CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Volume 16

CHICAGO/ THE BLUES YESTERDAY Volume 16

           

Pour ce 16ème volume de notre série, mettons l'accent sur des musiciens qui, entre blues, jazz et Soul et funk naissants, ont accompagné des bluesmen mais ont surtout enregistré sous leur nom des pièces instrumentales qui rencontraient alors les faveurs des jeunes Africains-Américains.

            "Tall" Paul Hankins (né à

Mobile dans l'Alabama le 20 mars 1937) est le pianiste/organiste de nombre de séances de blues derrière Earl Hooker, Bobby Saxton, Freddy Robinson, Lillian Offit.... Il a gravé en vedette une douzaine de titres dans la veine d'un Jimmy Smith, souvent accompagné du guitariste Willie Hudson qui chante sur un blues. Je n'ai que très peu d'informations sur cet excellent claviériste. Actuellement, j'essaie d'en glaner quelques unes auprès de sa petite-fille?

           

Perry & The Harmonics est un orchestre formé par le saxophoniste Clarence Perry (qui a enregistré avec Roosevelt Sykes, Ella Fitzgerald, etc...) et le pianiste et chanteur Ed Townsend (1929-2003) qui est surtout connu comme compositeur et producteur chez Mercury, Vee Jay, Capitol, Scepter de grands noms depuis Marvin Gaye jusqu'à Etta James, Big Maybelle ou Dee Dee Warwick. Le seul album (un "collector" jamais réédité) de Perry & The Harmonics, Intrigue with Soul, paru en 1965, est composé de titres entièrement inspirés des James Bond de l'époque dont l'irrésistible Do the Monkey with James. Nous présentons ici les titres les plus bluesy de cet album mais, pour ceux qui aiment le Jazz Soul de cette époque, tout est très réussi.

            E. Rodney Jones (1927-2004) était un acteur de cinéma (Mahogany, Three the hard way), propriétaire du célèbre club Burning Spear Lounge avec Pervis Spann et surtout un DJ très populaire à Chicago où sa voix de baryton, chaude et insinuante, son courrier des auditeurs et ses choix musicaux drainaient de fortes audiences sur la station WVON. Rodney Jones a enregistré une poignée de 45t sous son nom, en compagnie de musiciens de premier plan qu'il avait réunis pour l'occasion, en particulier le remarquable guitariste Larry Blasingaine qui enregistrera avec les Jackson Five, Jackie Wilson ou les Emotions...

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

Merci à Mr Mightygroove et Jack Stanton pour leur aide.

            With this 16th opus of our Chicago/ The Blues Yesterday series, we are drifting a little bit outside the hardcore blues for those (still very bluesy) organ-piano-guitar-saxophone instrumentals between jazz, blues, Soul and early Funk which were so popular among the African-Americans during the 1960's.

            "Tall" Paul Hankins (born 20th of March 1937 in Mobile, Alabama) is the keyboardist of numerous sessions, particularly behind Earl Hooker, Bobby Saxton, Lillian Offit, Freddy Robinson, etc... He also recorded a dozen titles under his name in a vein similar to Jimmy Smith or Mc Griff who were enjoying a lot of success at that time. Backing him on lead guitar, Willie Hudson is also featuring here singing a good blues. I still try to gather more infos on Hankins.

            Perry & The Harmonics was a band formed by sax player Clarence Perry (who recorded with Roosevelt Sykes or Ella Fitzgerald) and singer/pianist Ed Townsend (1929-2003) better known as a producer, composer and A&R man at Mercury, Vee Jay, Capitol, Scepter for big names like Marvin Gaye, Etta James, Big Maybelle or Dee Dee Warwick. Their only album (a true "collector" never reissued) Intrigue with Soul from 1965 is entirely made of titles inspired by the James Bond films of the era (with Sean Connery) with the driving irresistible Do the Monkey with James. If we are featuring here the bluesiest tracks for this compilation, all the album is first rate and should please everyone with a taste for Jazz Soul.

           

E. Rodney Jones (1927-2004) was an actor (Mahogany, Three the hard way) and co-owner with Pervis Spann of the legendary Chicago club, The Burning Spear. Moreover he was a famous Chicago DJ on WVON radio station whose warm baritone voice, listeners' requests and his musical choices attracted strong audiences during more than a decade during the 1960's and 70's. Rodney Jones has also recorded a handful of singles under his name, gathering for the occasion some of the best young Chicago musicians, particularly the remarkable lead guitarist Larry

Blasingaine who would record and tour with the Jackson Five, Jackie Wilson or The Emotions.

            Thanks a lot to Mr Mightygroove and Jack Stanton for their help.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

CHICAGO/ THE BLUES YESTERDAY Volume 16

TALL PAUL HANKINS, pno; Eddie C. Campbell, g; A.C. Reed, t-sax; Jack Myers, bs; Odie Payne, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1959

01. Teenage hop

I am in love again

Tall Paul Hankins, og; Willie Hudson, g/vcl on *; Bobby Hudson, bs; Joe Hudson, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1964

02. Joe's House Party I & II

03. Red Lips

04. It's you I'm going to miss*

Tall Paul Hankins, og; The Hot Peppers, band. Chicago, Ill. 1965

05. The Turnpike

06. Saint James Infirmary

07. A touch of the blues

08. Hot Spot

Tall Paul Hankins, og; band. Chicago, Ill. 1966

09. My Boogaloo

I did it (Click on it. Thanks to Benoit Blue Boy)

Tall Paul Hankins, pno; band. Chicago, Ill. c. 1967

Rock me baby

Soul searchin'

PERRY & THE HARMONICS: Clarence Perry, t-sax; Ed Townsend, vcl/pno; Paul Pratt, g; Richard Mc Crea, og; Maurice Wells, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1965

10. Do the monkey with James

11. James out of sight

12. Goldfinger's got the blues

13. The James Bond Theme

14. James goes to Soulville

E. RODNEY JONES, vcl; band. Chicago, Ill. 1965

15. R&B Time I & II

16. Soul Heaven

E. Rodney Jones, vcl; Larry Blasingaine, g; The Hippies, band. Chicago, Ill. 1970

17. Chicken on down

18. Football

19. Right on right on

E. Rodney Jones, vcl; Willie Henderson, vcl; band. Chicago, Ill. juin 1972

20. The whole thing

21. Loose Booty

LARRY BLASINGAINE, g; The Hippies, band. Chicago, Ill. 1968

22. Enough for everybody

23. Gimme some of yours

http://www.mediafire.com/file/lojmeufrdusq3vc/Chcg-TBY16.zip