Bman's Blues Report

Born 12th October 1920, in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, James Anthony 'Lucky' Carmichael released just three records during his career. According to the tome, The Blues Encyclopedia, that career didn't start until the early 1960's. However, this is not the case. Lucky's musical career can be traced back to at least the mid 1950s. Even then references identify him as a professional band leader who toured with the travelling carnivals of the day, so we can be pretty confident that he was already a fairly seasoned musician by this time. Perhaps then, the authors meant that his recording career didn't start until he was this age, not his musical career. Moving to Chicago in the late 50s or early 60s, and with introductions brokered by friend Bobby 'Blue' Bland, with whom Carmichael had played piano, he performed in local clubs, often with the Lefty Bates Band. One wonders then, if he did not occasionally work as a session musician with Lefty Bates or other mu...

Born 12th October 1920, in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, James Anthony 'Lucky' Carmichael released just three records during his career. According to the tome, The Blues Encyclopedia, that career didn't start until the early 1960's. However, this is not the case. Lucky's musical career can be traced back to at least the mid 1950s. Even then references identify him as a professional band leader who toured with the travelling carnivals of the day, so we can be pretty confident that he was already a fairly seasoned musician by this time. Perhaps then, the authors meant that his recording career didn't start until he was this age, not his musical career. Moving to Chicago in the late 50s or early 60s, and with introductions brokered by friend Bobby 'Blue' Bland, with whom Carmichael had played piano, he performed in local clubs, often with the Lefty Bates Band. One wonders then, if he did not occasionally work as a session musician with Lefty Bates or other mu...