Hudson Shower

With a name that sounds like something that might be installed in a bathroom, Little Hudson Shower recorded for several of Chicago's lesser-known indie blues labels in the '50s. His band known as Little Hudson Shower's Red Devil Trio was something of a training ground for hip rhythm section players such as the drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, who began his professional career in the Shower before jumping into the Waters--as in Muddy Waters. Take a shower, then jump into muddy water? It doesn't sound like mom's instructions for cleaning up, but then again, this is the blues. Thanks to the possessive tense in his band name, this blues artist is sometimes mistakenly pluralized into "Hudson Showers." A type of rainjacket is available called the Hudson Shower, but this is not a merchandising tie-in for a "Stormy Monday". Like many Chicago bluesmen, Shower hailed from Mississippi, where he took up the guitar at the age of 12. In 1939 he relocated to Chicago from Louise, Mississippi, but did not get involved in the big city blues scene until after the mid '40s. His first Chicago gigs were backing senior statesmen such as Big Bill Broonzy, Big Maceo and Tampa Red. He formed his first version of the Red Devil Trio in 1950, with pianist Henry Gray and a drummer who has not been identified beyond the name of "Al," although perhaps this is the guy the song "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" is all about--"Don't you remember, you called me 'Al'/ It was 'Al all the time." Whoever he was, he was soon replaced by James Bannister, while pianist Lazy Bill Lucas came in on keyboards as an alternative to the shades of Gray. The band was a regular at dives such as Club Alibi, Du Drop Lounge, Cotton Club, Club Evergreen, Laura's 819 Lounge and Vi's Lounge as well as the Gayspot,...