CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Volume 10

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Volume 10

          

  Ce nouveau volume (le dixième!) de cette série commence avec Mamie Galore une chanteuse plus connue dans la Soul mais qui a, durant ses deux premières séances, gravé des titres très bluesy produits et accompagnés par Monk Higgins avec Freddie Robinson, en particulier son superbe premier 45t (Special Agent 34-24-38 b/w I wanna be your radio). Née Mamie Davis à Erwin (Mississippi) le 24 septembre 1940 près de Greenville, elle a commencé très jeune à chanter dans le choeur de son Eglise avant de devenir la chanteuse d'un groupe de R&B local Herman Scott & The Swinging Kings puis de participer à la Ike & Tina Turner Review puis au Little Milton band durant quelque temps. Ce n'est qu'en 1965, une fois installée à Chicago, qu'elle commence une carrière en soliste, enregistrant une courte oeuvre qui demeure très appréciée des amateurs de Soul. Après une brève tentative de faire une meilleure carrière en Californie (toujours sous la houlette de Monk Higgins), Mamie est retournée en 1972 à Jackson dans le Mississippi où elle décède le 7 octobre 2001.

Mamie Galore

            Le pianiste et chanteur Leon Tarver a commencé sa carrière musicale au sein du groupe de doo woop les Cardinals (enregistrant avec eux pour Atlantic) avant de graver à Chicago en 1954 une séance pour Chess, produite par Willie Dixon dans laquelle il est accompagné des Chordones et du saxophoniste tenor Red Holloway. Deux autres séances peu de temps après n'auront pas davantage de succès et Leon Tarver a disparu de la scène musicale, laissant une petite oeuvre rééditée ici intégralement pour la première fois.

            Enfin, "last but not least", la chanteuse Frances Burr demeure une énigme. Elle a enregistré seulement quatre titres. Son formidable I say no no more est devenu un titre culte auprès des milieux "popcorn", considéré par certains comme un des grands chefs d'oeuvre du R & B. Toutes les tentatives de retrouver ses traces voire elle-même sont pour l'instant demeurées vaines. Mais l'infatigable Mr Mightygroove (cf son superbe blog http://soul-in-groove.eklablog.com/) a réussi à retrouver une photo de la jeune femme qui, contrairement à ce qui est écrit partout sur elle, est de race blanche, ce que sa façon de chanter rend d'ailleurs évident.

            Cette compilation n'aurait pu se faire sans l'aide de John Ridley (Sir Shambling), Gerard Cousin et Jose Yrrabera. Qu'ils soient remerciés.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

            The tenth volume (!) of this popular series starts with Mamie Galore, a noted Soul singer who has anyway first recorded very bluesy 45t (particularly the superb Special Agent 34-24-38 b/w I wanna be your radio), produced by Monk Higgins with Freddie Robinson playing the guitar. Born Mamie Davis at Erwin (Mississippi) 24th September 1940, she started to sing at a very young age in church, then becoming the lead singer of the Greenville R&B band Herman Scott & The Swinging Kings. She was once a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Review, toured alongside Little Milton Band and started a solo career when settling in Chicago in 1965. She recorded quite steadily during a couple of years but with only moderate commercial success. She followed Higgins in California for awhile but came back to Mississippi in 1972, singing then mostly Gospel. She died in Jackson, Ms on October, 7th 2011.

            Singer and pianist Leon Tarver started a musical career with the doo woop group The Cardinals before trying as a solo act in Chicago in 1954-55. He recorded eight titles (all are here), even a Chess session of two 45s produced by Willie Dixon that are much sought after items. After that he disappeared completely from the musical scene.

           

Frances Burr

Then we have the enigmatic singer Frances Burr whose terrific I say no no more is highly regarded in some circles as one of the all time R&B masterpieces. She has recorded only two singles in 1963 and all the attempts to find her whereabouts have proved unsuccessful. But the indefatigable Mr Mightygroove (see his blog http://soul-in-groove.eklablog.com/) has unearthed a photo of the young lady, proving that, despite everything that has been written on her, is a white girl, that is anyway quite evident considering her way of singing for the time.

            This quite original anthology would never have been possible without the help of Gerard Cousin, John Ridley (Sir Shambling) and Jose Yrrabera. Thanks to all.

                                               Gérard HERZHAFT

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Volume 10

Mamie Galore (Mamie Davis), vcl; Monk Higgins, kbds; Freddie Robinson, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1965

01. Special Agent 34-24-38

02. I wanna be your radio

Mamie Galore, vcl; Monk Higgins, kbds; Freddie Robinson, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1966

03. It ain't necessary

04. Don't think I could stand it

05. Mistaken wedding

06. You got the power

Leon Tarver, vcl/pno; Red Holloway, t-sax; g; Willie Dixon, bs; dms; The Chordettes, vcls. Chicago, Ill. 16 janvier 1954

07. Ooh Wee what's wrong with me?

08. I'm a young rooster

09. Why do I love you so?

10. Come back to me

Leon Tarver, vcl/pno; The Chordettes, vcls; band. Chicago, Ill. 20 avril 1954

11. Soup line

12. It's my fault

Leon Tarver, vcl/pno; Sax Mallard, a-sax; Lewis Ogletree, tpt; Cliff davis, t-sax; Jimmy Richards, bs; Red Saunders, dms. Chicago, ill. décembre 1955

13. Somebody help me

14. Oh baby I'm blue

Frances Burr, vcl; K.J. Trio, band. Chicago, Ill. 1963

15. I say no no more

16. I won't hurt you no more

17. Guess what it was

18. I'll make a new world

GUITAR SLIM GREEN

GUITAR SLIM GREEN/ Complete Recordings

           

Le titre de gloire de Norman G. Green dit Guitar Slim Green (né le 25 juillet 1920 à Bryant, Texas) aura été d'enregistrer à Los Angeles en janvier 1948 Alla blues qui deviendra quelques années plus tard un grand succès pour Jimmy Wilson, Ray Agee (avec un sublime solo de guitare de Johnny Heartsman), Phillip Walker et des dizaines d'autres, le morceau retitré Tin Pan Alley devenant non seulement un des plus grands standards du blues mais aussi un peu l' "hymne national" du blues californien!

            Mais contrairement à ce qui a souvent été écrit, Tin Pan Alley n'est nullement une composition de Norman Green. A l'origine du morceau, on trouve une création de Curtis Jones(19 août 1941, Okeh 06494). Mais Guitar Slim Green acclimate cette artère célèbre au soleil californien, amplifiant encore l'atmosphère sombre et mourante du titre original.

            On connaît mal la jeunesse de Norman Green ni combien de temps il est resté dans son Texas natal. Suffisamment en tout cas pour que sa musique, chant et jeu de guitare, soit cependant très ancrée dans la tradition du blues texan. Il habite un moment dans l'Oklahoma, s'y fait connaître sous le surnom de Guitar Slim Green, avant de gagner la Californie en 1947 via un séjour à Las Vegas, alors une simple bourgade. Dès son arrivée à Los Angeles, il joue dans les clubs noirs et est enregistré par le producteur J.R. Fullbright, deux 78t qui, à leur parution, ne rencontrent guère de succès!

            Green part s'installer à Fresno pour y travailler et y joue localement avec un groupe de bluesmen (Al Simmons, Sidney Maiden...) qui se font connaître sous le nom de Cats from Fresno et avec lesquels il enregistrera à nouveau deux 45t pour Johnny Otis et son label Dig.

            Encore une décennie plus tard, Guitar Slim Green retourne dans les studios pour une série de séances dont la date et le lieu sont quelque peu confus. Peut-être même s'agit-il d'une seule et même séance? Tout cela paraît sur de tout petits labels mal distribués. Enfin, en 1970, c'est Johnny Otis qui le retrouve tandis qu'il chante dans la rue, l'emmène en studio et l'enregistre, le faisant accompagner de son tout jeune fils Shuggie Otis. Cela sort en LP sur Kent, repris sur United et devenu depuis un "collector", avidement recherché des amateurs.

            Guitar Slim Green n'enregistrera plus et, après plusieurs années de maladie, décède le 28 septembre 1975 à Los Angeles.

            Sa courte oeuvre est très représentative du downhome blues texan transplanté en Californie et nous en proposons une quasi intégrale (un seul titre manque: Scratch my back, qui est probablement similaire au Rub my back qui se trouve ici) qui permet de mieux apprécier la qualité du blues de Guitar Slim Green.

            Merci à Frits et à Xyros (qui anime le superbe blog Don't ask me...) pour la mise en ligne des très rares titres de 1968.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

         

   Norman G. Green aka Guitar Slim Green (born on July, 25th 1920 at Bryant, Texas) is mostly known because he recorded in January 1948, the ill-titled Alla blues that, through great reworkings by Jimmy Wilson, Ray Agee (with a sublime guitar part by Johnny Heartsman), Phillip Walker and dozens of others has become one of the main blues standards (Tin Pan Alley). And certainly some kind of a West Coast national anthem.

            In fact Tin Pan Alley was written and first recorded by Curtis Jones (August 19, 1941) on the Okeh label, whose dark and moody atmosphere is even amplified on Green's version.

            Green's style is strongly rooted in the Texas downhome blues tradition which will so well become acclimatized to postwar California. Guitar Slim Green left his native Texas for Oklahoma where he gained his nickname, then went to Las Vegas and Los Angeles in 1947 where he played in the streets and soon recorded two 78s for producer J.R. Fullbright. Despite the strength of the music, the sales seemed to have been poor and Green finding a steady job in Fresno settled in this town during the early 50's. There he formed a small band, The Cats from Fresno with some local blues musicians, singer Al Simmons, harp player Sidney Maiden... It took the indefatigable Johnny Otis and his Dig label to record those very downhome artists in 1958.

            Another decade later, Slim Green went back in the studios for a series of sessions (or is it only one session?) whose music would be issued in 1968-69 on several 45s for very tiny independent labels. Whatever, this is while Slim was playing in the streets that Johnny Otis met again with Green and quickly pushed him in the studio to record a whole wonderful album, backed by himself on the drums and his young son Shuggie on guitar and bass who did a stunning bluesy job. This was issued as an LP on Kent and United and it is certainly one item sought after by blues buffs all over the world.

            Unfortunately, quite ill, Guitar Slim Green won't record anymore and will have to turn down any offer to perform in public. He died in Los Angeles on September 28th, 1975.

            Thanks to Frits and Xyros (go to his first rate blog Don't ask me...) who have at last made available his very rare 1968 tracks, I have been able to complete here his recorded works that allows to appreciate fully this great but a little bit overlooked downhome California bluesman. One title is still missing, Scratch my back that is probably very similar to Rub my back which is featured here.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

New Link: see Comments

THE COMPLETE

GUITAR SLIM GREEN

Guitar Slim Green(Norman B. Green), vcl/g; B. Turner, hca. Los Angeles, Ca. janvier 1948

01. Alla blues

02. Central Avenue blues

Guitar Slim Green, vcl/g; Louis Jackson, g; Junior Hampton, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. décembre 1948

03. Tricky woman blues

Guitar Slim Green, vcl/g; L.C. Robinson, g; Al Simmons, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 1958

04. My woman done quite me

Guitar Slim Green, vcl/g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1959

05. Shake'em up

06. Jericho Alley

Guitar Slim Green, vcl/g; Shellon Phillips, pno; t-sax; g; bs; dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 1968-69

07. Play on little girl

Scratch my back

08. Rock the nation

09. My woman has quit me

10. Slim Green's shuffle

11. Rub my back

Guitar Slim Green, vcl/g; Shuggie Otis, g/ hca/bs; Roger Potts, pno; Johnny Otis, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 1970

12. Shake'em up

13. Bumble bee blues

14. Make love all night

15. My little angel child

16. Fifth Street Alley blues

17. Old folks boogie

18. This war ain't right

19. You make me feel so good

20. Big fine thing

21. Play on little girl

Désormais, grâce à Pierre Monnery, le titre ultra-rare Scratch my back peut être écouté sur ma chaîne YouTube:
Now, thanks to Pierre Monnery, the ultra-rare track Scratch my back can be listened to on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itsw0VVK7Ao

NEW YORK CITY BLUES YESTERDAY/ 3

NEW YORK CITY BLUES YESTERDAY 
Volume 3

           Reprenons cette série qui se veut documenter la scène du blues et du R&B Newyorkais de l’après-guerre.

           Guitar Crusher est né Sidney Selby dans la comté de Hyde en Caroline du Nord le 28 juillet 1931 et a commencé à chanter dans l’église baptiste fréquentée par sa mère qu’il suit à New York en 1950. Très marqué par les grands orchestres qui font les belles nuits de Harlem, il apprend la guitare et fonde son groupe les Midnight Rockers avec lequel il joue dans les clubs newyorkais. Son surnom ("briseur de guitare") semble lui être venu d'une rixe dans un de ces clubs et non d'une volonté d'anticiper ce que fera Jimi Hendrix! Il enregistre une série de 45t dans les années 1960 qui ont suffisamment de succès pour lui permettre de tourner avec des artistes comme les Isley Brothers, les Drifters ou Ben E. King. Mais ne voulant pas abandonner son travail régulier dans une usine, il disparaît plus ou moins de la scène musicale dans les années 1970. Retrouvé par des amateurs européens en 1989, il se produit sur le Vieux Continent et finit par s'installer en Allemagne, enregistrant plusieurs albums et apparaissant régulièrement sur scène jusqu'à maintenant. Nous avons réuni tous ses titres des années newyorkaises.

           June Bateman (née Marian June Batemon à Schulenburg au Texas le 17 novembre 1939) a suivi ses parents très jeune à New York, résidant à Brooklyn. Elle commence à chanter très tôt dans les clubs, notamment avec The Marquis mais c'est sa rencontre (et son mariage) avec le célèbre saxophoniste Noble Watts (cf l'article sur ce musicien dans Blue Eye) qui la fait devenir professionnelle. Elle est la vocaliste de son mari et enregistre sous son nom une série de beaux 45t, entre blues, R&B et Rock'n'roll dont certains (comme Possum belly overalls) sont devenus des classiques. Mais à la fin des 60's, elle abandonne sa carrière pour élever ses enfants et exercer une fonction pour l'Etat de New York. Elle suit Noble Watts lorsque celui-ci vient se réinstaller dans sa ville natale de DeLand en Floride en 1984. June Bateman-Watts y vit d'ailleurs toujours et joue un rôle actif dans l'annuel Noble "Thin Man" Watts festival. 

           Enfin Bee Bee Queen qui a enregistré deux 45t en 1956-57 demeure pour nous une complète inconnue. Tous renseignements complémentaires seront les bienvenus.

           Merci encore à Jack D., John Weill et l'infatigable Gyro 1966 pour leur aide dans cette anthologie à laquelle il manque encore deux titres de June Bateman (I still love him/ Mama I love him so) et un de Bee Bee Queen. Si l'un de nos lecteurs les a....

                                                                 Gérard HERZHAFT

           And there it is the third volume of our New York City blues Yesterday series.

           Guitar Crusher was born Sidney Selby in Hyde County (North Carolina) on July 28th 1931. He started to sing at an early age in the Baptist Church of his mother and followed her to New York around 1950. Very fond of the R&B bands of Harlem, he started to lead his own group, The Midnight Rockers with whom he played in the clubs. His moniker (Guitar Crusher) seems to come from the consequence of a brawl in a bar and not because he anticipated the histrionics stage acts of Jimi Hendrix! Anyway, Guitar Crusher enjoyed some success during the 60's when he recorded a string of nice 45s and toured with such names as the Drifters, the Isley Brothers or Ben E. King. The 70's were nevertheless lean years for him and he then drifted into obscurity, making a living outside of music. But some of his 45 having been reissued on British LP's, he was rediscovered by European blues buffs during the late 80's and persuaded to resume his musical career. He even settled in Germany where he recorded several CD's. He is still sporadically singing on stage in Europe. We have here gathered all his New York 45's.

          

June Bateman

June Bateman (born Marian June Batemon on November 17th 1939 at Schulenburg, Tx) has came with her parents at an early age to New York, living in Brooklyn. Still a teenager, she started to sing with local groups like The Marquis. But this is only when she met (and quickly married) the famous sax player Noble Watts - see the article on him in this blog - that she embarked in a fully musical professional career. As the featured singer of her husband's orchestra, she recorded a string of excellent 45s between blues, R&B and Rock'n'roll, some of them (Possum belly overalls) having even become "classics". She gave up her musical career during the late 60's to take care of her family, holding a steady job for the State of New York. In 1984, she followed Noble Watts to his native DeLand (Florida) where she is still living and playing an active part for the local and annual Noble "Thin Man" Watts festival.

           At last, the so-called Bee Bee Queen is still a shadowy figure. She recorded two 45's in 1956-57. Any info about her would be welcome.

           Thanks a lot to Jack D., John Weill and the ever-reliable Gyro 1966 for their help when making this anthology. Two June Bateman titles (I still love him/ Mama I love him so) and one Bee Bee Queen (You made me do it) are still missing. Thanks by advance to anybody willing to share them.

                                                                 Gérard HERZHAFT

NEW YORK CITY BLUES YESTERDAY

Volume 3

Guitar Crusher (Sidney Selby), vcl/g; B. Brown, hca; Clyde Sykes, pno; Willie Blair, bs; dms. New York City, 1962

01. I’ve got to know

02. Cuddle up

Guitar Crusher, vcl/g; band. New York City, 21 août 1962

03. I feel the pain

04. Itch with me

05. The monkey

06. I once loved you baby

Guitar Crusher, vcl/g; band. Cincinnati, Oh. 8mai 1963

07. I can’t help it

08. Better days ahead

09. Why oh why

10. Weak for your love

Guitar Crusher, vcl/hca/g; band. New York City, 12 janvier 1967

11. I’ll catch your tears

12. Goin’ down slow

Guitar Crusher, vcl; Jimmy Spruill, g; Alvin Lee, g; Terry Noonan, tpt; Bud Parks, tpt; Alan Skidmore, t-sax; Les Wigfield, t-sax; Dave Willis, b-sax; Chick Churchill, pno; Leo Lyons, bs; Ric Lee, dms. New York City, 6 août 1968

13. Since my baby hit the numbers

14. Hambone blues

15. What about me?

June Bateman, vcl; Noble Watts, t-sax; Jimmy Spruill, g, Horace Cooper, pno; bs; dms, vcl group. New York City, juillet 1957

16. Need your love

17. Yes I will

June Bateman, vcl; Noble Watts, t-sax; g; bs; Bernard Purdie, dms. New York City, 1960

18. Believe me darling

19. Come on little boy

June Bateman, vcl; Noble Watts, t-sax/vcl; Billy Butler, g; bs; Bernard Purdie, dms. New York City, 1962

20. What ya gonna do?

June Bateman, vcl; Noble Watts, t-sax; band. New York City, avril 1963

21. I don't wanta

I still love him

June Bateman, vcl; Noble Watts, t-sax; Paul Williams, b-sax; band. New York City, septembre 1963

22. Georgia mule

Mama I love him so

June Bateman, vcl; Noble Watts, t-sax; Jimmy Spruill, g; B. Brown, hca; Royal Hamilton, pno; bs; Willie Jenkins, dms. New York City 1964

23. Go away Mr blues (Everlast 45)

24. Possum belly overalls (Everlast 45)

June Bateman, vcl; Noble Watts, t-sax; band. New York City 1965

25. Possum belly overalls (Shaw 45)

26. Go away Mr blues (Shaw 45)

Bee Bee Queen, vcl; Teacho Wilshire, pno; band. New York City, 1956

27. Queen Bee

You made me do it

Bee Bee Queen, vcl; Teacho Wilshire, pno; band. New York City, 1957

28. I Wanna be loved

29. Yes Sir’ee

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Vol. 9

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday Volume 9

            Neuvième volume de cette série sur le Chicago blues des temps jadis.

            Commençons avec un des grands maîtres de la guitare blues de Chicago, Jody Williams (né Joseph Leon Williams à Mobile, Alabama, le 3 février 1935). Jody a beaucoup contribué à mettre au point le jeu de guitare cinglant, précis et expressif du West Side Sound de Chicago. Venu à Chicago en 1941, il développe très jeune un style de guitare personnel et original et influence quantité de musiciens. Il accompagne Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, Billy Boy Arnold, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, Charles Brown, Billy Stewart et quantité d'autres artistes. Peu sûr de ses talents de chanteur, il n'enregistre que très peu sous son nom et sous divers pseudonymes et favorise des pièces instrumentales, notamment You may et Lucky Lou qui vont être copiés note pour note par de nombreux guitaristes de

Jody Williams at the Apollo. 1956

Chicago. Mais ne pouvant vivre décemment de sa musique, Jody s'engage dans l'armée puis embrasse le métier d'électricien et de technicien chez Xerox avant de revenir, une fois à la retraite, dans les studios et sur scène dans les années 1990, auréolé d'une réputation légendaire. Nous avons ici regroupé les dix titres qu'il a gravés entre 1955 et 1962.

            Bo Dud/ Bo Dudley, né Oscar Coleman dans le Mississippi en 1941 a fait sensation avec son premier 45t en 1968 (Shotgun rider/ Coast to coast), surtout d'ailleurs pour la partie de steel guitare de Freddie Roulette. Imitant alors délibérément Bo Diddley, Bo Dud a ensuite enregistré des titres entre Soul et Chicago blues traditionnel généralement sur son label maison Dud Sound. Deux instrumentaux sont surtout le fait du guitariste Johnny Twist que nous avons présenté dans le volume précédent. Après une longue carrière de chauffeur de taxi et malgré le grave incendie de sa maison de Chicago qui a failli lui coûter la vie, Bo Dud a continué à jouer plus ou moins régulièrement et a même enregistré un album (Oscar boogie) assez difficile à trouver.

            James "Beale Street" Clark (né le 12 janvier 1911 à Memphis) est un pianiste et chanteur venu à Chicago dans les années 30 et qui est surtout connu pour les deux titres sur lesquels Muddy Waters l'accompagne. Il a néanmoins enregistré sous son nom et celui de Memphis Jimmy huit morceaux entre 1945 et 1947 dans un style très ancré dans le Bluebird Sound de la décennie précédente. En particulier, Get ready to meet your man est peut-être la version originale du standard Look over yonder's wall généralement attribué à Jazz Gillum. Clark est ensuite retourné à Memphis où on a perdu sa trace. Nous avons regroupé six de ses morceaux et si quelqu'un a son dernier 78t, une copie .mp3 serait la bienvenue.

                                                                                  Gérard HERZHAFT

            This ninth volume of our Chicago/ The Blues Yesterday series starts with one of the leading Chicago blues guitarists, the legendary Jody Williams. Born Joseph Leon Williams in Mobile, Alabama, on February 3th 1935 and coming to Chicago very early, Jody has been instrumental in forging the so-called West Side Sound with a precise, scathing and ultra bluesy guitar style. Through his numerous sessions behind a lot of artists like Howlin' Wolf, Billy Stewart, Bo Diddley, Billy Boy Arnold, Otis Rush etc... he has strongly influenced most of the upcoming

Chicago blues guitarists. Thinking himself not as a singer, he has waxed only a handful of tracks, mostly instrumental pieces like Lucky Lou that has been copied by almost every Chicago guitar player. Unable to really make a decent living with his music, Jody has embarked in a career as a technician at Xerox. However, once retired from his job, he resumed his musical career and recorded several very good CDs and can be heard playing blues festivals around the world.

            Bo Dud/ Bo Dudley was born Oscar Coleman in Mississippi in 1941. The first single (Shotgun rider/ Coast to coast) he recorded in 1968 gained rave reviews, mostly because of Freddie Roulette's steel guitar pyrotechnics. After that he has recorded several 45 on his own label Dud Sound, less in the Bo Diddley mould than his beginnings, and generally backed by the excellent guitar player Johnny Twist that we have featured on a previous volume of that series. Making a living mostly as a cab driver, Bo has resumed his musical career after a fire had almost taken his life and destroyed his home. He is still playing in Chicago and has even recorded a CD (Oscar boogie).

            James "Beale Street" Clark (born January 12th, 1911 in Memphis) is a pianist and singer who came to Chicago during the 1930's. Although James is mostly known for the two tracks he made for Columbia backed by a young Muddy Waters, he has recorded several others 78s in 1945-47 under his name or the Memphis Jimmy moniker. Get ready to meet your man might be the very original of the blues standard Look over yonder's wall generally attributed to Jazz Gillum. We have been able to gather all his recordings minus his last Victor 78 for which a .mp3 copy would be a nice add.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

CHICAGO/ The Blues Yesterday

Volume 9

JODY WILLIAMS, vcl/g; Harold Ashby, t-sax; Lafayette Leake, pno; Willie Dixon, bs; Clifton James, dms. Chicago, Ill. 5-9 december 1955

01. Looking for my baby

02. Easy lovin'

03. Groan my blues away

04. I feel so all alone

Jody Williams, vcl/g; Harold Ashby; t-sax; Red Holloway, t-sax; Lafayette Leake, pno/og; Willie Dixon, bs; Phil Thomas, dms. Chicago, Ill. january 1957

05. You may

06. What kind of gal is that?

07. Lucky Lou

08. Hooked on love

Jody Williams, vcl/g; Bernard Barkson, t-sax; b-sax; Lafayette Leake, pno; Bob Walter, bs; dms. Chicago, Ill. 1962

09. Moanin' for molasses

10. Hideout

Lonely without you/ Time for a change are sometimes wrongly attributed to Jody Williams. There are by Joe Driver Williams, a completely different artist

BO DUD (or Bo Dudley), vcl/g; Johnny Big Moose Walker, pno; Fred Roulette, st-g; Mack Thompson, bs; dms. Chicago, Ill. january 1968

11. Shotgun rider

12. Coast to coast

Bo Dud, vcl/g; Johnny Twist Williams, g/vcls; John Bubbles, t-sax; Abb Locke, t-sax; pno; Calvin Jones, bs; Bill Warren, dms. Harvey, Ill. june 1968

13. Soul election

14. Sure is fun

15. The get it

Bo Dud, vcl/g; Johnny Twist Williams, g; hca; Bobby Davis, pno; bs; dms. Chicago, Ill. c. 1969

16. I am back home

17. Why I sing the blues

18. Honky Tonk

JAMES "BEALE STREET" CLARK, vcl/pno; J.T. Brown, clt; Ransom Knowling, bs. Chicago, Ill. 24 october 1945

19. Love me or let me be

20. Get ready to meet your man

21. Who but you

James Clark, vcl; Leonard Caston, pno; Ollie Crawford, g; Alfred Elkins, bs. Chicago, Ill. 22 february 1946

22. Drifting

James Clark, vcl/pno; Muddy Waters, g; Leroy Foster, g; Ransome Knowling, bs; Judge Riley, dms. Chicago, Ill. 27 september 1946

23. Come to me baby

24. You can't make the grade

James Clark, vcl/pno; Howard Dixon, a-sax; J.T. Brown, t-sax; Lonnie Graham, g; Willie Dixon, bs. Chicago, Ill. 3 april 1947

Where shall I go

Jimmie's jump

BLUES FOUNDATION/ KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD

JANUARY 2014/ MEMPHIS

David Evans with Gerard Herzhaft's Award.

Thank you David for everything

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends of the blues,

         It is with a lot of pride that I'm receiving this Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation 2014.

         It has been a long road from the first time I met the blues in France to this Memphis ceremony. I guess it started during the late 1950's when I was a teenager. Those were the Rock'n'roll years even in France and it seemed that the real blues, which was of course one of the pillars of it all, was in small doses coming to us.

         I remember when I got my first blues record. We had a party to celebrate the eve of summer holidays and we were dancing to the sounds of our 45s that were relentlessly playing on an old battered record player. And shaking the floor like we did was also shaking the records a little too far sometimes. Among those damaged was one of my 45. Behind my worried look, the friend who hosted the party offered me to swap my record with one of his. I agreed and this is how I got a Lightnin' Hopkins EP. I had never heard about such a strange name and I strongly suspected my friend to be too happy to get rid of a record he didn't like!

         At first, I didn't like it either: four titles in the same strange mood. Fortunately, I hadn't too many records at that time and Hopkins came rolling again and again on my record player. And the more I listened to this strange music the more I was hooked on it. There was anyway a strong similarity between what I was accustomed to listen to and Mr Hopkins, but he had something more. This was music with incredible feeling, depth and guts.

         " The blues got after me and never let me be...". I could have made those lyrics my own because after that encounter I became a blues fan, searching everywhere for any blues record, tracking any information about it. After that I went to England where there were more blues records, some American blues acts too. I met some other staunch blues buffs, some of whom have become rock stars... I started some tentative writing for the very few magazines that were dealing with the blues.

         A greater shock would be when the American Folk Blues Festival tours started in 1962. It was so exciting to be able to see at last bluesmen that were for me mostly just names on records... Suddenly, John Lee Hooker was moaning his blues just behind me and he was still quite young! Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Big Joe Williams, Sleepy John Estes, T-Bone Walker and many more were playing and singing the blues for real!

         At that time, it was very easy to meet and chat with those artists, especially when you were bringing them a bottle of Cognac. Then I discovered that those who, for me, were Mozarts and Beethovens were fighting for bread and butter in their home country and were not very often recognized as artists. And one thing that was particularly stunning was the impression that I already had met those people through their records... The music was great and full of feeling because the musicians had lived exceptional experiences and had the ability to share them with us through their blues.

         I then decided to try to bring them the recognition they so much deserved. This was how I began to write books and articles about the blues and the bluesmen, searching everywhere, meeting other researchers, going to the USA first in 1968, then in 1973 and after that quite regularly, gaining two Fullbright Grants for my studies in 1979 and 1985.

         Many people helped me to understand the real soul of the blues and I would like to express them my full gratitude: David Evans who brought me in the juke joints of the Delta, an unforgettable experience, was certainly one of the most crucial of those helpers; Barry Lee Pearson, Bob Koester, A.E. Schroeder, Kenneth Goldstein, Bill Mitchell, Jim Griffith and too many generous others to be fully cited.

         I also would like to thank all those who made it possible for me to receive this award today, particularly my friend Jacques Périn, founder of the Soul Bag Magazine, my brother Cisco who was here in Memphis two years ago, France Blues and Jean Guillermo who were so instrumental for my "cause" and of course all of you here at the Blues Foundation who, year after year, act strongly for the blues to be considered as a major art form.

         Thank you, deeply and sincerely, to you all.

Gérard HERZHAFT, Memphis, 24 Janvier 2014