The Walter Davis Project

The Walter Davis Project is an important new album on Electro-Fi Records that brings together new performances by several blues artists that celebrate the music of the pioneering blues pianist-vocalist-songwriter. Davis was one of the most recorded blues artists (over 200 sides in a 22 year old span), an indication of his popularity amongst African- American record buyers, although his name is probably not well known among many who listen to blues today. Davis' music was what producer, and pianist, Christian Rennenberg termed one of the "citified down home Blues singers" that included Tampa Red, Bumble Bee Slim and Big Bill Broonzy, although he music was a bit more sober and reserved than others were capable of. His songs were 

German pianist Christian Rennenberg put together The Walter Davis Project. In the booklet he explains how he was first introduced to the music of Walter Davis. Then when he was driving various blues musicians from town to town he became educated about Davis. There was Willie Mabon who had a love-hate relationship since back in the States he had to play Davis' songs all the time. As ambivalent as Mabon was, Sunnyland Slim was a Davis fanatic and this led to his immersion in the music of Davis. Besides other pianists like Blind John Davis and Henry Gray, Billy Boy Arnold and Jimmy Rogers were others that helped feed the passion for Davis. 

I will not summarize every detail about what led to this CD as his liner notes does that superbly. It did lead to him recording with Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmy McCracklin, Keith Dunn and Charlie Musselwhite as well as secured a track from Bob Corritore of Henry Townsend. Arnold, Dunn and Musselwhite were fans of Walter Davis' music, but Townsend and McCracklin had deep personal ties to Davis. Townsend played guitar with Davis, being on many recordings particularly those after World War 11, while McCracklin (as revealed during an interview appended after the 17 selections of music) was Davis' godson and deeply influenced musically by Davis.

Rennenberg has a nice two-page analysis of Davis' music noting in certain respects its similarity to certain Delta blues guitarists. His playing built upon licks, phrases and riffs and was very modal in his approach. Davis almost rarely soloed and rarely played uptempo, with the focus on supporting his own lyrics which were focused on relationships and only rarely full of the bragging and swagger of some blues artists. 

Henry Townsend opens this collection up with a recording Nothin' But the Blues, that is pretty close to Davis' style of music. Townsend's piano recordings over the past couple decades of his life will give some a sense of Davis' sound. Rennenberg himself has attempted to channel Davis' approach as well and provides accompaniment on the other selections while the various singers so justice to a variety of Davis' compositions. The lyrics certainly are striking today as sixty years ago. For example not only did they put Ashes In My Whiskey, they also put strychnine in his glass as Keith Dunn sings so ably. Davis was amongst the earliest to record a cover of Robert Johnson's Sweet Home Chicago, which McCracklin reprises here against Rennenberg's rolling piano and Steve Gannon's guitar. Rennenberg himself does his take on Davis playing the dozens. Other choice performances include Charlie Musselwhite's world weary vocal on Friends We Must Part, and we may never see each other anymore and Billy Boy Arnold's Please Remember Me, with some really nice playing from Rennenberg.

Walter Davis was an important and influential individual in the history of the blues who has been overlooked in recent years. Honestly his music will not be for everybody's tastes. There are always artists that one simply may not get or like. Some of this is listening and some is what one's listening background is. For those into 'rocking blues,' Walter Davis' music may be something that are not ready for or simply that does not have appeal for. For others, the substance and depth in Davis' blues will reward close listening. The excellent performances on The Walter Davis Project hopefully will provide an introduction for many into this significant body of blues and hopefully lead them to explore Davis' substantial recorded legacy. Electro-Fi is to be thanked for this important and exceptional release.

I received my review copy from Electro-Fi. For those wanting a good sample of Walter Davis's recordings, check out Please Remember Me which is available as a CD on Amazon from third-party sellers as well as a download (also available as a download on itunes).

Here is Henry Townsend on piano playing in a fashion influenced by Walter Davis.

Here is Walter Davis' original recording of "Ashes in My Whiskey."

Jimmy McCracklin RIP

Jimmy McCracklin at 2008 Pocono Blues Festival
Photo © Ron Weinstock

Jimmy McCracklin, a fixture on the San Francisco Blues Scene for over six decades passed away, Thursday, June 20, 2012 at the age of 91. He was raised in St. Louis and his main influence would be Walter Davis, the popular recording artist. After a stint in the Navy, he relocated to the West Coast and was a mainstay of the blues scene there for over 65 years.

He first recorded in 1945 and later recorded prolifically for a variety of labels turning out numerous recordings ranging to thoughtful songs on the relations between the sexes including "My Time Is Limited," "Just Got To Know," "Yesterday Is Gone", "Every Day and Every Night" and "Think," along with dance numbers like "The Georgia Slop," and "The Walk." Some of his recordings were quite humorous like his adaptation of Memphis Slim's "Beer Drinking Woman," along with its sequel "Couldn't Be a Dream."

McCracklin's Band became known as the Blues Blasters and while in its early days included guitarist Robert Kelton, he was replaced by guitarist Lafayette 'Thing' Thomas who had a lengthy association with McCracklin and was guitarist on many of his most famous recordings including "The Walk." Add a booting sax and one had a group that could handle sober songs about relations breaking up, hot dance numbers and grooving boogies like "Club Savoy" about the Richmond, California club McCracklin played for years (set to the melody of Amos Milburn's "Chicken Shack Boogie").

His music was recorded by numerous artists including "Tramp," a hit for Lowell Fulson and then Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. Lonesome Sundown and Phillip Walker did a cover of "Stepping Up In Class," while Los Lobos revived "Georgia Slop." Freddy King incorporated part of "The Walk"into his classic "Hideaway," while Magic Sam covered "Every Day and Every Night" as performed "I Want To Know" in his live performances.

It was not simply the fact he was one of the blues strongest lyricists and song writers that made him important. He was a marvelous performer who I had the pleasure of finally seeing in 2008 at the Pocono Blues Festival where his performance belied the fact he was 87 at the time.

Here are some links of obituaries for him:

Jimmy McCracklin East Bay Blues Legend Dies.

Bay Area Blues Legend Had 65 Year Old Career

NY Times - Jimmy McCracklin, R&B Singer and Songwriter, Dies at 91

And here is the link to Bill Dahl's All Music Guide Entry as well as limited Discography.

Here is a video of Jimmy talking about himself, the blues and performing.

Al King Was a Blues Master

It has been three decades since Al King briefly flirted with chart success with his evocative Think Twice Before You Speak. Frustrations with the record industry led the Louisiana native to foreswear recording, although he has obviously had a change of heart. The Rochester, New York Forevermore label has just issued his first new recordings in near thirty years, It‘s Rough Out There, which follows up the label‘s 1996 compilation of many of King‘s classic recordings, Al King Blues Master, The Complete Sahara and Shirley Recordings.

As related in the notes to Blues Master, King (who was born Al K. Smith) grew up on the big bands and Jimmy Rushing was a particular favorite. After finishing his stint in the Service, King moved to San Francisco in 1947, eventually moving to LA where he first recorded for John Dolphin‘s Recorded in Hollywood label in 1951. In 1953 he recorded as a member of the Savoys for the Combo label. Around this time he hooked with Johnny Otis and performed for Otis’ review for a few years before recording two of his compositions, My Last Letter and On My Way
for the Oakland based Music City label with the studio band led by a 17 year old Johnny Heartsmen.

Eventually moving to San Francisco, he recorded for Bob Gedddins‘ Irma label at the same time falling under the musical spell of Lowell Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin. He in fact became friends with McCracklin, touring and recording with him. It is his voice that is the second voice on McCracklin‘s hit, I Just Got to Know, and he recorded with a female singer as Al and Nettie an answer song, Now You Know. “While the recording did not establish his name, it enabled him to meet Ron Badger, owner of the Shirley label.

With Shirley, King made perhaps his best known recording, a terrific rendition of Lowell Fulson‘s Reconsider Baby that has been anthologized in part because of the presence of Johnny Heartsmen‘s guitar. This was the flip side of On my Way,“ a reworked version of his earlier recording that opens Blues Master, which features King‘s bittersweet vocal against a lively, brassy backing that is propelled by charged rhythmic playing from Hearstman. His other single for Shirley is a terrific Lingerin‘ Love with some splendid lyrics backed by a dance number Shimmy & Shake.

Then King started his own label, Flag for which he recorded the stunning Think Twice Before You Speak, a moody slow blues with menacing lyrics about the graveyard being full of people who talk too much and while he‘s not a dentist, he‘d be happy to remove one‘s teeth for free. It was coupled with Heartsman‘s uptempo The Winner,“ and it was successful enough that it was picked up by the Buffalo based Sahara label for which King waxed another four singles including the marvelous My Money Ain‘t Long Enough, about his woman who spends all his money and gambles just like a man so that even though he‘s working a full time and part-timeime job, it just ain‘t enough for her. With a morose delivery akin to McCracklin and Fulson, he hammers the lyrics home as Hearstman‘s guitar lines run in and around his vocal. While Fulson has recorded Think Twice Before You Speak, and Phillip Walker‘s most recent album, it is surprising that this song has not be similarly revived. The rest of this album is of a similar quality, other songs reflecting his similar morose view of human relationships, along with a terrific cover of Lloyd Glenn‘s Blues Shadows. The album concludes from a 1968 recording, Get Lost, “where he cleverly incorporates the lyrics of his songs. There are plenty of great blues in a vein that anyone that loves the McCracklin and Fulson blues of this period will want.

While he may have sworn off recording, King has remained active performing, and obviously continuing to write new material. Three decades later he has returned to the studio producing It‘s Rough Over Here, backed by a young group the Sugarbees who may not provide him with the subtlety and suppleness of Heartsman‘s playing and arranging skills, but generally acquit themselves quite well. Of the ten songs here, only Peoples in the Graveyard“ was a familiar song, originally recorded as My Name is Misery. Here King recounts just how many ways he is bad off before the tagline, “My Name is Misery, peoples in the graveyard are better off than me.”

The title track has him recounting the ills of modern urban life and how he wished he could move away from the corner drug sellers and the drive by shootings. He is a bit more assertive on Ain‘t Giving Up Nothing, telling his woman that there relationship has to be a give or take relationship. Sweet Jimmy‘s Place represents a change of pace, while the cynicism of You Can‘t Trust Nobody should be obvious from the title. Its amazing how much like Fulson he sounds like today, and shares with Fulson a deliberate, laconic singing attack with the same appealing sound. It‘s Rough Over Here is a release that will be welcomed by those who have wondered to him. It will also make him among the obvious choices for blues comeback artist of the year, and one might expect several of these songs to become new blues classics.

I wrote this review back in 1998 when these releases were issued. I believe it originally appeared in the DC Blues Calendar. Since I originally wrote this, I heard the original of Ain‘t Giving Up Nothing, so it was another song Al King had recorded previously. I believe I received a review copy from the label. These show up as still being available. 

McCracklin's Well Seasoned Taste of the Blues

Jimmy McCracklin’s career still goes strong almost five decades after his first recordings. His second Bullseye Blues album joins him with Johnny Otis, Lowell Fulson, Smokey Wilson, Barbara Lynn, saxophonist Bobby Forte and the late Larry Davis for what is billed a West Coast Blues Reunion. McCracklin certainly has grown from the early recordings that showed a strong influence of Walter Davis’ bittersweet blues. By the mid-fifties, his Blues Blasters with the late Lafayette ‘Thing’ Thomas, were blasting out shuffles and minor key blues with rocking boogie piano, Thomas’ cutting, twisting guitar lines and honking saxes ripping through shuffles and mid-tempo blues. A Taste of Blues (Blueseye Blues) finds him in a funky mood reminiscent of his later Minit and Stax recordings as he performs some new songs, and new versions of older songs like My Answer or Yesterday is Gone. McCracklin’s best songs reflect Walter Davis’ influence is his dealing with adult human relationships, while his vocals are delivered with a low key that suggests a certain hesitancy and vulnerability. While Lowell Fulson, Barbara Lynn and Smokey Wilson each contribute guitar, McCracklin’s own guitarist Pee Wee Thomas is the most effective, adding tasteful, scratchy solos that complement McCracklin’s reflective lyrics and tempos. In contrast, Smokey Wilson’s overstated, buzzsaw solos don’t work and suggest his limitations as a guitarist. Former B.B. King saxophonist Bobby Forte adds several fine tenor saxophone solos including a really fine, moody break on My Answer. The duet with Lynn (whose guitar solo is nicely constructed), Yesterday Is Gone, is nice rendering of the lyrics dealing with the two recognizing the break down in their relationship and a hope for reconciliation, as they jointly sing “Let’s talk about our future and let bygones be gone…” The slightly jerky rhythms are those that would be echoed by Magic Sam and other sixties admirers of McCracklin. There is little on this of the hard rocking boogies McCracklin recorded of Peacock, Irma and various West Coast labels. The opening number Boogie On Down, relates not to hot boogie woogie numbers, but the let’s get down and boogie funk dancing. It may be the nature of McCracklin’s songs, vocal approach, or the lazy tempo, but his music has aged very well. With Ron Levy adding organ, and the use of a vocal chorus on several songs, one cannot accuse Bullseye of underproducing this, although there are places like Put Up Or Shut Up, where a lighter touch and a shorter performance would have made for a more focused blues. Jimmy McCracklin at 2008 Pocono Blues Festival Photo © Ron Weinstock Another solid recording from McCracklin, although when his best recordings from the forties, fifties and sixties get reissued on cd, this may be viewed as a minor recording. I have made a few minor changes to the review that originally appeared in the October 1994 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 195), and I believe is still in print. I likely received a review copy from Rounder Records. I previously reviewed on this blog an English Ace reissue of classic McCracklin recordings from the Modern label, Blues Blastin’.

McCracklin's Blues Blast True 50 years later

The line-up for this July's Pocono Blues Festival includes San Francisco warbler Sugar Pie DeSanto who will have as a special guest, Jimmy McCracklin. McCracklin who will celebrate his 87th Birthday a couple weeks after this festival is in his seventh decade as a performer. After World War II he stayed on the West coast where he mixed jump blues with the morose stylings of one of his big influence, Walter Davis. With guitarists ripping off single note solos and a tenor sax wailing on his jump numbers, his band's name the Blues Blasters was right on, yet he also could put down those doomy Bay are blues like contemporaries Jimmy Wilson, and Roy Hawkins (who had the original recording of The Thrill is Gone that McCracklin and Hawkins collaborated on.

What triggers this blog entry is my recent purchase of Blues Blastin': The Modern Recordings Volume 2 on English Ace Records. McCracklin has already a fair body of recordings when he was signed to the Bihari Brothers label and it was during this period that Thing Thomas joined the Blues Blasters contributing his slashing guitar. Its an interesting mix of material from Gonna Tell Your Mama, a cover of J.B. Lenoir's Mama Talk to Your Daughter; the doomy The Panic's On; the philosophical My Mother Said, with its lyric "When I had money, I would always have friends who cried, she said when you're down you got no friend, lord mother did not tell no lies," on which McCracklin plays some downhome harp; the rocking Blues Blasters Boogie, with its booting sax opening before Thomas takes a solo, opening simply enough before he takes off; That Ain't Right, a take on Jimmy Reed's You Don't Have to Go, with more harp from McCracklin; Darlin' Share Your Love (Oh Baby), a pleading vocal with Thomas guitar slashing through the braying horns; an alternate take of Deceivin' Blues, with some really solid piano and scintillating guitar which reworks the classic post-war blues, Sunny Road; and the rocking boogie woogie, I'll Get a Break Someday. This compilation also makes available Thomas' marvelous single of Lost Mind b/w Don't Have to Worry, with the earlier number being a slow blues with Thomas slashing guitar very much in a T-Bone Walker vein. Saxophonist Johnny Parker handles the insistent Tired of Everybody.

If McCracklin's career had ended with these recordings, he would have been well remembered, but subsequently he recorded prolifically for such labels as Mercury (Georgia Slop); Chess (The Walk), Art-Tone (Just Got to Know); Imperial and associated labels (Think, My Answer); then Hi, Stax, Ichiban, Bullseye Blues and Evejim, which omits some labels. He was able to adapt to changing musical fashions and still sound contemporary, yet the core of his blues remains timeless.

McCracklin certainly merits a multi-label retrospective and certainly I look forward to seeing this legend live, and hope his performance lives up to a quarter of my unrealistic expectations. May he keep blasting the blues for many more years.