CALVIN LEAVY/ Complete Recordings

 

CALVIN LEAVY/ Complete Recordings

 

           

Calvin Leavy a été un des rares bluesmen à avoir un "hit" national avec Cummins prison farm aussi tard que 1970 (n° 40 au Billboard et n°1 à Memphis).

            Né le 20 avril 1940 à Scott (Arkansas), Calvin est le dernier de 15 enfants d'une famille de métayers et s'initie à la musique et au chant dans le choeur d'Eglise de son frère aîné McKinley Leavy. En 1954, il joue suffisamment de guitare, piano et basse pour faire partie du blues band d'un de ses autres frères, Hosea Leavy. Sous le nom de Leavy Brothers, ils tournent même jusqu'en Californie où d'ailleurs ils s'installent au début des années 60.

            Mais Calvin a le mal du pays et revient s'installer à Little Rock en 1967, forme son propre blues band et joue un peu partout, notamment au 70 Club. En 1968, le journaliste et écrivain local Bill Cole cherche un interprète pour une de ses compositions, Cummins prison farm et demande à Calvin de la mettre en musique. Non seulement Calvin Leavy en fait un blues mais, s'appuyant sur le témoignage d'un de ses frères qui est à ce moment-là emprisonné à Cummins, il ajoute plusieurs versets qui confèrent au morceau un formidable vécu!

           

Le succès ne se fait pas attendre avec un lancement commercial qui présente Calvin et sa guitare en tenue de prisonnier!. Presque instantanément, Cummins prison farm monte dans les Hit Parades. Calvin réenregistre le morceau pour un album projeté (qui ne paraîtra que bien plus tard au Japon!) en ajoutant une lead-guitare plus rock, destiné au public des LP's d'alors. Parallèlement, les années suivantes voient Calvin en studio pour de nombreux labels locaux (Acquarius, Soul Beat, Messenger). Calvin et Hosea sont même invités à jouer à l'Université de Little Rock en 1976 pour les fêtes du Bicentenaire.

            Mais, quelles que soient leurs qualités, aucun des 45t gravés par Calvin ne renouvelle le succès de Cummins prison farm qui, entre temps, est devenu un standard du blues, interprété et enregistré par quantité d'artistes.

            Et en 1991, Calvin Leavy est arrêté pour trafic de drogue en réseau organisé plus tentative de corruption de policiers. Condamné à 75 ans de prison, Calvin est cette fois effectivement incarcéré au pénitencier de Cummins! Où il décède le 6 juin 2010.

            Nous avons ici regroupé la totalité de son oeuvre, entre Soul et Blues.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

            Calvin Leavy has been one of the few bluesmen to get a "hit" as late as 1970 with Cummins Prison farm , n°40 on the Billboard and n°1 at WDLA Memphis!

            Born on April, 20th, 1940 at Scott (Arkansas), the last of 15 children from a sharecropping family, Calvin has learned to sing and to play piano, bass and guitar with his numerous musical elder brothers, particularly McKinley Leavy who lead a Gospel band and Hosea with whom Calvin formed a blues band, The Leavy Brothers who played as far as California where the two brothers settled in the early 60's.

            But, homesick, Calvin went back to Little Rock in 1967, launching his own blues band and playing extensively in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri. In 1968, local writer and journalist Bill Cole asked Calvin to play and record a song he had written about the infamous local Cummins prison farm. Calvin made a strong moving blues out of it and added some striking verses inspired by the life of one of his brother who, at that time, was serving a sentence in this penitentiary. Cummins prison farm becomes quickly a hit, locally and nationally, Calvin appearing in magazines and local TV with his guitar in inmate suits! Maybe the same year (1968) or later on, Calvin re-recorded a lengthier version of the song for a projected LP that would only appears years later in Japan. A rock guitar solo is then added (maybe on re-recording) for this purpose.

            The following years, Calvin was a very busy musician, recording many 45s for Acquarian, Soul Beat, Messenger that despite strong lyrics and arrangements were unable to repeat the success of Cummins prison farm that, meanwhile, has become a blues standard sung and recorded by numerous artists. Calvin and brother Hosea even appeared in 1976 at the University of Little Rock's Centennial Celebration as well as many clubs and festivals.

            But in 1991, Calvin was charged as a leading figure of a drug dealing gang and for bribery. He got a 75 years sentence and was send to jail this time for real into the Cummins Prison Farm where he died on June, 6th 2010.

            We have gathered here all of his recordings.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

CALVIN LEAVY  Complete Recordings

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; t-sax; Hosea Leavy, bs; dms. Cummins, Ark. 1967

01. Nothing but your love

02. I won't be the last to cry

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; Ted Seibs, og; Robert Tanner, g; Hosea Leavy, bs; Maurice Haygood, dms. Little Rock, Ark. 1968

03. Cummins prison farm I

04. Cummins prison farm II

05. Brought you to the city

06. That's where I am

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; band. Nashville, Tn. 27 avril 1970

07. One minute before midnight

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; Paul Brown, og; B.T., bs; Maurice Haugood, dms. Memphis, Tn. 1971

08. Give me a love that I can feel

09. Born unlucky

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; Hosea Leavy, bs; Pat Brown, dms. West Memphis, Ark. june 1973

10. It hurts me too

11. I've got troubles (Heart trouble)

12. Goin' to the dogs I & II

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; Paul Brown, og; Leroy Campbell, g; Hosea Leavy, bs; Pat Brown, dms. West Memphis, Ark. october 1973

13. Is it worth?

14. Funky Jam

Calvin Leavy, vcl/bs; Leroy Campbell, g; Paul Brown, og; Cyrus Hayes, hca; Pat Brown, dms. West Memphis, Ark. november 1973

15. Big Four

16. It's a miracle

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; Leroy Campbell, g; Aristair Akerson, t-sax; Paul Brown, og; Hosea Leavy, bs; PatBrown, dms. West Memphis, Ark. 1974

17. What kind of love

18. Give me your loving loving loving

19. Nine pound steel

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; band. Memphis, Tn. january 1976

20. Free from Cummins Prison farm

21. Enjoy being hurt by you

22. Thieves and robbers

23. If life last luck is bound to change

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; Hosea Leavy, bs; Paul Brown, og; Cecil Parker, dms. North Little Rock, Ak. 12 march 1976

24. Consider yourself

25. Don't treat me this way

Calvin Leavy, vcl/g; The Cummins Prison Farm Singers. Cummins, Ark. may 1976

26. He walks with me I & II

Bonus

Cummins Prison Band: Louis L. Mosley, vcl; Willie Slater, vcl on +/dms; Jesse Youngblood, g; William T. Wright, g; Charles Ice, bs. Varner, Ak. 18 march 1976

27. Drunk

28. Don't start me talkin'+