Carey Bell

**Carey Bell** (*14 November 1936 in Macon, Mississippi - † 6 May 2007 in Chicago, Illinois) was an American blues musician. He played the harmonica and bass in the Chicago blues style.

## Career

He was born Carey Bell Harrington. As child he liked the music of Louis Jordan. He wanted to play saxophon. The family was to poor to buy one. So he started to play the harmonica. The harmonica is also known as "Mississippi saxophon. He tought himself to play the instrument. Soon Bell heard the music by the blues harmonica greats: DeFord Bailey, Big Walter Horton, Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson I and II. At the age of 13 he joined of his pianist godfather  with  Lovie Lee's blues band.

In September 1956 he went to Chicago where he met Little Walter and his main mentor Big Walter Horton. The tought him some harp playing. To improve the possibility to find a job as musician he learned to play the electric bass. He played bass in several bands . 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 Delmark Records released Bells first album _Carey Bell's Blues Harp_. In the late 1970s and 1971 Bell played with Muddy Waters. Later he played for Willie Dixon´s  Chicago Blues All-Stars. In 1972 he recorded with Big Walter Horton _Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell_ for Alligator Records.

During the 1980s Bell continued to record for various labels and to tour. In 1990 Bell recorded with harpists Junior Wells, James Cotton and Billy Branch _Harp Attack_!.. Harp Attack is still one of Alligator Records best selling albums. Although he worked a lot for Alligator his first solo album was _Deep Down_ not till 1995. In 1998 he received the  Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Artist Of The Year. Second Nature followed in 2004 an album he recorded with his guitarist son Lurrie Bell.

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

## Discography

- 1969 _Carey Bell's Blues Harp_ (Delmark)
- 1973 _Last Night_ (One Way)
- 1977 _Heartaches and Pain_ (Delmark)
- 1982 _Goin' on Main Street_ (Evidence)
- 1983 _Son of a Gun_ (Rooster Blues)
- 1986 _Straight Shoot_ (Blues South West)
- 1988 _Harpslinger_ (JSP)
- 1990 _Dynasty!_ (JSP)
- 1991 _Mellow Down Easy_ (Blind Pig)
- 1992 _Breakdown Blues-Live _ (CMA Rec.) with 'The Cat'
- 1994 _Harpmaster_ (JSP)
- 1995 _Carey Bell & Spike Ravenswood_ (Saar)
- 1995 _Deep Down_ (Alligator Records)
- 1997 _Good Luck Man_ (Alligator Records)
- 1999 _Brought Up the Hard Way (JSP CD 802)
- 2004 _Second Nature_ (Alligator Records)
- 2007 _Gettin Up: Live at Buddy Guy's Legends Rosa's_ (Delmark)

### with Louisiana Red

- 1980 _Reality Blues_ (L+R)
- 1983 _Boy from Black Bayou_ (L+R)
- 1984 _My Life_  (L+R)
- 1993 _Brothers in Blues (CMA Rec.)
- 1994 _Live at 55 _ (Enja)
- 2004 _The Blues Masters Bad Case of the Blues _(Mojo Tone )

### Collaborations with other artists

- 1969 _Wanna dance all Night_, John Lee Hooker (Musidisc)
- 1972/73 _Lake Michigan Ain't No River_ with Bob Riedy Blues Band
- 1974 _Just Off Halsted_ with Bob Riedy Blues Band (Flying Fish FF 006)
- 1980 _Blues after Sunrise_, Heinz Sauer, Bob Degen (L+R 40017)
- 1990 _Harp Attack!_ (Alligator) with James Cotton, Junior Wells and Billy Branch
- 1991 _Delta Bluesman_, Honeyboy Edwards (Earwig 4922)
- 1994 _Good Candy _, Lovie Lee (Earwig 4928)
- 1996 _You Can't Take My Blues_, Doug MacLeod (Sledgehammer Blues 2-AQM-1041)
- 1998 _Blues Blues Blues_, The Jimmy Rogers All Stars (Atlantic)
- 2001 _Superharps II_ (Telarc) with Lazy Lester, Raful Neal and Snooky Pryor

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Carey Bell
- **image**: CareyBell2003.jpg
- **caption**: Carey Bell at the Long Beach Blues Festival, 2003
- **background**: non_vocal_instrumentalist
- **birth name**: Carey Bell Harrington
- **birth place**: Macon, Mississippi, Macon, Mississippi, United States
- **death place**: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- **instrument**: Harmonica, bass guitar, bass, Human voice, vocals
- **genre**: Chicago blues
Harmonica blues
Electric blues
- **occupation**: Musician, singer
- **years active**: 1956–2007
- **label**: Delmark Records, Delmark, Blind Pig Records, Blind Pig, Alligator Records, Alligator
- **associated acts**: Lurrie Bell
Willie Dixon
Louisiana Red