Jay McShann, Last of the Blue Devils

Jay McShann, like Joe Turner, bridges the world of jazz and blues. The Last of the Blue Devils represents a new Atlantic issue (SO 8800) where he is joined by Paul Ouinichette, Joe Newman, Buddy Tate, John Scofield, Milt Hinton and Jackie Williams. McShann is known as the leader of the big band from which Charlie Parker emerged. Ouinichette a well known tenor player also was associated with McShann. McShann's band was known as a band that played the blues. Recordings in the 1940s with singer Walter Brown were quite popular and led to a limited view of his own talents which hopefully this album will rectify (along with other recent recordings including the wonderful duet album he did with Buddy Tate on Sackville).

This album should win McShann many new fans. It swings with a vengence with lots of bluesy swinging piano that shows slight traces of Art Tatum. McShann takes five persuasive relaxed vocals. He redoes "Confessin' the Blues" which he recorded with vocalist Walter Brown and has since been done by Little Walter, B.B. King and the Rolling Stones. Bird, Brown and McShann composed "Hootie Blues" which features some nice electric piano from him capturing an almost organlike flavor. McShann's singing is quite like bluesman Lowell Fulson and it may be more than coincidental that both come from Oklahoma.

Besides the five blues vocals, there are five instrumentals including one solo piece. McShann is in good company with especially good work from Tate and trumpeter Joe Newman. All told a most wonderful album that any lover of jazz or blues can iII afford to be without. Atlantic may be part of the WEA conglomerate but releases like this show that label founder Ahmet Ertegun still hasn't forgotten the music that the label was built on and we are grateful. Mr. Ertegun, may we have more of the same, please.

This review originally appeared in the Buffalo Jazz Report March 1978 Issue 49. I likely received a review copy from the Buffalo Jazz Report, now Jazz & Blues Report. This may be available on CD used or digital. Here is "Blues Devil Jump" from this album,

 

Take 5 With Jimmy Witherspoon

While I only had the pelasure to see Jimmy Witherspoon perform once live, I was long a fan of his recordings. while often compared to his idol, Big Joe Turner, he was also a terrific Ballad singer. For this short playlist, I start with what was a major hit for him, "Ain't Nobody's Business," with Jay McShann on piano.

Spoon was one of the blue singers who often was backed by some of the greatest jazz players. His recordings with tenor saxophonist Ben Webster were special. He heis live at the Renaissance Club in LA with Jimmy Rowles on piano and Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax doing Leroy Carr's "How Long How Long Blues."

 The first Jimmy Witherspoon album I purchased was "Evenin' Blues," on Prestige. The session included T-Bone Walker on guitar and Clifford Scott on tenor sax. Here is "Money Is Getting Cheaper," a remake of "Times Getting Tougher Then Tough," which I believe was the first track of this album.

I would be remiss if I did not include a selection from his recordings with blues-rock guitarist, Robben Ford. What might have seemed an unlikely partnership, was actually one that worked quite well. Here they do a song spoon had recorded a number of times before that was also a hot for Big Joe Turner, "S.K. Blues."

Finally, here is a set of Spoon with a group led by former Count Basie saxophonist, Earle Warren, live in Europe. Enjoy.

The Acoustic Blues & Roots Of Duke Robillard

Duke Robillard has been fairly prolific on recordings recently and Stony Plain has issued his latest, "The Acoustic Blues & Roots Of." One might be tempted to call this "Duke Unplugged," but the 18 selections cover a wide range of genres, not simply types of blues. Along with some of his regular partners in music, bassist Marty Ballou, pianist Matt McCabe and drummer Mark Teixeira there are guest appearances including vocalists Sunny Crownover and Maria Muldaur, guitarist and vocalist Mary Flower, pianist Jay McShann, harmonica wizard Jerry Portnoy and clarinetist Billy Novick. Along with Robillard originals there are songs from Stephen Foster, Jimmie Rodgers, Big Bill Broonzy, the Delmore Brothers, Tampa Red, John Estes, Hank Williams, Robert Lockwood Jr., and others.

Overdubbing allows him to showcase his mandolin on the brief "Old Kentucky Home," followed by his capturing a pre-war Chicago blues groove on Broonzy's "Big Bill Blues." "Left Handed," with Portnoy contributing the Sonny Boy Williamson I harp comes across as another Big Bill styled performance. Portnoy is also on the cover of Sleepy John Estes' "Someday Baby." There is a pretty straight rendition of "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water," while Novick's clarinet and Robillard's mandolin are heard on a nice"St. Louis Blues."

There are affable renditions of country tunes including Jimmie Rogers "Jimmie's Texas Blues," with a credible yodel"; a lovely duet with Mary Flower on the Delmore Brothers' "Nashville Blues"; and a cover of Hank Williams' waltz, "Let's Turn Back The Years." Sunny Crownover sings "Evangeline," covering a song associated with Emmylou Harris and The Band. With Novick on clarinet, Robillard sings some Tampa Red hokum on "What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy?" Most performances are short (Under 4 minutes), with the longest being a take on Robert Lockwood's "Take A Little Walk With Me," that has outstanding piano from McCabe. A treat is a duet with Jay McShann on the moody Meade Lux lewis composed instrumental "Profoundly Blue."

Robillard acquits himself as a vocalist and the playing is wonderful throughout resulting in an enjoyable change of pace from Duke's other recordings.

I received my review copy from Mark Pucci. Here is Duke Robillard jumping the blues.

Saluting 35 Years of Stony Plain Records - 35 More Please

Arhoolie Records and Alligator Records are not the only important independent labels that are celebrating an important milestone this year. Canadian Stony Plain Records is 35 years young and the label has a double CD celebration 35 Years of Stony Plain to celebrate that fact. In addition to the 41 varied performances, there is also a bonus DVD with some performances, such as Jay McShann and Johnnie Johnson together and special material such as a tour of Stony Plain’s headquarters. The booklet that comes with this release contains an essay from Richard Flohil that provides a concise overview of Stony Plain and the remarkable Holger Petersen who has been the force behind this remarkable label. The booklet also provides a concise overview of the marvelous contexts of the two CDs and the DVD.

I am not as familiar with the Stony Plain catalog, particularly since it’s catalog is not devoted to simply blues. Calling it a roots label is accurate and the first of the two CDs is subtitled “Singers, songwriters and much, much more …” The contents include folk, country and some swing jazz. Maria Muldaur is heard on a Dan Hicks song with backing that includes David Grisman and John Sebastian. Other highlights is the one of the explorations by the late Jeff Healy into early jazz with a wonderful revival of The Wildcat by Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti; country-folk troubadour Steve Earl; Canadian legend Ian Tyson; Tim Hus’ Country Music Lament on the sad state of today’s country music; Asleep at the Wheel’s Western Swing version of a Count Basie hit, That’s Your Red Wagon; the New Guitar Summit of Duke Robilliard, Jay Geils and Garry Beaudoin; Emmylou Harris singing Gram Parsons’ Wheels; Rodney Crowell; and three previously unissued Bob Carpenter demos. Most of this disc was totally new to me and delightful.

The second disc is subtitled “Blues, R&B, swing, jazz, and even more …” and contains more familiar material with some nice highlights from Joe Louis Walker, Jay McShann, Kenny ‘Blues Boy’ Wayne (this is a preview of his upcoming album) and Rosco Gordon from various recordings Duke Robillard has produced for the label. There is a terrific instrumental by Ronnie Earl from his most recent CD, Spread the Word, as well as a Rory Block song from her marvelous Mississippi Fred McDowell album. Its nice to hear selections from Sonny Rhodes and Billy Boy Arnold. This disc closes with a strong, unissued recording by the late Richard ‘King Biscuit Boy’ Newell, a fine harp player and singer; and four unissued sides from 1965 by Robert Nighthawk that likely were his last recordings. Nighthawk’s performance of Tampa Red’s You Missed a Good Man features particularly superb slide guitar.

This is a fine celebration of an important label that I will be returning to listen to. Stony Plain may be slightly cutting back on its release schedule compared to past years because of the changing nature of music and recording distribution. This reflects the hard reality of the fact few mortar and brick record stores still exist and digital downloads are increasingly important. Fans of blues, folk, country and other similar music need to support labels like Stony Plain that produce much terrific music that otherwise would not be so readily available. 35 Years of Stony Plain is well worth obtaining to savor the music, videos and the booklet. Here is to Stony Plain having another 35 years.


My copy was provided by the record company or a publicist for the label.

Jay McShann Always Was Jumping.

Jay McShann was the leader of the last great band to emerge from Kansas City, mixing the blues and riff tunes that helped transform jazz. He continued to perform well into the 21st Century and this writer had the pleasure of seeing him several times including once backing up Big Joe Turner at Fat Tuesday’s in New York City. The last time I saw him perform was at the Western Maryland Blues Festival where he was backed by Duke Robillard, who produced his last several albums for the Canadian Stony Plain label. McShann actually recorded extensively over the past couple decades of his life with excellent albums available also on Atlantic, Sackville, Black & Blue MusicMasters, and Chiarscuro. The following review of Hootie’s Jumpin’ Blues appeared in the October 1997 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 225). Jay McShann’s new album on the Canadian Stoney Plain label displays the timelessness of his music. McShann’s big band was one of the last to emerge out of Kansas City before World War II (and included the legendary Charlie Parker for a period) and was known as the band that played the blues. The band enjoyed considerable success for Decca with the classic Confessin’ the Blues. With the decline of the big bands after the war, McShann adapted his music into the smaller jump bands and continued a prolific recording career over the next few decades featuring a variety of vocalists, including Crown Prince Waterford, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Priscella Reed. In the seventies, McShann was recorded for a number of labels and started including some vocals of his own, displaying an appealing, somewhat nasal vocal delivery that added to his wonderful bluesy piano (influences on McShann included Pete Johnson as well as Count Basie). While he has continued to record over the past few years, this release showcases his engaging vocals as much as his piano. Producer and guitarist Duke Robillard adds particular authority to this recording, which goes back to the days of when he fronted Roomful of Blues, and his guitar work is solidly in the T-Bone Walker vein adding to the authenticity. He rounded up some fine horn players who do a capable job, although they honestly do not arrive at the level of a Buddy Tate or Paul Quinichette, who accompanied McShann on his Atlantic recordings of the late seventies. This is not to fault the strongly idiomatic playing the musicians turn in, and, as a result, McShann convincingly reprises a number of his more famous songs. The album also includes a lengthy spoken section broken up by some samples of McShann solo. It is great to know that Jay McShann still sounds so well and vigorous. I also blogged about McShann’s last album (also on Stony Plain), Hootie Blues, back on January 12, 2007.

Classic Witherspoon With MacShann

Jimmy Witherspoon is among my favorite singers in the blues and jazz realms, who was able to sound good in a variety of settings. His earliest recordings were made on the West Coast with Jay McShann in strong little big band combos while in latter years his recordings with Robben Ford impressed in their own vein. Few could handle material made famous by his hero Big Joe Turner as well as that of Jimmy Reed with equal conviction. The following review appeared in the April 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 292).

Among the most recent releases in the Mosaic Singles series this classic 1957 recording by Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann and His Band, Goin' to Kansas City Blues. Originally on RCA, I believe this has been on CD but undoubtedly deleted. Mosaic has made available the entire album with three other recordings from the sessions that had been issued on a French vinyl reissue.


Opening up with Jumpin’ the Blues from the pen of McShann and Charlie Parker, Witherspoon handles other McShann classics as Hootie Blues and Confessin’ the Blues, along with Until the Real Thing Comes Along, the classic ballad made famous by Andy Kirk’s Clouds of Joy along with the Joe Turner-Pete Johnson Piney Brown Blues. Witherspoon contributed a couple of originals, Rain is Such a Lonesome Sound and Blue Monday. He shines throughout backed by the swinging big little band McShann led. Others on the session included Kenny Burrell on guitar, Hilton Jefferson on alto sax, Seldon Powell on tenor sax, Al Sears or Hayward Henry on baritone sax, Emmett Berry or Ray Copeland on trumpet, J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, Gene Ramey on bass and Mousey Alexander on drums. Stereo masters were found for all but two of the thirteen songs heard here.


This is a most welcome reissue and available directly from mosaic at http://www.mosaicrecords.com/.

Cake Walkin’ is Tasty Jump Blues Confectionery

Can there be little doubt we are blessed in terms of the availability of some terrific rhythm & blues from the music’s golden age of the forties through the sixties with the reissue of so much material. Add to this abundance of musical riches a new reissue from Ace Records in the UK from the Modern Records vault, “Cake Walkin’: The Modern Recordings 1947-1948,” by the Al ‘Cake’ Wichard Sextette. Wichard, born in Arkansas, but resident as a drummer, and participated in a number of the early post-war sessions out in the West Coast.

This is small group jump blues at the highest level which benefited from the presence of the great Jay McShann on piano for a number of tracks. It certainly did not hurt that the group was also fronted by vocalists Duke Henderson and Jimmy Witherspoon. Some of the selections by Spoon may have been issued on one of the Ace Witherspoon reissues (“Geneva Blues”), but others are alternates such as the risque “Daddy Pinocchio,” “Sweet Lovin’ Woman,” “Big Fine Gal,” and “Thelma lee Blues.” Some of the earlier sides were issued under Wichard’s name as McShann and Witherspoon were under contract to Mercury at the time. Included is Spoon’s excellent rendition of “I Want a Little Girl,” associated with Jimmy Rushing, and “Roll ‘Em Boy,” a thinly worded take on “Roll ‘Em Pete,” that Joe Turner waxed with Pete Johnson. Henderson himself accounts himself quite well on “His Majesty's Boogie,” and “Gravels in My Pillow.”

Several instrumentals are interspersed here like the two takes of “Junction Drive,” featuring McShann. The last two selections, “Boogie Woogie Basement,” and “Boogie Woogie Upstairs,” may have McShann on piano but feature guitarist Pee Wee Crayton. I’m not sure who the guitarist is on the McShann instrumental “Slow Lope,” but his playing is excellent as is McShann’s. There is also some excellent tenor saxophone (like behind Spoon on “Good Lover Blues,” which employs the “T’Ain’t Nobody’s Business” melody). Tony Rounce’s annotation details what we know about these recordings and Wichard and completes this superb jump blues reissue.

This is available from Bluebeat Music and other better internet stores.

Witherspoon Goes TO KC

Mosaic Records has a well deserved reputation for superb boxed sets of many different giants of jazz. In recent years they have started new series of reissues including Mosaic Select, three CD sets by various artists (often underlooked) and most recently Mosaic Singles that makes available out-of-print classic albums.
Among the most recent releases in the Mosaic Singles series is a classic 1957 recording by Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann and His Band, Goin’ to Kansas City Blues. Originally on RCA, I believe this has been on CD but undoubtedly deleted. Mosaic has made available the entire album with three other recordings from the sessions that had been issued on a French vinyl reissue. Opening up with Jumpin’ the Blues from the pen of McShann and Charlie Parker, Witherspoon handles other McShann classics as Hootie Blues and Confessin’ the Blues, along with Until the Real Thing Comes Along, the classic ballad made famous by Andy Kirk’s Clouds of Joy and the immortal celebration of a legend of KC night life by Joe Turner-Pete Johnson, Piney Brown Blues. Witherspoon contributed a couple of originals, Rain is Such a Lonesome Sound and Blue Monday. He shines throughout backed by the swinging big little band McShann led. Others on the session included Kenny Burrell on guitar, Hilton Jefferson on alto sax, Seldon Powell on tenor sax, Al Sears or Hayward Henry on baritone sax, Emmett Berry or Ray Copeland on trumpet, J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, Gene Ramey on bass and Mousey Alexander on drums. Stereo masters were found for all but two of the thirteen songs heard here. This is a most welcome reissue and available directly from Mosaic at http://www.mosaicrecords.com.

This is an edited version of my review that first appeared in Jazz & Blues Report. www.jazz-blues.com.

Cleanhead's Blues

Among its recent releases, Delmark has just re-reissued Kidney Stew is Fine by Eddie 'Cleanhead Vinson. Originally issued on the French Black and Blue label, the disc has the shouter-alto saxophonist with an all star band that included Jay McShann on piano, T-Bone Walker on guitar and tenor saxophonist Hal ‘Cornbread’ Singer. Its a good mix of classic songs that Cleanhead made famous like the title track, Somebody’s Sure Got to Go, Juice Head Baby, Big Bill’s Just a Dream and Old Maid Boogie, along with Joe Turner’s Wee Wee Baby, Percy Mayfield’s Please Send Me Someone to Love, and Duke Ellington’s Thing's Ain't What They Used To Be. Vinson is in terrific form both vocally and instrumentally and the band swings wonderfully for a most enjoyable session that is welcome to be readily available.

As a postnote to this review, I note that when I first came across the various Black and Blue releases on vinyl in the 70s and early 80s I generally found the jazz releases (and this was one that was originally more oriented towards jazz audiences) was generally more satsisfying than the blues releases. In part it may have been because the bands were tighter and could handle the material, even if not fresh, with an authority that many of the label's blues releases could not quite achieve without sounding generic.

Incidentally, amazon still (3/23/08) shows the 1994 Delmark CD cover of this release on its website. I corrected this posting on 3/23/08

Farewell Crown Prince Waterford

Word arrived over a month later that Rev. Solomon Charles "Crown Prince" Waterford passed away at the age of 90 on February 1. The Oklahoma City native began a recording career (I believe with Jay McShann) and recorded for Capital, Mercury and King Records and composed over thirty blues compositions. A terrific shouter in the vein of Walter Brown and Jimmy Witherspoon his earliest recordings have been compiled on the Classics label, In more recent years he moved to the Jacksonville Florida area where he served a a minister. In 2002 he had his first recordings in decades, All Over But the Shoutin' for Cypress Records.

This info taken from his myspace page, link.

In a description of the CD by Geechie Smith & Crown Prince Waterford - Swingin KC Combos on Blue Moon on www.bluebeatmusic.com has some stuff inconsistent with the above, sayig he was born Charles, born in Jonesboro, Arkanasas and sang in bands that included Andy Kirk and the Clouds of Joy (with Charlie Christian and Abe Bolar) before beginning his career as the Crown Prince of the Blues in Chicgao during the 1940s and started recording for hy-Tone and Aladdin in addition to Capitol. Here is the pertinent link.

Jay McShann's Hootie Blues

The passing of the legendary Jay McShann this past year was one of many substantial losses the music world suffered. McShann led one of the last great Kansas City Big Bands which was noted for its blues playing and the fact that Charlie Parker was a member until he emerged as one of the forces behind the Bebop revolution of the forties. In the forties and the fifties her recorded behind any number of blues singers including Crown Prince Waterford and Jimmy Witherspoon (Mosaic is reissuing their classic RCA album) and then in the late sixties and early seventies recorded in the US and abroad for a variety of labels which showed him to be one of the great piano masters of blues and swinging jazz. He continued to perform and tour worldwide over the past thirty five years and in the past several years the Canadian Stony Plain label put out several very fine releases in the company of Duke Robillard.

Perhaps the last McShann CD to be issued in his lifetime, the 2006 Stony Plain disc, "Hootie Blues," was recorded in 2001 at Toronto’s Montreal Bistro, with the pianist-vocalist was accompanied by saxophonist Jim Galloway (whom McShann had played with a number of times over the past few decades), Galloway’s wife Rosemary on bass and Don Vickery on drums. This disc is a delightful set of chestnuts from McShann’s pen like 'Confessin The Blues,' 'My Chile' and the title track, along with a strong blues that I believe Witherspoon recorded, 'When The Lights Go Out,' as well as standards as '‘Deed I Do' and 'All of Me.' McShann still sounded fine at 85 when this performance occurred, especially in his piano playing, and the backing band is right with him. Galloway is very attractive player working within the swing tradition. McShann was modest about his singing, but his slightly nasal delivery, reminiscent of his one-time vocalist, Walter Brown, had a definite appeal, although his delivery perhaps shows a tinge of the years and he still sang and played the blues at a level most could only aspire too. In addition to some marvelous performances, there is an extended interview between Stony Plain’s Holger Peterson and McShann recorded in 2003 here he remembers his formative days and more, which is placed at the discs end so one can listen to at one’s leisure. A very enjoyable release which may not be among his finest recordings, but certainly has little to fault.