The Jazz Organ Scene

USA

© Jeff Schmatt

Sidney James Wingfield Sidney (Sid) James Wingfield (* 1944 in Cedar Rapids, IA), a piano and organ player, returned to Cedar Rapids after his college days, eventually helping form the R&B band, Preferred Stock, in 1966. Sid retired from the music business for awhile.   Then he met Luther Allison, who took Sid under his wing in 1976, teaching him much more about the Blues. Wingfield credits Luther for imparting the necessary knowledge to enable him to come into his own as a Bluesman. He traveled to Europe with Allison, doing 36 gigs in 31 days during Sid's first tour there. While in France with Allison, Sid had a chance to hole up for about three days at the house of the owner of the Black & Blue record label. At the house was a huge collection of Blues recordings of every kind. Sid listened intently to dozens of classic Blues piano sides, absorbing all he could. Sid appears on two albums of Allison's, both recorded in France – Love Me Papa from 1977, and 1979's Live In Paris. Also while in France, a highlight of Sid's life occurred – meeting and hanging out with Muddy Waters and Taj Mahal in Muddy's backstage dressing room. Muddy invited Sid to sit in with him during his set. Other musical highlights in his life include jamming with the likes of Albert King, Albert Collins, and B.B. King.   Sid was with Luther until September of 1980, when he retired again for awhile. In 1983, he met guitarist Pete Special, who recruited Sidney into his band, Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows, who already had a couple albums out by then. This helped lead to recording dates with Son Seals on his 1991 Alligator release, Living In The Danger Zone, and with The Kinsey Report on their 1993 album, Crossing Bridges.   He has since developed a solo piano act, inspired by Mr. B, from Lansing, Michigan, who was into great barrelhouse piano players like Little Brother Montgomery and Sunnyland Slim. Sid has performed solo at a couple of the prestigious Chicago Blues Festivals.   In 1996, Wingfield played on the debut disc of The Matthew Skoller Band – Bone To Pick With You. Skoller is a talented harp player, who has played on albums by Koko Taylor, John Primer, Bernard Allison, Larry Garner, Big Daddy Kinsey, and Harvey Mandel. Whenever Skoller tours Europe, Sid is with him doing the keyboards.   One day, guitarist John Edelmann caught Sid's solo act at James Cotton's club in Chicago. Edelmann began to sit in with Sid, which led to Sid joining John's Crazy House Band, which backs singer, Little Al Thomas, on his 1999 Cannonball Records album, South Side Story.   by Don Erickson on cibs.org

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