1964 · Album
Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues
Recorded 1964, Sweden · Prestige
Witherspoon in Sweden, Strong and Straightforward
The singer is in strong voice, and his fans will want to pick up this.
Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues captures Jimmy Witherspoon in Sweden during 1964, recorded for Prestige in a session that trades the usual American studio setup for a different context altogether. The shift in geography doesn't dramatically reshape his sound — Witherspoon was a seasoned performer by then, and his approach to the blues didn't depend on location — but it does frame the record as a moment when he was still actively recording and still commanding his instrument. The session results in something solid and reliable: a blues vocalist doing what he knew how to do, working through material that sits comfortably in his wheelhouse.
Witherspoon had been recording for years before this, and Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues doesn't pretend to break new ground. It's a straightforward blues album from a singer who understood his craft. He's in strong voice throughout, which matters more than novelty. The album works best for listeners already familiar with Witherspoon or those digging into his discography rather than newcomers. If you're starting with his work, Spoon Concerts (1959) or his earlier Prestige sessions offer a better entry point.
This isn't a landmark record or a surprising late-career turn. It's workmanlike blues from a veteran who showed up, sang well, and moved on. That's enough for what it is — a document of a performer doing his job capably in a foreign studio, far from the usual circuit.
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