Jimmy Reed was born September 26, 1925 in Dunleith, Mississippi. It is this beginning that provided the exposure to the Blues. His tools for the blues were a Harmonica, Guitar and his pleading, boasting, chuckling or threatening voice. Reed's simple but evocative sound of walking bass lines mixed with high and slow harp did develop that unique, stacatto style, a blowing style with a lot less suck than someone such as Little Walter or Sonny Boy Williamson. The Chess Label turned Jimmy down in 1953, but he was directed to the Vee-Jay Label by Albert King whos own career was just starting. He is one of the first to have "cross-over" success into the white market, and subsequently (13 times) Jimmy's singles made their way into the Hot Hundred. Jimmy Reed to say the lest had a a lot of trouble with the bottle, however he was not the first nor the last to encounter such difficulties after all it is part of life.
After serving in the Navy during the war he moved to Chicago, and worked in the Steel mills. It was in the early 50's that he hooked up with his old friend Eddie Taylor. His signature is easy to spot, the shrill harmonica, boogie rhythm, Eddie Taylors guitar fills and the drum beat and of course his wonderful voice.
Reed's declined in the 60's is directly in line with the fall of Vee-Jay. He did manage to to produce some decent tracks for the next 10 years. He wasn't around for a few years and was hoping to record again but died of a heart attack in 1976. And as John Collis says in his liner notes, "Reed crammmed in plenty of sessions during his great decade. Though no-one could claim that every track was a masterpiece, the standard was remarkably high. Jimmy Reed was a giant of the Blues"
Here is a small sample of Jimmy Reed. The cut is in F and he is playing a B-flat harp. The notation is straight forward, DB is draw bend, B is Blow, D is draw. For you new harp players listen closely and you will here him quite clearly vocalize with the harp which is in a rack (no hands).

" You Don't Have To Go

The start goes something like this:

do da daa doo doo ooo wah wah ah a do

2   3 3 3 3 3  2 2 2  1 1
DB  B B D D DB D D DB D D

2   3 3 3 3 3  2 2 2  1 1
DB  B B D D DB D D DB D D

3 4 4 5 6  6 6 5 6 6
D B D D DB D D D B D

5 4 4 3 2 2
D D D D D D

Jimmy Reed's style though was on the high end of the harp (more blow than suck) such as this sample cut:
The Sun Is Shining Record 1957 in Chicago.