The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma Ben Sidran

Th e Ballad of Tommy LiPuma
Ben Sidran
Madison, WI: Nardis Books
2020: 274 + x pages

Ben Sidran, based on conversations he had with the legendary record producer, has provided a biography of Tommy LiPuma, tp who making music was more about the music than a product. To quote the book jacket; "It is also an amazing picaresque journey that opens with the murder of a man on a dirt path in Sicily and concludes with five trips up the Grammy red carpet, a real-life Horatio Alger adventure that touches on bootleggers, gangsters, artists, hipsters, and the industry that changed popular culture around the world. Finally, it’s a deeply personal account of how music saved one man’s life, and how he went on to affect the lives of millions of others."

That book jacket blurb provides a very concise summary of Sidran's biography of one of the most significant record men of the past fifty years. it takes us from brothers emigrating from a small Sicilian village to the United States to seek revenge on a murderer with one brother ending up in Cleveland when Tommy is born and grows up. He gets hurt playing baseball which unexpectedly leads to hospitalizations and a handicap.

Music becomes part of his life as he experiences health issues arising from a baseball injury. He becomes a jazz saxophonist as well as starts working at a record store. Eventually connections lead him to enter the world of record promotion at the same time he also works as a barber. Eventually, he enters the world of record promotion and starts working at first with independent labels and then major labels. He goes from Liberty Records to Blue Thumb and then Warner Brothers, as he recounts his efforts and some of behind the scenes activities.

LiPuma also learns about songwriting and record production. He serves as an Artist and Repertoire person as well as becomes well known for his productions by such artists as George Benson, Al Jarreau, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Dr. John, Yellowjackets, Michael Brecker, Bob James & Dave Sanborn, Miles Davis, Little Jimmy Scott, Natalie Cole, Diane Krall, Horace Silver, Russell Malone, Shirley Horn, Barbara Streisand, Paul McCartney, and Willie Nelson.

To give a touch of the flavor of this biography, here is an excerpt of the text that discusses recording  Little Jimmy Scott;

        "Over the years, Tommy produced many albums because he felt they needed to be made, regardless of whether he thought they had a big sales potential. Of course he never wanted to lose money, but money was not the driving factor in a lot of the projects he took on. He always believed that if the music was right, the money would follow.
        
        After the huge success of Natalie Cole’s album, he had the leisure to make one of these projects. He decided to record Little Jimmy Scott, a jazz singer who had never sold more than a few thousand records but was a soulful guy who influenced a lot of other singers and moved a lot of hearts. “I loved his music back in the day,” says Tommy. “His style reminded me of Dinah Washington—and later on I discovered that he also came from Cleveland. In fact, we had grown up a few blocks of each other, but because he was ten years older, I never knew him there, though I certainly knew of him.”
        
        Jimmy had had a particularly hard life. He was born with a rare hormonal disorder that affected not only his voice—he sounded like a woman when he sang, which is why he influenced so many female singers, especially Nancy Wilson—but his physical appearance as well; he had no facial hair and seemed a little soft, but there was no doubt he loved women. “He was a man through and through,” says Tommy.
   
        “I had a meeting with Jimmy and he turned out to be such a sweet guy. From the moment I met him, we were in total harmony. We talked about music and he was so relaxed and open to my ideas. is is so rare, to find a stylist who is so down with themselves that they’re totally comfortable letting you do what you do.”
       
        With Jimmy, the production was simple: Bring in a first-rate jazz trio and then dress the lady up in strings. “We approached the recording like an old-school jazz date,” says Tommy. “ e pianist, Kenny Barron, wrote out the chord charts and we just came up with the arrangements in the studio. I had Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums. I knew that I was going to surround Jimmy with an orchestra, so I really wanted the basic tracks to be pretty simple.”"
       
The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma on pages 198-199.

There are plenty of other stories describing how many of these recordings happened and LiPuma's unusual practice of sitting among the musicians as opposed to staying in the control room. He also becomes an art collector of a definite reputation as well. Ben Sidran has put together a fascinating and illuminating story of the life of a real record man as opposed to the bean counters that view music solely as a product that run the music industry today.

I received a pdf download from a publicist.

Slim Harpo: Blues King Bee of Baton Rouge
Martin Hawkins
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press
2016: 416pp

Its has been over 45 years since James Moore, aka Slim Harpo, passed away at the age of 45. It was a tragic early death for a blues performer who had just started crossing over to a broader National audience and about to go on his first European visit. Last year Bear Family issued a 5-CD box (near 7 hours of music), "Buzzin' The Blues," and Martin Hawkins, who wrote the book that accompanied that came with that set, has written a  biography of the short-lived, but influential, artist that takes us from his youth to the aftermath of his passing.

Hawkins traces not simply Slim Harpo's life, but provides the background both in terms of his ancestry and the history of the rural part of Baton Rouge that Harpo was born in. In addition to tracing his youth and development as a musician, he gives an overview of the blues and Black Music scene in the region along with the context of the segregated society. Emerging first as Harmonica Slim, his growth as a musician is set against the burgeoning swamp blues scene centered with Crowley, Louisiana producer Jay Miller as well as the more general context of small label Louisiana music.

Jay Miller had been recording folks like Lightnin' Slim before Harpo came to record with Slim. It was Miller who hanged his performing name to Slim Harpo and Hawkins traces the recording career of Moore, including his frustrations with Miller at times along with the commercial success that Harpo had on Excello. These frustrations led to a session for Imperial that was squelched by Miller and eventually to Harpo recording directly with Excello after a contract had expired, a factor that led Miller to discontinue his relationship with Excello.

In addition to fully tracing Harpo's recordings, he also describes the various clubs and performances Harpo made, including the ill-fated trip to Chicago made with Lightnin' Slim, Lazy Lester, Katie Webster and others that was the subject of a talking blues from Slim. Slim was popular on the southern fraternity circuit as well as playing Black and White clubs in Baton Rouge and playing armory shows with swamp pop acts like John Fred, or R&B shows with Bobby Bland and others. Included is a discussion of the live recording, that was originally issued on Ace in the UK and later in the Bear Family box, as Hawkins provides details on how the recording came to happen, how it was preserved and then considers the music from that live recording of him in his prime.

Towards the end of his career, he was just starting to break into the 'hippie circuit,' and Hawkins describes Harpo's time performing at Steve Paul's The Scene in New York City and similar performances, and he was about to tour Europe when he tragically died. Hawkins goes into some of the circumstances that likely contributed to the rupture of an artery that killed him, likely resulting from working on a car and something heavy falling on his chest.

Hawkins fills out a portrait of Harpo as a family man who was far from the stereotypical hard drinking blues artist some might have, He also worked at various employments to help sustain his family. In addition he interweaves Harpo with other members of Baton Rouge's blues scene (and the swamp blues scene in general) and artists such as Tabby Thomas, Lonesome Sundown and Lazy Lester have their music and careers discussed.

There is a full discography of Harpo's music along with a listing of recordings of other Baton Rouge artists, recommended listening and reading and a musical appreciation of Slim Harpo by Stephen Coleridge. Hawkins made use of existing interviews of Harpo as well as interviewed surviving members of his band, family members and others to provide this detailed, fully researched, yet highly readable account of a major blues artist whose career seems to been overlooked in recent years. Along with the Bear Family reissue, this superb biography certainly will help reestablish his reputation as a major blues original.

I purchased this. Here is Slim Harpo's recording of "Shake Your Hips," a song still popular with blues groups.

The Amazing Secret History of Elmore James

Among the greatest of all Blues artists, Elmore James’ influence is heard in the music of countless musicians today, whether his cousin Homesick James Williamson, Chicago slide guitar boogie master, Lil Ed Williams, New Orleans slide master Deacon John, Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green or George Thorogood’s blues-rock. James’ recording of Dust My Broom is among the seminal blues recordings and covered or adapted by countless artists. Even forty years after his death, the passion and urgency in his music is evident to anyone who spends anytime listening to his recordings. Elmore’s music was so powerful that Steve Franz did his Masters research on Elmore. Several years ago, Franz published a discography of Elmore’s music.Adding additional research, he has completed the first full-length biography of James, The Amazing Secret History of Elmore James (BlueSource Publishing).

James died of a heart attack in 1963 right around the time interest in Chicago blues was growing outside the African-American community. He was only subject to cursory interviews by several Europeans, such as photographer George Adins who saw him performing in various Chicago night clubs. As a result, much of what we know about his life derives from interviews from those who played with him or knew him including his cousin, “Homesick” James Williamson, harmonica player and vocalist Sam Myers, the late drummer Odie Payne, James’ Atlanta manager Otis Ealey, and record producer Bobby Robinson.

There is also an account of Elmore in performance in a southern juke joint excerpted from civil rights pioneer James Meredith’s autobiography. Other information is gathered from various public and quasi-public records including those of the Chicago Musicians Union local. Included also are brief discussions of some of the myths about Elmore, his influence and biographies of the musicians who played with Elmore and some of the artists who were directly affected by Elmore including Homesick James, J.B. Hutto, Joe Carter and Hound Dog Taylor.

There is also an extensive discography of Elmore’s recordings including listings of various album reissues. This is copiously illustrated with pictures of Elmore and his musical associates. There are a few minor typos but this is an impressive contribution to the literature on the blues. This can be obtained from amazon or bluebeatmusic.com.

This review was written after I purchased this book. The review originally appeared in the April 2003 DC Blues Calendar, then the newsletter of the DC Blues Society. I have made minor stylistic revisions and updated the purchase information from the original review.

Little Willie John Legendary Rhythm and Blues Recalled

Nothing is perfect and that includes the excellent new biography of Little Willie John, Fever: Little Willie John - A Fast Life, Mysterious Death and the Birth of Soul by Susan Whitall with Kevin John (2011: Titan Books). For Kevin John, publication of this book is a dream come true in helping restore his father as one of the major cornerstones of rhythm and blues, soul and rock who shaped countless other singers including Stevie Wonder who provided the introduction here.


Whitall, as seen by the collaboration with Little Willie John's son, has had access to many folk close to the great singer and performer and is able to take us to his young days in a loving home, to his triumphs as a young teenager at amateur contests in a city whose talent pool was deep. Johnny Otis recalls being at a show in Detroit where the talent was Willie, Jackie Wilson and Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, all who would become major stars. And perhaps no star burned as brightly as Willie John.


While his voice might get a lil bit deeper as he went through puberty, John had one of the signature voices of 50s and 60s rhythm and blues. It had a light, airy feel, but able to convey a deep range of emotion. He could sing anything from ballads to blues. The recordings (and so many classics including All Around the World, Talk to Me, Leave My Kitten Alone, and Fever) certainly display his singular vocals, but it was matched with a marvelous stage presence.


We are taken to his tours and sessions (how he wasn't thrilled with Fever for example) and then the tragic latter years. He is still much loved by his fans and his family and this biography hopefully will generate new interest into this musical pioneer and legend. The book does lack an index which is a significant omission and a fuller list of bibliographical sources and resources would have been helpful. Fever: Little Willie John - A Fast Life, Mysterious Death and the Birth of Soul is a most welcome new addition to the popular music literature.


I purchased this book.

Michael Gray's Journey Leads To Fascinating Blind Willie McTell Biography

Hand Me My Travelin’ Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell

by Michael Gray

Chicago Review Press (448 pp)

Blind Willie McTell, like Robert Johnson and other legendary figures, never had a hit record. When he died in 1959, after decades of playing on the streets and clubs of Atlanta, Georgia, he was largely forgotten – but today is celebrated. Several of his songs, most notably “Statesboro Blues,” have become staples of blues and blues-rock. Mystery author David Fulmer made McTell a central character in “The Dying Crapshooter’s Blues,” inspired by one of McTell’s songs; and Bob Dylan wrote that “Nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell.” Among blues enthusiasts and scholars, the body of McTell’s music is second to none. With Michael Gray’s new book on McTell, “Hand Me My Travelin’ Shoes,” we get part social history, part biography and part travelogue as Gray takes the reader on his journey in uncovering the facts of McTell’s life.

This is not simply a dry recitation of the life and music of Blind Willie McTell. He takes us back several generations to McTell’s ancestors, which include a slave owner who fought for the Confederacy and was even a prisoner of war. Using census materials, he comes across the many different spellings as well as the small rural Georgian communities, tracks what ancestors on both sides of McTell’s family did, and lived, and takes us through his birth, childhood and career as a musician who made a number of celebrated recordings during his life, yet was relatively forgotten when he passed. Using census records, old newspapers, and oral history he evokes the world McTell lived in, one of white supremacy, segregation and lynchings, yet one where McTell seemed to avoid the harshest aspects of the racist repression.

Gray tracks his life from upbringing, the school for the blind, and his homes in various communities including Statesboro and Atlanta. McTell, despite his handicap, was quite independent and able to negotiate the streets and buses of Atlanta quite well. We are taken to the places he lived, the women in his lives and how his reputation was sufficient to earn him a recording career. Gray does not over-romanticize McTell or his music. He recognizes its greatness and yet realizes that he was not a major recording star in terms of record sales. He also is sober in discussing about McTell’s music as represented on recordings. He gives us the stories underlying how the sessions came about and discusses succinctly the recordings, where they took place and gives reasoned and thoughtful analysis.

This extends beyond simply the commercial recording sessions for Victor-Bluebird, Okeh, Decca and others. There is some consideration of the Library of Congress recordings made under the auspices of John A. Lomax and Gray does spend some space noting that the original reissue of this material had some omissions, because if a few bits of speech were left off, they could get everything else on one tape and thus was issued first on record and then CD, even listed as The Complete Library of Congress Recording is not complete and omits some of McTell’s comments on songs or that he used to sing “I Got to Cross That river Jordan” which he used to sing and play with Blind Willie Johnson. And his wife Ruby was at the session and added her comments. So that the image that one has of the patronizing Lomax and other aspects Gray argues is misleading because of what was omitted.

Despite Gray including his own journey of visiting where McTell lived, walking the dusty country roads McTell walked, and visiting the buildings where McTell recorded and played, the book is still about McTell. Michael Gray has enriched us with Blind Willie McTell’s story and the legacy, and it’s a story well worth reading.

For purposes of FTC regulations, this review was originally published in the Jazz& Blues Report 2009 Gift Guide (www.jazz-blues.com). The publisher or a publicity firm sent me the review copy.