Carey Bell

Carey Bell (November 14, 1936 – May 6, 2007) was an American blues musician, who played the harmonica in the Chicago blues style. Bell played harmonica (harp) and bass for other blues musicians during the late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s before embarking on a solo career. Besides his albums, he recorded as an accompanist or duo artist with Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Taylor, Louisiana Red, Jimmy Dawkins as well as a frequent partner with his son, guitarist Lurrie Bell. 

Bell was born Carey Bell Harrington in Macon, Mississippi. As a child, Bell was intrigued by the music of Louis Jordan and wanted a saxophone to be like his hero Jordan; however, Bell's family could not afford a saxophone so he had to settle for the harmonica, colloquially known as a "Mississippi saxophone." Bell taught himself to play, and by the time he was eight, he was quite proficient on the instrument. When he was thirteen, Bell joined his pianist godfather Lovie Lee's blues band.

In September 1956, Lovie Lee convinced Bell to go with him to Chicago. To help further his chances of employment as a musician, Bell learned how to play the electric bass (from Hound Dog Taylor) as well. 

Despite Bell's learning from some of the greatest blues harp players of the genre, he arrived in Chicago at an unfortunate time. The demand for harp players was decreasing there as the electric guitar became the prominent blues instrument. To pay the bills, Bell continued to play bass and joined several bands as a bassist. In the late 1960s, he appeared regularly on the west side of Chicago with guitarists Eddie Taylor and Royal Johnson, playing both harmonica and bass. In 1969 Bell toured Europe and the UK with the American Folk Blues Festival, and played at the Royal Albert Hall in London, appearing on a live recording of the event.

In 1969, Delmark Records in Chicago released Bell's debut LP, Carey Bell's Blues Harp.  Bell played with Muddy Waters in late 1970 and 1971 and later with Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All-Stars. In 1972, Bell teamed up with Big Walter in the studio and released Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell for Alligator Records. A year later Bell released a solo project entitled Last Night for ABC Bluesway. Bell continued to play with Dixon as well as with his own groups, and in 1978, Bell was featured on the Grammy-nominated album Living Chicago Blues on Alligator.

During the 1980s Bell continued to record for various labels and to tour. In 1990, Bell teamed up with fellow harpists Junior Wells, James Cotton, and Billy Branch to record Harp Attack!.  A modern Blues classic, Harp Attack! became one of Alligator Records' bestselling albums. 

Despite years in the business and work with Alligator, Bell's first full-length solo album for the label was not until Deep Down, released in 1995. In 1997, Bell released the second album on the label Good Luck Man. Second Nature (originally recorded in Finland a few years earlier) followed in 2004; a duet album with his guitarist son, Lurrie Bell (who shared the guitar duties with Carl Weathersby on Deep Down).

In 1998, Bell was awarded the Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Artist Of The Year.

In 2007, Delmark Records released a live set by Bell, accompanied by a band that included his son Lurrie, guitarist Scott Cable, Kenny Smith, Bob Stroger, and Joe Thomas.

Carey Bell died of heart failure on May 6, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois. 

(Carey Bell at a small club in Pennsylvania in the early 90s)