John Primer & Friends - Tribute to Theresa's Lounge
- 60 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Release date: June 5, 2026
Blues House Productions
By Robin Zimmerman
From fashioning a homemade diddley bow to play some down-home blues as a boy in Mississippi to performing alongside a legendary lineup of musicians on the South Side of Chicago as a young man, the now 81-year-old John Primer has lived a rich and colorful life playing the music he loves to adoring fans from every corner of the world. Lucky for us Chicagoans, Primer will be appearing at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 and at SPACE in Evanston on Friday, September 4th.
Despite his many awards and accolades, the soft-spoken, self-effacing Primer seems to prefer to let his music do the talking. His Grown in Mississippi was a blues tour de force that detailed his humble origins. Hot on the heels of that successful release, Primer’s musical autobiography continues with his John Primer & Friends-Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge, which is an homage to the long-shuttered, but legendary South Side club owned by Theresa Needham, who helped give Primer and so many others their start.
While Primer utilized Magnolia-state based musicians on Grown in Mississippi, for his Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge, he has assembled a cast of cohorts who also learned the ropes in the iconic basement lounge where a heavy dose of traditional Chicago blues was served up seven nights a week. Always the quintessential band leader, Primer has called on a long list of legendary musicians to accompany him on his journey back to the golden age of Chicago blues. This star-studded roster includes Billy Branch on harp and vocals, Willie Buck and Mary Lane on vocals, Carlos Johnson and John Watkins on guitar and vocals, Harmonica Hines on harp, Bob Stroger and Jeff Brinkman on bass with Twist Turner and Tony Mangiullo on drums.
We’re immediately transported down to Theresa’s smoke-filled basement at 4801 South Indiana on the opening track as “Up in Heah” kicks off the action with Junior Wells’ signature Messin’ with the Kid riff and a terrific Chicago blues vibe. With this song, Primer establishes his mission to pay tribute to all the “teachers” who gave him a blues education at Theresa’s. While he pays homage to dearly departed icons and dedicates this album to the memory of Theresa Needham, Primer also wanted his “friends that played down there that can still do it” to come along for the recording ride. By doing this, Primer honors his heroes and showcases his colleagues in the best way he knows how---through his music.
The next track “7 Nights for 7 Years” paints a not-always-pretty picture of the struggles these then-young musicians faced while honing their skills in the subterranean reaches of Theresa’s basement. Primer penned this number that details his working “seven nights a week from nine to one when the chance of getting paid was always slim to none.” But, despite these hardships, Primer obviously was destined to be a blues man and continues to carry the torch to this day as evidenced by the next track— “The Blues is King.” He also broadcasts his lifelong commitment to the genre on “Blues Survivalist” as he sings about his mission to “keep it carrying on” while showcasing some stellar slide guitar.
Primer relinquishes the mic to another torchbearer on the next track as Billy Branch takes center-stage on “Sugar Sweet.” This sweet homage, with brilliant harp work by Branch, was famously sung by Muddy Waters when he appeared at Theresa’s and is one of three songs on the album that was written by Mel London. Another Waters’ classic comes by way of the ever-popular Willie Buck as he showcases his vocal chops on “Champagne and Reefer.” The 88-year-old Buck came up to Chicago from Mississippi in 1953 and was a first-hand witness to the vocal wonders of Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and so many others. With his rendition of “Champagne and Reefer,” the former auto mechanic perfectly nails Muddy Waters’ signature sound. Carlos Johnson is also up to the task of taking on a Waters’ tune as he turns in some masterful guitar and gritty vocals on “She’s Nineteen Years Old.”
Mary Lane was the sole female vocalist featured at Theresa’s Lounge, so she gets her due on the aptly titled “Mary’s Song,” which she also wrote. Living legend Lane performed with Howlin’ Wolf both in her native Arkansas and Chicago, but one of the high points in her career was when she was hired to play with Primer and Junior Wells at Theresa’s Lounge. Although she has been going strong and performing for 75 remarkable years, Primer said that he hopes Lane’s inclusion on this album “will shine a light on her and help her get the props she deserves.”
Another Primer-penned song is “We All Need Help,” which sums up Theresa’s giving spirit and the camaraderie felt in her establishment. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in the basement of Theresa’s Lounge. Primer got his start after John Watkins “was at the end of his rope” and asked Primer to take his place playing in Junior Wells’ band. When Primer walked into Theresa’s, he was almost hit with a beer can, which helped prove Watkins’ point. But Primer persisted and remains eternally grateful to Watkins, who is featured on “Here I am Knockin’ at Your Door Again,” which is another memorable full-circle moment on this brilliant album.
With an entourage like this, it’s hard to single out every individual performance on Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge. Suffice to say, everyone on this album contributed their considerable talents as they come together to give listeners an aural history lesson of what it was like to hang out in Theresa’s Lounge. Once again, John Primer has reached deep down into his roots to deliver an album for the ages. Kudos to the Blues Hall-of-Famer from Camden, Mississippi as well as his wife and manager, Lisa, for taking on the monumental task of putting out this album, along with the accompanying scrap book, which is required reading for any blues fan. John Primer and Friend’s Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge was released under the Primer’s Blues House Productions record label.
About the Author: Blues enthusiast Robin Zimmerman, a.k.a. Rockin' Robin, writes a Blues Blog and is a regular contributor to Chicago Blues Guide.
Artist website: https://www.johnprimerblues.com/
Buy or listen: https://johnprimerblues.com/store
