NEW YORK CITY/ The Blues Yesterday/ Vol. 8

 

NEW YORK CITY/ The Blues Yesterday/ Volume 8

 

 

            It has been some time now that we have not been back to New York R&B ... the yesterday years of course. 

            This 8^th Volume opens with the great blues belter Dossie Terry (1921-1977) who, despite having continuously recorded between 1945 and 1959 is mostly an unkown. He recorded under the nickname Georgia Boy, indicating he was from this Southern State. His music is generally first rate R&B with great backing musicians like Rene Hall, Budd Johnson or Kenny Burrell. Despite our efforts and the help of the usual collectors, we have been unable to gather all his tracks, particularly his 1945-46 recordings. If anyone could fill those gapes and give more info about this very good artist, it would be much appreciated.

            Dallas Bartley (1916-1979) is much better known. Coming from Cave Springs (Mo) but growing in Springfield (Mo), Dallas learned violin, guitar, piano and bass at Springfield's Lincoln High School. He started a professional musical career as a featured bassist and songwriter in several bands like those of King Kolax, Earl Hines, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and particularly Louis Jordan, being in Jordan's Timpany Five band for

several years in the early 40's. Bartley formed his own band in New York City in 1943 and waxed a handful of records under his own name, also appearing on several movies and soundies. He was a regular at the Apollo Theatre, also touring the Southern States. He went back to Springfield in 1969, founded the Springfield Jazz Society. He died on 22^nd november 1979.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MApR-puzQwE

          

  Cecil Payne (1922-2007) is of course very well known in the jazz field as one of the best baritone saxophonist from the bebop era. He played in several jazz bands (Roy Eldridge, Dizzie Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet etc...), recorded with numerous jazzmen and also fronted his own band, recording several jazz albums. Like many of his peers, Payne started in a more R&B vein, his first records from 1949 even featuring the singer Howard Johnson, a nickname (for copyright reasons) for none other than Brownie Mc Ghee. 

            OK, enjoyed this compilation and don't forget to give feedback.                                                                                                                    

                               Gérard HERZHAFT

 

DOSSIE TERRY, vcl; Melba Pope, pno; band. New York City, 1945

01. Whiskey head woman

Furlough blues (this track can be heard through hwolf comment)

The O.P.A. blues (this track can be heard through hwolf comment)

Dortehea Dorethea boogie

Dossie Terry, vcl; pno; bs. New York City, 1946

02. She's alright

New Moon blues

Dossie Terry, vcl; Budd Johnson, t-sax; Rene Hall, g; Sterling Malone, g; Howard Biggs, pno; Abie Baker, bs; Kelly Martin, dms. New York City, 5-13 december 1951

03. Lost my head

04. When I hit the number

05. Sad sad affair

06. Didn't satisfy you

07. My love is gone

08. Twenty four years

Dossie Terry, vcl; Kelly Owens, pno; Gene Redd, vb; Kenny Burrell, g; Carl Pruett, bs; Cliff Leeman, dms. New York City, 18 july 1957

09. Thunderbird

10. I got a watch dog

Dossie Terry, vcl; band. New York City, novembre 1957

11. Railroad section man

12. You will be mine

Dossie Terry, vcl; band. New York City, mars 1958

13. Skinny Ginnyo

14. Fool mule

Dossie Terry, vcl; band. New York City, 1959

15. No other love

16. Come on

Four more titles by Dossie Terry, not listed in Blues Discography are provided by Ballas. See the comments section for those. Thanks a lot to Ballas.

DALLAS BARTLEY, vcl/bs; Bob Mosley, pno; Bob Merrill, tpt; Porter Gilbert, a-sax; Jack Parker, dms; band. New York City, 29 september 1944

17. Cherry red (vcl: Bob Merrill)

18. Cryin' and singin' the blues (vcl: Walter Fuller)

19. We gonna pitch a boogie woogie (vcl: Bob Merrill)

Dallas Bartley, bs; Bill Martin, tpt/vcl; Porter Kibley, a-sax; t-sax; Bob Mosley, pno; Hillard Brown, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 1945

20. Sandin' Joe

Dallas Bartley, vcl/bs; Bil Martin, tpt; John Dungee, a-sax; Joshua Jackson, t-sax; Gideon Honore, pno; Earl Phillips, dms. New York City, 1946

21. The band that really comes on

22. They raided the joint

23. All ruzzit buzzit

24. Saint Louis blues (vcl: Annie Laurie)

Dallas Bartley, vcl/bs; band. Chicago, Ill. 25 november 1947

25. I lnow what it's all about

26. You're the greatest

CECIL PAYNE, b-sax; Irvin Stokes, tpt; Bruce Hinkson, t-sax; Billy Kyle, pno; Franklin Skeete, bs; Hayward Jackson, dms. New York City, 21 june 1949

27. Egg head

28. Hippy Dippy

29. Mo chops

Big Joe

Cecil Payne, b-sax; Brownie Mc Gee (as Henry Johnson), vcl on *; Leonard Hawkins, tpt; Ray Abrams, t-sax; Billy Taylor, pno; John Simmons, bs; Joe Harris, dms. New York City, 25 november 1949

30. Block buster boogie

31. Ham hocks

32. (The deacon says) The worst is yet to come*

33. Angel child*

DETROIT JUNIOR: Complete Early Recordings

 DETROIT Jr/ Complete Early Recordings

(New Links)

           

De l'Arkansas (où il est né à Haynes le 26 octobre 1931) à Detroit et Flint - un séjour qui lui donnera son surnom - puis Chicago en 1955, l'itinéraire d'Emery Williams Jr ne diffère guère de celui de la plupart des bluesmen de sa génération. Les années d'apprentissage passées dans les juke-joints du Sud laissent leur marque sur son jeu de piano, sans subtilités mais puissant et carré, ainsi que sur sa voix qui semble perpétuellement essayer de dissiper une brume épaisse de fumées et de vapeurs d'alcool. Son ton laconique fait encore davantage ressortir l'humour grinçant de la plupart de ses compositions.

            Pris sous l'aile protectrice d'Eddie Boyd dès son arrivée à Chicago dans les années 50, Detroit Jr devient un pilier des clubs de la ville. Il fait partie des orchestres de Morris Pejoe, Lefty Dizz, Little Mack Simmons et enregistre pour Bea & Baby, Chess, CJ, Palos plusieurs blues marquants dont certains sont des succès locaux: Money tree et le désopilant Call my job en 1965. Mais le Chicago blues de cette époque est en crise et seuls les grands noms vont réussir à survivre. Detroit Jr reprend son rôle d'accompagnateur dans divers groupes, en particulier derrière Howlin' Wolf. Le Blues Revival ne fait que l'effleurer malgré, en 1971, un excellent microsillon, Chicago urban blues, produit par Al Smith où Detroit Jr, en grande forme, est accompagné par le guitariste Mighty Joe Young. Cette verve est intacte sur les quatre titres que le pianiste enregistre en 1980 pour l'anthologie Living Chicago blues (Alligator).

            Par la suite, Detroit Jr a continué d'écumer les clubs de Chicago, parfois en compagnie du guitariste L.C. Roby, enregistrant encore quelques excellents albums, notamment Blues on the Internet, son dernier pour Delmark. Il décède le 9 août 2005 à Chicago.

            Tous nos remerciements pour Steve Wisner, Robert Barleigh. et Blues4Sale qui nous ont généreusement fourni les titres les plus rares de Detroit Jr.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

            From Haynes, Arkansas (where he was born on 26 October, 1931) to Detroit and Flint where he get his nickname and where he worked three years in automobile plants to Chicago in 1955, Emery Williams Jr has followed the same path that many Chicago bluesmen. He learned the church organ at an early age and became a noted piano player in local juke joints. He will always keep his no-nonsense «barrelhouse» style of playing and his effective and fascinating voice, seeming always winning a hard battle against alcohol vapors and curls of smoke. All along his career he will also be able to write some first rate blues filled with a very personal wry and caustic humor.

            When in Chicago, Detroit Jr was taken under his wing by Eddie Boyd who introduced him in clubs and studios. During the 1950’s and 60’s Detroit Jr played with several bands (Morris Pejoe, Lefty Dizz, Little Mack Simmons) and recorded substantially for Bea & Baby, Chess, C.J., Palos, gaining local hits with Money tree or Call my job, two titles that have become blues classics until this day. But in the mid-60’s, the times were hard for the blues. Despite a very good LP for Al Smith, his solo career went nowhere and Jr found a better and steady job as a regular member of the Wolf Gang, behind Howlin’ Wolf and, after Wolf’s death, with Eddie Shaw’s Wolf Gang. He will have to wait the 1980’s and his excellent participation to Alligator’s legendary series Living Chicago Blues to resume his solo career, touring Europe quite often, staging on the main blues festivals and recordings several good albums whose the best might be his last for Delmark, Blues on the Internet. Detroit Jr died in Chicago on August 9th, 2005.

            A lot of thanks to Steve Wiseman, Robert Barleigh and Blues4Sale who have generously shared their very rare records.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

DETROIT Jr/ Early Recordings

Complete Recordings

Detroit Jr (Emery Williams Jr), vcl/pno; Little Mack Simmons, vcls; Eddie King, g/vcls; Bob Anderson, bs; Robert Whitehead, dms. Chicago, Ill. 18 février 1960

01. Money tree

02. So unhappy

Detroit Jr, vcl/pno; saxes; Eddie King, g; Willie Dixon, bs; Fred below, dms. Chicago, Ill. Mai 1960

03. Too poor

04. You mean everything to me

Detroit Junior, vcl/pno; Milton Bland, t-sax; Phil Upchurch, g/bs; Freddy Robinson, g/bs; Billy Davenport, dms; Harold Burrage, bells/sp. Chicago, Ill. 1960

05. This time for Xmas

06. Christmas day

Detroit Junior, vcl/pno; Johnny Campbelle, t-sax; saxes; band; The Troyettes, vcls. Chicago, ill. 1962

07. Money’s no problem

08. Different dances

Detroit Junior, vcl; saxes; James Wheeler, g; Lafayette Leake, pno; Johnny Howard, bs; dms. Chicago, Ill. 11 juillet 1964

09. Zig zag

10. I’ll find me another girl

11. Can't take it

12. Mother in law

13. Don't unpack

Detroit Junior, vcl/pno; Ike Perkins, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 29 mai 1965

14. Talk fast

15. It’s bad to make a woman mad

Detroit Junior, vcl/pno; Maria, vcls; Lonnie Brooks, g; bs; Harold Tidwell, dms. Chicago, Ill. juillet 1965

16. Call my job

17. The way I feel

Detroit Jr, vcl/pno; Fenton Robinson, g; Burgess Gardner, t-sax; Bob Anderson, bs Billy Davenport, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1966

18. All through with love

19. Come on in

Detroit Junior, vcl/pno; Lafayette Leake, pno; band; Louis Satterfield, bs. Chicago, Ill. 27 septembre 1967

20. Secret love

21. Young blood

Detroit Junior, vcl/pno; Mighty Joe Young, g; Little Mack Simmons, hca; Jimmy Richards, bs; Bill Warren, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1972

22. Money crazy

23. Windy city blues

24. Dance with me baby

25. So unhappy (1972)

26. Welfare blues

27. Don’t get in my shape

28. Call my job

29. My weakness is women

30. Alice

31. Christmas blues (1972)