Otis Rush (1935–2018)

“A richly emotive singer and a guitarist of great skill and imagination, Mr. Rush was in the vanguard of a small circle of late-1950s innovators, including Buddy Guy and Magic Sam, whose music, steeped in R&B, heralded a new era for Chicago blues”: from a New York Times obituary. NPR has an excellent extended feature on Rush’s music.

I think (too often) of what Skip James is reported to have said: “Most of the old heads are dying off. All the old musicianers and music philosophers are going: their time has come.”