I Hurts Me Too (Hudson Whittaker)
Copyright Universal-McA Music Publishing Div. of Universal Music Corp.
Arranged by Ben Goldberg & Andrew Stephens
Ben Goldberg: Clarinet
Andrew Stephens: Trumpet
Recorded by Ben Goldberg
Mixed by Michael Coleman
It Hurts Me Too is a blues standard that was written by Hudson Whittaker (known as Tampa Red) in the lates 30s and was recorded by him in 1940. Throughout the 40s and 50s, this song was recorded by many other blues artists including Stcik McGhee, Big Bill Broonzy, and most famously in 1957 by Elmore James. Elmore’s version reached 106 on the Billboard Charts. The song has since been covered by The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, Junior Welles and many others.
“Andrew and I have been in the habit of studying together and recording duets. I thought we could make a good version of this Tampa Red song. Before we got to the song I showed Andrew some unrelated melodic ideas I was working on. After a couple of takes of the Tampa Red song, Andrew noticed that one of my melodic ideas could be played along with the song. So that is the clarinet line you hear on the recording — not originally intended for this use, but Music reached out and set us straight!” – Ben Goldberg
Clarinetist/composer Ben Goldberg grew up in Denver, Colorado. He received his undergraduate music degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master of Arts in Composition from Mills College. He was a pupil of the eminent clarinetist Rosario Mazzeo, and studied with Steve Lacy and Joe Lovano. He has been an active recording artist and performer for the past three decades and has a vast and creatively rich discography.
Website: http://www.bengoldberg.net/
Andrew Stephens grew up in Sacramento, California playing traditional jazz and swing. He attended UC Berkeley for Pure Mathematics, where he studied with Myra Melford and Ben Goldberg in addition to his academic pursuits. Since he graduated, he has been a working musician based in San Francisco, performing with Rob Reich Swings Left, Circus Bella, Jacknife, Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, Fil Lorenz Orchestra, and touring the U.S. and Canada with the Hot Sardines. He is the leader of the Campus Stompers, and co-leader of the Clifford Brown Project with Charles Chen and BANKSHOT with Ben Goldberg, Kasey Knudsen, and Nora Stanley. In August 2019, Andrew placed second in the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competetion, where he had the opportunity to perform with Ambrose Akinmusire, Charles Tolliver, Tim Hagans, Roger Ingram, and Dana Hall.
Website (Swings Left): https://robreich.bandcamp.com/album/rob-reich-swings-left
