Billy Branch Harps on the Chicago Blues

Jan. 22, 2003

For the past 25 years Billy Branch has been the most articulate spokesperson for the blues. With his oratory skills and harmonica talents he has been keeping the blues music tradition alive on stage and in school performances. Branch will come to Northern Michigan to give a lesson in the blues January 25 at the Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City.
In the 1970s his elders deemed Branch as the heir apparent to the Chicago blues harp crown. Harmonica legends James Cotton, Junior Wells and Carey Bell all agreed that Branch was the person to carry on the tradition, and this torch passing took place in 1990 when the four came together and recorded the album “Harp Attack!” that features the song “New Kid On The Block,” with Branch paying tribute to the guys that showed him the way.
Branch is no longer “the new kid on the block.” He is a mainstay at Chicago blues clubs and often the crowd favorite at blues festivals around the country. However music wasn’t always in the cards for Branch, a Chicago native who grew up in Los Angeles and started fooling around with harmonicas at the age of 11.
After graduating high school he returned to Illinois to attend the University of Illinois where he would eventually graduate with a degree in political science. While in college Branch would visit Chicago blues clubs but was unfamiliar with the big names of the Chicago blues scene.
“At first I didn’t know who any of these cats were,“ Branch said. “I really wasn’t into the blues. I vaguely knew the names of Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and a few others, but I just hadn’t connected with blues music yet. Then I attended the Chicago Blues Festival in 1969 and I immediately connected with the music.”
At the University one of Branch’s fellow students told him that she did some secretarial work for Willie Dixon. So Branch pleaded with her to give him Dixon’s phone number. Eventually she agreed.
“By this time I knew Dixon was the man. I had his phone number so I just called him,” said Branch. “When he answered the phone I just blurted out ‘Hey Willie this is Billy Branch and I wanna play harp.’ Well Willie was cool and said if you have a harp why don’t you come down to the studio some day and play.”
Branch didn’t wait; he headed down and walked in. Dixon was in the famous Chess Records studio recording “The Last Home Run” a tribute to Hank Aaron who at the time was on the verge of breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record.
“When I walked in they were in the middle of recording and Dixon asked if I had a harp, which of course I did and he told me I could sit in since Carey Bell his regular harmonica player was gone,” said Branch. “I recorded with them and it was cool because the song made it single. Remember those 45‘s? Well I still have a few.”
While that was a big break, what forever put Branch into the legendary status of Chicago harmonica greats was in 1975 when he accepted Little Mac Simmons‘ harmonica challenge.
“Little Mac had these commercials on the radio that he was the world‘s greatest harmonica player and that he would pay anybody that could beat him. Yet he wouldn’t let Junior, James or Big Walter Horton take the challenge, so they encouraged me to take it,” said Branch. “I showed up to Green Bunny Club with a 10 inch Afro and overalls and kicked his you know what. He tried to talk his way out of it but the audience wouldn’t have any part of it and they were about to riot if he didn’t pay me the money. So he paid me.”
Eventually Branch would replace Carey Bell in Willie Dixon’s band and toured the world with Dixon for six years. In between tours Branch started his own blues band, Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues, made up of famous blues musicians sons. The original band consisted of Willie Dixon’s son Freddie and Carey Bell’s son Lurrie.
When not touring with his band or Dixon’s, Branch was a sought-after studio musician performing on over 50 albums for such blues greats as Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Freddie King and Johnny Winter.
In 1978 Branch started what he feels is his most important contribution to blues music: Blues In The Schools. The program is an educational project for middle school children which teaches them all aspects of the blues as an American art form, including such topics as the history of the blues, famous blues musicians, different styles of blues, and writing, singing and performing blues. Each student receives focused instructions on how to play the blues harmonica. Following each multi-week program, the students appear in a graduation concert.
Branch hosts workshops in the Chicago public schools and when time permits, offers one-day workshops when he is on the road. He has received several accolades for his program that teaches kids discipline, teamwork while helping them to gain self-esteem and self-confidence.
His Northern Michigan concert will be his first in the area in a few years.
“Is it cold up there? Don’t worry I’ll warm things up when I get there,” said Branch.
Hot blues infused with a Chicago harp in the middle of winter in Northern Michigan, it doesn’t get any better. This is a must-see for lover’s of the blues. The show is nearing sell-out with advance tickets $20 and available at the Milliken Auditorium box office or by calling (231) 995-1553.