DELTA BLUES/ Volume 3

 

 

DELTA BLUES/ Volume 3

 

 

           

This Delta blues Volume 3 starts with the complete work of Shortstuff Macon (John Wesley Macon). Shortstuff born in 1923 at Shuqualak, Ms. was Big Joe Williams' cousin. He started to play guitar around nine years old while listening to local bluesmen and radio stations. He would play on week ends for private parties and this is Big Joe who brought Macon with him to coffeehouses during the blues revival of the early 60's and into studios to record with him in New York City after a gig in Greenwich Village. Shortstuff is a good bluesman on his own, playing rhythmic Delta blues style alternating some local standards with some own blues compositions. He would record again very fine tracks in 1971 at Big Joe's home in

Photo © Len Kundsadt 

Crawford. Although quite shy, Shortstuff could have made overseas tours and more recordings but he died on 28^th December 1973 in Macon, Ms.

            Ruby McCoy recorded also a few sides with Big Joe Williams although many unissued tracks still remain in some vaults somewhere that it would be nice to be able to hear. Ruby was born in Bonneville, Ms on 16^th august 1917 and was the sister of blueswoman Ethel McCoy (all related to Memphis Minnie & Joe McCoy). She sings with a plaintive but powerful voice wonderfully backed by Big Joe Williams. She died on July 1967.

 

           

Photo © Pete Welding 

Elijah Brown is an elder bluesman (born in Macon, Ms. on October 1896) but was also brought to recordings by the ubiquitous Big Joe! Elijah learned the guitar with his brother in law Jerry Ingram and he might have known and maybe played a little with Charlie Patton and Son House all around the Delta juke joints during the 1910's and 20's. The few tracks he recorded display a strong Delta blues style. He probably died not long after his 1965 recording session.

 

            Thanks a lot to Pete Welding, Chris Strachwitz and Len Kundstadt without whom probably none of those blues artists would have recorded.

 

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

SHORTSTUFF MACON (John Wesley Macon), vcl/g; Big Joe Williams, g/vcls. New York City, 23 May 1964

01. My jack don't drink no water

02. Hell bound and heaven sent blues

03. Shortstuff's Corinna

04. Messing with that thing

05. Rock road bad treating

06. Cotton picking

07. Don't want

08. Great big legs

09. I want a little bit

10. I want to love

11. Moanin'

12. No special woman

13. Old Grey mule

Shortsuff Macon, vcl/g; Big Joe Williams, g. Starkville, Ms. March 1971

14. My baby stopped drinking water

15. Good times here, better down the road

16. My baby don't stand no foolin'

17. She have broken my heart

Shortsuff Macon, vcl/g; Big Joe Williams, g. Crawford, Ms. 21 May 1971

18. Bird nest

19. Corrina

20. Sugar on the bottom

21. Bad luck

22. Moanin' 'fo day

RUBY MC COY, vcl; Big Joe Williams, g. Chicago, Ill. 10 October 1974

23. Rising sun blues

24. Rising sun, shine on

25. Black Mary

ELIJAH BROWN, vcl/g. East Saint Louis, Ill. 12 March 1965

26. Crying wont make me stay

27. Pearline

28. Won't be troubled long

29. Winding ball

30. John Henry

 

 

BIG JOE TURNER/ Late Sessions

 

BIG JOE TURNER/ Late Sessions

           

Quand Big Joe Turner (1911-85) enregistre pour Norman Granz, il est quelque peu oublié. Pionnier du blues de Kansas City, partie prenante de la folie du boogie woogie dans les années 30 auprès de Pete Johnson, chanteur ultra puissant archétype des Blues Shouters, Joe est le chanteur des grands orchestres de Benny Moten, Andy Kirk, Count Basie avant d'enregistrer en vedette du R&B une oeuvre copieuse pour de nombreux labels. Très avisé, superbe showman, Big Joe va savoir maintenir intacte sa popularité longtemps. Il est d'ailleurs un des rares artistes noirs du R&Blues capable de s'arrimer au courant du Rock n'Roll. Il signe sur le label Atlantic en 1951 qui l'entoure des meilleurs musiciens du moment, le produit intelligemment et distribue ses disques dans toute l'Amérique. Shake, rattle and roll; Flip, flop and fly et Teenage letter obtiennent autant de succès dans les Hit Parades "Rhythm & Blues" que "pop" et son nom est associé aux stars adolescentes du Rock'n'roll!, notamment dans plusieurs films.

            Mais dans les années 60, Big Joe apparaît largement comme une figure du passé. Il essaie de s'adapter aux goûts du blues revival mais, malgré la très grande qualité de ses disques (magnifique album Kent avec George Smith!), sa manière d'être et de chanter ne plaisent guère à ce nouveau public qui ne jure plus que par les bluesmen du Delta ou ceux du ghetto de Chicago.

            Big Joe s'installe alors en Californie et apparaît surtout dans des festivals de jazz et de façon irrégulière dans les clubs de Los Angeles. Lorsque le producteur de jazz Norman Granz, après une éclipse forcée, décide de relancer son label Pablo et de reprendre des tournées internationales de big bands, il pense en premier à Count Basie à qui il adjoint Big Joe Turner. Le succès de cette tournée au printemps 1972 est tel que Granz décide d'enregistrer live le concert parisien et de le sortir sur Pablo.

            Les dés sont lancés: Joe Turner revient à son rôle favori de blues shouter et, devenu très ami avec Granz, il va enregistrer pas moins de neuf autres albums pour Pablo entre 1972 et 78, entouré de certains des noms les plus prestigieux du jazz. Si l'album The Bosses (avec Count Basie mais en studio) recueille de bonnes critiques, les autres sont très fraîchement accueillis, notamment par les critiques de blues qui soulignent l'absence de nouveau répertoire, les solos très longs, les morceaux étirés, les disques enregistrés en très peu de temps. Joe n'est pas non plus toujours dans une grande forme. Sa santé se détériore beaucoup durant cette période et il ne se déplace plus que difficilement et à l'aide d'une canne.

            Malgré tout, ces disques prennent avec le temps une autre dimension: ils réunissent de grands musiciens qui ont marqué l'histoire et qui ont d'évidence du plaisir à se retrouver ensemble. Et finalement, ce long corpus permet à Big Joe Turner, un des plus grands noms de l'histoire du blues, d'ajouter - presque en fin de carrière - une nouvelle pierre solide à sa longue et riche oeuvre.

            La plupart de ces LPs sont aujourd'hui introuvables et nous remercions tous ceux qui ont permis de les rassembler ici: Marc (Fr), Hartmut Münnich, Kempen, Steve 626...

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            When Big Joe Turner (1911-85) began his series of recordings for Norman Granz' rejuvenated Pablo label, he was a little bit forgotten. Pioneer of the Kansas City blues, linked with the boogie woogie craze of the 1930's, particularly with his fellow Pete Johnson, Joe is a consummate showman and an ultra-powerful blues shouter with the big bands of Andy Kirk, Benny Moten or Count Basie before launching a personal career as a major name of the R&B, heavily recording for numerous labels. Moreover, when signing with the Atlantic label in 1951, Joe became one of the few black R&B star to be able to crossover in the emerging Rock'n'roll field, singing before audience of teenagers, appearing in many R'n'R movies and placing records like Shake, rattle and roll; Flip, flop and fly or Teenage letter into the Tops 40 of R&B as well as Pop!

            But in the 60's, Big Joe seems to be a figure of the past. He tries to cope with the tastes of the new Blues Revival audiences, waxing excellent deep blues albums (one with George Smith) but he was not the Delta or the Chicago ghetto bluesman that this public wanted exclusively at that time.

            Big Joe comes to live in California and appears irregularly on jazz festivals and L.A. clubs. When in 1972 producer and former civic rights activist Norman Granz decided to launch a big band tour of Europe, he chose to reunite old Kansas City partners, Count Basie and his Orchestra with blues shouter Big Joe Turner. The tour proved to be so successful that Granz recorded live the Paris concert and issued it on his Pablo label. This started a new association between Turner and Granz that gave nine subsequent LP's until 1978! Joe is once again the blues shouter supreme surrounded by some of the biggest and most respected jazzmen still working then. But if The Bosses (with Count Basie) has some good reviews, the other albums are mildly welcomed, particularly by blues critics who point out the lack of new material, the overlong numbers and solos, the quickly recorded sessions and sometimes a lacking of rehearsal... Joe's health is also declining and it shows sometimes in his voice.

            Anyway, the passing years give those LPs a better significance: they brought together great musicians (and some of the greatest) who evidently enjoyed playing with each other and at last those late sessions are a welcomed addition to the recording works of one of the true giants of the blues.

            Most of those records are unavailable today, sometimes very hard to find and all those who have made possible this project must be thanked: Marc (Fr) particularly, Hartmut Münnich, Kempen, Steve 626..

                                      Gérard HERZHAFT

BIG JOE TURNER/ Late Sessions/ Discography

WILEY & FLASH TERRY/ The Real Blues Brothers.

 

WILEY & FLASH TERRY/ The Real Blues Brothers 

           

On peut classer les frères Terry, Wiley et Flash, parmi les grands méconnus du blues. Ils sont pourtant deux remarquables guitaristes qui ont substantiellement enregistré.

            Wiley Terry est surtout réputé pour son single en deux parties Follow the leader, devenu un favori des clubs de danse popcorn, notamment en Europe. Mais on ne savait que très peu de choses sur lui. J'ai eu la chance d'entrer en contact avec sa fille Tamara Leigh Terry qui m'a très aimablement donné davantage de renseignements sur son père et sa famille de musiciens.

            Wiley , né à Inola, une banlieue de Tulsa (Oklahoma) le 10 septembre 1936, a appris très jeune la guitare en même temps que son frère aîné Flash et a été aussi élevé avec Ted Taylor qu'il considérait comme son "frère" et qui, lui, fera une prolifique carrière de chanteur de Soul Blues. Dans nombre de disques de Ted, notamment dans la première partie de son oeuvre, le guitariste lead est Wiley Terry et ses solos sont souvent tranchants, précis et plein de feeling. Wiley a vécu en Floride, à Los Angeles et en Arizona, enregistrant à chaque fois derrière différents chanteurs et plusieurs instrumentaux sous son nom ou avec l'orchestre de Ted Taylor, avant de s'installer à Chicago en 1964. C'est là qu'il grave ses 45t les plus connus pour USA, les remarquables Follow the leader, Shake it baby, Joker's Wild dance. La maison de Wiley Terry était souvent fréquentée par quantité de bluesmen de Chicago et sa fille se souvient de Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor, Willie Mabon, Albert King et bien d'autres... Contacté par James Brown pour faire partie de ses JB's, Wiley a préféré rester à Chicago. Pour des raisons économiques, il a dû ensuite prendre un job de conducteur de poids lourds et a abandonné progressivement la musique, se consacrant avant tout à sa congrégation. Il est décédé à Chicago le 1er mars 2010.

            Tamirah pense qu'il a enregistré bien davantage que les quatre singles que nous lui connaissons. Nous avons inclus ici ses trois 45t pour USA, des extraits seulement de son single 

Wiley Terry & Ted Taylor

californien car, malgré mes efforts, je n'ai pu obtenir une copie décente de ces instrumentaux qui semblent bien juteux...

            Selon Tamirah, Wiley serait aussi le chanteur et guitariste (sa guitare paraît immanquable) des deux titres enregistrés à Los Angeles en 1961 et que le label a attribué à l'inconnu Kid Guitar Thompson, certainement un nom inventé pour la parution des années après d'une séance ensevelie dans les tiroirs! Nous avons inclus ces deux titres qui ne sont en fait que deux prises d'un même morceau.

            Flash Terry (Verbie Gene Terry) est né lui aussi à Inola (Oklahoma) le 17 juin 1934 et a substantiellement enregistré sous son nom à partir de 1958, essentiellement en Californie puis à Tulsa où il est revenu vivre. Il a tourné et enregistré avec Leon Mc Auliffe, Bobby Bland, Bo Diddley, Etta James et bien d'autres avant de, lui aussi, abandonner la musique pour devenir chauffeur d'autocar de la ville de Tulsa. Mais, à sa retraite, il a repris une carrière musicale active, dirigeant un nouveau blues band avec de jeunes musiciens locaux, ce qui lui a permis de tourner en Europe et d'être élu à l'Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Il est décédé le 18 mars 2003 d'une attaque.

            Merci encore à Tamirah Leigh Terry pour son aide déterminante. Elle est aussi une excellente chanteuse de R&B, de Gospel et de Jazz, a enregistré en studio mais cherche un producteur et un label (https://www.facebook.com/musicsongbird?fref=ts)

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            The blues brothers Wiley and Flash Terry are largely unknown outside some blues circles although they were remarkable guitar players who recorded some first rate music. Thanks to Wiley's daughter Tamirah Leigh Terry that I had the chance to be in contact with I have been able to document more accurately the career and life of her father.

            Wiley Terry's Follow the leader, a two parts semi instrumental is currently enjoying a great reputation in Europe, particularly in the "popcorn" dance clubs. But he has offered much more.

            Wiley Terry was born in Inola (Oklahoma) on October 9th, 1936, learning the guitar at an early age with his elder brother Flash. The famous Soul blues singer, Tulsa born Ted Taylor was also considered as a "brother" by the Terry Family and Wiley will be several years in the studio and on tour with Ted, delivering concise, precise, bluesy and full of feeling guitar solos on many records. Wiley lived in Arizona, Los Angeles, Florida, doing studio work everywhere. Before settling in Chicago permanently in 1964, where he waxed his two most famous 45t for the USA label (Follow the leader I & II, Shake it baby, Joker's wild dance). Tamirah remembers many bluesmen coming to the Terry's home: Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor, Willie Mabon, Albert King and many more. Wiley was even approached by James Brown to be a member of the JB's but he turned down the offer. Unfortunately, he had to give up his musical career and make a living as a truck driver and centered more his talents for his church. He died in Chicago on March, 1st 2010.

            Tamirah thinks her father recorded much more than the four singles that we know from him. We have included here his three 45s, and just extracts from a single recorded in Los Angeles because, despite my efforts, I have been unable to get a good enough copy of what seem to be very spicy blues guitar instrumentals.

            On the other hand, here is a track (with two takes named differently) that was probably recorded by Wiley in LA in 1961 but issued only years after under the odd nom de disque Kid Guitar Thompson.

            The better known Wiley's elder brother Flash Terry (Verbie Gene Terry) was also born in Inola (Ok) on June, 17th 1934. He made many records under his name and behind others, touring and recording with Bobby Bland, Etta James, Bo Diddley, even Western Swing's veteran Leon Mc Auliffe and many others... He enjoyed some Hits but he too had to gave up music for years and make a more secure living as a bus driver in his hometown of Tulsa. When retired, Flash resumed his musical career, formed a new band with local youngsters, toured Europe and was even elected at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. He died from a stroke in Tulsa on March, 18th 2003.

            Thanks again to Tamirah Leigh Terry for her essential help. She is herself an excellent composer and singer who made some studio recordings and who is currently looking for some label and producer. ((https://www.facebook.com/musicsongbird?fref=ts)

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

LADIES SING THE BLUES/ Volume 7

 

LADIES SING THE BLUES/ Volume 7

 

           

This 7^th Volume of our surprisingly popular series "Ladies sing the blues" opens with the complete recordings of Betty Hall Jones (born Cordell Elizabeth Bigbee in Topeka (Kansas) on 11 January 1911) into a musical family who moved quickly to California where the young girl learned piano and became a proficient blues, boogie and ballad pianist. In 1927 she married banjoist George Hall. As Betty Hall, she began a musical career being the pianist of Buster Moten and then Roy Milton from 1937 to 1941. She joined Luke Jones Orchestra, remarried Jasper Jones, then taking her stage name as Betty Hall Jones. As her reputation as a very good pianist and sometimes singer she then joined Paul Howard and Alton Reed's band, recording a lot with them. She also started her own recording career in 1947 with the Maxwell Davis' band that led her with a contract with the Capitol label, recording and writing songs that would be lifted by none others than Ray Charles or Nellie Lutcher. After Capitol, she recorded quite prolifically for Dootone, Combo and others. Although Betty Hall's records were never "hits", she played a lot of night clubs, hotels, even touring USO in East Asia and even made a comeback in Europe during the 1980's. She died in Torrance (California) in 2009.

            If you want more about this fine musician, go to the Marv Goldberg site

https://www.uncamarvy.com/BettyHallJones/bettyhalljones.html

 

            I don't know anything about Rose Brown who cut two excellent tracks for the GST label. She shares vocals with a Jimmie Harris and her backing band is the still mysterious "Bubbles"!

 

            Although she recorded constantly in New York City between 1946 and 1958 nothing much is known about Baby Dee (Dolores or Delores Spriggs) who was another very fine singer. She apparently started as the featured singer with the Bill Campbell band who was quite in demand in night clubs and venues around NYC after WWII. Here are also her complete recordings and more details about this lady blues singer, a category which has been sometimes neglected by most of the blues magazines insofar, would be nice.

    Our friend Marc D. has unearthed some more infos about Baby Dee (see the comments section), particularly an odd album of "risqué" songs produced by Joe Davis named '"Sexarama" under the name Miss Dee. The album is entirely available on You Tube but it's quite far from any blues or R&B genres. 

 

            Anyway, enjoy the music!

 

 

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

 

BETTY HALL JONES, vcl/pno; Maxwell Davis, t-sax; Buddy Harper, g; Ralph Hamilton, bs; Bob Harvey, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. may 1947

01. Learn to boogie

02. Fine and mellow

03. That same old boogie

04. Make me know it

Betty Hall Jones, vcl/pno; King Porter, tpt; Marshall Royal, a-sax; Bumps Myers, t-sax; Gene Porter, b-sax; Charlie Davis, pno; Gene Phillips, g; Arthur Edwards, bs; Bill Settles, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 27 december 1947

05. That early morning boogie

Betty Hall Jones, vcl/pno; Henry Coker, tpt; Dave Cavanaugh, t-sax; Bumps Meyers, t-sax; Tiny Webb, g; Ralph Hamilton, bs; Jesse Price, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 11 february 1949

06. Why can't you love that way

07. This joint's too hip for me

08. If I ever cry

09. You've got to have what it takes

Betty Hall Jones, vcl/pno; Forrest Powell, tpt; Maxwell Davis, t-sax; Tiny Webb, g; Ralph Hamilton, bs; Bob Harvey, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 2 august 1949

10. I never miss the sunshine

11. That's a man for you

12. Thrill me

13. Buddy stay off the wine

Betty Hall Jones, pno; Her Combo, band. Los Angeles, Ca. september 1952

14. Richmond blues

Betty Hall Jones, vcl/pno; Jake Porter, tpt; band. Los Angeles, Ca. september 1952

15. Goin' back to town

16. Frustration frustration

17. Poor spending daddy

18. Way after hours

Betty Hall Jones, vcl/pno; Gay Cowie, vcls; Bonnie & Linda Cowie (as The Gay-Bon-Lin Trio), vcls; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1955

19. Love my love

20. Shina no yoru

21. How long blues

22. Is he handsome?

ROSE BROWN, vcl; Jimmie Harris, vcl; Bubbles, t-sax; band. Newark, NJ. 17 mai 1951

23. Back from Korea

24. Rockin' chair woman

BABY DEE (Dolores Spriggs), vcl; Bill Campbell, pno; band. New York City, septembre 1946

25. Boogie me

26. Used to be a daddy

Baby Dee, vcl; Bill Campbell, pno; band. New York City, novembre 1946

27. Look what baby's got for you

28. I want to see my daddy

29. Baby Dee blues

30. Feel it

Baby Dee, vcl; Bill Campbell, pno; band. New York City, mars 1947

31. Like he's never loved me before

32. It feels so doggone good

Baby Dee, vcl; Leroy Kirkland, g; band. New York City, 15 juin 1954

33. Don't live like that no more

34. He ain't mine no more

35. Hold the light for me

Baby Dee, vcl; Charlie Singleton, t-sax; band. New York City, 11 novembre 1954

36. When I cry

37. Stout hearted

Baby Dee, vcl; band. New York City, 23 août 1955

38. Zoom de de Ho Ho

39. I wish you out of my mind

40. Find the one meant for you

41. Unless you love me

Baby Dee, vcl; band. New York City, 1957

42. Pretty eyed baby

43. Sittin' here wondering

Baby Dee, vcl; band. New York City, 1958

44. I cried the last time

45. You don't have to be a fool

 

DELTA BLUES/ Volume 2

 

DELTA BLUES/ Volume 2

 

           

Second volume of our Delta Blues series starts with the great underrated Lane Hardin (1897-1975). Born in Kentucky, Hardin made a living mostly outside music, holding a restaurant in Saint Louis or as a longshoreman on the Pacific Coast. He anyway managed to record several times, first in 1935 during an odd Chicago session, then twice in Los Angeles, the 1951 tracks staying unissued until Bruce Bromberg and Frank Scott unearthed them for their classic "Anthology of the blues series". Not really a Delta blues stylist, Lane is nevertheless a great country blues artist who could have made more records if he had been re-discovered on time.

 

           

Banjoist and singer Lucius Smith (1881-1980) recorded before and after the war for the Lomaxes, generally with Sid Hemphill (grandfather of Jessie Mae Hemphill). The three tracks here feature him solo. He was a living legend around Senatobia (Ms) when I visited him in 1979.

 

            John Dudley (c. 1899-1963) recorded only for Lomax while an inmate at Parchman's Penitentiary. His tracks are stunning and he appears as a great traditional Delta blues stylist. He also could have been a major artist if, once free, he would have toured Europe and recorded albums.

 

            

Guitarist/singer Miles Pratcher (1895-1964) was also a discovery of Shirley Collins and Alan Lomax. He was a friend and neighbor of Fred McDowell.

 

            

W.C. Clay (1927-?) was from Jonestown, a small town in the heart of the Delta. He moved to Helena (Ark) where he became a member of the famous King Biscuit Show alongside Sonny Boy Williamson/Rice Miller. He was also recorded later in life by researcher Louis Guida (cf: Living Blues # 32)

 

            Most of the datas come from the essential Blues/ A Regional experience (Bob Eagle & Eric LeBlanc). And a lot of thanks too to Lomax Digital Archive.

 

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

Lane Hardin, vcl/g. Chicago, Ill. 28 juillet 1935

01. Hard time blues

02. California Desert blues

Lane Hardin, vcl/g; bs. Los Angeles, Ca. 1949

03. Cartey blues

Lane Hardin, vcl/g. Los Angeles, Ca. 1951

04. Keep'em down

05. I'll be glad when you're dead

Lucius Smith, vcl/bjo. Senatobia, Ms. 22 septembre 1959

06. Goodbye honey

07. Lulu behave yourself

08. Memphis blues

John Dudley, vcl/g. Parchman, Ms. octobre 1959

09. Big road blues

10. Clarksdale Mill blues I

11. Clarksdale Mill blues II

12. Cool drink of water I

13. Cool drink of water II

14. I'm gonna move to Kansas City

15. Interview

16. Po' boy blues

17. You got a mean disposition

Miles Pratcher, vcl/g; Bob Pratcher, fdl/vcls. Como, Ms. 21 septembre 1959

18. Bill Bailey

19. Buttermilk

20. If it's all night long

21. I'm gonna live anyhow

22. Joe Turner

23. Old hen cackle

W.C. Clay, vcl/g. Elaine, Ak. 23 mai 1976

24. King biscuit time I & II

25. Keep it to yourself

26. Someday baby blues

27. Standing at my window

28. What'd I say?