CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday/ Volume 27

 CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday/ Volume 27

 

This 27^th Volume of our popular "Chicago/ The blues Yesterday" series brings to the limelight three jazz and rock artists who in their career performed and recorded Chicago blues.

This is particularly the case to Donna Hightower (1926-2013). Donna, born in Caruthersville, Missouri into a sharecroppers family, sang in the local church while listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday records. While singing for a dinner in Chicago, she was

instantly signed by Bob Tillman, a well known columnist with the Chicago Defender newspaper. She got a gig daily at the Strand Hotel and started to record in Chicago a handful of tunes, some of them being clearly rooted into the Chicago blues of the era. I ain't in the mood would climb to the Top 50 Race Records. Donna went to the West Coast, recording again for RPM with Maxwell Davis and for Capitol but made the most of her successful career in Europe, recording jazz, pop, Gospel for numerous labels and appearing on the biggest jazz festivals.

On the other hand, Wild Child Gipson (Byron Everett Gipson Jr) (1930-1994) was a true pioneer of Rock'n'roll. Born in Gulfport, Illinois, Gipson learned bass and guitar and was a true fan of Lloyd Price. He started his career as a doo-woop singer with the Sliders. During the mid-50's, Gipson became the road manager, car driver and bodyguard of Little Richard (!), also arranging some of his songs and writing some tunes for his leader. Wild Child Gipson also recorded some tracks under his name, Uncle John (an answer to Richard's Long Tall Sally) gaining some commercial success. After an incident where he was shot on the leg, Gipson gave up the road and relocated to Quincy (Illinois) where he mostly made a living outside the music.

Tommy Dean was a pianist born in Franklin, La. in 1909. He played and recorded first in Saint Louis before taking his chance to Chicago after 1945 where he would play in clubs and record as a studio musician as well as under his name for Miracle, States, King, Federal and Vee Jay labels. Most of his records are in a jazzy blues vein and are very good with great singers like Joe Buckner or Jewell Belle. He died in Saint Louis in the fall of 1964. (cf http://campber.people.clemson.edu/deanie.html for a in-depth study of Tommy Dean's life and career)

 

                                          Gérard HERZHAFT

 

DONNA HIGHTOWER, vcl; Gail Brocklan, tpt; Poerter Kilbert, a-sax; Riley Hampton, a-sax; Walter Leonard, b-sax; Horace Henderson, pno; Floyd Smith, g; Arthur Edwards, bs; George Reid, dms. Chicago, Ill. 9 october 1951

01. I ain't in the mood

02. Cry

Donna Hightower, vcl; Gail Brocklan, tpt; Poerter Kilbert, a-sax; Riley Hampton, a-sax; Walter Leonard, b-sax; Horace Henderson, pno; Floyd Smith, g; Arthur Edwards, bs; George Reid, dms. Chicago, Ill. 3 february 1952

03. Honest and truly

04. I found a new love

Donna Hightower, vcl; prob. same band. Chicago, Ill. 4 avril 1952

05. Kiss me baby

06. Don't you think I oughta know

07. Farewell blues

WILD CHILD GIPSON (Byron Gipson), vcl/g The Sliders, band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1955

08. Honey dew

09. The one I love

Wild Child Gipson, vcl/g; The Sliders, band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1956

10. Footloose and fancy free

11. Etta Mae

12. I want cha baby

Wild Child Gipson, vcl/kbds; Freddie Tieken, t-sax; John Moorman, g; The Rockers, band. Chicago, Ill. 1958

13. Uncle John

14. Lost control

15. Sittin' here cryin'

16. Kool

Wild Child Gipson, vcl/kbds; Freddie Tieken, t-sax; Johnny Pisano, g; Freddie Katz & The Jammers, band. Quincy, Ill. 1965

17. Sweet roll'n stone

My kinduva blues

Wild Child Gipson, vcl/org; Peoria Soul Merchants, band. Peoria, Ill. 1966

18. Boogaloo train to Peoria

19. Coal mine n°2

TOMMY DEAN, pno; Gene Easton, a-sax; James Taylor, t-sax; Chris Woods, clt. Buck Underwood, bs; Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Saint Louis, Mo. 1947

20. Rock easy

Just before day

Tommy Dean, pno; Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Eatson, b-sax; bs; Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Saint Louis, Mo. avril 1949

Jump for joy (vcl: Pee Wee Jernigan)

Dean's theme

Tommy Dean, pno; Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Easton, b-sax; Eugene Thomas, bs; Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Chicago, Ill. july 1949

21. Hours past midnight (vcl: Pee Wee Jernigan)

22. Scamon boogie

23. Sweet and lovely (vcl: Pee Wee Jernigan)

24. Just about right

Tommy Dean, pno; Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Easton, b-sax; Eugene Thomas, bs; Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Chicago, Ill. 4 juin 1952

25. Rainin' (It rains) (vcl: Jewel Belle)

26. Foolish (vcl: Jewel Belle)

27. Cool one groove two

28. Lonely Monday (vcl: Jewel Belle)

Tommy Dean, pno; Chris Woods, a-sax; Edgar Hayes, t-sax; Gene Easton, b-sax; Eugene Thomas, bs; Pee Wee Jernigan, dms. Chicago, Ill. 19 november 1952

Scammon boogie

How can I let you go (vcl: Jewel Belle)

Tommy Dean, pno/og; Oliver Nelson, a-sax; Chuck Tillman, t-sax; Archie Burnside, bs; Edgar Plaes, dms. Chicago, Ill. 20 december 1954

29. Deanie boy

30. Just before day

31. How can I let you go (vcl: Joe Buckner)

32. Why don't chu (vcl: Joe Buckner)

33. 221 Rock

34. Even time (vcl: Joe Buckner)

Tommy Dean, pno; Oliver Nelson, a-sax; Archie Burnside, bs; Edgar Plaes, dms. Chicago, Ill. 17 february 1955

35. The Gold Coast

Tommy Dean, pno/org; Oliver Nelson, a-sax; Chuck Tillman, t-sax; Joe Whitfield, t-sax; Archie Burnside, bs; Edgar Plaes, dms. Chicago, Ill. 11 july 1955

36. One more mile (vcl: Joe Buckner)

37. Skid row

38. Straight and ready

Tommy Dean, org; Charles Williams, a-sax; Fred Lee, t-sax; Haffuch Alexander, pno; Lefty Bates, g; Milton Wilson, dms/perc. Chicago, Ill. 27 may 1958

39. Recession