LADIES SING THE BLUES/ Volume 5

LADIES SING THE BLUES/ Volume 5

     

     Well... If those ladies featured in the 5th Volume of our series are all good or even great singers, if most of the tracks are good blues with more than a jazz flavor, if they are backed by soulful and very professional bands, they largely stay mostly anonymous artists and with the notable exception of Mabel Robinson, very few is known about her outside their recorded works. At least to me, and despite strong researches through my books and magazines collections and of course the web. Of course, all eventual contributions from readers who'd know better would be greatly appreciated!

            Helen Proctor, a fine singer, recorded only six tracks, two in 1938 and four more the following year when she was the featured singer of Henry "Red" Allen's popular band. We don't know either her whereabouts or what she became after the war.

            Not much is either known about R&B singer Pearl Traylor who recorded between 1945 and 1951 for Modern and Okeh. Several fine tracks with a minor hit with Around the clock Parts I & II. She is backed by great musicians like pianists Hadda Brooks or Willard McDaniel and Chuck Norris on the guitar.

           

Daisy Mae Diggs is also a good jazzy singer from Philadelphia who recorded eight numbers in the mid-50's with her Hepcats, a small jazz group with guitarists Al Russell and Billy Butler. Not much is known about her except that apparently she appeared as a young dancer with the Les Hite's band in the 1933 movie Sing, Sinner, Sing! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=35&v=l2z0QFu6udE&feature=emb_logo)

            And now with Mabel Robinson, born Mabel Brown on March 29, 1914 at Cape Charles, Va. Living in Boston since 1931, she started a career as a singer and pianist during the early 1940's, recording six tracks with Sammy Price on the 88s. This led her to be the featured singer on several bands like those of Louis Jordan, Skeets Tolbert, Sammy Davis Sr (father of Sammy Davis Jr) or Roy Haynes. She married Mr Simms in 1939 and appeared as Mabel Robinson Simms, singing and playing piano in numerous

Boston clubs for decades, as a solo act or with numerous bands. In 1956, she formed the Mabel Robinson Trio with her sister Frances Brown, playing as a regular act at the famous Boston's Moulin Rouge situated in the former Hotel Vendome in the Back Bay. She resigned her musical career in 1968 and died in Boston on January 27, 2005 after being honored by the Boston Jazz Society. She apparently didn't record outside the tracks featured here although there are rumours of an album she would have made in the 1950's.

                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

HELEN PROCTOR, vcl; Pat Jenkins, tpt; Sam Massenberg, tpt; Al Cooper, clt/a-sax; b-sax; Rudy Williams, a-sax; Ed Mc Neil, t-sax; Oliver Richardson, pno; Grachan Moncur, bs; Alex Mitchell, dms. New York City, 19 août 1938

01. Someone outside is taking your mind

02. You'll never miss the water

Helen Proctor, vcl; Henry Red Allen, tpt; Buster Bailey, clt; Lil Armstrong, pno; Ulysses Livingston, g; Wellman Braud, bs; O'Neill Spencer, dms. New York City, 13 octobre 1939

03. Blues at midnight

04. Cheatin' on me

05. Let's call it a day

06. Take me along with you

MABEL ROBINSON, vcl; Four Blackamoors, vcls; band. New York City, 23 juillet 1941

07. You don't know my mind

08. Somebody's getting my love

09. Don't give up the old love

10. Search your heart and see

Mabel Robinson, vcl; Sammy Price, pno; William Lewis, g; Herman Autrey, tpt; David Young, t-sax; Vernon King, bs; O'Neill Spencer, dms. New York City, 20 janvier 1942

11. Me and my chauffeur

12. I've got too many blues

PEARL TRAYLOR, vcl; Hadda Brooks, pno; Bill Davis, bs; Al Wichard, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 1945

13. Lonesome gal

14. Daddy somebody's got to go

15. Nightmare boogie

Pearl Traylor, vcl; Vernon Biddle, pno; Howard Mc Ghee, tpt; Teddy Edwards, t-sax; James King, a-sax; Robert Kesterson, bs; Roy Porter, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. septembre 1945

16. Playboy blues

17. Around the clock I & II

18. Gee I'm lonesome

Pearl Traylor, vcl; Hadda Brooks, pno; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1946

19. Jive I like

Pearl Traylor, vcl; Teddy Buckner, tpt; Freddie Simon, t-sax; Maurice Simon, b-sax; Willard Mc Daniel, pno; Chuck Norris, g; Warren Owens, bs; Walter Murden, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 26 juin 1951

20. Come on daddy let's play tonight

21. Three ball Sam (The pawnshop man)

DAISY MAE DIGGS, vcl/dms; Al Russell, pno; Joe Sewell, t-sax; Billy Butler, g; Arthur Russell, g; Doc Starkes, bs. Philadelphie, Penn. 31 mars 1955

22. Want me a man

23. Woman trouble (vcls: Al Russell)

24. Lonesome playgirl

25. Stuff you got to watch

Daisy Mae Diggs, vcl/dms; Billy Butler, g; Arthur Russell, g; Jimmy Butts, bs; Gene Johnson, pno; band. Philadelphie, Penn. 1956

26. Hop scotch

27. Frosty's groove

28. Fanny Duncan

29. Corn pone

SIDNEY MAIDEN/ Complete Recordings

SIDNEY MAIDENComplete Recordings (Re-up) 

              

Même si les quelques disques publiés par l'harmoniciste et chanteur Sidney Maiden lui valent une certaine réputation auprès des amateurs, sa vie demeure obscure. Même ceux qui l'ont enregistré ne se rappellent que peu de lui ou ne l'ont pas interviewé.

               Sidney naît en 1923 à Monroe en Louisiane, son père décède ou disparaît quand il a un an. Elevé par sa mère, il travaille très jeune dans une plantation tout en apprenant l'harmonica en écoutant des musiciens locaux mais surtout les disques de John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, une influence qui sera dominante dans sa musique.

               Incorporé en 1942, Sidney sert sur le front Pacifique puis est basé dans le comté de Contra Costa en Californie d'où il est libéré de ses obligations militaires. Il décide de rester en Californie, travaille dans les chantiers navals et s'associe avec K.C. Douglas pour jouer dans les bars fréquentés par les récents migrants noirs venus du Sud Ouest. En 1948, Maiden enregistre avec K. C. Douglas son "hit" Mercury boogie et chante sur la face B l'évocateur Eclipse of the sun, devenu un petit classique du down home blues californien.

               Il forme un petit orchestre, les Blues Blowers, et pendant quelques années joue les week ends un peu partout dans la baie d'Oakland. En 1952, Sidney enregistre à San Francisco une séance pour Imperial dont seulement deux titres (Thinking the blues et Honey bee blues) ont paru sur un 78t.

               On retrouve Maiden dans les studios de Los Angeles trois ans plus tard, gravant un titre d'un 45t qu'il partage avec le guitariste Cool Papa Sadler: Hurry hurry baby.

               A ce moment là et les années suivantes, Sidney vit autour de Fresno, travaillant dans la riche arboriculture de cette région. Il fait partie d'un petit groupe de bluesmen de cette ville comme Al Simmons et Guitar Slim Green qui jouent sous le nom des Boys of Fresno que l'infatigable Johnny Otis enregistre. Une fois de plus Sidney ne grave qu'un titre, Hand me down baby.

               C'est son vieux compère K.C. Douglas, devenu une figure incontournable du blues revival de Californie, qui l'emmène dans les studios pour plusieurs séances pour Chris Strachwitz et Kenneth Goldstein. Maiden accompagne K.C. et le superbe pianiste texan Mercy Dee Walton et enregistre aussi en 1961 un album complet qui paraît sur le label Bluesville et dans lequel l'influence de John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson apparaît considérable.

               Ce disque se vend de façon confidentielle et Sidney disparaît définitivement. Selon Richard Riggins (Harmonica Slim), qui vivait à Fresno, Sidney serait retourné en Louisiane peu de temps après ces séances afin de s'occuper de sa mère. Il serait décédé autour de sa ville natale de Monroe en 1970.

               Ce mp3 rassemble l'intégrale des enregistrements effectués par Sidney Maiden en vedette

               Merci à Kempen, Pierre Monnery et Gerrit Robs pour leur aide dans cette recherche.

                                                                                         Gérard HERZHAFT

               Although the handful of records he made has earned him some reputation among the blues buffs, Sidney Maiden's life and whereabouts are quite obscure and he has unfortunately never been interviewed.

               Born on a plantation near Monroe (La) in 1923, Sidney loses his father at a very early age and has to work in the fields with his mother. He learns the harmonica with local musician and utmost in listening to the records of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson.

               In 1942, Sidney is drafted and sent on the Pacific front. Discharged in 1945 on a base in the Contra Costa County, Maiden decides to stay in California, works in several plants. He met there K.C. Douglas (see the item on him on this blog), plays with him around the Bay. In 1948 they record a successful 78 for producer Bob Geddins. Sidney blows his harmonica behind K.C. on the famous Mercury boogie and sings as well on the flip, the classic Eclipse of the sun.

               Sidney leads a small band, The Blues Blowers, that play a little bit everywhere and he records for the Imperial label in 1952 a lengthy session. But only two titles are issued (Thinking the blues and Honey bee blues)

               He must waits 1955 to record again (still a sole title, Hurry hurry baby) with the Los Angeles guitarist Cool Papa Sadler.

               At that time and the subsequent years, Sidney resides in the Fresno area, making a living out of the fruit tree industrie. He is part of the small group of downhome bluesmen who live in Fresno (Al Simmons, Guitar Slim Green) called just The Boys of Fresno. They record for Johnny Otis and, once again, Maiden sings only on one title (Hand me down baby).

               His old friend K.C. Douglas who has, meanwhile, become some kind of a folk icon among the Californian blues revival circles brings Sidney again in the studios for several sessions for Chris Strachwitz and Kenneth Goldstein. Maiden blows behind K.C. and the wonderful Texas piano player Mercy Dee Walton. And in 1961 he also manages, at last, to record a good LP under his own name in which he displays a very strong influence of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson.

               After that, Sidney Maiden disappears completely. Accordingly to Richard Riggins (Harmonica Slim) who also lived in Fresno, Sidney, shortly after his album, went back to Louisiana to take care of his ageing mother and he would have died around Monroe (La) in 1970.

               This mp3 comp gathers all the recordings made by Sidney as a leader.

               Thanks to Kempen? Gerrit Robs and Pierre Monnery for their help and contributions to this article.

                                                                                         Gérard HERZHAFT

SIDNEY MAIDEN/ The Complete Recordings

Sidney Maiden, vcl/hca; K.C. Douglas, g. Oakland, Ca. 1948

01. Eclipse of the sun

Sidney Maiden, vcl/hca; band. San Francisco, Ca. 15 avril 1952

02. Working woman

03. Up the river blues

04. Broke and busted

05. Harpin' the boogie

06. Honey bee

07. Honey bee blues

08. Thinking the blues

Sidney Maiden, vcl/hca; Cool Papa Sadler, g; g; Bee Brown, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 28 juin 1955

09. Hurry hurry baby

Sidney Maiden, vcl/hca; Guitar Slim Green, g; H. Robinson, pno; Al Simmons, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 1957

10. Hand me down baby

Sidney Maiden, vcl/hca; Mercy Dee Walton, pno; K.C. Douglas, g; Otis Cherry, dms. Stockton, Ca. 5 février 1961

11. Chicago blues

12. Mercy's party

Sidney Maiden, hca; Mercy Dee Walton, pno; Otis Cherry, dms. Berkeley, Ca. 16 avril 1961

13. Sidney's shuffle

Sidney Maiden, vcl/hca; K.C. Douglas, g. Berkeley, Ca. 16 avril 1961

14. Buy me an airplane

15. Sweet little woman

16. My black name

17. Sidney's fox chase

18. San Quentin blues

19. Tell me somebody

20. Blues and trouble

21. Hand me down baby

22. Sidney's worried life blues

23. Me and my chauffeur

24. Coal black mare

25. I'm going back home