Singer and harmonica player Neal Pattman was born on January 10, 1926, in Madison County in Geogia and died on May 4, 2005, mostly spending his whole life in that area. His family was very poor, and he had to work on the farm since he was a young boy until, due to a farming accident, he lost his right arm. To encourage and comfort him, his father gave him a harmonica. In fact, his grandfather and father already played that instrument, performing old blues and traditional songs. From that moment on, Neal’s life totally changed. He began to play and discovered those old nineteen-century holler old songs. He developed a career with some ups and downs and was very interested in recovering and preserving the legacy of the old Piedmont blues, as well as partnering with his good friend Sonny Terry.

The King Bees were a white musicians’ band who were passionate for blues. One night in 1991 they had a gig with Chicago Bob Nelson at the Rockfish Palace Music Hall and Neal Pattman was the opening act for them. They were impressed with the harmonica skills of a musician who only had one arm who was playing with an amazing quality and conviction those old and forgotten blues, as well as some versions coming from John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters. They immediately asked him to record with them, and the result of those recordings is what you will find on this fifteen songs album, that was originally released in 1992. Neal Pattman was on vocals and harmonica, together with Rob Baskerville on guitar, Penny Zaqmagni on bass and Russ Wilson on drums. Neal and The King Bees became good friends and for years they worked together performing in countless shows, tours and festivals.

The King Bees have always been grateful to share and enjoy Neal’s friendship and musical inspiration and for them it has always been an honor to be part of Neal Pattman’s musical legacy.

The Austrian company Wolf Records, always attentive to bring back and give a new life to those historic recordings of artists who, without the work they do, would be completely forgotten, has just reissued those recordings from 1992, to the enjoyment and delight of blues lovers. A praiseworthy work Wolf Records does, that blues fans deeply appreciate.