St. Louis Jimmy Oden

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = St. Louis Jimmy Oden

| image = File:American_blues_pianist_St_Louis_Jimmy_Oden.png

| image_upright =

| image_size =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption = Oden in 1959

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = James Burke Oden

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1903|6|26}}

| birth_place = Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

| origin = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|12|30|1903|6|26}}

| death_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| genre = Blues

| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter}}

| instrument = {{hlist|Piano|vocals}}

| years_active = 1920s–1970s

| label = {{hlist|Bluebird|Aristocrat|J.O.B.|Bluesville}}

| website =

}}

James Burke "St. Louis Jimmy" Oden (June 26, 1903 – December 30, 1977){{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/st-louis-jimmy-oden-mn0000791885|title=St. Louis Jimmy Oden: Biography|website=AllMusic|access-date=17 September 2014}} was an American blues musician and songwriter.

Biography

Oden was born in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. His parents were Henry Oden, a dancer, and Leana West, although both had died before their son reached the age of eight. He sang and taught himself to play the piano in childhood. In his teens, he left home for St. Louis, where piano-based blues was prominent. He developed his vocal talents and began performing with the pianist Roosevelt Sykes. After more than ten years playing in and around St. Louis, in 1933 he and Sykes moved to Chicago.{{cite book| first= Tony| last= Russell

| year= 1997| title= The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray| edition= | publisher= Carlton Books| location= Dubai| isbn= 1-85868-255-X| page= 151}}

In Chicago, he was nicknamed St. Louis Jimmy and had a solid performing and recording career for the next four decades.{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Blues|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-673-1|pages=283/4}} Chicago became his home, but Oden traveled with blues players throughout the United States. He recorded many records, his best-known being the 1941 Bluebird release "Goin' Down Slow". Oden's songs "Take the Bitter with the Sweet" and "Soon Forgotten" were recorded by his friend Muddy Waters.

"Florida Hurricane" was released in 1948 on Aristocrat Records. The song featured Muddy Waters on guitar and Sunnyland Slim on piano. In 1949, Oden partnered with Joe Brown to form a small recording company, J.O.B. Records. Oden appears to have ended his involvement within a year, but with other partners the company remained in business until 1974.

File:Grave of St. Louis Jimmy Oden (1903–1977) at Restvale Cemetery, Alsip, IL.jpg

He spent less time performing after being in a car crash in 1957. Songs written later in his career include "What a Woman!" Oden released the album Goin' Down Slow on Prestige-Bluesville in 1960. He performed as a vocalist on three songs recorded for an Otis Spann session in 1960. These tracks were released on the album Walking the Blues, re-released as a Candid CD (CCD 79025) in 1989.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Otis-Spann-Walking-The-Blues/release/2886737|title=Otis Spann, "Walking the Blues"|website=Discogs.com|date=1989 |access-date=17 September 2014}}

Oden died of bronchopneumonia in 1977, at the age of 74 in Chicago. He was interred in Restvale Cemetery, in Alsip, Illinois, near Chicago.{{cite web|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1970.html|title=The 1970s|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|access-date=17 September 2014}}

Discography

=As leader=

I Have Made up my Mind (Champion, 1932){{Citation |title=Jimmy Oden - I Have Made Up My Mind / Patrol Wagon Blues |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/22267846-Jimmy-Oden-I-Have-Made-Up-My-Mind-Patrol-Wagon-Blues |language=en |access-date=2022-10-07}}
Goin’ Down Slow (Prestige Bluesville, 1961)

=As guest=

With Otis Spann

Walking the Blues (Barnaby, 1960 [1972])

With Sunnyland Slim

House Rent Party (Delmark, 1947 [1992])

References

External links

[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p90717|pure_url=yes}} Oden biography] at Allmusic website
[http://campber.people.clemson.edu/job.html J.O.B. Records discography]
[http://www.discogs.com/Otis-Spann-Walking-The-Blues/release/2886737 Discogs.com]

Category:1903 births

Category:1977 deaths

Category:American blues singers

Category:American blues pianists

Category:American male pianists

Category:Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Record producers from Tennessee

Category:Songwriters from Tennessee

Category:Blues musicians from Tennessee

Category:St. Louis blues musicians

Category:Savoy Records artists

Category:Duke Records artists