Jimmie Vaughan The Jimmie Vaughan Story

September 15, 2021

Jimmie Vaughan

The Jimmie Vaughan Story (5 -CD Box Set)

The Last Music Company

The living legend Jimmie Vaughan has documented most of his recording history through the auspices of Malcolm Mills’ Last Music Company across 5-CDS in a deluxe box set that in the vinyl size box also includes:

An autographed full-size replica of the front cover
A 12’ vinyl edition of Jimmie’s Do You Get the Blues?
A 7’ vinyl 45 rpm single of “Roll, Roll, Roll” and “Out of the Shadows”
A 7” vinyl 45 rpm single of “Don’t Let the Sun Set”
A special edition of the Rodder’s Journal featuring Jimmie’s collection of cars

This comprehensive offering commemorates Vaughan’s seventieth birthday, and he will be touring behind it. His story is told in a 240-page book which is fully illustrated with over 200 photos and illustrations, many of which are unpublished until now. The book is written in plain, conversational language as Vaughan relates his own story rather humbly. The section about where Stevie Ray died is predictably emotional and it’s interesting to note that Family Style, recorded with his brother, marked the first time Jimmie had sung on record. Devastated after SRV’s passing, Vaughn continued to play but only at home. It was Eric Clapton who provided the encouragement that led him to resume playing live and eventually building a solo career.

There is over six hours of music, from the early days in Storm and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, through his solo career right up until 2020. There are 96 tracks in all. Examples of his work with the following is included:

Albert Collins	Jimmy Rogers
Art Neville	John Lee Hooker
B.B. King	Lazy Lester
Bill Carter	Little Milton
Billy F. Gibbons	Lou Ann Barton
Bo Diddley	Mike Flanigin
Bonnie Raitt	Omar Kent Dykes
Buddy Guy	Robert Cray
Charlie Musselwhite	Soul Man Sam
Delbert McClinton	Storm
Denny Freeman	Sue Foley
Doyle Bramhall	Susan Tedeschi
Dr. John	The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Eric Clapton	The Vaughan Brothers – with Stevie Ray
James Cotton

The CD moves mostly chronologically but not exactly as his early stint with Storm appears on Disc 5 but the 41 Fabulous T-Bird cuts are spread across the first two discs. Yet, as we know, Vaughan’s clean style has also been rooted in early rock n’ roll and R &B so stylistically the material stays mostly in a similar groove, excepting the duets with the veritable who’s who of blues royalty referenced above. One of the more interesting novelty contributions is Vaughan performing “Texas Flood” with the University of Texas Longhorn Band, for half-time entertainment of the Thanksgiving game. It appears on Disc 5 and here’s how he relates that scene, “We did a whole set including Texas Flood. He had the whole band doing steps and wrote the arrangement. I got a mic and amp. When you look on YouTube, you can’t really see it, but it is pouring rain and I’m on that little stage with no cover in front of the G. They put plastic over the mic and amp and grounded it all so I wouldn’t get electrocuted, and we went for it. It was an incredible experience playing with that whole band and they hadn’t tole me they were going to get into formation to spell out VAUGHAN. It was quite a deal.” Vaughan follows that track with a nod to Lightnin’ Hopkins, his rewritten version of “Six Strings Down” and the pulsating material indicative of his early style with “No One to Talk To (but the blues)” and “Baby, Please Come Home.”

Many will seek out the duets. There are several great sequences. Disc Four begins with John Lee Hooker followed by Lazy Lester, James Cotton and later with Susan Tedeschi, Charlie Musselwhite, and his steady singing partner, Lou Ann Barton. Disc Three features duets with the Texas guitarist Denny Freeman, Texas drummer Doyle Bramhall. Bo Diddley, Delbert McClinton and performances from Clapton’s Crossroads Festival that included Clapton, Raitt, Cray, B.B., King, Guy, Dr. John, and Art Neville. Billy F. Gibbons, Little Milton, Raitt, and Soul Man Sam appear on Disc Five. The two with brother Stevie Ray – “Good Texan” and “D/FW” are at the end of Disc Two.

Delve in. You’ve got a week’s worth of reading and listening ahead. You who read these pages are well familiar with Jimmie Vaughan’s singular style. Enjoy!

Jim Hynes

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