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lundi 13 août 2018

PINEY BROWN




PINEY BROWN


            Moins connu que Big Joe Turner ou Wynonie Harris, ses modèles, Piney Brown n'en est pas moins un blues shouter de talent et qui a enregistré une oeuvre conséquente s'étendant sur cinq décennies!
            Colombus Perry naît le 20 janvier 1922 à Birmingham, la plus grande ville de l'Alabama. Elevé par sa mère qui faisait des ménages, vivant en milieu urbain, Colombus commence à chanter dans un groupe de Gospel The Young Blue Jays tout en fréquentant les spectacles de Vaudeville et les Tent shows avec assiduité. C'est une des vedettes de ce circuit alors si populaire, Shepherd Sam, qui lui apprend le mêtier, à danser, chanter, bonimenter, faire des acrobaties.
            Après divers jobs, Colombus s'installe brièvement à Kansas City où il a l'occasion de voir les blues shouters et les musiciens de la ville en action. Il gagne ensuite Baltimore en 1940 où il danse et chante dans différents cabarets du grand port et réussit à remplacer au pied levé Wynonie Harris, malade, dont il connaît par coeur le répertoire au Royal Theatre, accompagné de l'orchestre de Lucky Millinder.
            En 1946, il forme un duo de chant et de danse avec Estelle Young. Elle se fait appeler Caldonia (en hommage au tube de Louis Jordan). Lui prend alors le nom de Piney Brown, un hit de Big Joe Turner d'après le nom d'un barman bien connu de Kansas City.
            Le duo connaît un certain succès et Piney Brown tourne alors à travers tout les Etats Unis, à l'affiche avec Billy Eckstine, Gatemouth Brown, Percy Mayfield, Lester Young et même.... Big Joe Turner qui le reçoit d'abord fraîchement à cause de son nom de scène!
           
C'est en 1947 que Piney Brown fait ses débuts en studio grâce au pianiste Sonny Thompson qu'il a justement rencontré en tournée. Ce disque donne la possibilité à Brown de signer un contrat avec le prestigieux label Apollo de New York (de Bess Berman). My baby's gone effleure les Hit Parades de R&B et permet à Piney Brown de se produire à l'Apollo Theatre de Harlem, dans les principaux night clubs du pays (comme le Cotton Club) et d'effectuer une fructueuse tournée dans les bases militaires américaines, accompagné de l'orchestre d'Illinois Jacquet. Les années suivantes, Brown est constamment en studio, enregistrant pour Sittin' In With, Atlas, Prestige, Jubilee, Mad et King dont il devient aussi un compositeur maison. C'est dans ce cadre qu'il signe Popcorn, le célèbre succès de James Brown.
            Après avoir essayé de diriger un club à Kansas City (et avoir fini une balle perdue dans le dos!), Piney Brown retourne à Birmingham pour s'occuper de sa mère souffrante. Il y enregistre pour le label Heart et aide la carrière de Jerry Mc Cain.
            En 1964, Piney se marie et s'installe définitivement à Dayton dans l'Ohio où il se produit régulièrement au club The Village et à la base militaire voisine de l'US Air Force, tout en enregistrant pour le petit label local, Deep Groove. Le Rhythm & Blues n'ayant plus guère la faveur des jeunes Noirs, Piney favorise de plus en plus dans sa musique la Soul et le Funk, copie James Brown avec Everything but you avant d'enregistrer une longue séance pour le label 77 de John Richbourg à Nashville, accompagné d'un orchestre de Country Music!
            Lorsque Delmark réédite ses séances Jubilee, Piney Brown contacte le label pour ses droits d'auteur et est ainsi signalé aux amateurs de blues. Après que la revue britannique Juke Blues lui ait consacré un long article/interview, Piney Brown tourne en Europe, enregistre deux albums en 2004-2005, doit en faire un troisième pour Delmark. Mais il décède avant de réaliser ce projet le 5 février 2009 à Dayton.
            Nous avons ici regroupé presque la totalité des enregistrements de Piney Brown effectués entre 1947 et 1959 plus une sélection de ses titres les plus blues de la décennie suivante.
            Merci à Jollyjumper, Uncle Gil et Steve Wisner pour leur aide déterminante. Et merci aussi à Brian Baumgatner pour son article paru dans Juke Blues 48 que nous avons beaucoup utilisé pour cet article.
                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            Less famous than Big Joe Turner or Wynonie Harris, his favorites, Piney Brown is anayway a gifted blue shouter who recorded a long string of singles and CDs, spanning a career of five decades!
            Colombus Perry was born on 20 January 1922 in Birmingham, Alabama. Raised by his mother who was a housekeeper, the young boy started to sing in a Gospel group The Young Blue Jays while attending a lot of Vaudeville and Tent Shows. There he met the famous Vaudeville artist Shepherd Sam who taught him how to dance, sing, tell tales, acrobatics...
            At the end of the 1930's, Colombus tried his luck in Kansas City with no success but he had there the opportunity to watch and meet many of the blues and jazz acts of the time. He then went to Baltimore around 1940, singing and dancing in several night clubs of this big harbor. He even replaced at the Royal Theatre and backed by the Lucky Millinder Orchestra, an ill Wynonie Harris from who he knew all the songs!
            In 1946, he formed a singing and dancing duo with Estelle Young. Estelle took the stage name of Caldonia (cashing on Louis Jordan's hit) and Colombus Perry became Piney Brown, the title of a smash hit by Big Joe Turner about a famous Kansas City bartender! The duo enjoyed some success and Piney Brown started to tour across the USA with several shows, sharing the bill with Billy Eckstine, Gatemouth Brown, Percy Mayfield, Lester Young and even a very suspicious (at first) Big Joe Turner! Thanks to Sonny Thompson, Piney made his recording debut in 1947 for Miracle, enough to be invited to make a session the next year at New York for the prestigious Apollo label of Bess Berman. My baby's gone enjoyed some success and Piney appeared at many famous clubs and venues like the Apollo Theatre, the Cotton Club, while embarking of several tours of US Military bases. He was also regularly on the studios, recording for Sittin' In With, Atlas, Jubilee, Mad and King which also hired him as a composer. While at King, Piney Brown gave the hit Popcorn to James Brown!
            After an unsuccesful attempt to own a night club in Kansas City (and a bullett in his back!), Piney had to come back to Birmingham to help his aging mother. Then he recorded for the Heart label and helped launch Jerry McCain career. In 1964, Piney finally settled down permanently in Dayton (Ohio) where he married, singing at local clubs (The Village) or US Air Force bases while still recording for the small Dayton label, Deep Groove in a style more and more leaning towards Soul and Funk (Everything but you). During the late 1960's Piney also recorded several sessions for John Richbourg's 77 label in Nashville, backed by a young Country band.
            When Delmark reissued his Jubilee tracks, Piney contacted the Chicago label for his royalties. Delmark spread the news among blues buffs around the world and after a lengthy article and interview on the british Juke Blues magazine, Piney embarked himself on several tours of Europe, recording two CDs in 2004-2005. Another album was programmed for Delmark but Piney Brown died before on 5 February 2009 in Dayton.
            We have here gathered almost all the recordings made by this important blues shouter between 1947 and 1959 plus a selection of his most bluesy tracks that he recorded in the 60's.
            A lot of thanks to Jollyjumper, Uncle Gil and Steve Wisner for their great help. And a particular thanks to Brian Baumgartner whose Juke Blues n°48's article has been strongly used here!
                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT



Piney Brown (Colombus Perry), vcl; Eddie Chamblee, t-sax; Sonny Thompson, pno; g; bs; dms. Chicago, Ill. 25 October 1947
01. That's right, little girl
Piney Brown, vcl; band. New York City, November 1948
02. Down and out blues
03. Gloomy monday blues
04. Mourning blues
05. Piney Brown boogie
Piney Brown, vcl; band. New York City, January 1950
06. How about rockin' with me?
07. Why do I cry over you?
08. That's right baby
09. Lovin' gal blues
Piney Brown, vcl; Abe Baker, bs; band. New York City, 1951
10. You bring out the wolf in me
11. Don't pass me by
12. Battle with the bottle
13. 3D loving
Piney Brown, vcl; Blue Flashes, band. New York City, 1952
14. You made me this way
15. Talking about you
16. Have mercy
17. Kokimo
Piney Brown, vcl; Ed Swanston, pno; band. New York City, January 1953
18. Ooh I want my baby
19. My heart is aching baby
The stuff is here
So afraid of losing you
Piney Brown, vcl; Sidney Grant, t-sax; tb; Champion Jack Dupree, pno; Mickey Baker, g; Cedric Wallace, bs; John Taylor, dms. New York City, 7 April 1953
20. Whispering blues
21. Walk a block and fall
Piney Brown, vcl; Madman Jones, t-sax; Lefty Bates, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1959
22. Sugar in my tea
23. My love
Piney Brown, vcl; band. Dayton, Oh. 1961
24. I'm travelling
25. Life is funny
Piney Brown, vcl; band. Dayton, Oh. 1966
26. Everything but you
I'm tired of running   (Thanks to Steve Wisner for sharing this rare track)
Piney Brown, vcl; band. Nashville, Tn. 1969
27. Bring it on home
28. Baby don't do it
29. One of these days
30. Nashville wimmin'


25 commentaires:

  1. Piney Brown/ Complete Early Recordings
    https://www33.zippyshare.com/v/8oKzcooh/file.html
    OK?

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    1. this link no longer works can you help.rockb4elvis@gmail.com

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    2. https://mega.nz/#!SRRU3CLS!kJ1PbV_zBaJ3it_HsC6Esl96FuzF-KNoFFbIrlBXl9U

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  2. Muchisimos Thanks for this fine offering Gerard....

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  3. Another lovely post Gerard. Thank you very much. I've had a look for the missing titles but no luck.

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  4. Many thanks Gerard for this nice collection by an artist I haven't listened much to.

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  5. Thanks Gérard. J'ai un clip de " (I'm Tired of) Running" malheureusement incomplet et le son n'est pas très bon. Petite rectification: ce titre est paru sur Deep Groove, pressé par Rite Records in 1969

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    1. Merci. J'ai aussi reçu une copie de I'm tired of runnin'. Je retravaille le son et je le posterai d'une façon iu d'une autre, bien que le morceau lui même ne soit pas très réussi...

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  6. Thanks Gerard
    I love Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris, Jimmy Rushing, Jimmy Witherspoon et al but only heard Piney Brown on compilations.
    Thanks for all the collecting,ripping and research (plus English translation) that you do...Keeping the Blues alive for a new generation. Respect !

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  7. Loving this collection! Thank you Gérard. Have you tracked down the RPW Those Prison Blues? I found a copy here in the states. Trying to secure a copy.

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    1. Thanks, Brian. A copy of the Folk Lyric or 77 issue of Those Prison Blues (quite different than the Arhoolie LP or CD) would be absolutely great!

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    2. Gerard, will have the RPW (Folk-Lyric) in hand next week. should have it to you by 24 Aug.

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    3. Brian, you're a benefactor of the blues community!!!! Thanks a lot

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    4. I need your help. I have a Robert Pete Williams recording that I can't find any information on. It is a live recording from 20 April 1970. Live At The Old Main Theater, Portland State University. I have no cover or record label info. Could be a soundboard bootleg?

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    5. It has never been issued as a CD or LP. That's a concert at Portland State University recorded by the University Archives and posted first by our friend Blues Compartido on his YouTube channel . The tracks are:
      1. Intro / 'I got the blues so bad' (9:23)
      2. 'Don't let me tip up on you woman' (6:41)
      3. instrumental blues with kazoo (4:18)
      4. You're My All Day Steady and My Midnight Dream (10:50)
      5. Cigarette break (0:25)
      6. Late in the evening, sun going down'/Matchbox Blues (9:05)
      7. Boogie Chillen/Come Here, Sit Down On My Knee (6:22)
      8. Woman, why you treat me so mean' (5:45)
      9. You Don't Have To Go (4:05)
      10. Take your time, love me right' (4:16)
      11. Tuning up (1:05)
      12. Louise (7:37)
      13. Things That I Used To Do (5:57)
      I think hundreds of concerts like that have been recorded at Colleges and Universities during the 1960's-70's, particularly of folk and folk blues artists of the time. I worked for a while at Bloomington (Indiana) University and thus attended at several concerts and had access to their sound Archives that were very interesting blueswise.

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    6. Thank you. That is what i suspected. Ripping the RPW - Those Prison Blues from LP right now my friend.

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    7. Just left the RPW link in the requests at Don't ask. it is the US version on Folk-Lyric FL-109 in flac.

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    8. Thanks a lot, Brian! I eagerly await this one! And I'll thus miss only the "Letter from the Penittentiary" 45 (that another good soul has promised me) to be able to finish the Complete Early RPW comp that I'm working on for awhile!

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    9. Can't wait to get my ears on that collection!

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  8. nice work again...always happy to get introduced to classic blues musicians that I was not aware of

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  9. Merci beaucoup, G!

    Stuffy

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  10. Thanks Gerard for your goldmines of information and music which keep these artists alive. Regards, Bob

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