PINEY BROWN

PINEY BROWN

            Moins connu que Big Joe Turner ou Wynonie Harris, ses modèles, Piney Brown n'en est pas moins un blues shouter de talent et qui a enregistré une oeuvre conséquente s'étendant sur cinq décennies!

            Colombus Perry naît le 20 janvier 1922 à Birmingham, la plus grande ville de l'Alabama. Elevé par sa mère qui faisait des ménages, vivant en milieu urbain, Colombus commence à chanter dans un groupe de Gospel The Young Blue Jays tout en fréquentant les spectacles de Vaudeville et les Tent shows avec assiduité. C'est une des vedettes de ce circuit alors si populaire, Shepherd Sam, qui lui apprend le mêtier, à danser, chanter, bonimenter, faire des acrobaties.

            Après divers jobs, Colombus s'installe brièvement à Kansas City où il a l'occasion de voir les blues shouters et les musiciens de la ville en action. Il gagne ensuite Baltimore en 1940 où il danse et chante dans différents cabarets du grand port et réussit à remplacer au pied levé Wynonie Harris, malade, dont il connaît par coeur le répertoire au Royal Theatre, accompagné de l'orchestre de Lucky Millinder.

            En 1946, il forme un duo de chant et de danse avec Estelle Young. Elle se fait appeler Caldonia (en hommage au tube de Louis Jordan). Lui prend alors le nom de Piney Brown, un hit de Big Joe Turner d'après le nom d'un barman bien connu de Kansas City.

            Le duo connaît un certain succès et Piney Brown tourne alors à travers tout les Etats Unis, à l'affiche avec Billy Eckstine, Gatemouth Brown, Percy Mayfield, Lester Young et même.... Big Joe Turner qui le reçoit d'abord fraîchement à cause de son nom de scène!

           

C'est en 1947 que Piney Brown fait ses débuts en studio grâce au pianiste Sonny Thompson qu'il a justement rencontré en tournée. Ce disque donne la possibilité à Brown de signer un contrat avec le prestigieux label Apollo de New York (de Bess Berman). My baby's gone effleure les Hit Parades de R&B et permet à Piney Brown de se produire à l'Apollo Theatre de Harlem, dans les principaux night clubs du pays (comme le Cotton Club) et d'effectuer une fructueuse tournée dans les bases militaires américaines, accompagné de l'orchestre d'Illinois Jacquet. Les années suivantes, Brown est constamment en studio, enregistrant pour Sittin' In With, Atlas, Prestige, Jubilee, Mad et King dont il devient aussi un compositeur maison. C'est dans ce cadre qu'il signe Popcorn, le célèbre succès de James Brown.

            Après avoir essayé de diriger un club à Kansas City (et avoir fini une balle perdue dans le dos!), Piney Brown retourne à Birmingham pour s'occuper de sa mère souffrante. Il y enregistre pour le label Heart et aide la carrière de Jerry Mc Cain.

            En 1964, Piney se marie et s'installe définitivement à Dayton dans l'Ohio où il se produit régulièrement au club The Village et à la base militaire voisine de l'US Air Force, tout en enregistrant pour le petit label local, Deep Groove. Le Rhythm & Blues n'ayant plus guère la faveur des jeunes Noirs, Piney favorise de plus en plus dans sa musique la Soul et le Funk, copie James Brown avec Everything but you avant d'enregistrer une longue séance pour le label 77 de John Richbourg à Nashville, accompagné d'un orchestre de Country Music!

            Lorsque Delmark réédite ses séances Jubilee, Piney Brown contacte le label pour ses droits d'auteur et est ainsi signalé aux amateurs de blues. Après que la revue britannique Juke Blues lui ait consacré un long article/interview, Piney Brown tourne en Europe, enregistre deux albums en 2004-2005, doit en faire un troisième pour Delmark. Mais il décède avant de réaliser ce projet le 5 février 2009 à Dayton.

            Nous avons ici regroupé presque la totalité des enregistrements de Piney Brown effectués entre 1947 et 1959 plus une sélection de ses titres les plus blues de la décennie suivante.

            Merci à Jollyjumper, Uncle Gil et Steve Wisner pour leur aide déterminante. Et merci aussi à Brian Baumgatner pour son article paru dans Juke Blues 48 que nous avons beaucoup utilisé pour cet article.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

            Less famous than Big Joe Turner or Wynonie Harris, his favorites, Piney Brown is anayway a gifted blue shouter who recorded a long string of singles and CDs, spanning a career of five decades!

            Colombus Perry was born on 20 January 1922 in Birmingham, Alabama. Raised by his mother who was a housekeeper, the young boy started to sing in a Gospel group The Young Blue Jays while attending a lot of Vaudeville and Tent Shows. There he met the famous Vaudeville artist Shepherd Sam who taught him how to dance, sing, tell tales, acrobatics...

            At the end of the 1930's, Colombus tried his luck in Kansas City with no success but he had there the opportunity to watch and meet many of the blues and jazz acts of the time. He then went to Baltimore around 1940, singing and dancing in several night clubs of this big harbor. He even replaced at the Royal Theatre and backed by the Lucky Millinder Orchestra, an ill Wynonie Harris from who he knew all the songs!

            In 1946, he formed a singing and dancing duo with Estelle Young. Estelle took the stage name of Caldonia (cashing on Louis Jordan's hit) and Colombus Perry became Piney Brown, the title of a smash hit by Big Joe Turner about a famous Kansas City bartender! The duo enjoyed some success and Piney Brown started to tour across the USA with several shows, sharing the bill with Billy Eckstine, Gatemouth Brown, Percy Mayfield, Lester Young and even a very suspicious (at first) Big Joe Turner! Thanks to Sonny Thompson, Piney made his recording debut in 1947 for Miracle, enough to be invited to make a session the next year at New York for the prestigious Apollo label of Bess Berman. My baby's gone enjoyed some success and Piney appeared at many famous clubs and venues like the Apollo Theatre, the Cotton Club, while embarking of several tours of US Military bases. He was also regularly on the studios, recording for Sittin' In With, Atlas, Jubilee, Mad and King which also hired him as a composer. While at King, Piney Brown gave the hit Popcorn to James Brown!

            After an unsuccesful attempt to own a night club in Kansas City (and a bullett in his back!), Piney had to come back to Birmingham to help his aging mother. Then he recorded for the Heart label and helped launch Jerry McCain career. In 1964, Piney finally settled down permanently in Dayton (Ohio) where he married, singing at local clubs (The Village) or US Air Force bases while still recording for the small Dayton label, Deep Groove in a style more and more leaning towards Soul and Funk (Everything but you). During the late 1960's Piney also recorded several sessions for John Richbourg's 77 label in Nashville, backed by a young Country band.

            When Delmark reissued his Jubilee tracks, Piney contacted the Chicago label for his royalties. Delmark spread the news among blues buffs around the world and after a lengthy article and interview on the british Juke Blues magazine, Piney embarked himself on several tours of Europe, recording two CDs in 2004-2005. Another album was programmed for Delmark but Piney Brown died before on 5 February 2009 in Dayton.

            We have here gathered almost all the recordings made by this important blues shouter between 1947 and 1959 plus a selection of his most bluesy tracks that he recorded in the 60's.

            A lot of thanks to Jollyjumper, Uncle Gil and Steve Wisner for their great help. And a particular thanks to Brian Baumgartner whose Juke Blues n°48's article has been strongly used here!

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

Piney Brown (Colombus Perry), vcl; Eddie Chamblee, t-sax; Sonny Thompson, pno; g; bs; dms. Chicago, Ill. 25 October 1947

01. That's right, little girl

Piney Brown, vcl; band. New York City, November 1948

02. Down and out blues

03. Gloomy monday blues

04. Mourning blues

05. Piney Brown boogie

Piney Brown, vcl; band. New York City, January 1950

06. How about rockin' with me?

07. Why do I cry over you?

08. That's right baby

09. Lovin' gal blues

Piney Brown, vcl; Abe Baker, bs; band. New York City, 1951

10. You bring out the wolf in me

11. Don't pass me by

12. Battle with the bottle

13. 3D loving

Piney Brown, vcl; Blue Flashes, band. New York City, 1952

14. You made me this way

15. Talking about you

16. Have mercy

17. Kokimo

Piney Brown, vcl; Ed Swanston, pno; band. New York City, January 1953

18. Ooh I want my baby

19. My heart is aching baby

The stuff is here

So afraid of losing you

Piney Brown, vcl; Sidney Grant, t-sax; tb; Champion Jack Dupree, pno; Mickey Baker, g; Cedric Wallace, bs; John Taylor, dms. New York City, 7 April 1953

20. Whispering blues

21. Walk a block and fall

Piney Brown, vcl; Madman Jones, t-sax; Lefty Bates, g; band. Chicago, Ill. 1959

22. Sugar in my tea

23. My love

Piney Brown, vcl; band. Dayton, Oh. 1961

24. I'm travelling

25. Life is funny

Piney Brown, vcl; band. Dayton, Oh. 1966

26. Everything but you

I'm tired of running   (Thanks to Steve Wisner for sharing this rare track)

Piney Brown, vcl; band. Nashville, Tn. 1969

27. Bring it on home

28. Baby don't do it

29. One of these days

30. Nashville wimmin'

TEXAS BLUES/ Volume 6

TEXAS BLUES Volume 6

            Ce 6ème volume de notre série sur le Texas blues est consacré à deux musiciens fort différents, le premier représentant bien ce R&B Texan qui s'est développé durant les années de guerre et qui a été extrêmement populaire auprès des Noirs durant une bonne décennie; le deuxième le down home blues texan qui, lui, venu des pionniers du genre, perdurera longtemps dans les années 1960.

            Joe Fritz, surnommé "Papoose", sans doute pour des origines indiennes, est né à Houston le 13 novembre 1924 et a fait une carrière de saxophoniste alto et tenor et de chanteur au sein de son propre orchestre, très typique du R&B texan. On ne connaît que peu sa vie, bien qu'il ait accompagné en tournée et en studio des artistes de renom comme Junior Parker, Albert Collins ou

Huey Smith! Fritz a substantiellement enregistré sous son nom pour Modern, Sittin' In With, Peacock et pour Jet Stream jusqu'à la fin des années 60. A notre connaissance, il n'a jamais été interviewé et on connaît le lieu et la date de son décès (12 juin 1983 à Houston) par le fait qu'il était un vétéran de la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale! Quoi qu'il en soit, nous proposons ici presque toute son œuvre, quelques titres manquants encore malgré nos efforts.

            D.C. Bender (en fait Dick C. Bendy) est au contraire très profondément ancré dans le blues profond du Texas qui s'est développé dans les années 1920-30. Né à Urbana le 19 juin 1924 dans une famille de métayers, D.C. apprend la guitare avec un voisin bluesman Hardy Gibson et très jeune gagne sa vie en chantant dans les juke joints du Texas et de Louisiane ou dans les rues de Houston, rencontrant et partageant la scène avec Luther Stoneham, Smokey Hogg, Wright Holmes et surtout son cousin Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins. C'est Hopkins qui le présente au producteur Bill Quinn en 1949, ce qui lui permet d'enregistrer deux titres seul à la guitare sous le surnom de D.C. Washington (!). Les années suivantes, Bender s'associe avec un autre bluesman local Big Son Tillis. Le duo part tenter sa chance à Los Angeles où ils enregistrent une superbe séance pour le label Elko de J.R. Fullbright en 1953. De retour à Houston, D.C. Bender rejoint le groupe du batteur Ivory Lee Semien (qui comprend le guitariste Big H. Williams) avec lequel il grave une dernière séance en 1967. Il décède le 11 août 1982 à Houston.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

            This 6th opus of our Texas blues series brings two artists representing two very different styles of Texas blues.

            Joe Fritz, nicknamed "Papoose" probably for some Native American origins (?) was born in Houston 13th November 1924 and made quite a long career playing the saxophone and sometimes singing in front of his own band, very typical of the then very popular Texas R&B. His whereabouts and life are little known although he had followed on the road and in studios big Texas blues names like Junior Parker, Huey Smith and Albert Collins. Fritz has also recorded more than twenty tracks under his own name for Modern, Sittin' In With, Peacock or Jet Stream from 1950 to the late 1960's. To my knowledge, he unfortunately has never been interviewed and we know the place and the date of his death (12 June 1983 in Houston) thanks to him being a WWII veteran! Whatever, we have tried to gather all his recordings but, despite our efforts, a few are still missing.

           

On the other hand, D.C. Bender (in fact Dick C. Bendy) is deeply rooted in the down home Texas blues tradition harking back to the 1920's and Blind Lemon, Texas Alexander or Little Hat Jones. Born at Urbana 19th June 1924 from a sharecropping family, D.C. learned guitar thanks to a neighbor bluesman Hardy Gibson. At a very young age, he left the farm and made a living playing in the Texas/Louisiana juke joints or in the streets of cities like Houston, meeting and playing with other local bluesmen like Luther Stoneham, Smokey Hogg, Wright Holmes or, chiefly, with his cousin Sam Lightnin' Hopkins. This is Hopkins who brought D.C. to producer Bill Quinn who recorded him as a solo artist in 1949 under the moniker of D.C. Washington! The following years, Bender teamed with another deep local bluesman Big Son Tillis and the two tried their luck as far as Los Angeles where they recorded a first rate session for J.R. Fullbright's Elko label in 1953. Unfortunately, those records went nowhere and D.C. came back to Houston, joining drummer Ivory Lee Semien's band with whom he waxed a last session in 1967. D.C. Bender died in Houston 11th August 1982.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

TEXAS BLUES

Volume 6

JOE "PAPOOSE" FRITZ, vcl/a-sax; t-sax; band. Houston, Tx. March 1950

01. Wrong doing woman

02. If I be lucky

03. Better wake up baby

04. Real fine girl

Joe "Papoose" Fritz, vcl/a-sax; Willie Johnson, pno; Goree Carter, g; Don Cooks, bs; Ben Turner, dms. Houston, Tx. September 1950

05. Please get me off your mind

06. I love you my darling

07. I'm so sorry

08. Bad bad women blues

09. I've tried not to love you

10. Lady Bear boogie

Cool cool baby blues

I do love you

Joe "Papoose" Fritz, vcl/a-sax; Goree Carter, g; Connie Mc Booker, pno; Bill Harvey, t-sax; band. Houston, Tx. December 1950

11. Please my darling

12. They were right

Joe "Papoose" Fritz, vcl/a-sax; Bill Harvey, t-sax; Goree Carter, g; band. Houston, Tx. January 1951

13. Make her see things my way

Joe "Papoose" Fritz, vcl/a-sax; band. Houston, Tx. February 1951

14. Summer's coming on

15. I'm not suspicious but

Corelle

If I didn't love you so

In misery

Joe "Papoose" Fritz, vcl/a-sax; Geno Washington, pno; James Von Streeter, t-sax; Devonia Williams, pno; Pete Lewis, g; Albert Winston, bs; Leard Bell, dms. Houston, Tx. October 1953

16. Honey honey

17. The woman I love

Joe "Papoose" Fritz, vcl/a-sax; band. Houston, Tx. 1966

18. Good doctor, sweet soul

19. Aww she's a stepper

20. I'm a stepper

D.C. BENDER, vcl/g. Houston, Tx. 10 June 1949

21. Rebop boogie

22. Happy home blues

D.C. Bender, vcl/g; Big Son Tillis, g. Los Angeles, Ca. 1953

My baby wrote me a letter

23. I'm going upstairs

24. Cold blues

D.C. Bender, vcl/g; Earl Gilliam, og; Big H. Williams, g; Ivory Lee Semien, dms. Houston, Tx. June 1967

25. Boogie Children

26. Woke up this morning

D.C. Bender, g; Big Houston Williams, bs; Ivory Lee Semien, dms. Houston, Tx. 16 juillet 1967

27. D.C.'s freeze up

JOHN BRIM/ CHICAGO BLUES MASTER

JOHN BRIM: CHICAGO BLUES MASTER

           

Although not often credited as a big name of the postwar Chicago blues, John Brim has been instrumental in creating the genre and most of his recordings may be considered as classics, notably the wonderful Rattlesnake and Tough times.

           

Born in Hopkinsville (Kentucky) on April, 10th 1922, John has been influenced by local bluesmen like guitarist Homer Wilson and harmonica player Phineas Cox. In 1941, he goes for work to Indianapolis, a town whose blues is still strongly affected by the music of the famous duo Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell. John quickly takes part of the local blues scene, meets Scrapper Blackwell, Jesse Eldridge, the great singer Harmon Ray and Pete Franklin whose whom he forms a duo à la Carr/Blackwell!

            In 1945, Brim leaves Indianapolis for Chicago, finds a good job in a laundry and plays in the Chicago clubs with Doctor Clayton, Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy and John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, all of whom leaving their marks on his style. The younger John is also soon part of the "new" Chicago blues scene and he becomes friends and plays with Muddy, Little Walter, Willie Mabon and while also playing frequently in Gary (Indiana) he meets there Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, Albert King and a young singer/ harp player Grace Millard who soon becomes her wife. They form a band together with Albert King on the drums. Albert being a little bit erratic on stage and in his life, Grace progressively takes the drummer role on the band. One night, one of the patron is none other than the pianist Big Maceo who offers them to go to Detroit and record with him in 1950 for the Fortune label.

            Their recording career is then launched: John waxes another session with Roosevelt Sykes, signs with Joe Brown for his fledgling label JOB and records several stunning tracks in 1951-52, almost all masterpieces: broody voice, excellent lyrics, tight interaction between the guitar of Brim and the piano of Sunnyland Slim, a perfect updating of the Carr/ Blackwell music.

            But JOB is a small outfit that never pays his artists and in 1953, John Brim who wants more from his music is in the Chess studio with the cream of the Chicago bluesmen, particularly Little Walter, Louis Myers, Eddie Taylor and Fred Below: Rattlesnake, blatantly inspired by Hound Dog, is a hit but Chess, facing a lawsuit by Leiber and Stoller, composers of Hound Dog, has to withdraw the record. In 1953, Brim plays the guitar behind his friend Albert King on his first ever session and also waxes the very strong Tough times which will become his best selling number as well as his trademark and an all-time Chicago postwar blues classic!

            But there is not a strong feeling between John and Phil Chess and when, convinced by Jimmy Reed, he tries his luck at Vee Jay's (but no record issued whatsoever), Chess drops him definitively. The late 1950's are lean years for the deep blues like John Brim's. The Brims leave then Chicago for settling in Gary where they buy a laundry. But the music bug is still there, John teaching guitar and bass to his sons. And in 1971, the Brim family record a new 45 that unfortunately goes nowhere. He will have to wait 18 more years to be rediscovered by the valiant Austrian label Wolf, recording a new excellent session . Then, encouraged by young admirers, he will resume his musical career, appearing as a "living legend" in several festivals and recording two excellent CDs.

            He dies on October, 1st, 2003 four years after his wife Grace, leaving a small but brilliant record legacy.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

JOHN BRIM/ The Complete Recordings 1950-71

John Brim, vcl/g; Big Maceo, pno. Detroit, Mi. 1950

01. Bus driver

John Brim, vcl/g; Roosevelt Sykes, pno. Saint Louis, Mo. 1951

02. Dark clouds

03. Lonesome man blues

John Brim, vcl/g; Sunnyland Slim, pno/vcls; Moody Jones, bs. Chicago, Ill. 27 septembre 1951

04. Young and wild

05. I love my baby

06. Trouble in the morning

07. Humming blues

John Brim, vcl/g; Sunnyland Slim, pno; Eddie Taylor, g; Moody Jones, bs; Grace Brim, dms/hca. Chicago, Ill. 22 août 1952

08. Hard pill to swallow

09. Drinking woman

John Brim, vcl/g; Ernest Cotton, t-sax; Sunnyland Slim, pno; Pete Franklin, g; Big Crawford, bs; Alfred Wallace, dms. Chicago, Ill. octobre 1952

10. Don't leave me (No name blues)

11. Moonlight blues

John Brim, vcl/g; Little Walter, hca; Louis Myers, g; Dave Myers, g; Willie Dixon, bs; Fred Below, dms. Chicago, Ill. mars 1953

12. Rattlesnake

13. It was a dream

John Brim, vcl/g; Little Walter, hca; Eddie Taylor, g; Elga Edmonds, dms. Chicago, Ill. 4 mai 1953

14. Ice cream man

15. Lifetime baby

John Brim, vcl/g; Jimmy Reed, hca; Eddie Taylor, g; Grace Brim, dms. Chicago, Ill. mars 1954

16. Tough times

17. Gary stomp

John Brim, vcl/g; James Dalton, hca; W.C. Dalton, g; Grace Brim, dms. Chicago, Ill. janvier 1955

18. Go away

19. That ain't right

John Brim, vcl/g; Little Walter, hca; Robert Lockwood Jr, g; Willie Dixon, bs; Fred Below, dms. Chicago, Ill. 5 avril 1956

20. Be careful

21. You got me

John Brim, vcl/g; John Brim Jr, g; Steve Brim, bs; Grace Brim, dms. Chicago, Ill. 1971

22. You put the hurt on me

23. Movin' out

Alternate takes and tracks by Grace Brim are not included here

LOS ANGELES BLUES/ Volume 1

LOS ANGELES BLUES/ Volume 1

            Si avant la guerre la scène du blues de Los Angeles est soit peu fournie soit non documentée, la cité a accueilli à partir de 1941 un grand nombre de migrants de l'intérieur, notamment du Texas et des Etats du Sud, venus participer à l'industrie de guerre. Et ces migrants apportent bien sûr leurs traditions musicales, le Western Swing ainsi que le blues texans qui ont trouvé leur prolongement naturel en Californie, autour de San Francisco et Los Angeles. Ce qui n'empêche pas d'autres comme Bubba Brown de venir du Mississippi.

            Mais le prolétariat californien est surtout texan. Il trouve une musique de cabarets hollywoodiens à laquelle il s'adapte et qu'il adapte à sa sensibilité. Très vite, le blues texan de Dallas ou Houston qui n'a pas tant évolué depuis Blind Lemon Jefferson et les pianistes du ghetto de la gare de Houston s'installent en Californie et se fondent dans des orchestres venus du jazz, dominés par des cuivres: T-Bone Walker, Roy Milton, Joe Liggins,

            La musique hollywoodienne de cabaret, soft et classy, particulièrement représentée par un Nat King Cole, accueille sans difficulté apparente pianistes et guitaristes texans pour donner un blues à la fois dépouillé et sophistiqué, terrien et urbain, direct et affecté, tout-à-fait unique: le West Coast blues de Charles Brown, Amos Milburn, Floyd Dixon, Percy Mayfield, Little Willie Littlefield voire Ray Charles, venus chercher fortune et reconnaissance sociale au soleil californien. La réponse des jeunes Noirs à ce nouveau blues a été considérable. Entre 1945 et 1955, c'est le style de blues le plus populaire. Celui qui semble résumer le mieux les aspirations des Noirs à une reconnaissance sociale et à une vie meilleure.

            Cette migration massive de sudistes vers l'Ouest crée aussi un marché local pour les traditions musicales de ces transplantés. Des radios émettent à destination de ces immigrants et diffusent du blues, du Rhythm & Blues. L'immédiate après-guerre voit l'émergence de multiples petites compagnies indépendantes (dont certaines seront tenues - fait nouveau et véritable révolution - par des Noirs). Elles éditent des disques de nouveaux artistes à destination avant tout de ce prolétariat d'immigrés sudistes qui constitue un public important à niveau de vie relativement conséquent. Enfin, il faut aussi souligner le rôle obscur mais très important joué par des musiciens-arrangeurs-producteurs comme Maxwell Davis, véritables âmes d'innombrables séances d'enregistrement.

            Si les principaux noms du blues développé à et autour de Los Angeles sont très connus et bien documentés, la plupart n'ont enregistré que quelques titres dans les années 1940-50 et ont ensuite disparu souvent sans laisser d'autres traces que leurs disques.

            C'est le cas de la plupart des bluesmen/woman que nous présentons dans ce premier volume consacré au blues de Los Angeles! Joe Swift est un obscur mais néanmoins excellent blues shouter qui a fait un court moment partie des orchestres de Red Callender et de Johnny Otis. La chanteuse Numa Lee Davis a commencé sa carrière avec Cecil Gant puis a été la vocaliste des orchestres de Jay Mc Shann puis du saxophoniste Will Rowland sans que l'on connaisse quoi que ce soit de sa biographie. Elle a aussi gravé une dernière séance en 1946 en tant que chanteuse de l'orchestre de Russell Jacquet (le frère d'Illinois) qui comprend alors Dexter Gordon! Blues Slim (Neal Johnson) est lui un chanteur et guitariste plus terrien qui a enregistré une poignée de titres pour le pianiste Gus Jenkins en 1959-61 avant, lui aussi, de disparaître!

           

Enfin, John Henry "Bubba" Brown (1902-85), alors qu'il n'a que très peu enregistré commercialement, est le musicien le plus connu de cette sélection. En effet, né dans le Mississippi, il a côtoyé et joué avec Tommy Johnson avant de s'installer à Los Angeles, y élevant ses trois enfants dont le plus célèbre est bien sûr le guitariste Mel Brown. C'est David Evans qui, pour rédiger son excellente biographie de Tommy Johnson à la fin des années 1960, l'a interviewé et enregistré. Bubba a ensuite gravé quelques titres en compagnie de son fils Mel.

                                                                       Gérard Herzhaft

            If before the war, it's quite difficult to find any real blues scene in the Los Angeles area (either there were too few blues or it was not recorded and documented), the war industry brought thousands of migrant workers to the city during the early 40's. And they came largely from the Southwestern States, particularly Texas. Even if there were also people coming from Mississippi (like here Bubba Brown) or other Southern States. Those migrants brought their musical traditions, the Western Swing and the different Texas blues.

            Whether inside the previous jazz clubs and concert halls or in the new venues dedicated to this new audience, the Texas blues from Dallas, Houston or San Antonio, guitar players and two handed pianists, found themselves quite easily a place in the jazz bands dominated by horns: T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton, Roy Milton, Joe Liggins.... And the classy clubs from Hollywood or other L.A. areas welcomed well those bluesmen from deeper musical traditions, creating a new original and unique kind of blues: rootsy but sophisticated, rural but urban, straightforward but affected. The West Coast blues of Charles Brown, Amos Milburn, Percy Mayfield, Little Willie Littlefield tells the story of African Americans coming to the Californian sunshine to gain good jobs, a better life and social recognition. And the impact of their music during the 1940's-50's on the African Americans throughout the USA was tremendous. This was really the most popular style of blues of that era and its influence was very strong everywhere: Memphis, The South, Detroit, Chicago, New York....

            Los Angeles during those decades also became a hotbed for specialized radio stations, independent record companies, recording studios and record stores. With tremendous opportunities for musicians, arrangers, producers, the real souls behind this music.

            If the main Los Angeles area's bluesmen are well known and recognized today, most of the aspiring blues musicians of the 1940's-50's have recorded only a handful of singles, sometimes only one and have disappeared just after that, very often unnoticed.

            That's the case of the artists in the first volume of these L.A. Blues series. Joe Swift is a very obscure but nevertheless excellent blues shouter who sang during a short while in the Red Callender and Johnny Otis' Orchestras. The very expressive female singer Numa Lee Davis started her career with pianist Cecil Gant before being the band singer of Jay Mc Shann's, Will Rowland's and finally in 1946 Russell Jacquet's (Illinois' brother) in which shines Dexter Gordon. She remains sadly absolutely undocumented! The much more downhome singer and guitar player Blues Slim (Neal Johnson) has recorded a handful of tracks for producer and pianist Gus Jenkins between 1959 and 1961!

            And, not so surprisingly for the blues researchers and new international blues audience of the 1960's were mostly interested in much more downhome blues styles, John Henry Bubba Brown (1902-85) is here the best known of the lot! Born in Mississippi, Bubba has known and played with the Delta master Tommy Johnson before going to live to the L.A. area with his three sons whose one is no one else than famous funk and blues guitarist Mel Brown. Discovered, recorded and interviewed by David Evans (for his Tommy Johnson's then forthcoming biography), Bubba Brown has after that waxed a couple of blues with his son Mel.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

LOS ANGELES BLUES/ Volume 1

JOE SWIFT, vcl; Red Callender, bs; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1947

01. Chicken leg chick

Joe Swift, vcl; horns; Devonia Williams, pno; Gene Phillips, g; Curtis Counce, bs; Johnny Otis, dms; Emmanuel Vaharandes, perc. Los Angeles, Ca. 1948

02. That's your last boogie

03. Lovin' baby blues

04. What's your name?

05. Right now baby

06. Aligator meat

07. Train blues

08. Crazy about your cooking

JOHN HENRY BUBBA BROWN, vcl/g; Mel Brown, g. Los Angeles, 9 juin 1957

09 Sister Kate

10. Corinna

John Henry Bubba Brown, vcl/g. Los Angeles, Ca. 9 septembre 1967

11. Canned heat blues

John Henry Bubba Brown, vcl; Mel Brown, g; Jimmy Davis, kbds; Jeff Osborne, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 23 octobre 1970

12. 747 (Airport blues)

John Henry Bubba Brown, vcl/g; Mel Brown, g/vcls; Jimmy davis, pno; Jimmie Calhoun, bs; Leonard Tarver, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. janvier 1972

13. Home folks

14. Red Cross store

NUMA LEE DAVIS, vcl; Cecil Gant, pno. Los Angeles, Ca. janvier 1945

15. Around the clock I & II

Numa Lee Davis, vcl; Jay Mc Shann, pno; Cleophus Curtis, t-sax; Raymond Taylor, bs; Al Wichard, dms. Los Angeles, Ca; juin 1945

16. Walking blues

17. When I've been drinking

Numa Lee Davis, vcl; Will Rowland, a-sax; Alford Brooks, tpt; John Randolph, t-sax; Frank White, pno; Chuck Norris, g; Eric Sims, bs; Ray Martinez, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 15 mai 1946

18. Mean old love

Numa Lee Davis, vcl; Russell Jacquet, tpt; Gus Evans, a-sax; Dexter Gordon, t-sax; Arthur Dennis, b-sax; Jimmy Bunn, pno; Leo Blevins, g; Herman Washington, bs; Chico Hamilton, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 21 septembre 1946

19. Wake up old maid I, II & III

20. Just a dream

BLUES SLIM (Neal Johnson), vcl/g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1959

21. Drivin' me baby

22. Drive me baby (alt.)

23. Mama your child is crying

Blues Slim, vcl/g; Gus Jenkins, pno; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1960

24. True to you baby

Just got to make it

Blues Slim, vcl/g; Gus Jenkins, pno; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1961

25. Let's talk it over

26. Tell the truth baby

Et n'oubliez pas de vous procurer la réédition en format livre de mon roman UN LONG BLUES EN La Mineur, allongée de nouvelles inédites sur le blues.

PERCY MAYFIELD/ Complete Recordings

PERCY MAYFIELD West Coast blues master

(Nouvel article remanié et complété)

           

Percy Mayfield, entre blues californien, Rhythm & Blues et même Variétés est un nom majeur de l'histoire de la musique populaire noire. Son influence sur le blues de la Côte Ouest et au-delà a été considérable, autant par son œuvre enregistrée que par ses compositions dont beaucoup sont devenues des standards repris par des dizaines d'artistes: Please send me someone to love, Strange things happening, I need your love so bad, Memory pain (It serves you right to suffer), My mind is trying to leave me. Mayfield est aussi l'auteur de plusieurs succès de Ray Charles dont il a été le compositeur attitré entre 1962 et 1964: Hit the road, Jack, Danger zone, But on the other hand, Tell me how do you feel. Cette fonction de parolier – arrangeur - compositeur a quelque peu occulté la propre discographie de Mayfield qui est fort impressionnante.

            Venu de Louisiane (il est né à Minden le 12 août 1920) à Los Angeles via Houston en 1942, Percy démontre ses talents de compositeur avant de réussir à devenir un des favoris des jeunes Noirs grâce à son apparence physique et sa voix de velours. Il est un subtil baryton qui abaisse curieusement les notes, répète fréquemment la dernière ligne du couplet, insinue plus qu'il ne clame, crée en quelques secondes un climat de tristesse amère qui enveloppe l'auditeur. Il a été très influencé par les sermons de l'église de son enfance. Ses compositions, prêches laïcs, soulignent de façon moralisatrice les faiblesses humaines, les ravages de l'alcool et de l'adultère. Ses textes sont très élaborés avec un sens aigu de la chute finale et un humour en demi-teintes, parfois ravageur. En 1952, il est victime d'un accident de la route qui le défigure et change aussi substantiellement le timbre de sa voix. Dès lors, Mayfield continue à enregistrer sous son nom mais ne se produit plus en public et se consacre surtout à la composition.

            Peu avant sa mort (le 11 août 1984 à Los Angeles), pressé par des admirateurs du monde entier, notamment européens, Percy Mayfield est revenu sur scène. Et, malgré les ans et son apparence physique, tête cabossée, œil exorbité, sa voix prenante, sa présence scénique, son charisme a impressionné ceux qui ont eu la chance de le voir.

            Nous avons désormais réussi à regrouper la totalité de la forte œuvre qu'il a gravée entre 1946 et 1969. Merci à tous ceux qui ont aidé à rassembler ces titres, dont certains n'ont jamais été réédités: Jeannot L., Steve Wisner, Kempen, Xyros, Gyro, KingCake, Dr Hepcat, Klaus...

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

Revised and completed post & discography

            Percy Mayfield, between blues, R&B and even doo-wop or pop, is a major name of the post war popular music. His influence on the emerging West Coast blues scene and then beyond has been considerable and several of his songs (his own compositions) have become standards, played by dozens of artists to these days (Please send me someone to love, Strange things happening, I need your love so bad, Memory pain (It serves you right to suffer), My mind is trying to leave me; Highway is like a woman....). Percy has also been hired by Ray Charles to write some of his great hits during the mid-60's: Hit the road, Jack, Danger zone, But on the other hand, Tell me how do you feel.

            Born in Minden (Louisiana) on 12 August 1920, Percy came to Los Angeles in 1942 through a short stay in Houston. He demonstrated quickly his great abilities to write and arrange a moving song in a few hours. In 1946, he started to record under his own name, becoming a major artist with his subtle, insinuating, suave baritone voice who can create in a few words a sad, tragic and deeply moving atmosphere. His better compositions – strongly influenced by the Gospel church of his childhood – are very often some kinds of secular sermons which emphasize the human weaknesses and passions from the ravages of the alcohol or the love cheatings, sometimes with more than a touch of bitterness and a wry humour.

            In 1952, he had a terrible car accident who left him disfigured and changed the timber of his voice. From then, he almost stopped to perform on stage but he still continue to record and write songs for himself as well as many R&B artists. A few years before his death from a stroke (11 August 1984 in Los Angeles), Percy Mayfield, under the pressure of his fans all over the world, agreed to make a come back, performing again on festivals and concerts. His physical appearance with his deformed face then seemed to add even something further to his stage charisma and all those who had the opportunity to watch him then were very strongly impressed.

            We have been able to gather by now everything Percy has recorded under his name between 1946 and 1969 with several tracks having never been reissued. Thanks a lot for their help to Jeannot L., Steve Wisner, Kempen, Xyros, Gyro, King Cake, Dr Hepcat, Klaus...

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

PERCY MAYFIELD: Discography