Nashville’s rich rhythm and blues history has been obscured by the emergence of the city as the country music capital. The following lengthy review appeared in the January 2008 Jazz & Blues Calendar (Issue 300) and all of these albums are available, although one may have to purchase mp3 versions of one of them. I was sent review copies of these from the publication.
SPV Blue is continuing its releases of recordings that document the rich rhythm and blues history of Nashville. The reissues of some classic and some rare recordings as well as some more contemporary recordings show that Music City produced more than simply country music.
Bullet Records Rhythm & Blues is the second reissue of the important Nashville label, this was focusing more on jump blues and blues shouters. In fact it opens with four selections by one of the greatest shouters, Wyonnie Harris and in addition to his vocals, these recordings include the first recordings of pianist Herman ‘Sonny’ Blount (better known as Sun Ra). Fred James speculates that its tenor saxophonist Buddy Tate’s band backing Max Bailey whose tune includes an exhortation to the troops on Drive Soldiers Drive. Alto saxophonist Sherman Williams’ selections feature pianist-shouter Skippy Brooks who would later be a mainstay in Nashville for Excello, and singing six strong tracks including Baby Don’t You Want to Go, a reworking of Kokomo Blues, a song that was the model for Sweet Home Chicago. Two tracks by The Bobby Plater Orchestra feature members of Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra backing a young Rufus Thomas, while Doc Wiley’s two tracks include a hot jump instrumental and the more philosophical Play Your Hand with Wiley’s strong piano and nice vocal. A few cuts are more in the vein of Mills Brothers styled harmony, and fill out what is a pretty exceptional reissue that will be of special interest to fans of blues shouters.
The Rogana Story: Hossman’s Blues compiles a number of blues tracks that legendary Nashville dee-jay and record producer, William ‘Hoss’ Allen produced, mostly which were licensed to other labels. The material here is very blues based and features both some Nashville recordings and Muscle Shoals sides. The Nashville sides often feature guitarist Johnny Jones who leads what are The Beat Boys (tied into the legendary TV show that Allen produced and emceed and who also included bassist Billy Cox). Vocalists Sam Baker and Dottie Clark (terrific on All Woman) benefit from Jones’ stinging playing. The tracks by The Beat Boys include not only Jones’ fiery fretwork but also the famed steel guitarist Pete Drake playing through a Leslie cabinet. Finger Lickin’ is particularly outstanding selection of deep in the alley blues guitar. Jimmy Stuart, trumpeter at the time with B.B. King, plays downhome blues harp on a couple selections (Sit and Beg My Baby has a nice soulful vocal) as well as on an instrumental duet with Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore. Gatemouth Brown was recorded by Allen (he was featured on Allen’s The Beat TV show) and is Have You Ever Been Mistreated is a fine blues. Also outstanding is Johnny Copeland’s Ain’t Nobody’s Business. Several other selections feature vocalist Art Grayson (singing in a deep soul vein) while the last selection is Hoss Allen’s tribute to Martin Luther King, He Went to the Mountain Top. A nice collection of blues and southern soul that is quite entertaining.
The Champion Records Story; Volume 2 Rockin’ R&B, perhaps brings together more pop and R&B flavored recordings than the other reissues here. Champion was one the labels associated with the legendary Ted Jarrett. Jimmy Beck opens things with three instrumentals with the opening Pipe Dreams suggesting perhaps a bit of a ska groove, while Nightmare. Johnny Jones was on guitar on these and other tracks. Little Ike comes across as a Little Richard copycat on She Can Rock, while Larry Birdsong’s somewhat forgettable Scooter Poopin’ predates his Vee-Jay days. Earl Gaines is still around and is heard on three rocking sides, while Chuck Harrod & the Anteaters have a rockabilly flavor to them especially on They Wanna Fight, and Crawdad Hole. Al ‘Murfreesboro’ Garner handles the lead on Oh My Love with doo wop backing. Don Q’s Band with Clenest Gant harken back to earlier jump blues with a rocking Hallelujah and Jump Jump Hi Ho. Joyce Paul’s two tracks are sorta of minor league Ruth Brown styled recordings, while Sandra Meade is a good singer with in a nice rendition of Fever. This closes with Baker Knight’s rocking Bring My Cadillac Back, as his baby ran off with his Cadillac. Nice booting sax solo on this and a simple rock groove. An interesting slice of music perhaps, but the least interesting of these reissues.
The last of these discs is an excellent collection of recent recordings that Fred James has produced, The Champions of R&B. James produced recordings and tours by these artists and the selections are ‘leftovers’ I guess, but that should not imply any musical shortcomings on any of the tracks issued here. The material is a nice mix of straight blues and southern soul ballads. Roscoe Gordon opens with a rocking She’s the One with some nice use of the whammy bar on the guitar while guitarist James Nixon’s One More Chance is strong deep soul as is Freddie Waters rendition of the Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham It Tears Me Up. Johnny Jones is likely the guitarist on Charles Walker’s terrific Monkey Blues with Jones’ playing complimenting Walker's gospel-tinged singing. I was unfamiliar with Larry LaDon, but the terrific Living on Borrowed Time is a great performance on a song that evokes some of Albert King’s recordings. LaDon has a vocal style closer to Junior Parker than B.B. King and more good guitar here. Johnny Jones’ Girlfriend’s Blues has Johnny in consternation after discovering his woman has another lover, “my girlfriend has a girlfriend too.” Earl Gaines’ A Fool’ Advice is a solid ballad with a philosophical tone while Al Garner’s marvelous Gonna Stop Drinkin’ also benefits from some wonderful T-Bone Walker styled guitar. Altogether there are 18 tracks here that are at least good and mostly exceptional. With about 76 minutes of music, this i also good value. While Roscoe Shelton and Freddie Waters are no longer with us, others still are and plans are in the works for organizing another touring revue by these acts. If they come to a town near you, I would suggest you catch these musical giants and in the meantime, do check this wonderful CD out.
Since I originally wrote this Johnny Jones also passed on and some others may have too.
Here is the great Earl Gaines from the legendary TV show The Beat!!! (available on DVD from Bear Family) doing 24 Hours a Day.
Here is some Roscoe Shelton found on youtube.
Finally Johnny Jones with gatemouth Brown from The Beat!!!
The following is a review that extracted from a longer review of several reissues of Nashville blues and R&B that Fred James had compiled. Earl is still with us and recently recorded for the soul-blues label, Ecko Records.
Earl Gaines first attracted notice with Louis Brooks & the Hi-Toppers as a vocalist and a drummer (he played on Arthur Gunther’s Baby Let’s Play House). Gaines vocal on Louis Brooks’ recording of Ted Jarrett’s It’s Love Baby (24 Hours a Day), and when Brooks was reluctant to tour, Gaines hit the road, working with the likes of Bill Doggett. While other Excello recordings did not chart, he continued recording for Ted Jarrett’s labels before hooking up with DJ Hoss Allen in the mid-sixties and recorded for a variety of labels including king, Hollywood and Sound Stage 7. Working as a log haul truck driver he only performed occasionally until the late 1980s and made a comeback album for the Atlanta Meltone label in 1989. Eventually he was part of the Excello legends and thrilled audiences at Blues Estaffe in Holland. He recorded for a variety of labels including Appaloosa, Blue Moon, Black Top and Cannonball and in 2005 was reunited with Jarrett for his Blue-Fye label. The new album,Crankshaft Blues, is a collection of out-takes and rarities that certainly will be of considerable interest. perhaps not as gifted a singer as Shelton, he is more than able with his heartfelt passion evident on a nice mix of material. The title track is a really solid slow blues while Roscoe Shelton joins him for Someday Things Are Gonna Change, a bluesy piece of soul, while Baby What’s Wrong With You, is a solid shuffle penned by Gaines on which Dennis Taylor rips off a strong tenor solo. James is first rate on guitar here as on the other discs, supporting the vocals and adding crisp, stinging solos while Gaines grainy vocal has particular appeal on the ballad, I Believe in Your Love whose melody evokes the classic Toussaint McCall recording, Nothing Takes the Place of You. There is a credible, if unexceptional treatment of Further on Up the Road, although the album closes on a strong note with his live rendition of the song that started it all, It’s Love Baby (24 Hours a Day). Earl Gaines may not quite be as strong a vocalist as his contemporary, Roscoe Shelton, but he provides a more downhome flavor as a singer. This is quite an entertaining release and provides a nice introduction for those not familiar with him.
Fred James has played a substantial role in documenting and getting recognition for Nashville's R&B scene. One of the artists whose careers Fred James helped to revive was Roscoe Shelton who passed away in 2002. Originally Shelton was on the Excello label for whom he made many fine blues and soul recordings, many of which were his own songs. Later he recorded for Sound Stage 7 where he had two national hits, appeared on the legendary The !!!!Beat TV show and then found himself burned out. He did record some for local labels and performed in local clubs and then semi-retired from music, working at a medical hospital. James recorded fellow Excello artist Clifford Curry in 1992 for an Italian label, and Curry told him many of his label mates were still around, leading to Shelton's career being revived which led to albums on Blue Moon, Appaloosa, Black Top and Cannonball (with Earl Gaines). "Save Me", the present set, is comprised of recordings from a variety of dates. One is a duet with Mary Ann Brandon is from her album "R.O.A.D.", while a track with Earl Gaines is an alternate of what appeared on Cannonball. A terrific singer that grew up in the Church (he was once a member of the Fairfield Four), he was very at home with the blues. Highlights include the terrific title track, the cover of Ivory Joe Hunter's "Blues at Midnight," the shuffle, "Why Didn't You Yell Me (For So Long)," and the belly-bumping blues, "Think It Over." Not a bad track here as Shelton never received the recognition his talents and music deserved. Highly recommended.
This is slightly edited version of review that appeared in Jazz & Blues Report
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