Take 5 with Louis Jordan

Louis Jordan was one of the kings of the Juke Box for the forties until the early fifties. His place in the music world was such that The Beat!!! devoted a show to him in the mid-1960s, after his ruling of the record charts had ended.

We are fortunate that so much actual video of him performing exists. We start off this brief playlist with what may be his most famous song, "Caldonia."

Next up is a clip of him doing a song that later was used for a musical devoted to his music, "Five Guys Named Moe."

Louis Jordan's "Let the Good Times Roll" would be covered by B.B. King, Ray Charles, Koko Taylor and so many more.

Then there is rambunctious humor of "Saturday Night Fish Fry."

We close this brief sampling of Louis Jordan with a performance from The Beat!!! TV show of "GI Jive."

Shout Sister Shout's Retro Jump and Swing

The quintet, Shout Sister Shout, took its name from a Sister Rosetta Tharpe song and brings together an enthusiasm for the music of the thirties and forties. MC Records has issued Hit That Jive which is a slightly enlarged version of a self-produced CD that has been available on cdbaby.

The Michigan based quintet is comprised of Rachel Davis on vocals; Joe Wilson on trombone, steel guitar and vocals; Andy Wilson on Harmonicas, trumpet and flugelhorn; Dominic John Suchyta on upright bass and vocals; and Joshua Davis on guitar and vocals. While its obvious when Ms. Davis sings, the male vocal on Louis Jordan’s No Sale, is not identified, but that track does feature some nice steel guitar. There is a bit of retro flavor to some of the performances which goes with the repertoire. This is not to say they get overly campy and don’t show respect to the music.

Ms. Davis is certainly easy to listen to and does a marvelous job on the Louis Jordan evergreen, Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying, as well as the standard Moonlight in Vermont, with nice steel guitar and harmonica in the accompaniment. It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie, has a bit of campy feel in the backing although their is some nice trumpet and steel guitar again before Davis’ straight-forward vocal. “Carolina Moon,” has a bit of campfire country flavor with steel guitar in the backing and country flavored harmonica.

Other selections come from the discography of Billy Holiday Ms. Otis Regrets, and God Bless the Child, the latter having more trumpet. She accounts for herself well although she not in Lady Day’s league as a singer (few are). Andy Wilson’s harmonica leads off “It’s a Paper Moon,” where one the men (Joshua Davis?) shares the vocal with the rhythm strutting behind the singers. On Don’t Let Your Eyes Go Shopping For Your Heart, Ms. Davis’ lovely vocal is backed marvelously by Joshua Davis’ restrained guitar. You Rascal You, one of the two tunes added to this edition of the recording, has some nice tailbone trombone and the closing Hit That Jive Jack, features an ensemble vocal.

Also included is a short behind the scenes video of clips of them recording and talking about themselves. Hit That Jive, may not be profound, but it certainly is a delightful recording that provides a refreshing change of pace for listeners.

This review originally appeared in the July 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 318) and my review copy was provided by M.C. Records.

Hot Lips Page Just Roll, Roll, Rolls

This is the second part of my appreciation of Oran “Hot Lips” Page.

Hot Lips Page’s music being so heavily rooted in the blues and Kansas City jazz was able to readily make the transition to jump blues and the post-war rhythm and blues market in the manner of such other swing-based performers as Louis Jordan.His place in post-war blues has been neglected although he was the subject of a memorable story in Whiskey Women and, a late rhythm’n’blues quarterly that many of us still miss. The Spanish El Toro label has issued a compilation of 27 recordings (over 70 minutes of music) for a variety labels, “Roll, Roll, Roll: The R&B Years.”

Hot Lips Page was one of the few who could approach the ebullience and inexhaustible musicianship of Louis Jordan, as Dave Penny observes in his liner notes. The proof is in these recordings from the rousing cover of Julia Lee’s “Last Call For Alcohol” as Lips lets us now its the last call with a ripping tenor saxophonist before he blasts some high note joy as a hot jitterbug tempo, which he takes out with some hot playing. This was recorded at a paris Concert and later released on King Records. “They Raided The Joint,” was written by Lips and Joe Eldridge based on an earlier Dan Burley song, and the performance for Continental sports a solid big band ensemble behind Lips fine vocal and trumpet.

“There Ain’t No Flies On Me,” is a nice mix of jive and swing that was recorded for Columbia,” while he covered Louis Jordan’s 1947 hit, “Texas and Pacific” for Apollo, of which an alternate take is presented here here. Nice tenor saxophone on this and Lips blasts through his mute although his vocal is a bit flatter than Jordan’s original. “Walking in a Daze” is a terrific straight blues wonderfully sung with just a bit of gravel in Page’s voice and followed by another terrific blues performance, “Miss Larceny Blues,” showing that Page could stand up to Wyonnie Harris, Eddie Vinson and his other contemporaries able to shout, yet invest a lyric like “every time your wagon breaks down, you come running back to me, I’d like to call you lover, but you are larceny,” with the applicable irony.

Page’s rendition of the Jimmy Preston’s “Roll, Roll, Roll” stomps and rocks as hard as the lyrics suggests. Again more terrific booting tenor sax as well as blistering trumpet. Other highlights include his original recording of “Ashes On My Pillow” which Eddie Vinson had a hit with but King never originally released, his own interpretation of the oft recorded “Open the Door Richard.” Another hot track is “Birmingham Boogie,” a hot jump blues with strong tenor, piano and Lips taking it out on his horn. His Victor recording “I Want to Ride Like the Cowboys Do,” comes across Louis Jordan crossed with the Joe Liggins band with a jive lyric and gutbucket baritone sax in addition to Page. On “The Jungle King,” a take on “The Signifying Monkey” as well as “The Cadillac Song” date from some early fifties sessions for King with a band that included Sam “The Man” Taylor and Harry “Van” Walls. These are terrific idiomatic recordings with a solid, infectious walking rhythm with Taylor terrific on tenor sax as one would expect.

Then their are his duets with Little Sylvia, Mildred Anderson and Pearl Bailey. Page’s duet with Bailey of “Baby Its Cold Outside” paired with “The Hucklebuck” was very popular. While the former was not included, the lively “The Hucklebuck” is. The success of these led to other duets including the salacious “Chocolate Candy Blues,” with the 14 year old Little Sylvia sounding like an attempt to emulate the Johnny Otis recordings with Little Esther with either Mel Walker or The Robins (the use of a vocal chorus) is consistent with this suggestion.

This compilation of Lips also concludes with some live club recordings originally issued on Circle with a band that includes Tyrone Glenn on trombone, Paul Quinichette on tenor sax, Danny Barker on guitar and Sonny Greer on drums with the lively “ Main Street” and “I’ve Got the Upper Hand” being more strong blues. Barker’s playing here will be a revelation for those only familiar with his banjo playing in his latter days back in his hometown while Quinichette’s Lester Young flavored tenor is as home in the blues as Page’s trumpet and vocals. There is a slight bit of noise on these which I assume is from the source recordings.

Dave Penny has a nice essay in the accompanying booklet, but El Toro does not include (because of cost as Dave Penny commented after this review was posted) full discographical and composer information, which is a significant omission. Nonetheless the main attraction on this is the boisterous, exhilarating music of Oran ‘Hot Lips’ Page. This is where the realms of swing jazz and blues meet, and the meeting is such a congenial one. I had this CD on my cd player at work, and I do not know if it was coincidence, but I was in an incredible good mood that day. Its over five and a half decades since Oran Page left this world, yet his music, such as on “Roll, Roll, Roll” has a vitality still today. Like the music of another trumpeter who stood in Louis Armstrong’s shadow, Henry ‘Red’ Allen, he left a body of music that would seem worth excavating by contemporary artists, although one wonders how many contemporary jazz artist would be able to do justice to this material. Perhaps Kermit Ruffins or James Andrews might be recruited for such a project.

I purchased this from bluebeatmusic.com.

Happy Thanksgiving

Inspired by Marc Myers and his blog at jazzwax.com, I have put together a playlist that might inspire a nice Thanksgiving Feast.

Robert Lighthouse “Turkey Leg Woman” from his album “Deep Down In the Mud” on Right on Rhythm Records and originally done by Dr. Ross and available on the Arhoolie CD “Boogie Disease.”

“Eat That Chicken” by Charles Mingus from Atlantic album “Oh Yeah”

“I Ate Up the Apple Tree” by Dirty Dozen Brass Band

“Beans and Corn Bread” Louis Jordan

“Corn Bread” by Hal Singer Sextette and reissued on the Bear Family CD, “1948:Blowing The Fuse-28 R&B Classics”

“Cornbread And Butter Beans” by the Carolina Chocolate Drops from the CD “Heritage.”

“Cabbage Greens” by Champion Jack Dupree available on JSP 4 CD box set of Dupree’s early recordings.

“Hey Sweet Potato” by Buddy Johnson from CD collection “The R&B Years - 1947”

“Sweet Potato Man” by Willie King from CD “One Love.”

“Red Beans” by Snooks Eaglin from his “Teasin’ You” CD

“Cherry Pie” by Marvin and Johnny and also by Swamp Pop artist Jay Randall (Reissued on “Swamp Gold Vol. 2”. Here is link to Marvin & Johnny’s original, reissued on English Ace label. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhfNJASU7NM

“Sweetie Cakes” Count Basie from the “April in Paris” CD

“Do Fries Come With That Shake” Tommy Brown from the BoneDog CD “Rockin’ My Blues Away.”

Of course, Thanksgiving in great part is about "Family," as recorded by Jim Hall and Bill Frisell from their CD "Hemispheres," on ArtistShare.

I hope all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving have a wonderful day and celebrate the things thatv really matter.

Big Daddy Stallings at the 219 Restaurant

20090807-2009-0807_Big_Daddy_Stallings_at_219-147
Originally uploaded by NoVARon

Its been way too long since I had the pleasure of seeing Charles 'Big Daddy' Stallings and his band live, so when I got the word that he would be appearing in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia at the 219 Restaurant's Bayou Room, I made plans to attend and after fighting the brutal traffic on King Street I made it there just as they started playing.

Stallings has a fine band led by saxophonist Joe Thomas and includes Steve Levine, a harmonica player who has really developed over the years. I apologize for not having the names of the other players. Opening up with the Hugh Maskela classic 'Grazing in the Grass," the band opened with several soul instrumentals with the horn line of sax, trumpet and harmonica being very effective. Then a couple instrumentals featured Levine who channeled his inner Walter Horton, "Easy" and the Duke Ellington standard, "Don't Get Around No More."

The it was time for Big Daddy to get out of his chair and take the vocal mike opening with a pair of Louis Jordan numbers "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie," and "Caldonia," before tackling his own originals. Stallings has a down home vocal approach, yet is as much as home with a Jimmy Reed groove as when his band gets into a funk groove. His down home style helps invest such songs as his "4 X 4 Woman," with quite a bit of their charm as well as his lively "I've Got the Blues," set to a "Hootchie Kootchie Man" groove. Enlivening songs with his solos as well as some of Thomas, Levine and the excellent trumpet player, when they closed the set to Archie Bell's "Tighten Up," with the band getting introduced, it was quite an enjoyable set and well worth the drive.