LITTLE SONNY WILLIS/ DETROIT BLUES MASTERS 11

LITTLE SONNY WILLIS/ Detroit Blues Masters Vol. 11

Complete Studio Recordings 1958-74

           

Little Sonny aura connu une brève heure de gloire entre 1966 et 1974 au cours de laquelle il a été un des seuls harmonicistes de blues à réussir dans la Soul Music, alors dominante chez le public noir américain.

            Né à Casimore près de Greensboro dans l'Alabama le 6 octobre 1932, Aaron Willis a été élevé par sa mère Elmira et sa grand'mère, une Rainer d'origine Cherokee qui écoutait religieusement le Grand Ole Opry, particulièrement DeFord Bailey que Little Sonny (tout le monde l'appelait ainsi dès l'enfance) a tenté d'imiter avec l'harmonica offert tous les ans par sa mère à Noël. Venu à Detroit pour y travailler dans l'industrie automobile, Little Sonny fréquente assidument les clubs de Hastings Street dont il photographie (sa passion) les artistes et les clients et joue de l'harmonica avec les bluesmen comme John Lee Hooker, Eddie Burns, Baby Boy Warren et Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) qui a vécu quelque temps (et enregistré) à Detroit. Fondant son propre groupe qui comprend Mr Bo (Louis Collins) à la guitare et Chuck Smith au piano. Il enregistre quelques disques pour Duke (Gotta find my baby), Excello (Love shock qui est un petit succès régional) et d'autres petits labels locaux.

           

Contrairement à la plupart des bluesmen qui sont mis de côté par la montée de la vague Soul des années 60 et perdent tout contact avec le public noir, Little Sonny décide de tenter sa chance dans ce genre. Sans beaucoup changer son jeu d'harmonica Sonny se consacre à des riffs répétitifs, puissants, directs et sans fioritures, impeccablement soulignés par une rythmique funky. Il produit lui-même un 45t dans ce style pour son label Speedway (The creeper/ Latin soul) qui rencontre suffisamment d'intérêt parmi le jeune public noir pour attirer l'attention du producteur Al Bell. Sous son égide, il enregistre alors trois albums pour Enterprise, une sous-marque de Stax qui possède alors la fine fleur de la Soul Music dans son catalogue. Black & Blue, New King of the Blues harmonica et Hard Going up, produits avec soin et bien distribués permettent à Little Sonny de tourner à travers les Etats Unis avec la Volt/ Stax Revue en compagnie des plus grands noms de la Soul sudiste. Il figure ainsi dans le célèbre concert Wattstax de 1972, enregistré et filmé à Los Angeles.

            Quelque peu snobés par la critique de blues, notamment britannique, ces albums ont tous remarquablement passé le test du temps et sont aujourd'hui considérés comme des classiques, fort originaux, de l'harmonica blues.

            Mais la faillite de Stax est fatale à Little Sonny qui ne trouve plus de label et de moins en moins d'engagements. Il travaille hors de la musique avant de reformer un petit orchestre avec ses fils et d'enregistrer en 1995 Sonny side up (Sequel), beaucoup plus blues mais dans lequel on retrouve la puissance et l'originalité de ses disques antérieurs.

            Nous proposons ici, dans l'ordre chronologique, la totalité des enregistrements effectués par Little Sonny en studio entre 1958 et 1972.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

     

     Little Sonny (born Aaron Willis on 6 October 1932 in Alabama) has started to learn the harmonica listening to DeFord Bailey on the Grand Ole Opry. Coming to Detroit City to work in the industry, he was soon playing (and taking pictures, his hobby) and singing with local bluesmen like John Lee Hooker, Eddie Burns, Baby Boy Warren and also learned a little more of the harp playing with Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) when the bluesman stayed for awhile in Detroit during the early 50's. Sonny started recording some singles in the late 50's with a local small hit with "Love Shock". When the Soul trend started to be the strongest musical genre among the young African-Americans, Sonny, unlike most of the other bluesmen, jumped successfully in this fledgling movement and recorded three albums for Enterprise, a Stax subsidiary, that earned him some commercial success and the opportunity to tour with the main Soul Revues of the time. Sonny did not change so much his style, forceful and straightforward, but he put his solos and instrumentals in a Soul band context a la Booker T. & The MG's. Those albums were then a little bit scorned by the blues critics (partiularly in England) but they have stood up the test of time and are today considered as classic examples of the harmonica blues of this period.

            This post gathers all the studio recordings made by Little Sonny Willis between 1958 and 1974

                                                       Gérard Herzhaft

LITTLE SONNY WILLIS

Complete Studio Recordings

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Chuck Smith, pno; Eddie Burns, g; George Deloatch, bs; James Crawford, dms. Detroit, Mi. avril 1958

01. I gotta find my baby

02. Hear my woman calling

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Eddie Burns, g; James Johnson, bs; James Crawford, dms. Detroit, Mi. 1959

03. Love shock

04. I'll love you baby

Good good feeling I & II (unissued) 
Lovin' man (unissued)
Our friend Tom Thumb tells us that the two hitherto 1959 unissued tracks have been in fact at long last issued under the titles "Hastings Street after hours" and "Love you pretty baby". Those are currently available on Down Home Blues - Detroit - Detroit Special Wienerworld WNRCD5095. Thanks!

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Eddie Willis, g; Chuck Smith, pno; Sam Hall, bs; James Crawford, dms. Detroit, Mi. 1966

05. The mix up

06. Inside my heart

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; band. Detroit, Mi. 1967

07. The creeper

08. Latin Soul

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; band. Detroit, Mi. 1968

09. We got a groove

10. Sonny's bag

11. Don't ask me no questions

12. Stretchin' out

13. Let's have a good time

14. Orange pineapple

15. Down don't bother me

16. The blues for you

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Rudy Robinson, og; g; bs; George Davidson, dms. Detroit, Mi. décembre 1969 - janvier70

17. Wade in the water

18. They want money

19. Baby what you want me to do

20. Eli's pork chop

21. Hey little girl

22. Hot potato

23. Don't ask me no questions

24. Tomorrow's blues today

25. Back down yonder

26. Sad funk

27. The creeper returns

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Ron Gorden, og; Aaron Willis, g; Eddie Willis, g; Bobby Manuel, g; The Bar-Keys, horns; bs; Willie Hall, dms. Memphis, Tn. septembre 1971

28. Hung up

29. Sonny's fever

30. You got a good thing

31. A woman named trouble

32. Honest I do

33. Paying through the nose

34. Memphis B-K

35. Where women got meat on their bones

36. I found love

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; band. Detroit, Mi. 1971

37. Things I used to do

38. Blues with a feeling

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Rudy Robinson, kbds; Eddie Willis, g; Aaron Willis, g; Sam Witcher, g; South Memphis Horns; Roderick Chandler, bs; Curtis Sharp, dms. Detroit, Mi. 1972

39. Going down slow I & II

40. It's hard going up

41. My woman is good to me

42. You're spreading yourself a little too thin

43. The day you left me

44. You can be replaced

45. Do it right now

46. You made me strong

47. Sure is good

48. I want you

CHARLES WALKER/ Complete Recordings

CHARLES WALKER: NEW YORK CITY BLUES

            

 Il y a eu plusieurs Charles Walker chanteurs de blues ou de Soul dont au moins deux sont en activité actuellement.

            Mais il n'y a eu qu'un bluesman newyorkais du nom de Charles Walker, un chanteur guitariste aujourd'hui bien oublié mais dont la musique, la personnalité chaleureuse et le réel charisme ont fortement marqué la scène du blues de New York durant les années 1950-70 et influencé quantité de jeunes musiciens.

            Charles Walker est né à Macon (Ga) le 26 juillet 1922 et a très jeune appris la musique avec son père, Freeman Walker, un bluesman localement renommé sous le nom de Boweavil. Mais, comme souvent, ce n'est qu'en immigrant vers le Nord (en l'occurence à Newark, New Jersey) que le jeune Charles a véritablement commencé une carrière de musicien. Il joue dans les clubs de Newark et sa réputation attire May McKay, une talent scout de New York, qui le présente aux frères Danny et Bobby Robinson. Charles enregistre en octobre 1956 l'instrumental Driving home, très dans le style guitaristique de l'époque, fort inspiré du Honky Tonk de Bill Doggett et Bill Jennings. Grâce à l'entregent des frères Robinson qui possèdent des circuits de distribution et de diffusion pour leurs productions, Driving home connaît un certain succès.

            Charles Walker forme alors un orchestre avec des musiciens newyorkais comme l'harmoniciste Danny Brown - qui prend le nom de B. Brown pour surfer sur le fort succès de Buster Brown auteur de classiques comme Fannie Mae - , le pianiste Lee Roy Little, le batteur Danny Q. Jones et souvent l'extraordinaire Wild Jimmy Spruill à la seconde guitare. Durant quelques années, Charles réussit à vivre ainsi de sa musique, jouant un peu partout dans les clubs de Harlem et du Bronx. En 1959, les frères Robinson ramènent Charles et son groupe dans les studios pour une excellente séance qui donne le classique Charles Walker Slop et It ain't right. Durant cette séance, Lee Roy Little grave aussi deux titres sous son nom.

            Mais le groupe se disperse peu après cette séance, chaque musicien tentant une carrière de son côté. Charles joue régulièrement dans les clubs avec de jeunes musiciens comme Larry Johnson. Mais il doit attendre trois ans pour retrouver le chemin des studios, cette fois pour le petit label Atlas et deux excellents 45t qui, malheureusement, sont mal distribués et passent d'autant plus inaperçus que le blues à New York (comme ailleurs) a de moins en moins les faveurs du public afro-américain. Charles trouve encore quelques engagements dans des clubs comme le Colonial House mais, lorsque celui-ci est ravagé par un incendie, Charles doit abandonner la musique pour pouvoir vivre décemment. En 1970, de graves difficultés personnelles (la mort de son épouse) le persuadent de tout vendre et quitter New York quand Bobby Robinson le contacte, une nouvelle scène du blues, animée essentiellement par de jeunes Blancs, émergeant à New York. Cela donne une longue séance d'enregistrement en compagnie de son protégé Larry Johnson à l'harmonica ou du guitariste Bob Malenky. Malheureusement, seuls deux titres (un 45t) dont You know it ain't right sont publiés et le reste de la séance demeure toujours enfoui quelque part dans les archives de Bobby Robinson. Quelques mois plus tard, Charles en compagnie de Bill Dicey, un harmoniciste de talent, grave un nouveau 45t pour l'obscur label P&P qui comprend une belle version très muddyesque de Forty days and forty nights.

            Bien que ces 45t ne rapportent rien à Walker, cela le pousse à rester à New York, lui permet de jouer ici et là en public. Et en 1974, le bassiste Tom Pomposello qui anime une émission de radio consacrée au blues et qui vient de fonder son label Oblivion, interviewe longuement Charles et lui permet d'enregistrer à nouveau plusieurs excellentes séances pour lesquelles Walker retrouve son ancien compagnon, le pianiste Lee Roy Little. Un album Blues from the apple qui résume toutes ces séances (avec d'autres chanteurs et musiciens que Charles Walker) vaut la peine d'être écouté.

            Hélas, les amateurs de blues des années 1970 ne sont intéressés que par les bluesmen de Chicago ou du Delta et l'album se vend très mal. Cela n'empêche pas Tom Pomposello d'essayer de promouvoir cet excellent bluesman de New York et de le faire tourner mais, atteint d'un cancer du poumon, Charles Walker décède le 24 juin 1975 à New York.

            Cette collection regroupe la totalité des enregistrements publiés par Charles Walker y compris l'ultra-rare Rock me mama (Fury) que notre ami Paul de Bruycker nous a fait parvenir plus récemment .
Merci aussi à notre ami Benoit Blue Boy pour avoir fourni les deux parties de Driving home et nous avoir fait entendre une autre version, très similaire, enregistrée par Paul Gayten à La Nouvelle Orléans quelques mois plus tard avec, cette fois, Edgar Blanchard à la guitare. Il y a aussi un autre Charles Walker - un musicien blanc de Nashville - qui a aussi enregistré ce titre mais d'une façon très différente, également en deux parties!

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            Among several Charles Walkers singing and playing blues and Soul, this particular Charles Walker was born july 26th 1922 in Macon, Georgia. His blues guitarist father Freeman was quite known in the neighborood joints under the moniker of Boweavil and taught his son how to sing and play the real downhome blues.

            Coming up north to find better opportunities in Newark (NJ) in the 1940's, Charles Walker started a full time musical career, playing in the local clubs and drawing the attention of talent scout May McKay who brought him into New York City studios to record for the Robinson brothers in 1956 his first 45, a driving instrumental a la Honky Tonk, Driving home. The record sold quite well, at least locally, and Charles formed a blues band with good musicians like harp player Danny B. Brown (not to be confused with Buster Brown who also recorded for Bobby Robinson), ace pianist Lee Roy Little and striking guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill. In 1959, Charles recorded a new session with this band, waxing the classic instrumental Charles Walker's slop. Unfortunately, soon afterwards, all his musicians left him for trying personal careers. Nevertheless, Charles continued to play regularly in New York clubs, finding as sidemen young musicians like Larry Johnson. He had to wait three years to record again in 1963, a good session for the tiny Atlas label that unfortunately went nowhere.

Photo: Fred Seibert

            In New York, like everywhere in the USA, the blues was then considered out of fashion among the young African-Americans and, after the Colonial Club where Charles played regularly was destroyed by a fire plus several personal tragedies that plagued his life, Walker left off music completely.

            But in 1971, Bobby Robinson was aware that a new almost entirely young and white blues scene was emerging in New York City searching "real" bluesmen to learn from. He then persuaded Charles Walker to take his guitar again. Robinson then recorded a long session with Charles backed by Larry Johnson blowing the harmonica and Bob Malenky on guitar. Unfortunately, only two titles have been issued on a rare Fury 45 and the rest of the tracks still lay unissued somewhere in Robinson's vaults. The same year, and this time with Bill Dicey playing the harp, Charles recorded another 45 for the obscure P&P label with a good muddyesque version of 40 days and 40 nights.

            With the help of Dicey, Charles was able to play at some college venues, was interviewed by blues fan and bassist Tom Pomposello who held his own radio programme and his small Oblivion label. Tom persuaded Charles to record several new sessions with young sidemen plus old friend Lee Roy Little. Blues fromThe Apple is the complete album (with and without Charles) and deserves to be heard; although nobody paid any attention to it when it was issued.

            Tom tried very hard to promote Charles Walker on the international blues circuit. But on june 24, 1975, Charles died from a lung cancer.

            I feel it might be time to listen a little more carefully to this good true bluesman who gave much more than he received. This mp3 collection gathers all his records even the ultra rare Rock me mama (Fury) that Paul de Burycker has sent lately from hi extensive blues collection. Thanks a lot also to our good friend Benoit Blue Boy for providing the two parts of Driving home and pointing that the same title has been recorded some months after by New Orleans bandleader Paul Gayten, this time with Edgar Blanchard playing the guitar. And there is also another Charles Walker - probably a Country musician who has recorded a two-part Driving home which is very different from the Charles Walker's bluesy original.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

CHARLES WALKER/ Complete Recordings

Charles Walker, g; Wild Jimmy Spruill, g; Horace Cooper, pno; Mauerice Simon, t-sax; bs; dms. New York City, octobre 1956

01. Driving home Part I & II

Charles Walker, vcl/g; B. Brown, hca; Lee Roy Little, pno & vcl on*; Wild Jimmy Spruill, g; bs; Danny Q. Jones, dms. New York City, 1960

02. Charles Walker's slop

03. It ain't right

04. Your evil thoughts*

05. I'm a good man*

Charles Walker, vcl/g; Bubba Smith, pno; Henry Copeland, bs; "Peanuts", dms. New York City, juin 1963

06. Nervous wreck

07. Downhearted blues

Charles Walker, vcl/g; band. NewYork City, novembre 1963

08. Louise

09. Wrong kind of woman

Charles Walker, vcl/g; Larry Johnson, hca; Lee Roy Little, pno; Bob Malenky, g; Sonny Harden, bs; Bobby King, dms. New York City, mars 1971

10. You know it ain't right

11. Rock me mama

(about 20 titles recorded at that session by Bobby Robinson still unissued)

Charles Walker, vcl/g; Bill Dicey, hca; Bob Malenky, g; Bobby King, dms. New York City, décembre 1971

12. 40 days and 40 nights

13. My babe

Charles Walker, vcl/g; Larry Johnson, hca. New York City, 25 avril 1973

14. Decoration day

Charles Walker, vcl/g; Lee Roy Little, pno/vcl on *; Ann Yancey, g; Davis Lee Reitman, bs; Ola Mae Dixon, dms. New York City, 1 mai 1973

15. Meeting you

16. I'm a good man but a poor man*

Charles Walker, vcl/g; Bill Dicey, hca; Ann Yancey, g; Sonny Harden, bs; Ola Mae Dixon, dms. New York City, 29 juillet 1973

17. Gladly

Charles Walker, vcl/g; Bill Dicey, hca; Lee Roy Little, pno, Tom Pomposello, bs; Bobby King, dms. New York City, mai 1974

18. Juice head woman

19. Fast fast women and a slow racehorse

LITTLE SONNY JONES/ Complete Recordings

LITTLE SONNY JONES/ Complete Recordings

           

Little Sonny Jones is certainly not a major and well known figure of the New Orleans R&B scene and his musical career never hit very high in charts but he has nevertheless recorded a nice amount of very good or even excellent tracks, strongly representative of the great New Orleans sound of the 1950's.

            Born Johnny Jones, 15th April 1931 in the Jane Alley section of New Orleans, he lived near Louis Armstrong's home and heard at a very early age pianist Little Brother Montgomery who had a regular spot around. He thus developed quite early in life a great interest for music and started to sing in his mother's Church choir when still a kid while he also sang at many famous New Orleans Saturday Night Fish Fries, those open parties with lots of food, drinks, music and revelry, a red kerosene lamp indicating which houses were hosting this very night!

            At the age of sixteen, Jones is taken under Fats Domino's wing who even gives him his "Little Sonny" nickname. For years (in fact until 1961), Little Sonny would open for Fats' shows as a warm-up act. This is probably thanks again to Fats that he starts his recording career in 1953 with a single for Specialty and the following year with two more for the Imperial label. Although very good, those records go nowhere and Little Sonny stays in Fats Domino's shadow while trying to launch a more personal career under the nickname Skinny Dynamo without more luck anyway. In 1961, tired to be just an opening act, he leaves Domino to join the Lastie Brothers, Dave and Melvin, singing in front of their band which is a favorite of New Orleans' clubs. Until 1968 when, completely disappointed by his lack of success in music, Little Sonny quits completely the music business to make a living on the more steady and secure sugar industry.

            In 1975, following a tip from Clarence Ford, Sonny is "rediscovered" by the Danish label CSA, specialized in recording New Orleans jazz and he waxes an LP with an array of first rate local R&B stalwarts. This excellent record will be later reissued twice on CD by Black Magic and Black Top. But once again the record doesn't open any door for Sonny who sticks to his daily job while singing regularly with the new Lastie Brothers' band, A Taste of New Orleans and appearing almost every year at the famous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I had the chance to watch his act and chat a little bit with him while in New Orleans in 1982 and I can tell that Little Sonny's big voice and showmanship were absolutely first rate.

            Unfortunately, Sonny Jones died at the early age of 58 from a heart attack at his New Orleans home on 17 December 1989.

            His complete recorded works are offered here for the first time, minus one elusive track (thanks by advance to anyone who would like to fill this gap) and show how a very nice R&B artist was the too neglected Little Sonny Jones.

            A lot of thanks to Xyros (Don't ask me...) and bopping blogs for providing me some rare early tracks. And thanks to Terry Pattison for his liner notes (on Sonny's LP) that I have been widely using over here.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

Little Sonny Jones (Johnny Jones), vcl; Salvador Doucette, pno; prob. Justin Adams, g; band. New Orleans, La. 1952

01. Do you really love me?

02. Is everything all right?

03. Got a gal in Nashville

04. Looked at the moon

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; Dave Bartholomew, tpt; Joe Harris, a-sax; Clarence Hall, t-sax; Clarence Ford, b-sax; Salvador Doucette, pno; Justin Adams, g; Frank Fields, bs; Earl Palmer, dms. New Orleans, La. 14 January 1954

05. Winehead baby

06. Tend to your business blues

07. Going back to the country

08. I got booted

Little Sonny Jones (as Skinny Dynamo), vcl; band. Miami, Fl. Augusr 1955

09. My baby is crying

10. You know this story

11. Baby baby mine

Can't you see
(Thanks to Mike Gray and Mike Kredinac)

Little Sonny Jones (as Skinny Dynamo), vcl; band. Crowley, La. December 1956

12. So long so long

13. Jingle bells

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; band. New Orleans, La. 1961

14. Give my heart back to me

15. Don't lie to me

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; band. New Orleans, 6-19 June 1967

16. Suffering

You got the power

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; Dave "Fat Man" Williams, pno; Dave Lastie, t-sax; Clarence Ford, t-sax; Justin Adams, g; Frank Fields, bs; Bob French, dms. New Orleans, La. 28 March 1975

17. I would if I could

18. Don't you hear me calling you?

19. Do you really love me baby?

20. Further up the road

21. Is everything allright?

Little Sonny Jones, vcl; Dave "Fat Man" Williams, pno; Justin Adams, g; Frank Fields, bs; Bob French, dms. New Orleans, La. 15 April 1975

22. I'm loaded

23. Certainly all

24. Worried blues

25. I called you baby

BLUES EN DISQUES

  BLUES EN DISQUES

Mon nouvel ouvrage

BLUES EN DISQUES regroupe une partie (je dirais environ 20%) des chroniques que j'ai écrites à partir de, disons, 1988, jusqu'à 2010, la plupart ayant été rédigées dans la décennie 1990 pour divers revues et magazines. L'édition discographique étant ce qu'elle est devenue aujourd'hui, la plupart de ces albums ne sont évidemment plus en vente. Mais on les trouve quand même assez aisément sous une forme ou sous une autre, ici et là, sur les recoins de la Toile. Ces chroniques peuvent donc quand même servir aux auditeurs plus jeunes ou à ceux, nostalgiques de la grande époque où le disquaire en chair et en os était installé dans la plupart des villes, et avec lequel on pouvait discuter et partager.

            En aucun cas cependant, ce BLUES EN DISQUES ne veut être un guide discographique. Il s'agit simplement de permettre à ceux, nombreux semble-t-il, qui le souhaitent de retrouver mes chroniques avec mon style, ma manière et mes

jugements d'alors....

            J'ai également ajouté à la fin de cet ouvrage quelques uns des livrets, textes de jaquettes que j'ai pu écrire pour des parutions de CDs de blues pour différents labels et qu'on ne trouve plus guère aujourd'hui mais qui peuvent encore être utiles.

            Bonne lecture et bonne écoute consécutive j'espère!

Cet ouvrage est en vente uniquement sur 

Amazon

ou 

Mon site web 

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Volume 23

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Vol. 23

            

For this new opus of our never ending (?) series Chicago/ The Blues Yesterday, let's put the limelights once again upon bluesmen/women who mostly escaped from any fame.

            Singer and drummer Jack Cooley is the best known of the three artists featured here but we don't know for sure his date (and place) of birth and death. He nevertheless recorded quite extensively, although most of his 78s and 45s are hard to find items. We have been able to get 16 tracks out of a total of 24. He started to record for Mayo Williams in 1945 for the short lived "Chicago" label and the following years backed by no other than Albert Ammons for Mercury. He seems to have been well known in the Chicago clubs and lounges as Cowboy Jack for his habit to wear a big Stetson hat on and out stage. During the 1950's, Jack Cooley recorded for many labels like Square Deal, Nashboro, States, Master, C&G... in a very driving R&B style with a good blues shouter's voice. It would be nice if anyone having the missing tracks would share them.

            Freddie Youngblood (often called Freddie Young or Freddy Youngblood) is a producer, singer and label owner from Chicago who was active during the 1960's to the 1980's. He is certainly not a great singer but his records are quite worthy for the backing musicians, Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Taylor, Lafayette Leake et al. I have included all his known sides, even the odd Sould Strings (B side of Youngblood's own label Sould Sound #752) which is in fact a straight reissue of a late Morris Pejoe's 45, Pejoe's Soul Strings without any mention of the real lead guitarist!

            Ann Carter is a complete unknown, having recorded only one 78 for the Blue Lake label in 1945. Good stuff anyway with a solid band led probably by drummer Red Saunders.

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday/ Volume 23

JACK COOLEY, vcl/dms; His Cooley Boy, band. Chicago, Ill. June 1945

01. Time to think

Jack Cooley, vcl/ dms; Albert Ammons, pno; Ike Perkins, g; Israel Cosby, bs. Chicago, Ill. 2 July 1946

02. Why am I leaving you?

03. I don't want to see you

Jack Cooley, vcl/ dms; t-sax; pno; Israel Crosby, bs. Chicago, Ill. June 1947

04. The death of Piney Brown

I feel the blues

I deal in cats

I know the blues

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; Roosevelt Sykes, pno. Chicago, Ill. 18 October 1947

05. Someting I'm going to be

06. Stop your evil ways

Jack Cooley, vcl/ dms; Buck Douglas, t-sax; band. Chicago, Ill. 1948

07. I'm a man

08. Douglas boogie

Caldonia's sister

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; band. Chicago, Ill. 1950

09. Mr Two Gun Pete

10. 50 Dyna Flow

This is us

Ain't it nice

Jack Cooley, vcl; Tommy Jones, t-sax; Jimmy Robinson, pno; Israel Crosby, bs; Jump Jackson, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1951

11. It's so fine

12. Tom Tom boogie

13. Dyna Flow

14. Hear my story

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; t-sax; pno; xyl; Willie Dixon, bs. Chicago, Ill. 16 February 1953

15. I could but I ain't

16. Rain on my window

Jack Cooley, vcl/dms; band. Chicago, Ill. 1956

Half way round the clock

Cooleys Cowboy Rock

FREDDIE YOUNGBLOOD, vcl/g; Eddie Taylor, g; Lafayette Leake, pno; Andrew Mc Mahon, bs; Robert Wright, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1964

17. Monkey business

18. Someday baby

Freddie Youngblood, vcl/g; Hubert Sumlin, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1971

19. That ain’t right

20. A bit of soul

21. If the blues was whiskey

Freddie Youngblood, vcl; Hubert Sumlin, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 10 March 1975

22. Downbeat blues

23. West Side shuffle

Freddie Youngblood, vcl; band. Chicago, Ill. 1982

24. Sould strings (in fact 1969 by Morris Pejoe)

25. Last november

ANN CARTER, vcl; Sonny Cohn, tpt; Flip Ricard, tpt; Porter Kilbert, a-sxa; Leroy Washington, t-sax; Earl Washington, g; Jimmy Richardson, bs; Red Saunders, dms. Chicago, Ill. May 1954

26. You oughta quit it

27. Lovin' daddy blues

Thanks to our friends Klaus Killian and Tom Thumb who provided us a more correct Freddie Youngblood's discography. 

Unknown (ts) Freddy Young (g) unknown el-b and d. Chicago, early 1963

Dark river

Limbo rock

Freddy Young (vcl,g) acc by Lafayette Leake (org) Eddie Taylor (g) Andrew "Blueblood" Mac Mahon (el-b) Robert "Huckleberry Hound" Wright (d); Chicago, 1964

Monkey business (A bit of soul*)

That ain't right

Someday baby

Freddie Young Blood (vcl)  acc by Little Mack (hca) Sunnyland Slim (p) Lafayette Leake (org) Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Taylor (g) Odell Campbell (el-b) Willie Williams (d) Chicago, December 1971

If blues was whiskey

(This tune borrows the instrumental track from "Special agent" by Andrew "Blueblood" Mac Mahon substituting Young's vocal for Mac Mahon's and dubbing on at the same time the organ backing by Lafayette Leake.)

As Freddy Youngblood & Joann Adison (vcl duets) acc by unknown band Chicago, June 1974

The hickey game

That ain't right (the above title is identical to the one recorded in 1964)

Freddy Youngblood (vcl) acc by Hubert Sumlin (g) + others Chicago, c; March 10, 1975

Baby Brown

Note : At the above session 4 more unknown titles were recorded.

Freddie Youngblood (vcl) acc p, 2 g's, el-b and unknown d Chicago, 1981

Last November

K.C. DOUGLAS/ Complete Recordings

  

K.C. DOUGLAS: COMPLETE RECORDINGS

           

K.C. Douglas (né à Sharon, Ms le 21 novembre 1913) a été un des très rares bluesmen du Mississippi à avoir émigré en Californie durant la guerre et à y avoir maintenu le style du Delta dont il était un représentant fidèle. K.C. a en effet bien connu et accompagné Tommy Johnson et a modelé autant son répertoire qu'une partie de son jeu de guitare sur lui. En Californie, Douglas fait équipe avec l'harmoniciste Sidney Maiden et enregistre en 1948 pour Bob Geddins Mercury boogie, un petit succès local qui deviendra un énorme tube à la fois dans le Rock (Steve Miller) que dans la Country Music (la superbe version qu'en a donnée Alan Jackson en 1992). Hélas, K.C. ne profitera que très peu de ce qui aurait pu lui valoir une vraie aisance financière. Malheureusement aussi, ce seul 78t ne sera suivi que par un seul single.

            Cependant, tout en travaillant dans la fonction publique locale, K. C. Douglas continue à jouer son brin de Country blues partout où il le peut. En 1954 ou 1952 (?), la chanteuse folk Barbara Dane remarque K.C. Douglas et le fait se produire dans les bars étudiants de Berkeley et dans son propre club, un des tout premiers bluesmen noirs à entrer dans ce circuit étudiant. C'est grâce à Barbara que Douglas enregistre son premier album qui ne sortira que sur un label australien (Cook!) et qui est ainsi devenu extrêmement rare.

            A la fin des années 50, K.C. devient un des favoris du public (essentiellement jeune, étudiant et blanc) du folk blues revival californien. C'est tout naturellement qu'il enregistre en 1960 pour le producteur Chris Strachwitz une longue séance qui paraîtra sur deux albums Bluesville: K.C.'s blues et Big road blues.

            A la fin des années 1960, K.C. s'associe avec l'excellent harmoniciste Richard Riggins (qui enregistrera sous le nom de Harmonica Slim: rien à voir avec Travis Blaylock que nous avons présenté dans ce blog). Un grandissime 45t en 1967 capture le duo au sommet de leur art.

            Une fois à la retraite, K.C. se consacre totalement à sa musique, monte un petit groupe (qui comprend l'excellent guitariste slide Ron Thompson) et se produit sur toutes les scènes blues de la Côte Ouest, notamment au San Francisco Blues Festival où sa présence, son dynamisme, son Delta blues authentique enthousiasment l'auditoire. Après deux 45t pour le petit label Blues Connoisseur, Chris Strachwitz enregistre fin 1973-début 1974 ce bel orchestre (Country blues) pour son label Arhoolie, éditant un des meilleurs disques de blues terrien de la décennie, avec des solos percutants de Thompson comme de Riggins et des compositions aussi mémorables que le vibrant My mind's going back in 1929.

            Même s'il était très casanier, K.C. avait accepté de venir jouer au Japon et en Europe mais il décède d'une crise cardiaque à son domicile de Berkeley le 18 octobre 1975.

            Cette compilation regroupe tous les enregistrements effectués par K.C. Douglas, une oeuvre majeure.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            K.C. Douglas (born in Sharon, Ms. on November 21, 1913) learned the blues through his association with the great Delta bluesman Tommy Johnson whose very style and repertoire he would always carry on. But unlike most Mississippian fellows who left for Saint Louis or Chicago, K.C. went for work to California, living in the Bay Area, one of the very few bluesmen to play the Delta style in this area during the 1940's. With the harmonica player Sidney Maiden, he waxed his own composition, Mercury boogie that won a little local success but was to become a smash hit years later for rock star Steve Miller and in 1992 a number 1 Country Hit for the driving version of this title by Alan Jackson. General Motors even used it as a commercial theme! Unfortunately, K.C. didn't benefit of that unexpected successes and had to work as a civil servant all his life while constantly playing his down home Mississippi blues wherever people wanted to hear it.

            In 1955, the activist and folk singer Barbara Dane took him under her wing. K.C. thus was one of the very first black bluesman able to play for the burgeoning California folk blues revival of the day. Thanks to Barbara, he even recorded as early as 1954 (or 1952) a whole album that was only issued on an Australian label!

            In 1961, Chris Strachwitz recorded with Douglas a mammoth session that ultimately was issued on two distinct albums (K.C.'s blues and Big Road blues) on the Bluesville label. In the late 60's, K.C. Douglas joined forces with the excellent harp player Richard Riggins (who recorded under the moniker Harmonica Slim: no relation with the other Harmonica Slim - Travis Blaylock - that we have featured on a previous post on this blog) and recorded some excellent 45s, notably Little Green house/ Things I'd do for you.

            After retiring from his daily job, K.C. became at last a full time musician, assembling a small band with Riggins and the very talented slide guitarist Ron Thompson. Everywhere he appeared K.C. took the audiences by storm with a strong stage presence and a down home authenticity the young blues fans were striving for at that time. After two notable 45 for the small local Blues Connoisseur label, K.C. and his band recorded in late 1973/ early 74 a whole album (Country blues) that stands as one of the best down home recording of that period.

            K.C. was quite reluctant to travel but was finally persuaded to do so and had to play his blues in Japan and Europe when he died of a sudden heart attack in his Berkeley home on October 18, 1975.

            This comp gathers all K.C. Douglas' recordings, a major country blues artist.

            Thanks for any feedback!

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

K.C. DOUGLAS

THE COMPLETE SESSIONS

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Sidney Maiden, hca. Oakland, Ca. July 1948

01. Mercury boogie

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Mercy Dee Walton, pno; bs; dms. Oakland, Ca. may 1954

02. Lonely blues

03. K.C. boogie

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g. Oakland, Ca. c. 1954 (or 1952 according to certain sources)

04. Canned heat

05. Catfish

06. Big road blues

07. Kansas City

08. I got the key to the highway

09. Kassie Jones

10. Mercury blues

11. Blues

12. I met the blues this morning

13. I have my woman

14. Had I money

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Sidney Maiden, hca; Bruce Bratton, bs. Berkeley, Ca. April & May 1960

15. Big road blues

16. Night shirt blues #1

17. Night shirt blues #2

18. Mercury blues

19. Blues and trouble

20. Make your coffee

21. Canned heat

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g. Stockton, Ca. 5-12 February 1961

22. Big road blues

23. Howling blues

24. Move to Kansas City

25. Buck dance

26. Tore your playhouse down

27. Bottle up and go

28. Whiskey headed woman

29. Catfish blues

30. K.C. blues

31. Canned heat

32. Key to the highway

33. Broken heart

34. Hen house blues

35. Wake up working woman

36. Rootin' ground hog

37. Meanest woman

38. Born in the country

39. Love me all night long

40. Tell me

41. No more crying

42. K.C.'s doctor blues

43. You got a good thing now

44. Watch dog blues

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Clarence Van Hook, t-sax; George Hurst, pno; bs; Jimmy Raney, dms. Berkeley, Ca. 19 August 1963

45. I'm gonna build me a web

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Richard Riggins (Harmonica Slim), hca; Lionel Hewitt, pno; bs; dms. Berkeley, Ca. 1967

46. The things I'd do for you

47. The little green house

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Bob Smith, bs; Jim Marshall, dms. San Francisco, Ca. 8 January 1972

48. Having a lot of trouble

49. Woke up with the blues

K.C. Douglas, vcl; Richard Riggins, hca; Bob Smith, bs; Jim Marshall, dms. Orinda, Ca. July 1972

50. Mercury boogie

51. You hear me howling

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Richard Riggins, hca. Berkeley, Ca. December 1973

52. Your crying won't make me stay

53. Country girl

54. Black cat bone

55. Good looking women

56. Fanny Lou

K.C. Douglas, vcl/g; Richard Riggins, hca; Ron Thompson, g; Jim Marshall, dms. Oakland, Ca. March 1974

57. Mercury blues

58. My mind's going back to 1929

59. Catfish blues

60. High water rising

61. Woke up this morning

62. Somebody done stole my gal

63. Fanny Lou

64. I don't want no woman to love me

65. Married woman blues

66. Black cat bone

67. Good looking women

68. Richard's ride

69. Hear me howling