Soul-Blues Queen Denise Lasalle passed away on Monday Night, January 8, 2018 at the age of 83 (some reports have her 78). According to The Boogie Report (from which some of this information is taken), she passed away from complications from recent surgery.
Born near Sidon, Misssisppi, Lasalle was not simply a terrific blues singer, but also a songwriter and producer. She had a minor hit on Chess before she founded were her then husband, Bill Jones," independent production company, Crajon, with her then husband Bill
Jones. Her song "Trapped By A Thing Called Love" (1971) was released on
Detroit-based Westbound Records. This was a number 1 Rhythm & Blues hit, charted on the pop charts and certified as a gold record. She had more recordings for Westbound and then ABC Records while her songs were recorded by otghers including country singer Barbara Mandrell.
In the 1980s she recorded a number of acclaimed albums for Malaco Records that established her as a prominent singer on the southern soul and blues circles particularly and her comments about being ignored by some blues circles led the Blues Foundation in a Living Blues interview led to the creation of the soul-blues category in the W.C. Handy Awards (now the Blues Music Awards). After recording for Malaco for years, she recorded three albums for Ecko Records before returning to Malaco in 2010.
Denise was inducted to the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame in 2011 and was inducted on 2015 into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. In recent years, she had been living with her husband James E. Wolfe, in Jackson, Tennessee.
Here is Denise LaSalle performing a medley of "Give Me Yo' Strongest Whiskey" and "The Blues Is Alright."
Here she sings a medley of "Someone Else Is Steppin' In" and "Down Home Blues."
One of my friends, who may be on the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame Committee, inquired about my suggestions of folks to be considered for the Hall. I provided him with a number of names. The names I submitted included Roy and Grady Gaines (who are both still with us), the Boogie Woogie Trio of Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, and Meade Lux Lewis and their mentor Jimmy Yancey, the great Esther Phillips and Duke Robillard. I also suggested as Classics of Blues Recordings the compilations that accompanied Sam Charters "The Country Blues," Paul Oliver's "Blues Fell This Morning and the Origin Jazz Library "Really the Country Blues," and a number of the early Yazoo vinyl albums.
Albert Ammons & Pete Johnson
The artists selected for induction were announced Sunday by the Foundation and include: Mavis Staples, Magic Slim, Johnny Copeland, Henry Gray, Latimore and Willie Johnson. For Classics of Blues Recordings albums they choose John Lee Hooker, The Real Folk Blues (Chess). I do find these artists deserving although I do not believe any of these artists are more deserving than the ones I had suggested.
I am pleased for the Texas Twister, Johnny Copeland, a singular performer that was always adding new elements to his music. Magic Slim was one of the biggest and most reliable acts on the blues circuit of the past forty odd years. I was surprised of the selection of Latimore, although pleased that someone in the soul-blues world was honored. Henry Gray has been a solid pianist and vocalist in the over forty years since he moved back to Louisiana, not to mention his tenure with Howling Wolf. Willie Johnson was a major player on Wolf's early recordings (but how can you pick him and also not pick Roy Gaines, who did session work for Duke (with Bobby Bland I believe); Chuck Willis (he was also Willis' band leader); Jimmy Rushing and many more, as well as numerous outstanding recordings on his own, several of which were award-winning ones).
Johnny Copeland doing "Devil's Hand" in 1984
To my mind, the only questionable selection of a performer is that of Mavis Staples, whose iconic status as a performer is well acknowledged, but one whose performances and recordings are outside the blues.The press-release announcing the selections acknowledges this, stating that she "one of America’s premier singers of gospel and soul music, has expanded her musical mastery with her performances in more blues-based settings in recent years." Performances being in a blues-based setting is not, to me, a strong rationale to induct a non-blues artist, as wonderful as she is, to a Blues Hall of Fame. I understand the rationale, I do not agree with it.
A few other observations about this year's selections. Once again, with the exception of Son House's "Preaching the Blues" as a classic single, pre-war blues artists and recordings were generally ignored. Also the one album selected, John Lee Hooker, The Real Folk Blues, is not, in my estimation, one of the more important albums of Hooker's music. Of course this represents my opinion, but one resulting from following and listening to blues for a half century.
A couple years ago, three saxophonists were inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame. Few could question the selection of the late Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, who was notable as a fluid saxophonist and a notable blues shouter. Also inducted was Big Jay McNeely, who was noted as one of the great honkers of rhythm and blues and is still alive, and Eddie Shaw, a Chicago saxophone player and vocalist first noticed for being Howlin' Wolf's last band leader and his playing on recordings of Magic Sam, Jimmy dawkings and others who has led his own bands over the past four decades.
Here are three individuals whose contributions similarly merit such recognition
Grady Gaines (heard playing "There is Something on Your Mind") was leading one of the top local bands in Houston (where he was on recording sessions for Peacock and Duke Records) when he received the call from Little Richard to join Richard's band in the early 1960s. Gaines remained with Richard, leading the Upsetters, and after Richard's leaving music for the ministry took over the Upsetters and they would become the backing band for Little Willie John, Sam Cooke and then some of the legendary rhythm and blues tours of the late sixties and early seventies. In more recent years, Gaines has led the Texas Upsetters performing a wide range of music for many occasions but always rooted in blues and rock and roll. He had two outstanding albums on Black Top in the 1990s and I recently reviewed his biography, I've Been Out There. He probably has backed more acts in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame then anybody else and more than a few of these are also in the Blues Hall of Fame.
If one was going to name perhaps the greatest saxophonist of the post-war Chicago blues, chances J.T. Brown would be the person most familiar with the history would select. Brown's nanny-goat vibrato and swinging attack is best known from his numerous recordings with Elmore James and the Broomdusters, but he also recorded behind countless other blues legends including Roosevelt Sykes, Jimmy Oden, Eddie Boyd, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Rogers, Little Johnnie Jones and the blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac. He also recorded a number of vocals including his own "Blackjack Blues," that is a different number than the Ray Charles blues. Brown as Sax Man Brown is heard on "Sax-Ony Boogie," backed by Elmore James, Little Johnnie Jones on piano, Ransom Knowling on bass and Odie Payne on drums.
J.T. Brown mentored A.C. Reed, the big-toned player who was not simply a member of several of the greatest blues bands of the seventies and early eighties, but also was a significant leader and ocalist on his own right. In addition to his prized 45s ("My Buddy Buddy Friends"), he was a member of Earl Hooker's Roadmasters before being a significant part of the great Buddy Guy-Junior Wells Band of the 1970s, followed by a stint with what likely was Son Seals' greatest bands, and then was with Albert Collins and the Icebreakers, when Collins toured in support of Collins (and he appeared on Collins' first five Alligator CDs). His own recordings and performances featured in addition to his big saxophone sound(Gene Ammons was an admitted influence), his tongue and cheek lyrics as represented on his Alligator album title, Take These Blues and Shove 'Em! or on the rocking "These Blues Is Killing Me."
Certainly J.T. Brown and A.C. Reed's credentials are certainly equal to those of Eddie Shaw and Grady Gaines' career certainly is as meritorious as Little Richard, who after all was a rocker.
Not one member of the Boogie Woogie Trio (Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis or Pete Johnson) is in the Blues Hall of Fame. The greatest boogie woogie pianists of all time. Here is Boogie Woogie Prayer.
I also add their mentor Jimmy Yancey is also not in nor is the great Cow Cow Davenport. Look at who has been recently inducted but these folk are not in. Here is Davenport, not doing the eponymously named boogie, but Texas Shout.
And here is Jimmy Yancey's almost poetical rendition of How Long Blues.
More on acts that should be in the Blues Hall of Fame in future posts. Look up these folks on google and give their music a listen on the net.
Willie Dixon's cliche "The Blues is the roots and everything else is the fruits" may have had some truth when he made it, but today so much of what is marketed as blues is the fruits as much as anything. When Dixon made the comment so many musical acts were redoing blues songs (country acts covered Jimmy Reed) and even the genius that was Gil Evans would rework a Dixon song like he does with Spoonful.
Or Jimmy Smith cover Muddy Waters' hit Got My Mojo Workin'.
The highpoint of the 2012 Pennsylvania Blues Festival was the riveting performance by the veteran San Francisco Bay singer Earl Thomas and his Blues Ambassadors. Thomas brought not only a deep soul voice to his program of blues and classic R&B (A killer rendition of the Etta James smash I'd Rather Go Blind) , but his showmanship was dazzling. Definitely a performer of the old school, of which there is too little today.
Tis image taken from the Blues Foundation's website
Sunday, March 24 Earl Thomas headlines a terrific Raise the Roof Concert for the Blues Hall of Fame to raise money for the Blues Hall of Fame that The Blues Foundation. This takes place starting at 1PM PDT, 4PM EDT and 8PM in Europe. Here is some information from the Foundation's website:
"Blues legend Earl Thomas and his friends will play at Club Fox in Redwood City on Sunday, March 24, 2013. This once in a lifetime event, which will not be replicated anywhere, will be live streamed by VenMundi, making it possible for Blues aficionados all over the world to enjoy these extraordinary artists who are coming together in support of The Blues Foundation's Raise the Roof! Campaign for the Blues Hall of Fame.
Sista Monica (seen at 2012 DC Blues Festival)
among those assisting Earl Thomas
Raise the Roof for the Blues Hall Of fame
Earl Thomas started out wanting to support The Blues Foundation by giving back his time and talents as a Blues artist. As his fellow Blues musicians heard about what Thomas was doing, they wanted to join him. As a result, the show will feature Sista Monica, Syreeta Neal, Lady Bianca, Kenny Neal, Tia Carroll, King Tuffnstuff, Shane Dwight, Daniel Castro, John Nemeth, Kyle Rowland, Greg Nagy, Aki Kumar, the Blues Ambassadors and the list is growing.
Thomas explains, “I’m excited to be part of this event, and even more excited to have my friends join me in supporting The Blues Foundation. I think it is important for all of us to give back to the music that we love and to ensure that the history of Blues is preserved. I’m also grateful to VenMundi for helping us contribute 50 percent of the proceeds in support of the Blues Hall of Fame.”"
Here is the link to the specific VenMundi.com page for this PPV event.
As a full disclosure, I am a member of The Blues Foundation and am currently making a monthly pledge towards the Blues Hall of Fame. I will be watching this PPV tomorrow.
As stated on its website, www.blues.org, The Blues Foundation is currently engaged in a capital campaign to build a physical Blues Hall of Fame. On the website, the Foundation notes the history of the Blues Hall of Fame and its plans:
“Since 1980, The Blues Foundation has been inducting individuals, recordings and literature into the Blues Hall of Fame, but until now there has not been a physical Blues Hall of Fame. Establishing a Blues Hall of Fame enhances one of the founding programs of The Blues Foundation. The campaign calls for up to $3.5 million to create a hall of fame that will be the place to: honor inductees year-round; listen to and learn about the music; and enjoy historic mementos of this all-American art form. The new Blues Music Hall of Fame will be the place for serious blues fans, casual visitors, and wide-eyed students. It will facilitate audience development and membership growth. It will expose, enlighten, educate, and entertain.”
It is a substantial amount to raise but certainly would provide a way to have more than a virtual Hall of Fame to honor the legendary performers, recordings and related individuals of the Blues. More information including the making of pledges and donations can be found at the website with a link on the Blues Foundation’s home-page. I encourage all the blues lovers in the blues community to honor the legends and history of the music and support the Foundation’s fund-raising efforts.
By the way, the graphic is taken from the Blues Foundation's website. The donate button on the graphic here does not work. The donate button at www.blues.org does work.
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