JIMMY "T-99" NELSON

 JIMMY "T-99" NELSON

            

Jimmy "T-99" Nelson n'a eu qu'une courte période de succès et, malgré une œuvre de premier plan, est rarement cité parmi les grands "blues shouters".

            Né à Philadelphie le 7 avril 1919 (bien que la date de 1928 soit aussi parfois avancée!), d'un père saxophoniste de jazz, Jimmy décide très jeune de mener une vie de trimardeur, louant ses bras ici et là aussi bien dans le bâtiment que dans l'agriculture.

            C'est en 1941 qu'il se fixe finalement à Oakland et commence à fréquenter les très nombreux clubs de jazz de cette ville alors bourgeonnante d'une activité industrielle intense liée à la guerre. C'est au Blues After Hours Show d'Avery Parrish qu'il entend, fasciné, Big Joe Turner, ose aller le voir dans sa loge et profite de ses conseils pour devenir lui aussi un blues shouter!

            Les années suivantes, il réussit à devenir le chanteur attitré de plusieurs orchestres de jazz et R&B, notamment John Jacquet (le frère d'Illinois) et du trompettiste Windy Morgan grâce auquel il fait ses débuts discographiques dans le plus pur style de Big Joe Turner. Mais c'est son court séjour dans l'orchestre de Lionel Hampton pour quelques semaines d'une tournée sur la Côte Ouest qui va lui procurer son seul gros succès commercial. Lionel, en effet, lui demande de composer des blues originaux pour les enregistrer avec lui et Jimmy Nelson compose T-99 blues qui sera finalement gravé en 1951 avec le Peter Rabbit Trio (de son vrai nom Walter Grimes) avec l'excellent guitariste Junior Simmons. L'année suivante, Meet me with your black dress on monte aussi dans les Hit Parades et Jimmy désormais "T-99" Nelson fait partie des tournées nationales les plus prestigieuses de R&B, jouant jusqu'à l'Apollo Theatre de Harlem et le Howard Theatre de Washington, en compagnie de Roy Milton, Percy Mayfield, Joe Liggins ou Louis Jordan.

            Malheureusement, cette période faste ne durera pas plus de deux ans et dès 1955, Nelson cherche des engagements à New Orleans (il apparaît au Dew Drop Inn) puis à Houston où il se fixe et se marie. Bien qu'il apparaisse régulièrement dans les clubs de la ville, Nelson vit surtout de son travail d'ouvrier du bâtiment. En 1970, alors qu'il joue au Club Ebony, il est contacté par le producteur Roy Ames pour lequel il enregistre la matière de plusieurs albums qui ne paraîtront que des années plus tard.

            Ce n'est que à la fin des années 1990 qu'il est "redécouvert", retrouve la scène, les studios - il enregistre deux beaux albums pour Bullseye et Nettie Marie et effectue des tournées en Europe. Il décède à Houston le 29 juillet 2007.

            Tous nos remerciements à Hartmut Münnich et Red Rooster pour leur aide considérable.

                                                                                   Gérard HERZHAFT

            Jimmy "T-99" Nelson has only enjoyed a short period of success and despite his first rate works, he is rarely cited among the main blues shouters.

            Born in Philadelphia on April 7th, 1919 (1928 is sometimes suggested!) from a father who plays jazz saxophone, Jimmy quits his family at an early age and hoboes through the USA, making a living as a construction worker or a fruit picker. He finally settles in Oakland in 1941 with a steady job in a big plant and spends his spare time in the numerous jazz clubs of this burgeoning city. This is when watching the regular Avery Parrish's Blues After Hours Show that he hears and meets, utterly hooked by him, Big Joe Turner. This is Joe who gives some singing lessons to Jimmy, encouraging him to try his luck in the musical field.

            The following years, Jimmy Nelson is the blues singer of several local jazz and R&B bands, namely John Jacquet's (Illinois' brother) and trumpet player and bandleader Windy Morgan with whom he makes his recording debuts in 1947. But it's his short stay - for some West Coast gigs - with Lionel Hampton's band that will be decisive for his career. Lionel tells him he would like to record with him when returning to California and so asks him to compose some original material for this forthcoming session. So, Jimmy writes T-99 blues but, Hampton never giving any sign, Nelson records in 1951 this title (and a whole session) backed by vibraphonist/pianist Peter Rabbit (Walter Grimes) and his trio with the excellent Junior Simmons on guitar. T-99 blues is almost an instant hit, followed by Meet me with your black dress on. For a short while, Jimmy "T-99" Nelson (as he is named from now on) takes part of some of the most successful R&B touring shows that brings him from Coast to Coast to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem and Howard Theatre in Washington, alongside great acts as Roy Milton, Percy Mayfield, Joe Liggins or Louis Jordan.

            Unfortunately those lucky days don't last more than a couple of years, all the other Jimmy's excellent recordings failing to go anywhere. And Nelson drifts again from town to town, singing with local bands in New Orleans and finally settling in Houston where he marries and holds a steady job as a construction worker while appearing sporadically in local clubs. In 1970, while singing at the Club Ebony he is approached by producer Roy Ames for who he waxes several great sessions which will be issued only two decades after!

            This is during the late 1990's that, while making an appearance with his friend Grady Gaines, that he is "rediscovered", records two excellent albums for Bullseye and Nettie Marie, stars on several big festivals, tours Europe. He dies in Houston on 29 July 2007.

            Many thanks to Hartmut Münnich and Red Rooster for their invaluable help.

                                                                                   Gérard HERZHAFT

JIMMY NELSON

Complete Recordings 1947-70

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; Pat Patterson, t-sax; Windy Morgan, tpt; Cedric Heywood, pno; Johnny Ingram, bs; Ferdinand Caldwell, dms. Oakland, Ca. 1947

01. Streamlined baby

02. Ridin' Hi

03. The red light gotta go

04. Jubudy (vcl: Windy Morgan)

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; band. Oakland, Ca. 1948

05. My civil rights

06. Rock heart blues

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; Johnny Ingram, bs; band. Oakland, Ca. 1949

07. Baby child

08. The cats creep at midnight

09. Jail house love

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; Peter Rabbit (Walter Grimes), pno/vib; Junior Simmons, g; Robert Jackson, bs. Oakland, Ca. juin 1951

10. T-99 blues I

11. T-99 Blues II

12. Raindrop blues

13. Fine little honeydripper

14. Sweetest little girl I

15. Bad habit blues I

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; Maxwell Davis, t-sax; Jim Jackson, b-sax; Willard Mc Daniel, pno; Harold Grant, g; Charles Hamilton, bs; Jese Sailes, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 7 mars 1952

16. Bad habit blues II

17. Big eyed brown eyed girl of mine

18. Little rich girl

19. Sweetest little girl II

20. Little Miss Teasin' Brown

21. Right around the corner

Jimmy Nelson, vcl;Maxwell Davis, t-sax; Bumps Myers, t-sax/b-sax; Willard Mc Daniel, pno; Irving Ashby, g; Chuck Norris, g; Ted Brinson, bs; Chuck Blackwell, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. septembre 1952

22. Second hand fool

23. Big mouth

24. Meet me with your black dress on

25. Married men like sport

Jimmy Nelson, vcl;Maxwell Davis, t-sax; Bumps Myers, t-sax; Clyde Dunn, b-sax; Willard Mc Daniel, pno; William Edwards, g; Charles Hamilton, bs; Jesse Sailes, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 15 septembre 1953

26. Mean poor girl

27. Cry hard luck

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; band. Houston, Tx. 13 janvier 1955

28. Free and easy mind

29. Great big hunk of man

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; band. Berkeley, Ca. 1956

30. The wheel

31. She moves me

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; band. Houston, Tx. 27 octobre 1957

32. Mr Big wheel

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 12 juillet 1960

33. Unlock the door

34. I sat and cried

35. Last time around

36. She's my baby

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; band. Houston, Tx. 7 octobre 1963

37. What was I supposed to do (as All Boy)

38. She was good to me

39. Tell me who

40. Sweet sugar daddy

41. Her last bye bye

42. I'll be ready

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; band. Houston, Tx. 26 mai 1965

43. Slow down blues

44. I don't cry easy

45. Split the scene

46. Stay away from my shack

47. I said no

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; Ralph Hamilton, tpt; Conrad Johnson, a-sax; Arnett Cobb, t-sax; Clarence Hollimon, g; Pete Mays, g; Larry Lambert, bs; Carl Lott, dms. Houston, Tx. 10 mai 1970

48. Hot Tamale man

49. Too weak to work

50. No knocking time

51. Slow down blues I

52. Working woman

Jimmy Nelson, vcl; Calvin Owens, tpt; Arnett Cobb, t-sax, Jimmy Ford, a-sax; Charles Dancye, kbds; Clarence Hollimon, g; Chris Holzhaus, g; Larry Lambert, bs; Ronny Wynne, dms. Houston, Tx. 14 mai 1970

53. No one woman on my mind

54. Crazy door bell

55. Country wedding