LADIES SING THE BLUES/ Volume 8/ Mozelle Alderson

 

LADIES SING THE BLUES Volume 8/ Mozelle Alderson

 

 

           

This 8^th opus of our Ladies sing the blues series is entirely dedicated to the elusive blues singer and comedian Mozelle Alderson.

            "Entirely" because this very lady has recorded a lot of tracks during a period spanning from 1927 to 1934. "Elusive" for Mozelle has recorded under several nicknames that for a long time prevented her to be clearly identified even by the most dedicated blues buffs the world around! Jane Lucas, Hannah May, Harum Scarums, Mae Belle Lee and the most famous Kansas City Kitty are in fact the same singer Mozelle Alderson, as her long time partner Georgia Tom Dorsey revealed in an 1975 interview to Jim O'Neal and Amy Van Singel for their magazine Living Blues.

            "Elusive" is anyway still Mozelle Alderson and I've not been able to track a photo by the lady through my anyway important collection of blues magazines! It's once again Blues/ A regional experience that gives the most details of her whereabouts.

           

Georgia Tom Dorsey

She was born Mozelle Fagans at Bedford, Ohio on November 20^th 1904 and she moved to Chicago sometimes in the early 1920's after wedding to a Mr Alderson. She probably sang already for a long time as one can notice when she recorded her first three 78s in 1927 for the Black Patti/ Gennett label backed by the excellent piano player Blind James Beck. She came back to the studios three years later for a session with the obscure pianist Judson Brown for a couple of risqué blues. By now her career took another speed and she was almost always in the recording studios during the years 1930-31, producing duos with the ubiquitous and very influential Georgia Tom Dorsey under her many nicknames that puzzled the discographers for so long. As Kansas City Kitty, Jane Lucas or among the Hokum Boys, Mozelle Alderson waxed dozens of records with sometimes the add of several Chicago blues stalwarts of the era: Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy and of course almost always Tom Dorsey. Her repertoire ranged from Classic blues singers to Hokum and Memphis Minnie...

            After a very good last session in 1934, Mozelle disappeared from the recording vaults. Has still other nicknames hidden somewhere in the discographies? Or did she dropped her musical career to other goals?

            She was a widow in 1941 and she re-married two years later to John H. Slocum in Chicago. Mozelle died on May 15^th 1994 in Chicago, largely forgotten and unfortunately never interviewed.

            We have been able to gather all her known recordings in this comp.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

Mozelle Alderson, vcl; Blind James Beck, pno/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 29 april1927

01. Mozelle blues

02. Sobbin' the blues

03. Room rent blues

04. State Street special

Mozelle Alderson, vcl; James Beck, pno; Al Miller, mdln. Chicago, Ill. may 1927

05. Mobile Central blues

06. Tall man blues

Mozelle Alderson, vcl; Judson Brown, pno/vcls. 17 april 1930

07. Tight whoopee

08. Tight in Chicago

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls; Tampa Red, g. Chicago, Ill. 13 may 1930

09.You got that stuff

10. The doctor's blues

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 25 august 1930

11. Do it by myself

12. Fish house blues

13. Room rent blues

14. Show me what you got

Mozelle Alderson (as Hannah May), vcl; Big Bill Broonzy, g/vcls; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. New York City, 15 september 1930

15. Pussy cat pussy cat

16. What you call that?

17. Court house blues

Mozelle Alderson (as Hannah May), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls; Big Bill Broonzy, g. New York City, 16-17 september 1930

18. Come on mama

19. What's that I smell? (Hannah May)

20. It's been so long

21. Terrible operation blues

22. Rent man blues

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl/pno; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 1 november 1930

23. Killing floor blues

24. How can you have the blues?

Mozelle Alderson (as Jane Lucas), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls; Big Bill Broonzy, g. Richmond, Ind. 19 november 1930

25. What's that I smell? (Jane Lucas)

26. Terrible operation blues (Jane Lucas)

27. Where did you stay last night?

28. Fix it

29. Ain't goin' there no more n°2

30. That's the way she likes it

31. Double trouble blues

32. Leave my man alone (Jane Lucas)

Mozelle Alderson, vcl/tamb; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls; Big Bill Broonzy, g. Richmond, Ind. 20 november 1930

33. Hip shakin' strut

34. Hokum stomp

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 2 december 1930

35. Who's been here since I been gone?

36. Gym's too much for me

Mozelle Alderson, vcl (as Kansas City Kitty); Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 17 december 1930

37. When can I get it?

38. That thing is a mess

Mozelle Alderson (as Harum Scarums), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls; Big Bill Broonzy, g. Grafton, Wisc. january 1931

39. Alabama scratch I & II

40. Come on in

41. Where did you stay last night? (1931)

42. Sittin' on top of the world

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 5 january 1931

43. Root man blues

44. Close made papa

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls; Tampa Red, g. Chicago, Ill. 7 janvier 1931

45. Scronchin'

46. What a fool I've been

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 12 march 1931

47. Do it some more

48. Knife man blues

Mozelle Alderson (as Mae Belle Lee), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls. Grafton, Wisc. 13 april 1931

49. I'm takin' bout you

50. Bumble bee

51. Times done got hard

52. Sittin' on top of the world n°2

Mozelle Alderson (as Kansas City Kitty), vcl; Georgia Tom Dorsey, pno/vcls; kazoo. Chicago, Ill. 1 november 1934

53. Christmas morning blues

54. Double trouble blues

55. Leave my man alone

56. Mistreatin' easy rider