Chicago Blues Lesson: Brewer Phillips-- Who Needs a Bass?

Brewer Phillips was an irreplaceable part of Hound Dog Taylor's sound, which was so old it was new. The stripped down two guitar attack was raw, loud and straight from Mississippi to the South Side Chicago taverns. Playing the bass role in a two guitar-drums band requires a consistently driving guitarist who has mastered the bass strings, and Brewer was that first and foremost. His sound is an intoxicated, amped-up, careening-off-the-road version of the classic driving boogies of Dave Meyers, Jimmy Rogers, and Memphis Minnie, who had a hand in raising him as a boy in Mississippi. His leads are raw, in your face, and similar to Magic Slim's and I think early Pat Hare; no reverb, nothing fancy, just pedal to the metal. Like Magic Slim, he gets his speed and attack from a combination of his thumpick and finger. Although he is best known for his several records with Hound Dog Taylor on Alligator (which each include several tracks of him on lead guitar), he has also made some great records for JSP, Delmark, and my personal favorite, Well Alright on Black Rose in 2008 of unreleased mostly live material.
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[@enkiabzu5792]

Great stuff thanks for sharing, RIP Brewer Philips and The Ol' Hounddog!

[@BaronCzerny]

Very cool!

[@valerieworboyes2460]

John to get brewers sound I have blues driver distortion pedals can you help this john uk thanks

[@garymiles4451]

I think Hendrix borrowed a lot of Brewers stuff when he lived in Chicago. When you hear Brewer solo you can hear a lot of Hendrix licks.

[@benderdiver]

Ooo wash your mouth out,if my wife carole finds out you will be in trouble,i will forgive you[a bit] couse i like your brilliant lessons,change your lesson to you realy need a bass,but if she gets to drunk,hear is how to fake it, ok