Brewer Phillips in Post War Blues Forum

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Brewer Phillips

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glhundt

Brewer Phillips

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Posts: 166

Feb 21 09 12:26 AM

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Though he's been mentioned in the forum a number of times, I thought I'd give Brewer Phillips his own thread. I was listening to "Whole Lotta Blues" on JSP today and really enjoyed it again. Brewer's playing seems both intense and loose at the same time, and his Telecaster tone is unmistakeable.

In addition, both he and Hound Dog are my favorite 'bass'/second guitar players - intoxicated as they might have been, it seems they never or rarely missed a beat.

Your thoughts?

2010, 2009, & 2008 Blues Music Award Nominee, Instrumentalist - Mandolin

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Blueswriter

#1

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6748

Feb 21 09 1:53 AM

Thoughts aside from the fact that I love Brewer's music? I can't add much, but I agree, Gerry. They weren't pretty and they made a racket-and-a-half, but Brewer and Hound Dog worked as well as any pair ever did!

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tanta07

#2

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 9133

Feb 21 09 2:56 AM

Great timing on the thread, Gerry. I just bought Phillips' "Well Alright" yesterday and I've been enjoying it all day.

Loose, gritty, noisy, and always seeming to be right on th edge of a trainwreck, but it never quite happens. Great stuff.

I've always been kind of fascinated with the interplay of the guitars between he and Hound Dog Taylor. They seemed to perfectly accent each other in a way that doesn't come along very often.

The Buzz Brothers Band

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Delta Roots

#3

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Posts: 1261

Feb 21 09 4:10 AM

I worked quite a bit with Phillip. Nobody ever called him Brewer that I ever heard. He could definitely play but you never knew just how drunk he was gonna be and he could be sloppy as hell when he was drunk. And he was always drunk. I never did get to see him play with Houndog that I can remember. At the time I first met Houndog I think he had just shot Phillip so he was using Lefty Dizz on second guitar, which worked but I think Phillip probably worked better.

I still remember driving Phillip to a gig we did with Lovie Lee and Zora Young in South Bend, Indiana in the late 70's. Phillip was showing me all the places he'd been shot while I was driving, and it was alot. I think he, Wille Kent and Left Hand Frank may have won the prize for the most bullet holes in a living man! He also had a really bad scar ear to ear where his throat had been slit.

I always found him to be a really nice guy, but i can see where he could be a pain in the ass if you were around him too much. Houndog on the other had was always alot of fun to hang with. Always smiling, laughing and joking around.

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rshurman

#4

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 3244

Feb 21 09 4:42 PM

Hound Dog called him "Mr. Brewer."

I always loved watching him kick his leg for emphasis while he was soloing, with his shirttail flying.

Bruce Iglauer used to compare him to Pat Hare; I think it was probably the rawness they shared.

It was ironic that even though Brewer was probably the wildest member of Hound Dog's band, he was also the one with the responsible day job.

When I interviewed him for some liner notes, he was glum about being on the outs with his neighbor Ted Harvey. It turned out he'd committed the slight transgression of taking a pot shot at Ted recently.

Chicagoland

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scottcable

#5

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Posts: 876

Feb 23 09 3:59 AM

one of my favorite guitar plyers period...I loved the raw tone and style....he was someone I listened to constantly when I was in my teens....glad he is getting some props here.

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Delta Roots

#6

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Posts: 1261

Feb 23 09 6:14 AM

QUOTE (scottcable @ February 22, 2009 10:59 pm)

one of my favorite guitar plyers period...I loved the raw tone and style....he was someone I listened to constantly when I was in my teens....glad he is getting some props here.

If you heard the rehearsal tape I found recently of myself, Phillip, Lovie and Mr. Leo you might never want to hear him again, or may not realize how badly things can sound when alcohol is involved! But then again I have a tape I made at Jimmy Reeds house and he was stone cold sober and it is was piss poor at best. At least it makes you appreciate a good producer in the studio. I've never heard any of Phillips recordings but they have to be better than the tape I unearthed here.

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scottcable

#7

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Posts: 876

Feb 23 09 1:12 PM

I would love to hear it....I can imagine that train could get into quite a wreck with a lot of booze. I still love the wirey, intense nature of his playing.

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SuncoastGeorge

#8

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Posts: 2487

Feb 23 09 4:08 PM

I love Hound Dog and Brewer's instrumental take on "Mojo Workin" (Sen-Say-Shun) on the "Release The Hound" CD. That is wild stuff and I love it!

�I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes�.

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Silvertone

#9

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 487

Feb 23 09 4:57 PM

Brewer was great. He had a very nice album under his own name released in the 80�s on JSP, I think. Too bad I never got to see him live. Here�s the next best thing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUv3t91Fxs8

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hellmore

#10

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Posts: 1002

Feb 23 09 9:34 PM

QUOTE (Delta Roots @ February 21, 2009 04:10 am)

I worked quite a bit with Phillip. Nobody ever called him Brewer that I ever heard. He could definitely play but you never knew just how drunk he was gonna be and he could be sloppy as hell when he was drunk. And he was always drunk. I never did get to see him play with Houndog that I can remember. At the time I first met Houndog I think he had just shot Phillip so he was using Lefty Dizz on second guitar, which worked but I think Phillip probably worked better.

I still remember driving Phillip to a gig we did with Lovie Lee and Zora Young in South Bend, Indiana in the late 70's. Phillip was showing me all the places he'd been shot while I was driving, and it was alot. I think he, Wille Kent and Left Hand Frank may have won the prize for the most bullet holes in a living man! He also had a really bad scar ear to ear where his throat had been slit.

I always found him to be a really nice guy, but i can see where he could be a pain in the ass if you were around him too much. Houndog on the other had was always alot of fun to hang with. Always smiling, laughing and joking around.

Great stories and a great video by one of my favorite blues guitarists. Thanks, you made my day!

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glhundt

#11

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Posts: 166

Feb 26 09 2:27 AM

Wicked YouTube vids, Scott!

A real treat, and an unfortunate one for me, as I thought I was past G.A.S. (ha!) - it revived an old longing for a Tele just like Mr. Phillips'.

2010, 2009, & 2008 Blues Music Award Nominee, Instrumentalist - Mandolin

Buy SINCE WAY BACK at CDbaby

Gerry Hundt & SteadyGroove - One Man, Chicago Blues Band
www.SteadyGroove.com

myspace.com/gerryhundt

myspace.com/gheezee
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tanta07

#12

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 9133

Feb 26 09 5:53 PM

QUOTE (glhundt @ February 26, 2009 02:27 am)

Wicked YouTube vids, Scott!

A real treat, and an unfortunate one for me, as I thought I was past G.A.S. (ha!) - it revived an old longing for a Tele just like Mr. Phillips'.

I would love to know how he got that gutbucket tone of his. I've played Teles for years, but I've never gotten them to sound like THAT... LOL

The Buzz Brothers Band

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Blueswriter

#13

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6748

Feb 26 09 6:36 PM

QUOTE (tanta07 @ February 26, 2009 12:53 pm)

QUOTE (glhundt @ February 26, 2009 02:27 am)

Wicked YouTube vids, Scott!

A real treat, and an unfortunate one for me, as I thought I was past G.A.S. (ha!) - it revived an old longing for a Tele just like Mr. Phillips'.

I would love to know how he got that gutbucket tone of his. I've played Teles for years, but I've never gotten them to sound like THAT... LOL

I think a good part of it is an amp that's been a road dog for years... one that's been dropped, tipped over, transported thousands of miles, has had copious amounts of alcohol spilled on it, ripped speaker cones, possibly a bullet-hole or two and whatever else Hound Dog and Brewer's gear endured.

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7844473

#14

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 30580

Feb 26 09 6:59 PM

QUOTE (Blueswriter @ February 26, 2009 07:36 pm)

QUOTE (tanta07 @ February 26, 2009 12:53 pm)

QUOTE (glhundt @ February 26, 2009 02:27 am)

Wicked YouTube vids, Scott!

A real treat, and an unfortunate one for me, as I thought I was past G.A.S. (ha!) - it revived an old longing for a Tele just like Mr. Phillips'.

I would love to know how he got that gutbucket tone of his. I've played Teles for years, but I've never gotten them to sound like THAT... LOL

I think a good part of it is an amp that's been a road dog for years... one that's been dropped, tipped over, transported thousands of miles, has had copious amounts of alcohol spilled on it, ripped speaker cones, possibly a bullet-hole or two and whatever else Hound Dog and Brewer's gear endured.

So now you know what you have to do if you want that same tone, Tanta !

Rene
Paris, France.

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tanta07

#15

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 9133

Feb 26 09 9:03 PM

QUOTE (renemalin @ February 26, 2009 06:59 pm)

QUOTE (Blueswriter @ February 26, 2009 07:36 pm)

QUOTE (tanta07 @ February 26, 2009 12:53 pm)

QUOTE (glhundt @ February 26, 2009 02:27 am)

Wicked YouTube vids, Scott!

A real treat, and an unfortunate one for me, as I thought I was past G.A.S. (ha!) - it revived an old longing for a Tele just like Mr. Phillips'.

I would love to know how he got that gutbucket tone of his. I've played Teles for years, but I've never gotten them to sound like THAT... LOL

I think a good part of it is an amp that's been a road dog for years... one that's been dropped, tipped over, transported thousands of miles, has had copious amounts of alcohol spilled on it, ripped speaker cones, possibly a bullet-hole or two and whatever else Hound Dog and Brewer's gear endured.

So now you know what you have to do if you want that same tone, Tanta !

Good to know! LOL

With the amount of abuse my amp takes these days, I will probably get that sacred tone sometime in the near future!

The Buzz Brothers Band

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Blueswriter

#16

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6748

Feb 27 09 1:52 PM

QUOTE (tanta07 @ February 26, 2009 04:03 pm)

QUOTE (renemalin @ February 26, 2009 06:59 pm)

QUOTE (Blueswriter @ February 26, 2009 07:36 pm)

QUOTE (tanta07 @ February 26, 2009 12:53 pm)

QUOTE (glhundt @ February 26, 2009 02:27 am)

Wicked YouTube vids, Scott!

A real treat, and an unfortunate one for me, as I thought I was past G.A.S. (ha!) - it revived an old longing for a Tele just like Mr. Phillips'.

I would love to know how he got that gutbucket tone of his. I've played Teles for years, but I've never gotten them to sound like THAT... LOL

I think a good part of it is an amp that's been a road dog for years... one that's been dropped, tipped over, transported thousands of miles, has had copious amounts of alcohol spilled on it, ripped speaker cones, possibly a bullet-hole or two and whatever else Hound Dog and Brewer's gear endured.

So now you know what you have to do if you want that same tone, Tanta !

Good to know! LOL

With the amount of abuse my amp takes these days, I will probably get that sacred tone sometime in the near future!

I'd also suggest pouring some good bourbon on the Telecaster's pickguard - at least a few times - and letting it get down into the pickups, the wiring harness, the knobs and switch. That's bound to add more to the real Brewer's mojo you're looking to zero in on.

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glhundt

#17

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Posts: 166

Feb 27 09 4:58 PM

I've heard the rotgut of choice was Canadian Club!!!

2010, 2009, & 2008 Blues Music Award Nominee, Instrumentalist - Mandolin

Buy SINCE WAY BACK at CDbaby

Gerry Hundt & SteadyGroove - One Man, Chicago Blues Band
www.SteadyGroove.com

myspace.com/gerryhundt

myspace.com/gheezee
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Delta Roots

#18

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Posts: 1261

Feb 28 09 1:31 AM

Almost everyone either drank CC or VO so CC doesn't surprise me. I know that was Houndogs drink of choice. In later years alot of guys switched over to bumpy face (seagrams gin).

The beers of choice would switch too. When I moved here in 1975 everyone drank Schlitz on the south and west side, and Old Style on the north side. Now Miller seems to be the drink of choice on the south and west sides, and Bud is like the working mans beer on the north side.

Anybody remember Champale???

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