LAZY BILL LUCAS/ Complete Recordings

 

 

LAZY BILL LUCAS/ Complete Recordings

 

           

Lazy Bill Lucas is one of the too many unsung pioneers of the post-war Chicago blues. He recorded a handful of tracks in 1953 backed by the great Louis Myers that stand as Chicago blues classics, several times reissued on numerous anthologies since the Blues revival years. At that time, Lucas seemed to have disappeared for good and was only a name for blues buffs around the world. But the researcher, guitarist, teacher and future author of several important books and studies, Jeff Todd Titon who lived in Minneapolis (certainly not considered at that time as an important blues city) found there Lazy Bill Lucas, interviewed him in depth (published in Blues Unlimited n°s 6à to 63) and moreover pushed him to record once again for several albums that enabled the bluesman to show the width of his skills and repertoire.

           

Bill Lucas was born in Wynne, Ark on May 29 1918. His father, a poor farmer, was a blues guitarist and, seeing the interest of his young son to the music, he bought him a guitar in exchange of one of his pigs! Bill learned a lot from his father and from Big Bill Broonzy's records, Big Bill staying always his main musical influence. Bill learned also the piano at his local church, becoming a very skilled pianist in demand a little bit everywhere. He moved to Saint Louis, Mo. in 1940 playing during a short time with Big Joe Williams who urged him to try his luck in Chicago. In 1941, Bill moved to the Windy City, playing in Maxwell Street and many Chicago clubs with Little Walter (who gave him his nickname "Lazy Bill" probably due to the nervous eye disorder that gave him some physical limitations), Johnny Young, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Homesick James etc...

Lazy Bill mainly playing piano by now formed his blues band during the early 50's with his niece Miss Hi-Fi on vocals, Jo Jo Williams on guitar and Johnny Swanns on drums. Bill recorded as a pianist with Homesick James, Snooky Pryor, Little Willie Foster, Eddy Clearwater and with Earl Dranes' group The Blues Rockers. Lazy Bill Lucas recorded only four tracks as a vocalist in October 1953, waxing the classics She got me walkin' and I had a dream. For several reasons, Bill moved to Minneapolis at the end of the 50's, making a living mostly outside music but still playing regularly locally with other Chicago blues expatriates like Mojo Buford and his old friend Jo Jo Williams. He was a regular at the Key Club, playing by himself or with his pals and he almost always was picked to back Chicago bluesmen when they came to town like Big Walter Horton, Smokey Smothers, even Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters. This is (during the late 60's) when Jeff Titon interviewed him, documenting this bluesman in depth. Lazy Bill Lucas appeared on several blues festivals during the 1970's, playing also in a musical revue "Dat Feeling" and even hosting his own radio show The Lazy Bill Lucas Show on KFAI in Minneapolis. He recorded several albums from 1969 to 1973 for small independent labels that unfortunately were poorly distributed and sold.

            He recorded a last album in May 1982 before dying in his sleep at his Minneapolis' home on December 11 of the same year.

            This post gathers all his studio recordings and tries to be a well deserved tribute to an important but too neglected bluesman.

            Thanks a lot to Xyros who provided any of the rare recordings herein.

            Most of this article comes from Jeff Titon and Jim O'Neal writings about Lazy Bill on Blues Unlimited and Living Blues.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

 

Lazy Bill Lucas 1950's band with Johnny Swanns, Miss Hi-Fi and Jo Jo Williams.

 

T-BONE WALKER/ The 60's

 T-BONE WALKER/ The 1960's Studio Sessions

           

On ne présente certainement pas aux lecteurs de Blue Eye, l'immense T-Bone Walker (né en 1910 à Linden, Tx), l'un des grands pionniers de la guitare blues électrique et peut-être le principal créateur de ce qu'on appelle aujourd'hui le "West Coast blues".

            Après près de dix ans de succès du disque et de tournées incessantes et harassantes, les années 1950 sont une décennie difficile pour T-Bone. Malgré l'excellence toujours affirmée de sa musique, les succès commerciaux s'espacent. La formule gagnante (arrangements jazzy, tempos alanguis, compositions sentimentales et atmosphère éthérée), sans doute utilisée jusqu'à plus soif, ne fait plus autant mouche. Les goûts du public noir changent vers une musique plus musclée, vers le Rock'n'roll et de plus en plus vers la Soul naissante.

            La vie de T-Bone est essentiellement un tourbillon incessant de femmes, de jeu (il perd des sommes colossales en une nuit), de mauvais placements financiers et peut-être surtout, de whiskey. Il souffre de graves troubles digestifs et en 1955, les chirurgiens lui retirent les 2/3 de l'estomac. Cela ne l'empêche pas de continuer à boire autant mais le force à ralentir ses activités. La mort dans l'âme, T-Bone Walker dissout son orchestre et jouera désormais avec des musiciens locaux, au fur et à mesure des engagements et des apparitions en studio, de plus en plus rares.

            Les années 1960 sont encore plus difficiles. Comme toutes les gloires du Rhythm & Blues des années 40, T-Bone est un has been pour les jeunes Noirs. Et le Blues Revival américain ne recherche guère des musiciens de blues jazzy à l'apparence tirée à quatre épingles comme T-Bone. Mais le showman a de la ressource. Texan pur jus, cavalier émérite, il a toujours réussi à se maintenir en selle. Seul de son genre parmi des bluesmen bien plus rugueux, il va faire partie de la première tournée européenne de l'American Folk Blues Festival 1962. Son jeu de scène spectaculaire - il fait le grand écart, joue de la guitare dans le dos, roule des yeux langoureux - tout autant que le superbe son de sa guitare lui valent encore une fois un grand succès auprès de ce public européen qui ne le connaissait pas beaucoup, hormis les amateurs de jazz.

Il enregistre quelques beaux titres à l'occasion de cette tournée, parraine un groupe britannique de rock blues, les T-Bones qui comprend Stan Webb, le futur fondateur des Chicken Shack. Il reviendra dès lors souvent en Europe où il enregistrera plusieurs microsillons. Aux Etats Unis, grâce au producteur Bob Thiele, T-Bone refait surface en adaptant sa musique aux sonorités funky et boogaloo à la mode durant la fin des 60's. Avec le soutien d'un bel orchestre (le pianiste Lloyd Glenn, le guitariste Mel Brown et une forte ligne de cuivres), Walker enregistre encore deux albums magistraux.

Mais la fatigue, l'abus d'alcool (il vidait un litre de whiskey ou de gin par jour) finissent par miner sa santé. Son jeu s'en ressent, ses concerts aussi où il n'est parfois même plus capable de se tenir sur scène. Toute sa vie, femmes, voitures, guitares et amis, il a dépensé sans compter et n'a pas les moyens de payer ses notes d'hôpital. Pour l'aider et en hommage à sa gigantesque personnalité musicale, les plus grands jazzmen (Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Mann, David Newman, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Gerry Mulligan) vont l'aider et l'entourer pour un double microsillon, appelé "Very Rare" dans lequel T-Bone lui-même n'apparaît que comme l'ombre de lui-même.

T-Bone décède dans un hôpital de Los Angeles le 16 mars 1975, à peine âgé de 65 ans. Il laisse une œuvre exceptionnelle dont on ne saurait sous-estimer l'impact constant, dès l'origine.

            Nous proposons ici tous les titres enregistrés en studio (et pas ceux en concert) par T-Bone Walker durant les années 1960 dans un ordre chronologique.

            Merci à ceux qui m'ont aidé à compléter cette collection, en particulier Marc Claes et Blues Dude.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

            Everybody reading this blog would certainly know about T-Bone Walker (born in 1910 at Linden, Tx), one of the true originator of the electric blues guitar and of the so-called West Coast blues as well. His influence has been far and wide and can be still strongly heard today.

            After merely 10 years of successful hits and perpetual touring, the mid-50's are lean years for T-Bone. He has left Capitol for Imperial with great expectations but despite the constant excellence of his music, hits are few. His former successful formula (languid tempos, sentimental songs, ethereal jazzy atmosphere) sounds a bit old-fashioned for an African-American record market listening more and more to muscular R'n'R and burgeoning Soul. Like so many 1940's R&B stars T-Bone seems to be a has been for the new generations.

            T-Bone's life is also hectic: a whirl of whiskey, gambling and women that leaves him financially ruined and in a bad health shape altogether. He faces a severe stomach surgery that certainly won't prevent him for hard drinking but that forces him to strongly slow down his activities. In 1955, he must disband his orchestra and has to hire local musicians for gigs and less and less frequent studio sessions.

            While the 1960's begin, his situation seems hopeless. But a true Texan, a skilled horse rider, he will nonetheless be able to saddle again! While the blues revival is more into Delta or Chicago deep bluesmen, T-Bone will be one of the very few jazzy West Coast bluesmen to catch on this new train. He is from the first European AFBF in 1962. A spectacular showman and a great entertainer, he succeeds to win the European audiences. He becomes even the godfather of a British blues-rock group simply called ... The T-Bones (with a young Stan Webb on guitar). He will tour regularly Europe during the 1960's and early 1970's, drawing a faithful audience, recording many sessions as a leader or even as a lead guitarist (for Jay Mc Shann for instance). In the USA, thanks to producer Bob Thiele, he manages to resurface with several excellent records that mix his cool jazzy sound with funk and boogaloo arrangements provided by top-notch backing musicians like Lloyd Glenn or Mel Brown.

            But his hectic life and alcohol abuse take their toll and his last European concerts are painful experiences for even his most staunch fans. All his life he has never been able to keep his dollars in his pocket and to pay his hospital bills an array of great jazzmen (Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Mann, David Newman, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Gerry Mulligan) help him for his difficult last record, a double-album (Very Rare) in which T-Bone appears to be only the shadow of himself. Aaron Walker dies in a Los Angeles hospital on 16 March 1975, at the early age of 65, leaving a huge musical legacy.

            We have here gathered all his 1960's studio recordings (not those live in concert).  Thanks to all who helped me to gather those scattered tracks, particularly Marc Claes and Blues Dude.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

T-BONE WALKER/ The 60's: Discography

Mr BO / DETROIT BLUES MASTERS Volume 15

 

Mr BO/ Complete Recordings

DETROIT BLUES MASTERS/ Volume 15

 

           

Mr Bo was a true blues master from Detroit, much more than the B.B. King impersonator as he was too often described. And his too short recording works are generally excellent and should have been gathered way before this post. Unfortunately, Mr Bo – as so many Detroit artists – recorded often for tiny ill-distributed companies and, although he was a smash hit when appearing at Ann Arbor's blues & jazz festival, he never got enough attention except for the hardcore blues buffs around the world. And he had to wait his very last year to be finally able to record a whole album!

           

Mr Bo (Louis Collins) was born 7^th April 1932 in Indianola, Ms from a poor sharecroppers family. They – like so many – moved to Chicago just after WWII, then Detroit where the young Collins get his first guitar and was hooked to the blues through listening blues records and watching T-Bone Walker and moreover B.B. King, of course the main influence, caught live during local appearances. After a stay with Washboard Willie's band, soon, Mr Bo formed a band (Mr Bo and His Blues Boys) and played at venues and clubs around Detroit, recording for local labels with few airplays and distribution. In 1966, the great 45 I ain't gonna suffer/ If trouble was money enjoyed some local success and was reissued (bootlegged) in UK, drawing at last attention on this first rate singer and guitarist. His appearance at Ann Arbor's Festival in 1973 as well as several other festivals in Detroit and Chicago gave him more exposure. But the 1970's and 80's were very hard times for bluesmen like Mr Bo and he mainly made a living outside music, playing only sporadically.

            At last, he managed to make an European tour in 1993, playing in Utrecht, being interviewed for the Juke Blues Magazine. In 1995, he made a whole album, his only one! And he probably might have toured again overseas and recording more when he died suddenly from a pneumonia on 19^th September 1995 at Detroit's Hospital.

            I feel this post is a longtime well deserved tribute to a great underrated artist. It was very hard to gather some of his least known tracks and it couldn't have been done without the great help from Blessup, a true bluesfan and an excellent first rate blues guitarist on his own.

            Most of the details of this article come from the interview of Mr Bo by Jonhatan Varjabadian (published on Juke Blues 30) and article by Jim O'Neal on Living Blues n°15.

            I will add that several tracks doesn't even appear in the standard Blues Discography. So it is a tentative discography with possibly several mistakes. Anyway, enjoy this post and the music.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

Mr Bo (Louis Collins), vcl/g; Mac Collins, bs; Duke Dawson, dms; band. Detroit, Mi. 1959

01. Times hard

02. Hard times once more

03. Live my life all over

04. Until the day I die

05. I'm leaving this town

Mr Bo, vcl/g; band. Detroit, Mi. 1961

06. Heartache and troubles

07. Calypso blues

Mr Bo, vcl/g; Mac Collins, bs; Duke Dawson, dms; band. Detroit, Mi. 1966

08. I ain't gonna suffer

09. If trouble was money

Mr Bo, vcl/g; band. Detroit, Mi. c. 1967

10. A lost love affair I (II)

Thanks to Ballas: A lost love affair Parts I & II are HERE

Mr Bo, vcl/g; band. Detroit, Mi. 1967

11. Santa's on his way

12. Let's go to the party

13. Cha Bo Cha

14. Thinking about my baby

Mr Bo, vcl/g; band. Detroit, Mi. 1968

15. Baby your hair looks bad

16. Night walkers

17. Early in the morning

18. Never love again

Mr Bo, vcl/g; band. Detroit, Mi. 1972

19. Plenty fire below I & II

Mr Bo, vcl/g; Dave Leonard, hca; Sonny Allen, og; Little Mack Collins, g; Bob Kimball, g; Earl Jones, dms. Ann Arbor, Mi. 8 septembre 1973

20. The train

In fact, "The train" is an alternate take to "I'm leaving this town" and was recorded in 1959. Thanks to Ballas for pointing this mistake.

21. Don't want no woman

Mr Bo, vcl/g; Claude Black, pno; Sabrina La Mar, t-sax; Champ Dogg, bs; Ricky Bones, dms. Napoleon, Oh. février 1995

22. If trouble was money 1995

23. Fire down below

24. I've got the blues

25. The train

26. Detroit, Michigan

27. Lost love affair

28. Born in the country

29. B.B. King Medley

30. Buzz me

31. I'm gonna get even

32. Bo's groove

 

Juke Blues Magazine n°34

 

NEW ORLEANS BLUES/ Volume 3

 

NEW ORLEANS BLUES/ Volume 03

And now this is New Orleans time again, folks!

            Let's start with the very first recordings by Robert Parker (1930-2020), certainly the most well known artist of this batch. A saxophonist at first, Robert Parker gained fame thanks to his sole smash hit Barefootin' in 1966 that led to a favorite dance throughout the world and particularly in New Orleans. Parker recorded a lot after that but never got a real success again. Parker started as a saxophonist playing live and on many records in New Orleans by Huey Smith, Earl King, James Booker, Ernie K. Doe, Fats Domino et al...We have gathered his first recordings under his name whether instrumentals or early vocals.

 

            I know nothing about singer/guitarist George Stevenson who recorded a handful of fine tracks under the moniker Blazer Boy. If anyone knows better, it would be nice to share.

 

            Lil Millett (McKinley James Millett) (1935-97) was a singer, pianist and bassist who was strongly in demand in and around New Orleans during the 1950's. He led a very fine band with which he recorded very good singles, mainly Rich woman/ Hopeless love. He performed until the 1980's when his kind of R&B wasn't in favour anymore. He so made a living as a bus driver until his death by cancer.

 

            Al Johnson (born in 1939) is a singer and piano player and a very well known character in New Orleans for his song Carnival Time that even gave him a moniker. He appeared in many events, festivals, TV shows and even films. Here are his two early singles.

 

            Ramp Davis (George Davis) was a bass player who recorded four nice sides under his name in 1951.

 

            And Little Leo who closes this set (born 1935) is Lloyd Price's brother. He also recorded four good tracks in 1954.

 

            A lot of thanks to all who helped to make this post, particularly Gerard Cerdan (Mr Mightygroove) whose  websites  are a goldmine for Soul and R&B fans.

https://soul-in-groove.eklablog.com

                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

 

 

ROBERT PARKER, t-sax; Edgar Blanchard, g; Roy Montrell, g; bs; dms. New Orleans, La. 1958

01. June teen

02. Lawdy Miss Clawdy

Robert Parker, vcl/t-sax; Auguste Dupont, t-sax; Eddie Bo, pno; Edgar Blanchard, g; Frank Fields, bs; Charles Hungry Williams, dms. New Orleans, La. 1959

03. All nite long I & II

Robert Parker, vcl/t-sax; Auguste Dupont, t-sax; Eddie Bo, pno; Edgar Blanchard, g; Frank Fields, bs; Charles Hungry Williams, dms. New Orleans, La. 1960

04. Walkin'

05. Across the track

Robert Parker, vcl/t-sax; Auguste Dupont, t-sax; b-sax; Edward Frank,pno; Justin Adams, g; Frank Fields, bs; Smokey Johnson, dms. New Orleans, La. 4 april 1962

06. Mash potatoes all nite long

07. Twistin' out in space

GEORGE STEVENSON (as Blazer Boy), vcl; Clarence Ford, t-sax; Herb Hardesty, a-sax; Salvador Doucette, pno; Ernest Mc Lean, g; Frank Fields, bs; Earl Palmer, dms. New Orleans, La. june 1952

08. Surprise blues

09. Mornin' train

10. Waiting for my baby

11. Joe's kid sister

George Stevenson, vcl; a-sax; Lee Allen, t-sax; Huey Smith, pno; band. New Orleans, La. 19 january 1954

12. Meet me at Grandma's joint

13. Teasin' tan

George Stevenson, vcl; band. New Orleans, La. 19 november 1961

14. New Orleans twist

15. That's where it's at

LIL MILLET (Mc Kinley J. Miller), vcl/pno; Big Boy Myles, tb; Lee Allen, t-sax; Alvin "Red" Tyler, b-sax; Ernest Meyer, g; Frank Fields, bs; Earl Palmer, dms. New Orleans, La. 25 september 1955

16. Rich woman

17. Hopeless love

Lil Millet, vcl/pno; band. New Orleans, La. 1956

18. Rock around the clock

19. I can't stop cryin'

Someday mother

All around the world

Thanks to an anonymous friend, both of those titles are available when clicking here (see comments)

RAMP DAVIS (George Davis), vcl/bs; Leroy Rankin, t-sax; Alex Burrell, pno; Lester Alexis, dms. New Orleans, La. 23 may 1951

20. The blues has got me

21. Bayou Bounce

22. Rampart Street blues

23. Mary Sue

ALVIN JOHNSON, vcl/pno; Robert Palmer, t-sax; James Rivers, t-sax; Red Tyler, b-sax; Edgar Blanchard, g; Placide Adams, bs; Walter Lastie, dms. New Orleans, La. june 1958

24. You done me wrong

25. Lena

Alvin Johnson, vcl; Dr John, pno; Robert Palmer, t-sax; James Rivers, t-sax; Red Tyler, b-sax; Edgar Blanchard, g; Placide Adams, bs; Walter Lastie, dms. New Orleans, La. february 1960

26. Carnival time

27. Who dat say?

LITTLE LEO (Leo Price), vcl; band. New Orleans, La. 1954

28. Handwriting on the wall

29. What's it all about?

30. I cried

31. Teenie weenie bee

 

SHAKEY JAKE/ Complete Studio recordings

 SHAKEY JAKE/ Complete Studio Recordings

           

James D. Harris was born 12 April 1921 (or 1920) at Earle, Arkansas and raised on his parents' small farm. He came to Chicago still a teenager. There he listened to the numerous blues players of the Windy City and saw several times John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson who encouraged him to play the harmonica and sing the blues. He so started a musical career around 1945. With a warm and soft voice, he gained some recognition in Chicago clubs but always found a better way of living in working outside the music. Garage owner, taxi driver, cook, record label owner, strip club owner (and maybe a pimp!)... James earned his Shakey Jake's nickname as a noted gambler, shaking the dice (although some better informed people (?) once told me Jake was named "Shakey" by the numerous women he knew for his bedtime skills). Anyway, he resumed a full blues career during the 1950's in training, promoting, composing blues for and playing with his nephew, Magic Sam (Jake had just married Sam's aunt). Although he is not often credited for that, Shakey Jake played an important part in creating and defining the blues style that would be later on called "West Side Sound" and many of Magic Sam's songs were penned and arranged by his uncle.

            Under his name, Shakey Jake recorded two singles in 1957 and 1958 and two odd full albums for the then fledgling Bluesville label that were very bad received at the time of being issued but that finally are aging rather well. German promoters of the first American Folk Blues Festival wanted another and more famous harp player, also a Shakey, Big Walter Horton on the bill but Willie Dixon who was at the AFBF wheel in Chicago didn't want Walter because of him being not very reliable and instead took Shakey Jake. Jake fared quite well on the very successful tour, befriended with T-Bone Walker (and even won his shoes on cards!) but turned down several offers to record and play more in Europe. In 1968, he toured and recorded in California for the World Pacific label and feeling that the L.A. weather suited him better than windy Chicago's, he settled in Los Angeles where he became a favorite of the local young blues bands like Rod Piazza or William

Clarke. He opened a club (Safara Club), launched a record label (Good Time), recorded with his protégés. But the times were hard for Jake who lived in a very bad and dangerous area and had to sell discarded paper and cardboard to recycling centres for his bread and butter.

            Quite ill during the late 1980's, he finally came back to Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he died on 2 March 1990.

            He leaves us a nice blues heritage. We have gathered here almost all of his studio recordings that thus do not include his AFBF 1962 performances which are easily available elsewhere on CDs.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

ROY GAINES/ Early Recordings

 

 

ROY GAINES / Early Recordings

 

        

Roy Gaines was born 12 August 1937 in Waskom (Texas) from a large family of three sisters and five brothers, including his elder Grady Gaines who will become the saxophonist and showman that everybody knows. The family moved to Houston when Roy was six years old and Roy followed the musical path of Grady, learning at an early age piano and guitar thanks to Clarence Hollomon, a neighbour who will also become a top notched Texas bluesman. Roy was also under the influence of Guitar Slim, Gatemouth Brown and T-Bone Walker whom he met and get encouragements from. Roy began to perform on clubs and venues with Grady's band when still a young teenager. His guitar skills gave him quickly a strong reputation and he was soon billed as "Roy Gaines, the 14-year old sensation".

         Two years later, Roy moved to Los Angeles to live with his elder sister and try his luck on the fledgling Southern California blues scene. He soon managed to play and tour with Roy Milton's band. While touring extensively with Milton, Roy got musical lessons from saxophonist Jackie Kelso who taught Roy how to read and write music and arrangements. Roy got back to Houston to record as a session guitarist for Don Robey behind Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Big Mama Thornton and others. While playing in Dallas, Roy Gaines was contacted by a New York City agent who was in need for an accomplished jazz/blues guitarist to back Joe Morris' band for a tour including Big Joe Turner. He then became associated during almost three years with Chuck Willis when the singer was climbing up to stardom. Roy is on many Wills' records and hits and was the open act for Wills during their subsequent tours that saw Wills making a crossover from R&B to pop with more and more white audiences.

         When Wills died suddenly in 1958, Roy who had settled in New York City became easily an in-demand session guitarist for the main labels whether blues, R&B, pop, jazz or whatever: Mel Waldron, Coleman Hawkins, Bennie Moten, Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing, Little Willie John, Mickey Baker & Sylvia Vanderpool, Brownie Mc Ghee and even Billie Holiday! Roy managed to cut many records on his own for several labels like Chart, Groove, DeLuxe, RCA, Del Fi, CuBeAr, Uni waxing blues, R&B, Rock'n'Roll (the frantic Skippy is a sissie) and even Country Music (Roy said he was always an Hank Williams' fan playing most of his repertoire, and he was managed for a while by Hank's widow Audrey!).

         At the end of the 1950's, Roy went back to Los Angeles recording with his former boss and friend Roy Milton, the Jazz Crusaders and under his name before being drafted by Uncle Sam in 1962. Based in Monterey, Roy took more music lessons from several musicians including Woody Herman. When he was discharged from the Army, Roy became a most sought after session man, recording with Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Ted Taylor etc... He was also constantly on tour with Joe Tex, Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, Diana Ross... And Roy also was hired by famous bandleader Quincy Jones to record the soundtrack of several movies (Bob & Carroll & Ted & Alice). In 1985, Roy will also act and play in Spielberg's Color Purple!

        

In 1975, Roy toured France with organist Milt Buckner recording behind Milt (a fantastic version of Green Onions) and his first whole album for the Black & Blue French label (Superman).. He then toured several times in Europe, recording more albums while operating a complex in Los Angeles' Crenshaw district that housed a nightclub, restaurant and a recording studio! During the 1990's and early 2000's Roy recorded more great albums before passing away on 11 August 2021.

         This post gathers almost all Roy Gaines' early recordings under his name. Thanks a lot to Alan H. and mostly Rusty for their great help in gathering those tracks.

    Most of this article comes from Lee Hildebrand's work published in Living Blues 227.

                                   Gérard HERZHAFT