Floyd Dixon Wake Up And Live!

Floyd Dixon
Wake Up And Live!
Alligator

Rhythm and Blues pioneer Floyd Dixon has been alive and well on the West Coast these years, and with the release of Wake Up and Live! on Alligator, he may start to reap some of the rewards that fellow pioneers Charles Brown and Ruth Brown have garnered in recent years.

The Marshall, Texas native gained fame for his recordings in the late forties and fifties. While he has been compared to Charles Brown, a substantial portion of his repertoire was rockers that were somewhat in the vein of those with which Amos Milburn scored. In fact one of Dixon’s Specialty recordings, Hole in the Wall is a takeoff on Milburn’s Chicken Shack Boogie. Dixon is perhaps known as the composer of Hey Bartender, But that is a somewhat trivial song compared to the other fine rocking blues and blues ballads he waxed in the forties and fifties.

While opening with a remake of Hey Bartender, Wake Up and Live! sports a whole range of material from the menacing slow Mean And Jealous Man, to Rockin’ At Home, another song reminiscent of Milburn’s Chicken Shack Boogie. Unlike Brown, Dixon’s voice shows a hint of wear, but he is also a more overtly expressive vocalist. His playing shows absolutely no deterioration and his producer Port Barlow plays strong idiomatic guitar. While Eddie Synigal is a new name to this writer, he is a booting saxophonist.

While I’ve heard a self-produced album by Dixon that was enjoyable, it did not suggest how powerful a performer he remained. A recipient of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award several years ago, this album shows that Floyd Dixon is more than capable of recalling past glories, and that the best may even be yet to come. Great stuff.


I likely received a review copy from Alligator Records, and I believe is still available. This review originally appeared in the June 1996 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 212). Here is Floyd (who passed away in 2006) performing.

Lowell Fulson Live in 1983

We have Billy Vera to thank for the release of Lowell Fulson Live 1983 At My Place (Rock Beat). Fulson is caught in performance backed by Billy Vera and the Beaters at the Santa Monica club, At My Place and its a marvelous near hour of music as Fulson revisits a number of classic she had recorded such as (Honey Hush) You Talk Too Much; Blue Shadows: Reconsider Baby; Black Nights; (Blues Pain) Do The Things You Do; Every Day I Have the Blues; Sinner’s Prayer and Tramp; along with interpretations of blues standards Going To Chicago; Stoop Down Baby; Too Many Drivers at the Wheel; and Love Her With a Feeling. I added parenthesis to a couple song titles to indicate what the song is also known as.

Fulson is in solid form here. His parched, graining Oklahoma panhandle blues voice carried the same soulfulness here as on his numerous recordings. And The Beaters provide strong backing. Saxophonists Jerry Peterson and Lon Price adding their own solos to Fulson’s own prickly T-Bone Walker-style. There was an excellent Fulson live recording from a Japanese tour with a band that included Lee Allen that has never been issued in the US. The performances on Live 1983 At My Place stand up nicely to that earlier one and this should be of interest to anyone interested in one of the giants of the last sixty-five years of blues.

I purchased this and you might try www.bluebeatmusic.com for copies. Here is Lowell Fulson with Lloyd Glenn doing Reconsider Baby from 1984.

 

Little Willie Littlefield at the 2009 Ponderosa Stomp

2009_Ponderosa_Stomp_Night_1-1021-Edit, a photo by NoVARon on Flickr. Copyright Ron Weinstock

Sad to hear the news that Little Willie Littlefield passed away on June 23 in Holland at the age of 81. The Texas born pianist and singer was part of the West Coast blues scene of the late forties and early fifties and his music was in the vein of Ivory Joe Hunter, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn and Floyd Dixon. He is best known for his recordings of "K.C. Lovin'" (better known as "Kansas City" from Wilbert Harrison's monster hit) and "Ruby Ruby" but outstanding recordings he made for Modern and Federal included "Happy Payday" and "Its Midnight." He had been living in Holland for the last 35 years and rarely performed in the US in this period. I was lucky to see him perform at the 2009 Ponderosa Stomp where his solo performance had a vigor that belied his age. RIP.

Here is Little Willie Littlefield performing "Kansas City"and a performance with Candye Kane.

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.

Phillip Walker Live at Biscuits & Blues

It has been a little over two years since Phillip Walker passed away. The Texas-born, West Coast based blues singer and guitarist came a long way from his days playing with Clifton Chenier, and then later Bruce Bromberg produced an album for Playboy Records. The following review appeared in the September 2002 DC Blues Calendar to which I have made a few minor stylistic edits.

Its been several years since Phillip Walker had an album under his name (even the Lone Star Shootout album he made with Long John Hunter and Lonnie Brooks is at least three years old). Walker has a new disc with his big band on MC Records, Live at Biscuits & Blues. This recording features his longtime working band augmented by a full horn section along with guest appearances by Charlie Musselwhite, Angela Strehli and Rick Estrin. 

Its a solid set, if not quite as good as Walker’s best studio recordings, Walker performs his own Hello My Darling, as well as Jimmy McCracklin’s Think, Harold Burrage’s Crying For My Baby, the classic Breaking up Somebody’s Home and Dennis Walkers Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark on which Walker performs a bit more grittier version than Cray’s original. 

Its nice to have a new album by Walker whose grainy voice and raspy guitar playing is a distinctive blues voice. Some of his best stuff is out of print or hard to find so even if this is not quite his best stuff, it will make due for his fans or others not familiar with this grossly underrated blues veteran. 

Here is Phillip in performance.

Sista Monica Is Living In the Danger Zone

Guitarist Vasti Jackson gave Sista Monica Parker the label of “Lioness of the Blues,” which fairly describes the power and impact of her vocals and performances. Having seen her live a few weeks prior to writing this review, I can attest to the presence of her vocals and performances that she delivers in a natural fashion. She is able to caress a lyric with a whisper before belting out her shouts without it ever sounding mannered or forced. Sista Monica will suggest to some the late Etta James, who along with Koko Taylor, Katie Webster and Ruth Brown, among the Sista’s major inspirations. However, she is her her woman and imitates no one. With a tight band that includes her long-time collaborator Danny B. (Daniel Beconcini), plenty of strong original material and select covers, she commands attention with the soul, warmth and passion she exhibits.

Her most recent recording on her Mo Muscle Records label is Living In The Danger Zone. It has her backed by Danny B.; Artis Joyce on bass; Leon Joyce, Jr. on drums; Don Caruth on guitar; and Danny Sandoval on tenor saxophone with appearances on guitar from Mighty Mike Schermer, Vasti Jackson; Terry Hiatt, Danny Caron and others; as well as appearances by Kelley Hunt on vocals and keyboards; Andy Just on harmonica, and Ruth Davies on acoustic bass.

Sista Monica at the 2012 DC Blues Festival

Monica may well be Fierce Force of Nature, as one of her songs is titled. Her fierceness may be directed against the the man who can’t take the truth when she says goodbye in No Shame In My Game, when he doesn’t meet her needs;  he spends no money on her; or is dancing too close with some other woman as on Worn Out Your Welcome. In contrast on the opening track (that was inspired by a back stage visit with B.B. King), Hug Me Like You Love Me, she sings that when you hug me like you love me I’ll feel it and let you know.” In a similar vein on Fierce Force of Nature, she declares that if her man treats her right she’ll make him scream and dance.

The title track casts a different mood as Monica sings about having to be strong and holding one’s own while Mighty Mike Schermer adds nice guitar fills. Tears is a strong slow blues where Monica sings that she can’t stop crying. It has outstanding guitar from Schermer and piano by Danny B. Andy Just's harp adds to atmosphere of the understated Let Me Moan, where she sings that “if you aren’t coming home, leave me alone and let me moan.” There is a soulful reflectiveness displayed on You Can’t Go Back, with Ruth Davies on bass and Danny Caron on guitar. 

There are more soulful originals including Sista Monica’s positive message on Just Keep Living. There is a solid cover of Robert Cray’s The Forecast Calls For Pain, and a heartfelt rendition of the gospel classic, Glory Hallelujah, where Kelley Hunt adds her piano and shares the vocal (sounding more than a little like Bonnie Raitt). It is a spectacular vocal duet that concludes this recording. Living In The Danger Zone s another excellent addition to Sista Monica Parker’s body of recordings.. As good as she is on record, she is even more enthralling live, and hopefully she is finally getting the recognition she deserves as among the finest blues and rhythm vocalists today.


I received this directly from Sista Monica.  Here she is performing the B.B. King inspired Hug Me Like You Love Me.

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. 

James Armstrong Survived A Very Dark Night

James Armstrong’s recovery from the terrible stabbing he suffered at the hands of a deranged homeless person a couple years ago is one of the most heartening stories in the blues, and the release of his second Hightone album, Dark Night, is a cause for celebration. Bruce Bromberg is one of the producers, so it may not be completely surprising that some may find this recording suggestive of Bromberg’s recordings by Robert Cray and Joe Louis Walker. Armstrong stands on his own with his gritty, slightly laconic delivery who can deal with the urban violence he personally experienced, yet can still see the light. His optimism is most obvious on the joy he celebrates on his Lil’ James, about his young son. He is as forthright singing about a relationship falling apart because of misunderstandings, miscommunications, mistakes and mistrust on Doug MacLeod’s Too Many Misses For Me, as on Slender Man Blues where he warrants that wants to do something for the ladies that the big boys can’t. Joe Louis Walker adds guitar to Trouble on the Home Front, a lazy shuffle about the “worse type of trouble to have,” while Doug MacLeod is present of Armstrong’s amusing shuffle, Bank of Love, with some imaginative use of language. Like practically all of Bruce Bromberg’s productions, these performances come across as well rehearsed and cleanly executed. Yet like Cray and Walker, Armstrong invests plenty of soul into his performances, and his own guitar solos are solidly crafted. I recently posted here (January 1, 2012) on Armstrong’s new album, Blues at the Border. The present review appeared originally in the October 1998 DC Blues Calendar as well as the October 1998 Jazz and Blues Report (Issue 235). Here is James performing at the 2009 Pocono Blues Festival and I was at this show.

Big Pete's Choice Blues Cuts

Pieter ‘Big Pete’ van der Plujim is from the Netherlands and was musically inspired by the mix of classic Chicago style blues and punk attitude that the late Lester Butler displayed before immersing himself in a whole range of blues. This singer and harmonica player was heard by Randy Chortkorff who signed him to Delta Groove which has released Choice Cuts, a strong release that might be described as “West Coast Blues’ in the vein of Williams Clarke, Junior Watson and the like.

On Choice Cuts, Big Pete is backed by a splendid band including Alex Schultz on guitar, Willie J. Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums with guest appearances by, among others, Johnny Dyer, Al Blake, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, Kirk Fletcher, Shawn Pittman, Kid Ramos, and Rob Rio. He comes across as an engaging singer (and one would be hard-pressed to detect that he was not a native English speaker)and harmonica player throughout this collection.

The songs are ‘covers,’ but none are not overly familiar and Big Pete turns in driving, engaging performances. The tone is established with the tough rendition of Lester Butler’s Driftin’, and followed by a lesser known Albert king number Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me. Kim Wilson plays harmonica for the solid rendition of Jimmy Rogers’ Act Like You Love Me, while Kirk Fletcher adds some striking guitar to the covers of a Muddy Waters’ classic, Just To Be With You, and Hey Lawdy Mama. Alex Schultz gets a nice spot on Slim Harpo’s Don’t Start me Crying Now.

The rendition of the Billy Boy Arnold Vee-Jay recording I Was Fooled is taken at a bit slower tempo than the original, with the band pushing the groove along. Kid Ramos channels Willie Johnson on his lead guitar on the rendition of Howlin’ Wolf Rockin’ Daddy, with Rob Rio laying down some boogie woogie piano. Johnny Dyer takes the vocal on Jimmy Rogers’ You Left Me With A Broken Heart, with fine harp from Big Pete and some great piano from Rob Rio. Big Pete’s fat harmonica tone is displayed on Little Walter’s Little Walter’s Just Your Fool, while William Clarke’s Chromatic Crumbs showcases Pete's swinging facility on that type of harmonica.

This is a fine collection of spirited blues performances that may not break any new ground, but certainly introduces us to a spirited and impressive performer that will delight fans of contemporary West Coast and harmonica blues.


My review copy was provided by Delta Groove Productions. Here is a video of Big Pete performing.

RIP The Magnificent David Alexander-Omar Sharriff

Word came down in early january of the death of pianist-vocalist David Alexander who was also known as Omar Sharriff and Omar the Magnificent. A blues and boogie woogie pianist was born in Shreveport Louisiana on March 10, 1938, although raised in Marshall, Texas.. While his father was also a pianist, he was self-taught for most part. After serving a stint in the Navy he moved to Oakland, California and played with a variety of San Francisco area musicians as well as touring musicians including Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy Witherspoon, Muddy waters, Buddy Guy and Albert Collins.

As Dave Alexander he made his first recordings on a compilation for World Pacific, Oakland Blues that also included L.C. “Good Rockin’” and Lafayette Thomas. He displayed mastery of the boogie woogie and blues tradition, a gift for sophisticated lyrics and an urbane vocal style. A couple of albums followed for Arhoolie followed (and the Arhoolie CDs which may be the easiest of his recordings to find today although have Mercy Records website, http://sacheritagefest.com/HaveMercy/info.htm, shows them as available) again displaying his gift with words as well as his earthy, yet sophisticated approach. In 1976 he changed his name to Omar Khayam and started performing as Omar The Magnificent, and later as Omar Sharriff.

Moving to Sacramento, California, he spent much the remainder of his life performing there. He recorded three albums for the Have Mercy label which apparently are out-of-print although copies may be located at used stores and the likes. He returned to Marshall, Texas to perform in late 2010 and relocated there in February 2011. He died on January 8, 2012, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot. My sources for the biographical information is his wikipedia page and a TV station’s news story, http://www.ksla.com/story/16473447/legendary-arklatex-musician-found-shot-to-death. I previously posted the following review of one of his Have Mercy Recordings. In light of his recent passing, thought it appropriate to repost it.

The career of pianist Omar Sharriff demonstrates that talent and originality does not necessarily result in success. One of the most distinctive blues pianists, an evocative vocalist, and a songwriter whose lyrics capture the bittersweet reality of modern urban life, it may be Sharriff’s refusal to compromise his beliefs, or the rawness of his blues, that led to his relative lack of recordings, or commercial success in music.

Black Widow Spider, his 1994 release on the Have Mercy label mixed striking versions of classic blues with powerful originals. Fingers of Fate is a splendid piano boogie, while Seven Years of Torture depicts his years living in Clovis, a town full of rednecks and fruit growers, and a very bad romance. In contrast, Fire of Fury features his rap with a forceful commentary on the Rodney King beating and the Los Angeles riots. He personalizes Ray Charles’ Greenbacks, and the Joe Williams-Count Basie classic recording Smack Dab in the Middle, reworked almost like Don’t Start Me To Talkin’ with harp. His choice of covers shows him not bound by categories but his version of All Across the Watchtower is spoiled by messy blues-rock guitar. Sharriff is a fascinating pianist who mixes jazz, gospel and other idioms with the blues. Saxophonist Steve Ghundi is a first rate player whose accompaniments and solos are thoughtful, and responsive to Sharriff’s lead.

This was an important album by an major, under recorded artist.

I checked and the Have Mercy website lists this as available. It would be worth checking the website for order info. This is revised version of the review from October 1994 Jazz & Blues Report.

Remembering Johnny Otis and His Classic Savoy recordings

The music world and fans of jazz, blues and rhythm and blues have come together to note, mourn and celebrate the life of Johnny Otis. Obituaries with details on Johnny’s life have been published in the NY Times and LA Times and more will follow. This writer has been a fan of Johnny Otis’ many faceted career for over four decades since first acquiring the Cold Shot album by The Johnny Otis Show on Kent Records. I will be providing a fuller appreciation of him in a few days, but thought it might be useful to post this review from the May/June 2000 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 245). The underlying CD box is no longer in print but can be purchased from dealers of our-of-print and used recordings. 

The release of a triple disc box set, The Johnny Otis Rhythm & Blues Caravan, The Complete Savoy Recordings is coincidental with Otis’ induction into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame. The release is one of a series of reissues being produced by Atlantic, The Savoy Jazz Originals that includes also a box set of Jimmy Scott’s Savoy recordings and other classic modern jazz sessions from that pioneering label.

The seventy-seven selections on the three discs present almost 4 hours of Otis’s classic rhythm and blues. As Billy Vera, who programmed and annotated this box notes at the conclusion of his booklet notes, “Johnny Otis certainly must be listed high on any list of rhythm and blues pioneers. Along with his caravan of singers and musicians, he played a vital role in creating and nurturing one of the most vibrant musical genres of the twentieth century.”

The collection opens up with four sides Otis recorded with a Big Band for Excelsior that show his links to the Count Basie sound. The opening Harlem Nocturne was a classic slow instrumental blues that included Bill Doggett on piano, Teddy Buckner on trumpet, Paul Quinchette, and James van Streeter on tenor saxophones, and Curtis Counce on bass. A couple of sides from this session sported terrific vocals from Basie vocalist Jimmy Rushing, one of which, Jimmy’s Round the Clock, predates similar songs from Joe Turner, Otis himself and Chuck Berry. One other instrumental dates from this 1945 session and is followed by a striking 1947 instrumental, Midnight at the Barrelhouse, which finds Otis working with the smaller jump band combo and sports some electrifying guitar.

By 1949, Ralph Bass signed Otis to Savoy and started recording with smaller groups that included the wonderful pianist Devonia Williams, and the great Pete ‘Guitar’ Lewis. Otis by this time was often heard on vibes, and not drums. The basic model of his group was the pioneering, chart-topping combos of Louis Jordan and Roy Milton. Like them he had a crisp, swinging rhythm section and punching, riffing horns. He also had Pete Lewis’ slashing guitar; and vocalists including shouter Redd Lyte, The Robins, Little Esther Phillips and Mel Walker. Lyte is an able shouter on the rocking Ain’t Nothin Shakin, while Lewis turns in a nice T-Bone flavored solo on the slow Hangover Blues.

Prior to being paired with Little Esther, the Robins showed their versatility on the rocking If I Didn’t Love You So, and the sweet ballad, Rain in My Eyes. The addition of Little Esther for the classic Double Crossing Blues led to Otis first #1 recording with Savoy, and one of 11 Otis recordings to chart in 1950. A slashing instrumental like Headhunter showcased the great Pete Lewis, as did the first part of The Turkey Hop, a dance number derived from a children’s song. Otis revisited Harlem Nocturne on Blues Nocturne, with some hot Lewis guitar and deep in the groove alto sax from Floyd Turnham, while Cry Baby introduced the blues crooner Mel Walker (backed by the Robins) on a number that adapts the melody of Charles Brown’s Drifting Blues. This description of the contents of the first volume only touches on the riches to be found here.

The second disc opens with four items featuring the Robins who parted from Otis after a dispute with the Robins’ management. I’m Living OK may not have charted, but this rocker featuring the group’s bass vocalist sports fine playing from Otis and Lewis. There Ain’t No Use Begging is a slow ballad featuring Bobby Nunn, while their last recording, You’re Fine But Not My Kind is a medium tempo blues with some fine vibes from Otis. Little Esther and Mel Walker developed into Otis’ prime vocalists. Their duets featured playful banter between the singers and Deceivin’ Blues, Cupid’s Boogie, Wedding Boogie and Faraway Christmas Blues (the latter two with Lee Graves added) proved quite popular. The second disc concludes with a couple vocals by gospel singer Mary DeLoatch who recorded as Marilyn Scott and produced a nice coupling including a hot Beer Bottle Boogie where Otis is heard on drums and features terrific piano from Devonia Williams and a tenor solo by Lorenzo Holden.

By the time of the Disc Three recordings, Little Esther had been signed by Ralph Bass to Federal, so Mel Walker becomes even more prominent on the vocals. A title like Gee Baby, which reached #2 on the charts with a larger band sports very nice muted trumpet and trombone along with some apt tenor fills and a vocal that suggests a Charles Brown influence. Pete Lewis evokes T-Bone Walker’s Stormy Monday on the intro to Redd Lyte’s Gonna Take a Train. Linda Hopkins made some of her earliest recordings with Otis, and her Doggin’ Blues shows that even then she was a powerful singer.

Mambo Boogie was a hit for Otis and his band as they took advantage of the mambo craze of the time, while Otis’s first vocal, All Nite Long, also was one of 15 Savoy recordings to crack the Billboard charts. One previously unissued selection is the theme for Hunter Hancock’s Harlem Matinee radio show and illustrates all the musical bases that Otis covered in less than two minutes, with snippets of Harlem Nocturne and Jumping at the Woodside included along with a nice boogie woogie segment.

This is a class production. The booklet by Billy Vera provides his usual literate and thoughtful consideration of the artist and the music. Otis himself contributed the painting that serves as the cover for the booklet and the box. While much of this has been issued over the years, I do not know how much was available on compact disc. I believe most of Disc 1 was previously available, but this becomes the recommended collection of Otis’ Savoy recordings, not simply because it is so complete, but because it is so good and influential.

Phillip Walker Going Back Home

Its been way too long since Philip Walker had a new studio album. Delta Groove has just issued Going Back Home, that finds the Gulf Coast native and longtime West Coast bluesman in solid form. The strength of the disc is Walker’s characteristically strong vocals (with just a hint of sandpaper in his voice and his guitar playing which rock and swing at the same time.

Producer Randy Chortkoff has selected a solid backing band that includes guitarist Rusty Zinn, Jeff Turmes on bass (and sax for a few tracks, Richard Innes on drums as well as provided Walker with a diverse range of material from the pens of Percy Mayfield (the opening Lying Woman), Lowell Fulson (Mama Bring Your Clothes Back Home), Lightnin’ Hopkins (Don’t Think ‘Cause Your Pretty), his old friend Cornelius Greene aka Lonesome Sundown (Leave My Money Alone and If You See My Baby), Ray Charles (Blackjack), Champion Jack Dupree (Bad Blood), and Frankie Lee Sims (Walking With Frankie) along with several originals from Chortkoff (although Honey Stew is suggestive of a Lightnin Hopkins recording).

Eddie Snow’s Mean Mean Woman features an accompaniment derived from Junior Parker’s Mystery Train. The backing is a bit too upfront at times and the music loses some of its regional flavor with the somewhat anonymous groove. One wishes the rhythm section was not right on the beat at times such as on the two Lonesome Sundown blues where more of the laconic Excello groove would have been beneficial. The band might also have limbered up on some of the grooves of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Jewel Recordings at times.

These are still very good recordings, with Walker first rate throughout and his take on Blackjack, Leave My Money Alone, Bad Blood and Walking With Frankie are particularly outstanding, and if not a perfect date, there is still plenty to enjoy.

This review appeared in the April 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 292) and my review copy was sent by either Delta Groove or a publicist for them.  


Here is the late Phillip Walker in performance.

The Legendary Maxwell Davis Was A Wailin' Daddy.

One of the unjustly forgotten giants of post-war rhythm and blues was the late Maxwell Davis. Its been about four decades since the tenor saxophonist, composer and arranger passed away and his legacy is quite substantial and those that remember him speak at times in awe of his musical genius. The late Jerry Leiber was quoted, “… Maxwell Davis … I doubt if you’ve ever heard that name — but Maxwell Davis made records, he was the quiet producer / arranger for the Mesner Brothers at Aladdin; the BIhari Brothers at Modern and Art Rupe at Specialty. Maxwell Davis must have made a hundred hits, not 12 or 17. And nobody knows who Maxwell Davis is.” The quote os from Dave Penny’s liner essay to a new three CD compilation devoted to Maxwell Davis, Wailin’ Daddy: The Best of Maxwell Davis 1945-1959. This reissue is part of The Architects of Rock’N’Roll series on Fantastic Voyage. One CD is devoted to recordings under Davis’ own name, and the other two to recordings he played on during the forties and the fifties. On the latter two there are ,mostly obscure collaborations by Davis. There is a follow-up volume planned that hopefully will include many of the greatest of the hundred hits, although with impending changes to European copyright law that may not happen.

As indicated, Disc One is devoted to recordings made under Maxwell Davis’ name and display the same authority on tenor that those familiar with his solos behind T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn, Percy Mayfield and others know. Davis had a fat tone and could have a slight bit of honk in his sound but also play with a warmth on a ballad. If he had toured and not been a hired gun for countless sessions, one suspects he could have been as big as some of the best known rhythm and blues tenor saxophonists of his time. And of course on the blues, his solos still sound timeless. Under his name he had a coupling of Lonesome Road Blues and Honey Dripper that featured vocalist Marion Nichols. Then there is the driving honk of the swinging Hung Out, or a session co-led with alto saxophonist September in the Rain, where his playing exhibits elements of the approaches of both Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins. There is the 2AM mode of Belmont Special, a lively instrumental cover of Hank Williams’ Hey, Good Lookin’, and Blue Shuffle, an instrumental reconstruction of Lloyd Price’s Lawdy Miss Clawdy.

The second CD includes 28 selections of him in a sideman role, opening with an instrumental from a Helen Humes date and ending with Amos Milburn’s Pot Luck Boogie. There is shouter Jo Jo Adams singing Hard Headed Woman Blues, while Helen Humes delivers the swing-jive It’s Better To Give Than Receive. There is Davis as part of Charles Mingus Sextet, wailing behind Gene Phillips on Big Legs, and less familiar recordings from Crown Prince Waterford, Lloyd Glenn and Gatemouth Brown. Then his tenor enlivens Joe Turner (with Pete Johnson on piano) on Don’t Talk Me To Death, a reworking of the classic boogie woogie Roll ‘Em Pete, as well as Pete Johnson’s Half Tight Boogie that has the great boogie woogie and blues pianist more to the front before Davis takes a terrific solo. On on this second disc are a Jimmy Witherspoon jump blues, early Lowell Fulson, and Davis on a date led by drummer Lee Young, Lester’s brother.

The third disc opens with Calvin Boze’s bouncy jump blues Waiting and Drinking, and closes with Little Willie Littlefield’s K.C. Loving (titled here Kansas City after the later Wilbert Harrison hit). Others on this include Floyd Dixon in his Amos Milburn vein in a duet with Mari Jones, Real Lovin’ Mama; Helen Humes handling He May Be Yours with Davis and a hot big band; and Joe Liggins with Going Back To New Orleans. Davis had played on Ellis Walsh’s original. He could fit in on such different sessions as an atmospheric instrumental by Red Callendar, the relatively unsophisticated blues of Peppermint Harris and the suave, modern jazzy blues of T-Bone Walker. A session with Mabel Scott produced the blues that gives this compilation its title and then he can be heard soloing behind June Christy and Ray Anthony. Less surprising is his work behind Jimmy Nelson on Cry Hard Luck, and Percy Mayfield for Loose Lips. Dave Penny notes his close association with Davis, noting that he set Mayfield’s poetic lyrics to music. While only one B.B. King recording is included, Davis was responsible for most of King’s recordings until the late sixties. There is also Cordella De Milo’s I Ain’t Gonna Hush, an answer to Joe Turner’s Honey Hush, with slashing Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson guitar, a track from Louis Jordan, and also Young Jessie and George ‘Harmonica’ Smith.

Even though most of these selections are ‘obscure,’ there is a consistency of quality and throughout Davis leaves a strong imprint from his strong saxophone and his arrangements where heard. Certainly anyone who loves jump blues and where the blues and jazz idioms intersect will enjoy this. The only possible quibble is the lack of session personnel. Dave Penny’s perceptive liner essay adds to the value provided by the music. This is an important reissue and hopefully there will be a follow-up of his better known recordings.

This was a purchase. Here from You Tube is one of the recordings that can be found on Wailin' Daddy.

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.

Al King's lyrical magic

Al King has been gone for several years but he produced a small body of blues recordings that endure because of his wonderful sober singing (often in bands with the likes of Johnny Heartsman playing on sessions) and his marvelous lyrics.

Here are some lyrical fragments:

From My Name Is Misery

I don't have no money
And I can't even pay my rent
If you put a money dog on my trail
He wouldn't even scratch a scent

Or how about his The Thrill is Gone (melody from Things I Used to Do)

The thrill is gone
The thrill I used to have for you
The thrill is gone
The thrill I used to have for you
Now you're beggin' me to take you back
Lord, but ain't a darn thing I can do

There was a reissue of all of Al King's recordings, including his most famous song, Think Twice Before You Speak. Unfortunately it and a new album by him I believe are both out-of-print and he shortly passed on. Pea-Vine has a reissue West Coast Modern Blues 1960's Vol. 3 that includes 8 tracks by Al King along with selections by Willie Headen and King Solomon. The notes may be in Japanese, but the liner booklet dos include lyrics in English and while expensive (It is an import after all), the music, especially by Al King, is first rate. I believe it is available from bluebeatmusic.com.