LITTLE JOE BLUE/ Complete Early Recordings

LITTLE JOE BLUE/ Early Recordings

           

Little Joe Blue se détache du lot des très nombreux bluesmen qui ont imité B.B. King. Sans effort apparent, sans affectation, sans maniérismes, son admiration pour son idole est si grande et si ancienne qu'il réussit à être plus qu'un deuxième B.B. King, un premier Little Joe Blue. Par-dessus tout, il a constamment essayé de faire preuve d'originalité au sein de ces limites, ne reprenant que très peu le répertoire de son idole mais au contraire créant et composant des pièces aux textes rusés, ouvertement dirigés vers le public noir du Sud rural dont il provient.

            Il naît Joseph Valery Jr à Vicksburg, Mississippi, le 23 septembre 1934 d'une famille de métayers avec huit enfants. Il aurait été surnommé dès son enfance Little Joe Blue, en jouant de façon incessante sur un harmonica le célèbre et traditionnel Little boy blue. Mais d'autres sources plus fiables notent que c'est le producteur Fats Washington qui lui a donné son nom de scène en 1966. Quoi qu'il en soit, il travaille à Shreveport, est fasciné par les bluesmen qu'il voit dans les clubs de la ville, notamment bien sûr B.B. King en 1949. En 1951, il vit à Detroit, travaille dans l'industrie automobile et commence à chanter avec divers orchestres locaux. Mais en 1953, il s'engage dans l'armée, participe à la guerre de Corée. Après un divorce, il décide de s'installer à Reno (Nevada), y forme un orchestre et se fait une réputation locale. En 1961, il part tenter sa chance à Los Angeles.

            En 1963, Joe Valery enregistre son premier disque pour le minuscule label Nanc de Howard Ransom puis en 1964 la première version de son superbe Dirty work is going on produit par Maxwell Davis. Enfin en 1966, il réenregistre ce titre pour le label de Fats Washington Movin'. Le titre commence à faire du bruit en Californie et Chess le reprend et en fait un succès dans le Top 40 de R&B. Little Joe Blue signe alors pour Chess, grave un 45t à Chicago sous la houlette de Gene Barge. En 1968, il est à nouveau dans les studios californiens pour Fats Washington pour une magnifique séance (avec Lowell Fulson à la guitare) qui donne le subtil Standing on the threshold. Le disque est vendu à Stan Lewis qui, à Shreveport, dirige le label Jewel sur lequel Joe enregistrera dorénavant. Bien managé par Stan Lewis, Little Joe Blue obtient plusieurs succès dans le Sud. Southern country boy, dans lequel Joe revendique avec fierté ses racines paysannes et sudistes, deviendra même une pièce obligée du répertoire des bluesmen régionaux. Sous l'influence de Fulson, Little Joe Blue, qui n'avait jamais que gratté de la guitare, se décide à apprendre

sérieusement cet instrument et s'adresse au maestro Lafayette Thomas. Grâce à ce remarquable professeur, Little Joe Blue fait de rapides progrès. Il devient capable de belles phrases mélodiques dans la droite ligne du courant texano-californien. Il connaît encore quelques succès dans les années 70 et 80 (Give me an hour in the garden), demeure actif dans le "chitlin' circuit" et effectue plusieurs tournées en Europe où il séduit par son authenticité. Il enregistre aussi plusieurs fort bons albums pour Evejim ou Black & Blue.

            Malheureusement, le 22 avril 1990, Joe décède d'un cancer contre lequel il aura lutté avec un courage exemplaire.

            Si son oeuvre pour Jewel a été largement rééditée, ce n'est pas le cas de ses disques des années 1960 que nous avons donc regroupés ici à l'exception de son premier 45t pour Nanc totalement introuvable.

            Comme toujours si vous l'avez, une copie serait la bienvenue. Ainsi d'ailleurs que vos appréciations sur ce blog s'il vous intéresse.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            Although he is usually classified as a B.B. King impersonator for whom he had a strong admiration, Little Joe Blue was very much his own man. He almost never took B.B.'s repertoire and he has composed a string of shrewd and moving blues, some of them being now "classics" of the genre.

            Born Joseph Valery Jr in Vicksburg, Ms. on September 23d, 1934, it has been written that he took his moniker of Little Joe Blue because he played constantly this tune on his harmonica when a child. But in fact it seems that it is the producer Fats Washington who gave Valery his nickname in 1966. Whatever, Joe worked in Shreveport, saw many bluesmen in the local clubs, particularly of course B.B. King in 1949, started to sing like his idol when moving to Detroit in 1951. Between 1953-56, Joe was drafted, battled in Korea, came back to Motor City just to divorce and then went to live in Reno (Nevada). There he formed a band that gained a local reputation. In 1961, Joe tried his luck in Los Angeles.

            This is there that in 1963 he recorded his first 45 for the tiny Nanc label owned by Howard Ransom. In 1964, he waxed the wonderful Dirty work is going on, produced by Maxwell Davis. And in 1966, he recorded again this blues for Fats Washington's Movin label. The 45 sold enough in California to draw the attention of Chess that reissued the title and put it in the National R&B Top 40. A short contract with Chess gave a good 45 recorded in Chicago and produced by Gene Barge that unfortunately went nowhere. In 1968, Joe was again with Fats Washington in the L.A.'s studios for a fine session with Lowell Fulson playing the guitar. The very subtle Standing on the threshold was sold to Stan Lewis, owner of several studios and labels in Shreveport who then took Little Joe Blue among his roster of bluesmen, ensuring him a steady contract with regular records well produced and well distributed in the Southern States where Joe enjoyed a strong following. Southern Country Boy, in which Joe claims his southern roots, even became some kind of a southern chitlin' circuit's anthem.

          

  Following Fulson's advice to play the guitar alongside his singing, Joe took lessons with the real maestro, Lafayette Thomas and quickly became a very good guitarist himself in the Texas-California style. After the Jewel contract ended, Joe still recorded some very good 45s and albums for Evejim or Black & Blue and toured Europe and Japan.

            Unfortunately, after a bold battle against this disease, he died of cancer on April, 22, 1990 in Los Angeles.

            If his Jewel tracks are easily available, this is not the case for his early works that we have gathered here minus the hard to find Nanc 45. If any of you had it, a copy would be very welcomed, as well - as usual - your appreciations.

                                                                     Gérard HERZHAFT

LITTLE JOE BLUE

Complete Early Recordings

Little Joe Blue, vcl; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1963

Just love won't do

I've got my reasons

(This 45 from the Nanc label is unfindable. If anyone has it, a .mp3 copy would be much welcomed)

Little Joe Blue, vcl; Maxwell Davis, pno; Larry Green, g; saxes; Curtis Tillman, bs; Chuck Thomas, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 1964

01. Dirty work is going on

02. Understanding

03. Jimmy's special

04. Can't have your cake and eat it

Little Joe Blue, vcl; band. Los Angeles, 22 mars 1966

05. Dirty work going on

06. Pretty woman

Little Joe Blue, vcl; Larry Green, g; Maxwell Davis, pno; saxes; Curtis Tillman, bs; Chuck Thomas, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. juin 1966

07. My tomorrow

08. Once a fool

09. Just look at your woman

10. Little baby

Little Joe Blue, vcl; Gene Barge, t-sax; horns; Bryce Robinson, g; Willie Dixon, bs; Maurice White, dms. Chicago, Ill. mars 1967

11. Me and my woman

12. My heart beats like a drum I & II

Little Joe Blue, vcl; Maxwell Davis, pno; Lowell Fulson, g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. décembre 1968

13. Standing on the threshold

14. Don't stop loving me

Little Joe Blue, vcl; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1969

15. Loose me

16. A fool is what you wanted

17. Shakin' hands with the judge

18. If there's a better way

Little Joe Blue, vcl; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1970

19. Don't tax me in

20. Lonely

Little Joe Blue, vcl/g; Little Mack Simmons, hca; band. Los Angeles, Ca. janvier 1971

21. We all have the blues I & II

Little Joe Blue, vcl/g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1971

22. Southern country boy

NEWPORT BLUES FESTIVAL 3 July 1960

NEWPORT BLUES FESTIVAL/ 3 July 1960

           

L'après midi du 3 juillet de l'édition 1960 du Newport Jazz Festival (organisée par George Wein) était entièrement consacrée au blues avec une programmation audacieuse pour l'époque: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rushing, Sam Price Trio avec Lafayette Thomas et la chanteuse Bettye Jeanette, les louisianais Butch Cage et Willie Thomas, les seuls - amenés par Harry Oster qui venait de les découvrir - à représenter ce jour-là le blues acoustique plus une démonstration de tap dancing par Al Mimms ainsi que des poèmes et des textes lus par l'écrivain Afro-Américain Langston Hughes.

            Muddy Waters qui ouvre le concert par un superbe Catfish blues, accompagné de son orchestre de l'époque (James Cotton, Pat Harris, Otis Spann, Andrew Stephenson et Francis Clay) continue par un programme qui a été publié en LP et CD (Muddy Waters at Newport) et que nous n'avons donc pas inclus ici. Puis laisse la place à Otis Spann qui démontre l'étendue de ses talents de pianiste sur quatre pièces instrumentales. C'est l'orchestre de Muddy qui accompagne aussi John Lee Hooker - qui avait joué peu de temps auparavant en acoustique au Festival Folk de Newport - sur cinq morceaux très représentatifs de ce qu'il enregistrait à l'époque.

           

Le pianiste Sam Price prend ensuite place sur scène accompagné du guitariste Lafayette Thomas, alors Newyorkais (qui chante un rare Things I used to do) et du batteur Panama Francis ainsi que de la chanteuse Betty Harris (ici sous le nom de Bettye Jeanette), qui interprète ici avec conviction trois classiques du premier blues. Le trio accompagne aussi le Blues Shouter (de l'orchestre de Count Basie) Jimmy Rushing. Butch Cage et Willie Thomas donnent ensuite la touche la plus rurale de ce programme avec plusieurs duos fiddle/guitare avant que presque tous les artistes viennent terminer le show par un Mean mistreater accompagné par le Muddy Waters Blues Band. Mais suite à de sérieuses rixes en marge du festival qui avaient eu lieu la veille, la petite ville de Newport fait annoncer par le présentateur Willie Connover qu'elle annule le Festival à l'instant même, le concert de jazz du soir étant même supprimé. C'est donc par un beau blues triste et prenant improvisé sur le moment que Otis Spann termine la journée. Goodbye Newport blues.

           

Un grand merci à Steve K. et Jeanie H. pour avoir fourni ces enregistrements rares qui donnent une idée plus complète de ce concert historique.

                                                                       Gérard Herzhaft

            The 3d of July's afternoon concert of the 1960 Edition of the annual Newport Jazz Festival was boldly entirely devoted to a blues programme assembled by George Wein who had gathered for the occasion Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rushing, The Sam Price Trio featuring ace guitarist Lafayette Thomas (then a New Yorker), drummer Panama Francis and young blues singer Betty Harris (here under the name of Bettye Jeanette), the fiddle/guitar duo of Louisianans Butch Cage and Willie Thomas (just discovered by Harry Oster) who was the only acoustic act of the day and also Blues Shouter from the count Basie band, Jimmy Rushing. Plus some tap dancing by Al Mims as well as poems and texts read by the famous African-American author Langston Hughes.

            Muddy and his band (James Cotton, Pat Harris, Otis Spann, Andrew Stephenson et Francis Clay) open the show with a striking version of Catfish blues, followed by a programme that has been issued several times on LP and CD (Muddy Waters at Newport), so not included here.

            Pianist Otis Spann follows, demonstrating his powerful talents on four instrumentals backed by the band. The complete Muddy's band backs also John Lee Hooker on five electric numbers (he had shortly previously been featured on the Folk version of the Newport Festival as a solo acoustic bluesman) well in the mould of what he was recording at the time.

            Pianist Sam Price and his Trio deliver a frantic shuffle with a brilliant Lafayette Thomas and Betty Harris (here under the name of Bettye Jeanette) sings with authority three blues from the 1920's. After Jimmy Rushing, and the duo Cage and Thomas, almost all the artists accompanied by the Muddy band sing a long version of Mean mistreater which was supposed to end the show.

            But Willie Connover, Newport Jazz Festival emcee had suddenly to announce the decision of the city council of Newport to suspend activities of the Newport Jazz Festival, beginning with the evening concert on July 3. This decision was made following a clash with students and police the preceding night that escalated into a full-scale riot. Upset, Otis Spann then decided to close the Festival with an improvised brooding blues. Goodbye Newport blues.

            A lot of thanks to Steve K. and Jeanie H. who sent me those very rare tapes which give a better and more complete idea of what happened this 3d July of 1960 at the historic Newport Jazz Festival.

                                                                       Gérard Herzhaft

NEWPORT BLUES FESTIVAL

3 July 1960

MUDDY WATERS, vcl/g; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

01. Catfish blues

OTIS SPANN, vcl/pno; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

02. Chicago blues

03. Newport blues

04. Otis blues

05. Saint Louis blues

JOHN LEE HOOKER, vcl/g; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

06. My own fault

07. Maudie

08. Tupelo

09. I wanna walk

10. I wish you were here

SAM PRICE, pno; Lafayette Thomas, g; Panama Francis, dms. Newport, RI 3 July 1960

11. The price is right

LAFAYETTE THOMAS, vcl/g; Sam Price, pno; Panama Francis, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

12. The things I used to do

BETTY Harris, vcl; Sammy Price, pno; Lafayette Thomas, g; Panama Francis, dms. Newport, RI 3 July 1960

13. Ain't nobody's business

14. The birth of the blues

15. Backwater blues

JIMMY RUSHING, vcl; Sam Price, pno; Lafayette Thomas, g; Panama Francis, dms. Newport RI. 3 July 1960

16. Bye bye baby

BUTCH CAGE, vcl/fdl; WILLIE THOMAS, vcl/g. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

17. Hen cackle

18. Hard achin' blues

FINALE: Muddy Waters, vcl; Bettye Jeanette, vcl; Butch Cage, vcl; Willie Thomas, vcl; Jimmy Rushing, vcl; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephenson, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

19. Mean mistreater

OTIS SPANN, vcl/pno; Muddy Waters, g; James Cotton, hca; Otis Spann, pno; Pat Hare, g; Andrew Stephens, bs; Francis Clay, dms. Newport, RI. 3 July 1960

20. Goodbye Newport blues

LEROY WASHINGTON/ Louisiana Swamp blues

LEROY WASHINGTON/ Louisiana Swamp blues

              

LEROY WASHINGTON/ Louisiana Swamp blues

               The previously "mysterious" top notch guitarist Leroy Washington is now much better known thanks to blues researcher Gene Tomko who published the results of his sleuth work in Living Blues n°222.

            Leroy Washington was born 1st March 1932 at Palmetto, La. Being raised by his lone mother, the young boy had to work on the railroads to help his Ma makes ends meet. He also fooled around with a guitar at an early age listening blues and Cajun records from the local radio stations. Very skilled, he became an accomplished guitarist during the early 50's. Enough to form a duo with his neighbour Chuck Martin (who will become a well known Zydeco artist later on) and play in local juke joints and venues. Soon after, Leroy was the guitarist and sometimes bass player of the Guidry Brothers Band (then called the Honeydrippers) from Church Point.

            Quickly, Leroy's guitar ability was famous enough to earn him the nickname of "The Guitar Wizard" and he embarked himself on a full time career as a musician, playing every night in the various clubs of Opelousas and Lake Charles. The influential Lake Charles'DJ Isaac Lutcher took him on his regular radio programme as well as a hired guitarist for all blues stars he brought to town like Roy Brown, Jimmy Reed, Clarence Garlow... Leroy befriended also with Guitar Gable who brought him to Crowley's producer J.D. Miller. Miller recorded Washington between 1957 to 1960 but despite a good local Hit with Wild Cherry, J.D. issued only three Leroy's 45s on Excello, Rocko and Zynn labels, the remainder of the sessions staying in the vaults for decades.

               During those years, Leroy was extremely busy, playing everywhere with 

several bands, namely
Good Rockin' Bob's (Ed Thomas) Orchestra. On 30th June 1962, this group was 

playing at the Big Casino, a joint of Leesville, La. that had a strong amount
of patrons coming from the near military base of Fort Polk. At the end of the
show, while singing, Leroy fell down on stage, victim of an aneurysm. He would 

die a few hours later at the very early age of 30, leaving us anyway a strong musical 

heritage that we have tried to gather for the first time here. One track is still
missing and any help would be greatly appreciated.

 Gérard HERZHAFT

Thanks to Marc Claes, Living Blues and Gene Tomko

            

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Tal Miller, pno; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. 1957

01. I've been in this prison

02. Sally Lou

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Tal Miller, pno; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms; Lazy Lester, wbd/perc/hca. Crowley, La. 1958

03. Sittin' here cryin'

04. Wild Cherry n°1

05. Wild Cherry n°2

06. Be kind

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; band. Crowley, La. 6 mai 1959

Gimme my rights (thanks to Jeff Harris and Tom Thumb)

07. My Chinatown girl

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. juin 1959

08. Don't blame it on me mama

09. Women are trouble

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; John Johnson, pno; Lonesome Sundown, g; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. août 1959

10. Why should I cry?

11. My true life

12. Hello stranger n°1

13. Hello stranger n°2

14. Hello baby what you know

15. Love me baby

16. Hey baby

Darling it takes you

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; Katie Webster, pno; Al Foreman, g; Bobby Mc Bride, bs; Warren Storm, dms. Crowley, La. décembre 1959

17. I don't want your money

18. Hello Operator

19. Baby please come home

20. Long hair knock knees & bow legs

21. Prison blues

Leroy Washington, vcl/g; Lionel Torrence, t-sax; band. Crowley, La. 1960

22. Everyday

23. Leave me now or never

24. This little girl of mine