playing with master musicians Ike Turner, Elmore James, and Little Milton. He honed his chops playing with Ike Turner’s band all over Mississippi. By the time he started college in Ita B