ROBERT RICHARD/ WALTER MITCHELL
Detroit Blues Masters 2
Après Bobo Jenkins, attardons-nous
sur quelques harmonicistes réputés de la ville.
Robert
Richard (né le 4 octobre 1924 à Cartersville (Ga)) a appris guitare et
harmonica auprès de son oncle, un bouilleur de cru réputé dans la région qui a
eu maille à partir avec la Mafia de Chicago! Il vient travailler à Detroit en
1942 avec son frère Howard, lui aussi un chanteur et guitariste. Les frères
Richard se font vite une place dans la scène blues bourgeonnante de Hastings
Street. Robert enregistre dès 1948, soit en vedette soit
Enfin, Sam Kelly n'a enregistré qu'un seul titre (!), le somptueux Rambling around blues et demeure un
complet inconnu. Il a été plusieurs fois affirmé que Sam Kelly n'était autre
que Walter Mitchell.
Gérard HERZHAFT
After Bobo Jenkins we are going to deal with two more important Detroit
bluesmen.
Robert Richard (born in Cartersville, Ga. on octobre 4th, 1924)
learned the guitar and the harmonica with his uncle, a quite famous bootlegger
who had troubles with the Chicago Mafia! Robert, like a lot of other
southerners, came to work in the automobile industry in 1942. With his brother
Howard (himself a good singer and guitarist), Robert is quite quickly a steady
member of the blues fraternity who play in the numerous Hastings Street clubs. Robert
acquires a strong reputation with his powerful harmonica style largely derived
from John lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson's. He records with Walter
Mitchell and pianist Boogie Woogie Red in 1948, then is featured as a sideman
on many Detroit recording sessions, particularly with Bobo Jenkins (whose band
he is a permanent member). He waxes some sides under his name for Chess in
Chicago but those titles unfortunately are still unissued! After the blues
becomes outfashioned among the young black public in the 60's and the once
thrieving Hastings Street bluescene diseppears completely, Robert Richard gives
up the music. But he is rediscovered by George Paulus who records him in 1975
and 1977 for an excellent all
acoustic LP. But this album sells very poorly and
Richard drifts in obscurity. We don't even know the date and place of his
probable death.
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| cf: Don't aske me... |
Walter Mitchell (born in Pickens, Ark on march 19th, 1919) comes to
Detroit with his mother in 1926 already playing the harmonica! He hoboes
everywhere in the Southern States during the 1930's, playing and singing the
blues under the name Little Walter according to his diminutive stature (before
Walter Jacobs). Drafted in 1942, Walter is badly wounded in the leg on the
Pacific front and discharged in 1944, he settles permanently in Detroit, making
a living from his music, frequently in company of his cousin, the singer and guitariste
L.C. Green. Although he has been quite often in the Detroit studios as a
sideman, Walter made only two sessions under his name, first in 1948 with
Robert Richard and another in 1954. He relocates in Toledo during the 60's
where he is interviewed by some British researchers for the Blues Unlimited
magazine. That allows him to make some great appearances in Toledo. He dies
there on january 10th 1990.
Last but not least,
harp player and singer Sam Kelly
waxed only one title, the stupendous Rambling around blues. Sam is a
complete unknown but it has been strongly suggested that Sam Kelly was in fact
a nom de disque for none other than Walter Mitchell.
Gérard
HERZHAFT
Peter Diederichs has sent me a message about the Walter Mitchell tracks on my compilation:
Here it is:
"The titles 4-6 in Detroit Blues Masters Vol. 2 always irritated me, unfortunately they are not by Walter Mitchell.
No. 4 “Watercoast Blues”: here we have “4 O’Clock Blues” by The Blues Rockers.
No. 5 “Low Down Dirty Shame”: here we have “Don’t Make Me Cry” by Dave Parker.
No. 6 “Shady Land Blues”: here we have “Got Nobody To Tell My Troubles To” by Calvin Frazier.
Thanks for the search and the tip
The links of those three "right" tracks are here
Here it is:
"The titles 4-6 in Detroit Blues Masters Vol. 2 always irritated me, unfortunately they are not by Walter Mitchell.
No. 4 “Watercoast Blues”: here we have “4 O’Clock Blues” by The Blues Rockers.
No. 5 “Low Down Dirty Shame”: here we have “Don’t Make Me Cry” by Dave Parker.
No. 6 “Shady Land Blues”: here we have “Got Nobody To Tell My Troubles To” by Calvin Frazier.
Thanks for the search and the tip
The links of those three "right" tracks are here
DETROIT BLUES MASTERS
Volume 2
Walter Mitchell,
vcl/hca; Robert Richard, hca; Boogie Woogie Red, pno; Little George, bs.
Detroit, Mi. 1948
01. Stop messing around
02. Pet milk blues
03. Broke and hungry
Walter Mitchell, vcl/hca; band. Detroit, Mi. 1954
04. Watercoast blues
05. Low down dirty shame
06. Shady land blues
Sam Kelly,
vcl/hca; Robert Richard, hca; L.C. Green, g. Detroit, Mi. 1953
07. Rambling around blues
Robert Richard,
vcl/hca; Wlter Mitchell, hca; Boogie Woogie Red, pno; Little George, bs.
Detroit, Mi. 1948
08. Cadillac woman
09. Wig wearing woman
10. Wigwam woman
11. New York Central
12. Root hog
13. Baby please don't go
Robert Richard, vcl/g; Howard Richard, vcl/g. Detroit,
Mi. 1959
14. Drunk driver's coming
Stolen property
Stolen property can now be heard here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npAPjauNWEg
Thanks to Ksdaman for the info and BobSeger1981 for making it available.
