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he wants to do, and what he wants to do all his life”. Indeed, his aunt confirmed that he
was pretty adept at piano, drums and bass, as well as guitar and harmonica.

Blues guitarist Syl Johnson (whose brother Mack Thompson played bass for Sam
throughout most of his professional career) recalls Sam playing guitar in a “hillbilly style”

when he first heard him in Chicago. His later rhythmic style of blues playing was probably
derived from the dance tempos of the reels and breakdowns he heard in Grenada. Indeed,

he assimilated the blues by closely listening to, and watching, the Chicago blues stars of
the day - especially Muddy Waters and Little Walter.

By 1954 Sam had a small
combo, with Syl and Mack,
and occasionally harp

player Shakey Jake or Blues
King ( I had never heard of

him either!). Shakey Jake,
who had a career as a
professional gambler

before becoming a blues
man, had spotted Sam

playing on the street one
day, a year or two earlier,
and kept in touch with him,

encouraging him in his
pursuit of a career in music

(he eventually married
Sam’s aunt). Sam was
initially interested only in

playing guitar in the band, but Jake encouraged him to sing, pointing out that it would
give him much more freedom to do what he wanted to do. To that end he also joined a

gospel group, Morning View Special, which really helped to reveal his distinctive soulful
singing style.

One day in 1955 Shakey Jake took him to the 708 Club, on East 47th Street, where Muddy
Waters was playing. Ever the gentleman, Muddy let him sit for the second set, and the
club owner booked him there and then for a regular slot.

In 1957 Sam and his band (augmented by Little Brother Montgomery on piano, Willie
Dixon on upright bass and Bill Stepney on drums) recorded some tracks for the

independent Cobra label. He recalled that label owner Eli Toscano had a novel way of
creating studio reverb, by sending the sounds through some pipes in a back room! These

recordings included one of Sam’s later best known songs - ‘All Your Love’. (This is not the
same song recorded by Otis Rush, and later John Mayall).