Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.
Released in 1955 by the Checker imprint of Chicago’s Chess Records, “Country” just scratched the R&B charts, helping Barge secure booking through the Shaw Agency—which handled some of the era’s biggest R&B stars, including Ray Charles. Barge developed a reputation as a capable pickup player, available to back artists coming through town without full bands. He also did some limited touring, including with Philadelphia vocal group the Turbans.
At the time the Chess brothers were trying to broaden their established blues sound—even their premier artist, Howlin’ Wolf, wanted them to sign more jazz and soul artists to appeal to a new audience. Barge was soon booked to play on Fontella Bass‘s 1965 smash “Rescue Me,” which would chart on both sides of the Atlantic. With this hit under his belt, Barge cut the 1965 instrumental LP Dance With Daddy “G” on the Checker subsidiary, which showed off how refined and polished his sax style had become. Barge recorded some solo singles for the label too, including 1968’s strange “Chippie the Hippie From Mississippi” with future Minnie Riperton producer Charles Stepney.
Barge was interviewed for Martin Scorsese’s 2003 PBS documentary, The Blues, and appeared in a 2010 episode of the TV documentary series Legends (“Roll Over Beethoven: The Chess Records Saga”). In the late 2000s Barge recorded a couple solos for Public Enemy songs, and in 2013 he self-released the album Olio, with appearances from Buddy Guy and Otis Clay. At the 2018 Chicago Blues Festival, he was honored with a tribute set by his own band. Here’s hoping for many more tributes—and many more years of music from Daddy “G”! v
