LOS ANGELES BLUES Volume 3

LOS ANGELES BLUES/ Volume 3

           

We start this third volume of our Los Angeles blues series with pianist (and not guitarist as it is written in Blues Discography) Memphis Eddie who was already featured in Los Angeles blues Volume 2. But thanks to our friends Mike & Mike from Australia, we now have the complete recordings of this fine artist. Memphis Eddie Pee is in fact Eddie P. Johnson, born in Hughes (Ark) 16 April 1919 and died in Los Angeles on 16th June 1963. He remains an almost unknown although he has recorded several 78s for Globe, Foto and RPM between 1945 and 1950.

            Blues Taylor is Johnny Taylor who recorded a handful of tracks in 1949 for Capitol and Blue and another batch in 1954 for the Hollywood label. Contrarily as one can read on so many websites, this Johnny Taylor has nothing to do with the others bluesmen of the same name.

            Rickey Jordan had a brief career in the mid-1940's as a blues and jazz singer, seeming to be the featured vocalist of the bassist Vivien Garry all-girl band in the Los Angeles area. May be a white cabaret singer, Ricky has a strong and swinging voice and it's too bad she recorded so few.

Vivien Garry

            Bobby Nunn was born Ulysses Nunn in Birmingham (Alabama) on 20 September 1925. He started a boxing career while serving at the US Air Force. After his discharge in 1947 he settled in Los Angeles and started a musical career, singing, performing and recording with The Robins as well as a duet with Esther Phillips. He also recorded under his own name in 1949-50 for several independent West Coast labels. Nunn died at his Los Angeles home on November 5, 1986.

            Thanks to Mike & Mike, John S. and the ever faithful Jose Yrrabera for sharing some of the rarest tracks inhere.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

LOS ANGELES BLUES

Volume 3

MEMPHIS EDDIE (Eddie Pee), vcl/g; William Bates, a-sax; Prince Albert, pno; band. Los Angeles, Ca. June 1945

01. Mistreated all the time

02. Going back to Smoky Mountain

Memphis Eddie, vcl/g; Prince Albert, pno; William Bates, a-sax; band. July 1945

03. Big leg mama

04. My house fell down

Memphis Eddie, vcl/g; pno; bs. Los Angeles, Ca. December 1947

05. Trouble blues

06. Hep chick

Memphis Eddie, vcl/g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 25 May 1950

07. Velma Lee

08. Lonesome change

09. Mercy blues

10. I believe

Memphis Eddie, vcl/g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 26 September 1950

11. Good time woman

12. Highway 61

13. Real fine girl

14. Baby Lou

JOHNNY "BLUES" TAYLOR, vcl; Gerald Wiggins, pno; Ulysses Livingstone, g; John Simmons, bs; Lee Young, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 22 February 1949

15. Hackensack mama

16. Unwelcome blues

Somewhere someday

People are talking

Johnny "Blues" Taylor, vcl; band. Los Angeles, Ca. June 1949

17. West Coast baby

18. Rocky mountain blues

19. Mr Monkey man

20. Back alley blues

RICKEY JORDAN, vcl; Teddy Buckner, tpt; Les Robinson, a-sax; Lucky Thompson, t-sax; Teddy King, pno; Arv Garrison, g; Vivien Garry, bs; Edward Hall, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. october 1946

Vivien Garry Orchestra

21. A.B.C. blues

22. Blues in the storm

23. Night and day

24. Rickey's blues

Rickey Jordan, vcl; Lucky Thompson, t-sax; band. Los Angeles, Ca. november 1946

25. Drop dead

26. Stormy weather

BOBBY NUNN (Ulysses Nunn), vcl; Bumps Myers, t-sax; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1949

27. I got a country gal

28. Anticipating blues

29. I am clappin' and shoutin'

30. Bring your loving back to me

31. I am telling you

Bobby Nunn, vcl; The Robbins, vcls; band. Los Angeles, Ca. february 1950

32. Rockin'

33. That's what the good book says

Bobby Nunn, vcl; Que Martyn, t-sax; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1952

34. Christmas bells