CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday/
Volume 27
This 27
th Volume of our popular
"Chicago/ The blues Yesterday" series brings to the limelight three
jazz and rock artists who in their career performed and recorded
Chicago blues.
This is particularly the case to Donna Hightower (1926-2013). Donna, born in Caruthersville, Missouri
into a sharecroppers family, sang in the local church while listening to Ella
Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday records. While singing for a dinner in Chicago, she was
instantly signed by Bob Tillman, a well known columnist with the Chicago
Defender newspaper. She got a gig daily at the Strand Hotel and started to
record in
Chicago a handful of tunes, some of
them being clearly rooted into the Chicago
blues of the era. I ain't in the mood
would climb to the Top 50 Race Records. Donna went to the West Coast, recording
again for RPM with Maxwell Davis and for Capitol but made the most of her successful
career in Europe, recording jazz, pop, Gospel for numerous labels and appearing
on the biggest jazz festivals.
On the other hand,
Wild
Child Gipson (Byron Everett Gipson Jr) (1930-1994) was a true pioneer of
Rock'n'roll. Born in Gulfport,
Illinois, Gipson learned bass and
guitar and was a true fan of Lloyd Price. He started his career as a doo-woop
singer with the Sliders. During the mid-50's, Gipson became the road manager,
car driver and bodyguard of Little Richard (!), also arranging some of his
songs and writing some tunes for his leader. Wild Child Gipson also recorded
some tracks under his name, Uncle John
(an answer to Richard's Long Tall Sally)
gaining some commercial success. After an incident where he was shot on the
leg, Gipson gave up the road and relocated to Quincy
(Illinois)
where he mostly made a living outside the music.
Tommy Dean was
a pianist born in Franklin,
La. in 1909. He played and
recorded first in Saint Louis before taking his
chance to Chicago
after 1945 where he would play in clubs and record as a studio musician as well
as under his name for Miracle, States, King, Federal and Vee Jay labels. Most
of his records are in a jazzy blues vein and are very good with great singers
like Joe Buckner or Jewell Belle. He died in Saint Louis in the fall of 1964. (cf http://campber.people.clemson.edu/deanie.html
for a in-depth study of Tommy Dean's life and career)
Gérard
HERZHAFT
DONNA HIGHTOWER, vcl; Gail Brocklan, tpt;
Poerter Kilbert, a-sax; Riley Hampton, a-sax; Walter Leonard, b-sax; Horace
Henderson, pno; Floyd Smith, g; Arthur Edwards, bs; George Reid, dms. Chicago, Ill.
9 october 1951
01. I ain't in the mood
02. Cry
Donna Hightower, vcl; Gail
Brocklan, tpt; Poerter Kilbert, a-sax; Riley Hampton, a-sax; Walter Leonard,
b-sax; Horace Henderson, pno; Floyd Smith, g; Arthur Edwards, bs; George Reid,
dms. Chicago, Ill. 3 february 1952
03. Honest and truly
04. I found a new love
Donna Hightower, vcl; prob.
same band. Chicago, Ill. 4 avril 1952
05. Kiss me baby
06. Don't you think I oughta know
07. Farewell blues
WILD CHILD GIPSON (Byron Gipson),
vcl/g The Sliders, band. Los Angeles,
Ca. 1955
08. Honey dew
09. The one I love
Wild Child Gipson, vcl/g;
The Sliders, band. Los Angeles,
Ca. 1956
10. Footloose and fancy free
11. Etta Mae
12. I want cha baby
Wild Child Gipson,
vcl/kbds; Freddie Tieken, t-sax; John Moorman, g; The Rockers, band. Chicago, Ill.
1958
13. Uncle John
14. Lost control
15. Sittin' here cryin'
16. Kool
Wild Child Gipson,
vcl/kbds; Freddie Tieken, t-sax; Johnny Pisano, g; Freddie Katz & The
Jammers, band. Quincy, Ill. 1965
17. Sweet roll'n stone
My kinduva blues
Wild Child Gipson, vcl/org;
Peoria Soul
Merchants, band. Peoria, Ill. 1966
18. Boogaloo train to Peoria
19. Coal mine n°2
TOMMY DEAN, pno; Gene
Easton, a-sax; James Taylor, t-sax; Chris Woods, clt. Buck Underwood, bs; Pee
Wee Jernigan, dms. Saint Louis,
Mo. 1947
20. Rock easy
Just before day
Tommy Dean, pno;
Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Eatson, b-sax; bs; Pee Wee
Jernigan, dms. Saint Louis,
Mo. avril 1949
Jump for joy (vcl: Pee Wee Jernigan)
Dean's theme
Tommy
Dean, pno; Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Easton, b-sax; Eugene
Thomas, bs; Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Chicago,
Ill. july 1949
21. Hours past
midnight (vcl: Pee Wee Jernigan)
22. Scamon
boogie
23. Sweet and
lovely (vcl: Pee Wee Jernigan)
24. Just about
right
Tommy
Dean, pno; Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Easton, b-sax; Eugene
Thomas, bs; Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Chicago,
Ill. 4 juin 1952
25. Rainin'
(It rains) (vcl: Jewel Belle)
26. Foolish (vcl: Jewel Belle)
27. Cool one
groove two
28. Lonely
Monday (vcl: Jewel Belle)
Tommy Dean, pno;
Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Easton, b-sax; Eugene Thomas, bs;
Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Chicago,
Ill. 19 november 1952
Scammon boogie
How can I let you go (vcl: Jewel Belle)
Tommy
Dean, pno/og; Oliver Nelson, a-sax; Chuck Tillman, t-sax; Archie Burnside, bs;
Edgar Plaes, dms. Chicago, Ill. 20 december 1954
29. Deanie boy
30. Just before
day
31. How can I
let you go (vcl: Joe
Buckner)
32. Why don't
chu (vcl: Joe
Buckner)
33. 221 Rock
34. Even time (vcl: Joe Buckner)
Tommy
Dean, pno; Oliver Nelson, a-sax; Archie Burnside, bs; Edgar Plaes, dms. Chicago, Ill.
17 february 1955
35. The Gold
Coast
Tommy
Dean, pno/org; Oliver Nelson, a-sax; Chuck Tillman, t-sax; Joe Whitfield,
t-sax; Archie Burnside, bs; Edgar Plaes, dms. Chicago, Ill.
11 july 1955
36. One more
mile (vcl: Joe Buckner)
37. Skid row
38. Straight
and ready
Tommy
Dean, org; Charles Williams, a-sax; Fred Lee, t-sax; Haffuch Alexander, pno;
Lefty Bates, g; Milton Wilson, dms/perc. Chicago,
Ill. 27 may 1958
39. Recession