NEW YORK CITY/ The Blues Yesterday Vol. 7

NEW YORK CITY BLUES YESTERDAY/ Volume 7

           

Ouvrons ce 7ème volume de notre série "New York City blues Yesterday" avec le pianiste, chanteur Hal Paige qui, malgré une discographie relativement abondante (ici intégralement proposée) demeure très mal connu. Il a dirigé son orchestre The Wailers (ou The Whalers!) durant une bonne partie des années 1950 avant de disparaître brusquement sans laisser de trace! Quasiment aucune revue spécialisée ne lui a consacré un article!

            C'est le contraire du chanteur Billy Bland (né le 5 avril 1932 à Wilmington en Caroline du Nord) qui a connu un gros succès avec un morceau pop de danse Let the little girl dance. Venu jeune à New York, Bland a fait partie du groupe vocal The Bees (enregistrant pour Imperial) avant de se produire en vedette dans les clubs, flirtant avec la vague du R'n'R. Mais, malgré là aussi une discographie copieuse, Billy Bland n'a plus guère renoué avec le succès et a

abandonné la musique à la fin des années 60, investissant dans une chaîne de restaurants de Harlem. Il est décédé le 22 mars 2017 à New York. Nous avons ici regroupé ses titres les plus blues, notamment ceux gravés en compagnie de Sonny Terry et Brownie McGhee.

            Enfin, le mystérieux 45t de Hurricane Harry n'est autre qu'un énième pseudonyme de l'écrivain, scénariste, auteur de comédies musicales et chanteur Earl Solomon Burroughs (1925-2016), plus connu sous son nom de plume Jack Hammer. Il a composé certains des gros succès des années Rock, notamment Fujiyama mama et Great balls of fire (immortalisé par Jerry Lee Lewis).

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            Let's open this 7th opus of our New York City Blues Yesterday series with pianist, singer and bandleader Hal Paige. Despite a somewhat large discography (here entirely gathered), almost nothing is known about him and he didn't appear, to my knowledge, on any specialist blues magazine! He led during the 1950's his band The Wailers (sometimes The Whalers!) before vanishing at the end of the decade!

           

On the other hand, Billy Bland (born 5 April 1932 at Wilmington, NC) has enjoyed a great Hit with the pop dance number Let the little girl dance. A Newyorker since an early age, Bland has started a singing career as a member of the doo woop ensemble The Bees (with whom he recorded for Imperial) before launching his own personal act, recording quite a lot of singles for several New York based labels, alternating pop numbers with Rock'n'roll and blues. Unfortunately he never got another Hit and let down the music for good during the late 60's, managing his own chain restaurants in Harlem. Billy Bland died in New York City 22 March 2017. We have here gathered his most blues and bluesy tracks, particularly those recorded with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

            At last, the mysterious (and very good) 45s by a certain Hurricane Harry is no one else than novelist, Hollywood scriptwriter, songwriter and occasionally recording singer Earl Solomon Burroughs (1925-2016) more widely known under his pen name Jack Hammer. He composed some of the greatest Rock'n'roll Hits of the 50's and 60's, namely Fujiyama mama and Great balls of fire (a smash hit for Jerry Lee Lewis)

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

Also (to fill requests): NEW YORK CITY FOLK BLUES FESTIVAL

NEW YORK CITY BLUES YESTERDAY/ Volume 7

HAL PAIGE, vcl/pno; Mikey Baker, g; band. New York City, 9 March 1953

01. Break of day

02. Drive it home

Hal Paige, vcl/pno; band. New York City, 20 December 1953

03. Big foot May

04. Please say you do

Hal Paige, vcl/pno; Jimmy Spruill, g; band. New York City, 1955

05. My angel child

06. Rock this joint this morning

07. Guitar shuffle

08. Guitar blues

Hal Paige, vcl/pno; Herbert Wright, g; saxes; Bob Harris, bs; Kenneth McDonald, dms. New York City, January 1957

09. Pour the corn

10. Don't have to cry no more

Hal Paige, vcl/pno; Jimmy Spruill, g; band. New York City, September 1957

11. Sugar babe

12. Thunderbird

Hal Paige, vcl/pno; Jimmy Spruill, g; band. New York City, 1959

13. Going back to my home town

14. After hours blues

BILLY BLAND, vcl; Buddy Lucas, t-sax; Bob Gaddy, pno; Sonny Terry, hca; Brownie Mc Ghee, g; bs; dms. New York City, September 1955

15. Chicken in the basket

16. The fat man

17. Oh you for me

18. Chicken hop

19. Flo, open the door

Billy Bland, vcl; band. New York City, 1957

20. If I can be your man

21. I had a dream

Billy Bland, vcl; Mickey Baker, g; band. New York City, 1961

22. Do the bug with me

23. Uncle Bud

Billy Bland, vcl; band. New York City, 1963

24. Grandma gave a party

25. Mama stole the chicken

26. What's that?

Billy Bland, vcl; band. New York City, 1963

27. Doing the mule

HURRICANE HARRY, vcl; band. New York City, December 1956

28. The last meal

29. Pennsylvania blues