"He was one of the top harp blowers (and at times the best) in Chicago. - REAL BLUES Magazine

Malcolm "Little Mack" Simmons, came up from Twist Arkansas and earned his formidable harmonica chops in the southside jukes and in the blues clubs along Rush Street in the windy city. In a remarkable almost 50-year career, this childhood friend of James Cotton later performed with the some of the brightest lights of the blues world, including Robert Nighthawk, Sunnyland Slim, Luther Allison, Magic Sam, and Howlin' Wolf. Never a big name, he remained an unsung hero for most of his career, mentoring other up & comers with studio and stage time at regular jam sessions, including having a young Lonnie Brooks sit in & perform some of his first songs with Little Mack.

In 1954 Little Mack moved on to Chicago, where he formed his own band and held down a five-year stand at Cadillac Baby's, as well as performing regularly at Pepper's Lounge and at Sylvio's. In 1959 he began his recording career, initially at Carl Jones's C.J. label, then he cut tracks for Cadillac Baby and Chess Records. Over the next three years, he laid down more sides for the Palos, Bea & Baby and New Breed labels.

From the mid to late 1970s, he owned and operated the Zodiac Lounge in Chicago. He also owned a studio and recorded for his own labels: PM Records and Simmons Records. Along with his own records, during this period he also contributed killer harmonica laden tracks to music from blues diva Arlean Brown and guitarist Fenton Robinson. In addition he cut blues tracks for Biscayne and Dud Sound, and in the 1980s he recorded for Sky Hero Productions, in which he was a partner.

By the mid-1990s, Mack was back in the studio, cutting Come Back to Me Baby on the Wolf label in 1994 and High and Lonesome for St. George Records the following year. But it was finally his later period 1990's era recordings done for the Electro-Fi label, that garnered him renewed career interest. His 1997 Electro-Fi release, Little Mack Is Back, that proclaimed the revival of Simmons's career, reaping enthusiastic reviews from around the globe. Similarly his next Electro-Fi CD, Somewhere On Down The Line, found much acclaim, as did a greatest hits collection entitled The Best Of Little Mack Simmons, The Electro Fi Years.

ALBUMS AND CDs

Little Mack Simmons, 1975 (Black & Blue, France)

Love Will Make A Way Somehow, 1978 (Simmons Records)

Come Back To Me Baby, 1994 (Wolf)

High and Lonesome, 1995 (St. George)

Little Mack Is Back, 1997 (Electro-Fi)

Somewhere On Down The Line, 1998 (Electro-Fi)

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