TEXAS BLUES/ Volume 9

 

TEXAS BLUES/ Volume 09

 

           

After our Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown post, let's stay in Texas with a 9^th volume of our popular series about "Texas blues"... yesterday of course and as usual in this blog!

            Bassist and bandleader Milton Willis (12 December 1929 in Houston, † 13 September 2005 in Houston) played quite frequently around Houston during the late 1940's before embarking in a long career in radio and broadcast programmes. He was general manager of the KODA radio station in the 1970's. Willis recorded only six tracks with his excellent Texas band comprising saxophonists like R.P. Rogers, Popeye Whitehead, Elmore Nixon on the 88s and featuring Hubert Robinson or Popeye Whitehead as vocalists. Here are four of his quite rare tracks. The last two Lost you and Take me back again are here, thanks to our generous friend Mike from Australia.

            Singer and pianist Lonnie Lyons (born 29 September 1926 in Galveston, † 12 August 1953 in Houston) also played regularly in and around Houston with his own and various other bands during the immediate post-war years. Strongly influenced by fellow Texans Amos Milburn and Charles Brown, Lyons recorded 13 great tracks for Freedom and Gold Star with a tough band featuring excellent guitarist Goree Carter. Some of his numbers had been widely reissued through the years but other are much hard to find. I have managed to gather all his recordings minus 4 titles. Again, if anyone would want to share those rarities, it would be great. And thanks to our generous friend Mike from Australia here are two very rare Lyons's tracks (Lonely heart blues / Barrelhouse nightcap)

           

Singer Mabel Franklin (born 24 August 1919 in New Orleans - † 21 April 1997 in Houston) gained some reputation thanks to a handful of down home blues records she made with guitarist D.C. Bender between 1965 and 1967. She stopped singing the blues in the 1970's to become a Minister of God and waxed some Gospel records later on, even a whole and very rare album with her Franklin Singers I came to Jesus.

            Clarence "Candy" Green (Clarence Wilbert Green) is another two fisted Texas pianist and singer (born in Galveston 15 March 1929 - † 3 April 1988 in Houston). He recorded three 78s between 1948 and 1952, played in New York and Mexico before relocating in Scandinavia, playing all over Europe in night clubs and venues and alongside the Leo Wright's band, entertaining American soldiers in West Germany. He also recorded a LP for the Supraphon label, reissued on JSP. Clarence "Candy" Green must not be confused with fellow Texas guitarist Clarence Green.

                              Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

MILTON WILLIS,bs; Leon "Popeye" Whitehead, a-sax; R.P. Rogers, t-sax; Joe Jones, pno; Johnnie Jackson, dms. Houston, Tx. décembre 1948

01. Five ace boogie

02. You know I love you baby (vcl: Leon Whitehead)

Milton Willis, bs; Elmore Nixon, pno; R.P. Rogers, t-sax; Johnnie Jackson, dms. Houston, Tx. février 1949

03. Little Joe's boogie

04. Three o'clock blues (vcl: Hubert Robinson)

Lost you

Take me back again

LONNIE LYONS, vcl/pno; band. Houston, Tx. 10 septembre 1947

Never trust a woman

10 o'clock jump

Lonnie Lyons, vcl/pno; Nelson Mills, tpt; Conrad Johnson, a-sax; Sam Williams, t-sax; Goree Carter, g; Louis Pitts, bs; Allison Tucker, dms. Houston, Tx. juin 1949

05. Far away blues

06. Fly chick bounce

Lonely heart blues

Barrelhouse nightcap

Lonnie Lyons, vcl/pno; Nelson Mills, tpt; Conrad Johnson, a-sax; Sam Williams, t-sax; Goree Carter, g; Louis Pitts, bs; Allison Tucker, dms. Houston, Tx. septembre 1949

07. Neat and sweet I & II

08. Helpless

09. Down in the groovy

10. Betrayed

11. Sneaky Joe

Lonnie Lyons, vcl/pno; Henry Hayes, a-sax; Goree Carter, g; Don Cooks, bs; Ben Turner, dms. Houston, Tx. 1950

12. I need romance

13. I'm waiting baby

MABEL FRANKLIN, vcl; D.C. Bender, g; C.W. Thornton, dms. Houston, Tx. 1965

14. Let's do the wiggle

15. Dream I had last night

Mabel Franklin, vcl; band. Houston, Tx. 1965

16. Come on and go

Mabel Franklin, vcl; D.C. Bender, g; Bob Goodwill, pno; Big H. Williams, g; Oscar Adams, bs; Ivory Lee Semien, dms. Houston, Tx. 11 juillet 1967

17. Lucille leave my man alone

18. Unhappy woman

19. I'm going home to rest

20. Make up your mind

Mabel Franklin, vcl; D.C. Bender, g; Big Houston Williams, bs; Ivory Lee Semien, dms. Houston, Tx. 16 juillet 1967

21. Wiggle wiggle

CLARENCE "CANDY" GREEN, vcl/pno; Johnny Fontenette, t-sax; Horace Richmond, bs; Rigs Bolden, dms. Houston, Tx. 1948

22. Galveston blues

23. Green's bounce

Clarence "Candy" Green, vcl/pno; Bill Harvey, t-sax; tpt; a-sax; Fred Ford, b-sax; poss. Pee Wee Crayton, g; Johnny Parker, bs; dms. Houston, Tx. 1950

24. Hard headed woman

25. Until the end

Clarence "Candy" Green, vcl/pno; Rathe Lee, t-sax; Kinroy Bailey, bs; Lawrence Harris, dms. Houston, Tx. 1952

26. My time is your time

27. Bye baby bye