CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Vol. 11

CHICAGO/ THE BLUES YESTERDAY Volume 11

      

   Bobby Rush (né Emmett Ellis Jr le 10 novembre 1940 à Homer, La) est aujourd'hui une figure majeure du Soul blues et un des grands maîtres du chitlin' circuit (dont on peut admirer une époustouflante performance dans le film "The Road to Memphis" (de Richard Pearce: que l'on peut trouver en DVD chez Wild Side). Sa discographie est riche d'albums marquants qui ont souvent été des succès commerciaux. Il sait mieux que quiconque marier le blues le plus brut (qu'il a pratiqué encore enfant auprès de Elmore James ou Boyd Gilmore) avec les éléments de la Soul, beaucoup de Funk et même du Rap. Mais ses premiers 45t enregistrés à Chicago (où sa famille s'est installée en 1953) sont largement méconnus à l'exception de son "classique" Chicken heads. Nous avons essayé de regrouper la plupart de ces premiers titres, entre blues et Soul, dans cette anthologie (il manque encore cinq morceaux: toutes copies .mp3 seraient les bienvenues!). Devenu une vedette surtout dans le Sud, Bobby Rush s'est installé à Jackson (Ms) en 1980.

           

Nous avons déjà présenté Little Wolf, de son vrai nom Jesse Sanders, dans Chicago/ The Blues Yesterday Vol. 2. Né le 26 juin 1930 à Florence, Ms, Jesse a fait une carrière de policier à Chicago tout en chantant ici et là dans les clubs de blues. Marié à la nièce de Howlin' Wolf, Diane, Jesse a été rebaptisé Little Wolf par Willie Dixon qui, à la mort du vrai Loup Hurlant, lui a composé et fait enregistrer en 1976 The wolf wont howl no more. Au moment de sa retraite de la police en 1990, Jesse Sanders est parti vivre à Memphis où il s'est produit sporadiquement sur scène. C'est en vendant un Greyhound bus qu'il avait retapé à son vieil ami Bobby Rush que Jesse Sanders a enregistré un album produit par Rush sur son éphémère label JayLo sous le nom de Little Howlin' Wolf! Un disque si rare qu'il passait même pour n'avoir jamais été édité! Mais notre ami Pierre Monnery (merci à lui) a déployé ses talents de fin limier pour en dénicher un exemplaire dont nous proposons ici l'intégralité. Mais attention: grande rareté ne signifie pas grande réussite et si cet album a ses moments, il n'est certainement pas au niveau de ce que Little Wolf a fait sous la houlette de Willie Dixon.

            Enfin, terminons cette anthologie avec - sauf erreur - l'unique 45t de L.C. Roby (Lee Charles Holland), le fils de William Holland (The Highway Man, lui aussi un imitateur de Howlin' Wolf). Dans ces titres de 1979, Roby apparaît comme un excellent guitariste et chanteur fort influence par Albert King.

            Comme d'habitude, tous vos commentaires et appréciations sont les bienvenues.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

         Bobby Rush (born Emmett Ellis Jr on November, 10th 1940 at Homer, La) is a major name of the Soul blues and one of the true master of the so-called chitlin' circuit (cf his breathtaking performances behind his audience in the Richard Pearce's film TheRoad to Memphis). He has a large discography of very often excellent albums with many Hits, mainly in the Southern States. He knows better than anyone how to mix a gritty down home Funk with strong blues overtones (he learned the blues with people like Elmore James and Boyd Gilmore!) and Soul elements and his music is highly personal and very exciting. But his first 45s recorded in Chicago (where his family settled in 1953) are not well known outside his major Hit Chicken heads. We have tried to gather them but five titles are still missing (any .mp3 copy through my mail would be welcome!). Becoming a big name, mainly in the South, Bobby went to live to Jackson, Ms in 1980, near his favourite audience.

            We have already featured Little Wolf and the records he made for Willie Dixon (see Chicago/ The Blues Yesterday Vol. 2). Born Jesse Sanders on June, 26th 1930 in Florence, Ms, our man has made a career as a Chicago police officer for 47 years while singing the blues in the Windy City clubs. Married to Howlin' Wolf's niece Diane, Jesse brought the attention of Willie Dixon who recorded him on an excellent aforementioned album. After his retirement from the Chicago Police Department, Jesse Sanders relocated in Memphis where he made some public appearances. He met again his old friend Bobby Rush and while Bobby bought to him a Greyhound bus Jesse had reshaped himself, he decided to record Sanders (this time as Little Howlin' Wolf) for his short lived JayLo label. The album is so rare that it was long thought it was never issued. Thanks to the detective talents of our friend Pierre Monnery, we have been able to get a copy of it and the entire session is on this post. But mind you: extremely rare doesn't mean extremely successful! Although there are good moments, we are here quite far from the sessions Little Wolf made for Dixon in Chicago!

            To round off this new volume, we have included the only but excellent 45 made by L.C. Roby (Lee Charles Holland, son of William Holland, himself a Howlin' Wolf impersonator!) in 1979. Roby was, at that time, leading a very good Chicago outfit that backed many bluesmen in the clubs and the studios. On his own record, L.C. demonstrates his skills as a singer and as a guitarist, strongly influenced by Albert King.

            As usual, all feedback from you, blues lovers, is welcome.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday

Volume 11

Bobby Rush (Emmett Ellis Jr), vcl/g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1964

01. Someday

Let me love you

Bobby Rush, vcl/g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1966

You're the one for me

Done got over

Bobby Rush, vcl/g; Monk Higgins, pno; Wayne Bennett, g; Luther Johnson, g; horns; Cornelius Boyson, bs; dms. Chicago, Ill. 1967

02. Much too much

03. Sock boogaloo

Bobby Rush, vcl/g; band. Chicago, Ill. 29 janvier 1968

04. Gotta have money

05. Camel walk

Bobby Rush, vcl/g; Sonny Thompson, pno; band. Chicago, Ill. 1969

06. Wake up

07. Just be yourself

08. Let it all hang out

What now?

The things that I used to do (see my YouTube Channel for this title)

Bobby Rush, vcl/g; band. chicago, Ill. 1971

09. Chicken heads

10. Mary Jane

Bobby Rush, vcl/g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1972

11. Bowlegged woman knock kneed man I & II

Bobby Rush, vcl/g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1974

12. Get out of here

Little Wolf (Jessie Sanders), vcl/g; Bobby Rush, hca/g/bs; Micky Rogers, g; Mike Rushell, g; Dell Marris, og; John Alford, kbds; Jackson State Horn sectuon, horns; Willie James Hatten, bs; Forest Gordon, dms. Jackson, Ms. prob. 1992

13. Cryin' for my baby

14. Shake it baby

15. I ain't doing too bad

16. Ain't no time for fussing

17. Somebody walking in my home

18. Highway 49

19. Out in Virginia

20. Smokestack lightnin'

21. Help me baby

22. New Orleans blues

L.C. Roby (Lee Charles Holland), vcl/g; Eddie Shaw, t-sax; t-sax; Detroit Jr, og; Marylin Love, bs; Ben Sanders, dms. Chicago, Ill. septembre 1979

23. Ain't gonna tell nobody

24. Feel like a King