LOS ANGELES BLUES Vol. 1 & 2 (new links)

LOS ANGELES BLUES Volume 1 & 2(New Links)

Cf Texte (cf text and discography):
https://jukegh.blogspot.com/2018/06/los-angeles-blues-volume-1.html

LOS ANGELES BLUES Volume 1

cf Texte (see text) and discography:

https://jukegh.blogspot.com/2018/09/los-angeles-blues-volume-2.html

LOS ANGELES BLUES/ Volume 2

IONA WADE/ Complete Recordings

IONA WADE: Complete Recordings

           

Iona Wade is certainly not a well known female blues singer. Like many of her peers from the immediate post war era she certainly was more interested to play and sing in shows, to be the featured singer of jazz-R&B bands which enjoyed constant touring and well paid venues than to record under her own name and try the near impossible task for a woman at that time to handle bands of her own. Although she had anyway waxed a nice output of recordings as Iona Wade, Iona Harlin or as the singer of great R&B/jazz bands like those of Sherman Williams, Bill Gaither, Joe Lutcher, Eric Von Schlitz or James Moody.

            Very few is known about her life and whereabouts and there are only one or two mentions of her in blues and jazz magazines. According to Blues/ A regional experience (by Eric Le Blanc and Bob Eagle), she was born in march 1918 in Indianapolis from James Wade and Allie Ruth Kennedy. She started a singing career with pianist and bandleader Isaac "Snookum" Russell around 1942. But her first records were made as the featured vocalist of Sherman Williams' band. Sherman, a saxophonist and bandleader from Houston has a fairly large discography recorded in Nashville, Houston and Los Angeles in which Iona delivers silky and smooth vocals on a good number of blues and ballads. The newspapers of the time are praising her vocal talents, her stage control and her sex-appeal:

            " With Sherman Williams will go of course the lovely and sweet singer Iona Wade who has been the rage at the Peacock Club for over five months" (Sid Thompson in "The Houston Informer", February 1947)

            Iona and Sherman are constantly playing in and around Houston's best clubs, blacks or whites (!) during the late 1940's. With Sherman Williams, Iona toured nationally back to back with Johnny Moore's Three Blazes in 1947 and opened for blues shouter and hit maker Wynonie Harris.

            She seemed to have left Williams somewhere during the early 1949 and we found her again in the studios in Los Angeles, this time fronting Bill Gaither's Madcaps band for a very good recording session. The next year, she is back in Houston (under the name Iona Harlin?), waxing some rare 45s with saxophonist Eric Von Schlitz's Big Six band who feature ace pianist Jay Mc Shann. After that, her appearances are getting scarce apart a title in Los Angeles with Joe Lutcher and an odd appearance with saxophonist James Moody's band in 1954.

           

She returns in the studio for a last 45 in 1962, this time with saxophonist and bandleader Wilbert Jiggs Hemsley for the small independent Vistone label located in San Pedro, California and owned by former Sam Phillips' employee Pete Korelich. Iona then disappears completely and we don't know what she became and when or where she probably died.

            We have tried to gather almost all Iona's recordings but three titles from the super rare Eric Von Schlitz's sessions are still missing. A .mp3 copy would be greatly appreciated.

            A lot of thanks to those who made possible this article and compilation: bluesjumpers33, Jose Yrrabera, and the websites Dead Wax and particularly Wired for Sound, always on top for providing infos from old Texas' recordings.

                                              Gérard HERZHAFT

Iona Wade, vcl; Sherman Williams, a-sax; Charles Gillum, tpt; William Jones, t-sax; Skippy Brooks, pno; James Brown, bs; Alvin Woods, dms. Nashville, Tn. may 1947

01. Keep your man at home

02. Take a ride

Iona Wade, vcl; Sherman Williams, a-sax; Charles Gillum, tpt; Williams Jones, t-sax; Skippy Brooks, pno; William Roberts, bs; Diz Small, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. december 1948

03. So easy

04. It's you in my heart

05. Hello

06. Reminiscence with the blues

Iona Wade, vcl; Sherman Williams, a-sax; Charles Gillum, tpt; Williams Jones, t-sax; Skippy Brooks, pno; William Roberts, bs; Diz Small, dms. Houston, Tx. january 1949

07. Why don't you tell me so?

08. No one in my heart

Iona Wade, vcl; Bill Gaither, t-sax; His Madcaps, band. Los Angeles, Ca. 16 august 1949

09. Lonesome baby blues

10. That's the corkescrew

11. Bouncing with Bill

Iona Wade, vcl; Jay Mc Shann, pno; Eric Von Schlitz, t-sax; His Big Six, band. Houston, Tx. april 1950

12. Come on in, drink some gin

13. Take my number baby

Missin' you

Iona Wade, vcl; Jay Mc Shann, pno; Eric Von Schlitz, t-sax; His Big Six, band. Houston, Tx. mai 1950

Gonna make a change

Keep your man at home

Iona Wade, vcl;  Joe Lutcher, a-sax; band. Huntington Park, Ca. 1952

14. Why not tell me now

Iona Wade, vcl; James Moody, a-sax/t-sax; Dave Burns, tpt; William Shepherd, tb; Pee Wee Moore, b-sax; Jimmy Boyd, pno; John Latham, bs; Joe Harris, dms. Hackensack, Ca. 12 april 1954

15. That man o'mine

16. Over the rainbow

17. Jack Raggs

18. Mambo with Moody

Iona Wade, vcl; Wilbert Jiggs Hemsley, t-sax; His Orchestra, band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1962

19. I love you baby

20. No more dogging

IRENE SCRUGGS: The voice of the blues

IRENE SCRUGGS: The Voice of the Blues

           

Irene Scruggs est une des meilleures et des plus méconnues des premières chanteuses de blues, gravant plusieurs chefs d'œuvre dont bien sûr le remarquable The voice of the blues.

            Irene naît Nolan(d) (ou peut-être Smith) à Lamont (Ms) dans le comté de Bolivar le 7 décembre 1901 et on ne connaît pas grand chose de son enfance. La pianiste Mary Lou Williams l'a signalée installée à Saint Louis et considérée comme une chanteuse de Vaudeville d'une renommée certaine vers 1919-20. Irene sera d'ailleurs embauchée par des tournées de Vaudeville dans lesquelles elle chante et danse et engrange une forte réputation avec des numéros et des chansons à connotation sexuelle, très osées pour l'époque.

            Cependant, contrairement à la plupart de ses collègues du Vaudeville, les racines rurales de son chant et de sa musique sont très apparentes dès ses premiers enregistrements réalisés à New York en compagnie du pianiste Clarence Williams (qui l'a certainement découverte dans le circuit du Vaudeville et l'a emmenée dans les studios) le 30 avril et 1er mai 1924.

            Il lui faut attendre ensuite le 23 avril 1926 pour enregistrer accompagnée de King Oliver et son orchestre deux de ses compositions qui ont apparemment connu un succès commercial puisqu'elle les réenregistre l'année suivante dans un contexte orchestral très différent. Irene revient alors de façon continue dans les studios les années suivantes, enregistrant sous son nom mais aussi divers pseudonymes (Chocolate Brown, Dixie Nolan) et en compagnie des meilleurs musiciens de blues et de jazz de cette époque: Blind Blake (avec lequel elle se produit sur scène, là aussi en duo "osé"), Lonnie Johnson, Johnny Hodges...

            En août 1930, Irene enregistre sa plus belle séance à Richmond (Indiana) pour le label Gennett. Ces morceaux, d'inspiration très nettement rurale, dégagent une puissance et un feeling dus au chant émouvant et profond de Irene Scruggs ainsi qu'à son guitariste qui utilise avec merveille le slide et qui pourrait être selon certaines sources James

"Kokomo" Arnold.

            Irene tourne et enregistre ensuite avec le pianiste Little Brother Montgomery mais elle abandonne progressivement la scène et la musique pour des raisons inconnues. Et à la fin des années 1930, elle quitte les Etats Unis en compagnie de sa fille Baby Leazar (qui se produisait avec sa mère sur scène dès l'âge de neuf ans) pour s'installer à Paris puis à Londres. Après la guerre, elle participe à plusieurs émissions radiophoniques pour la BBC mais se consacre surtout à manager sa fille, la danseuse Baby Scruggs qui connaît un énorme succès dans les années 1950 avec des spectacles "exotiques" et

sexy.

            Irene Scruggs décède à Trèves en Allemagne le 20 juillet 1981 et son œuvre enregistrée (qui pour elle était sans doute secondaire par rapport à ses performances sur scène) mérite amplement une réévaluation.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

           

Irene Scruggs is one of the best and unfortunately not very well known among the so-called Female Blues Singers from the 1920's. And she has a much more down home and rural feel that most of her colleagues who came (like her) from the Vaudeville Theatres. She has recorded several deep blues masterpieces like the all-time classic The Voice of the Blues.

            Irene was born probably Nolan(d) (or maybe Smith) in Lamont (Ms), Bolivar County on 7 December 1901. One knows nothing of her childhood. She is first mentioned by jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams as a renowned young singer and dancer at the Saint Louis Vaudeville theatres around 1919-20. Irene will effectively tour the Vaudeville circuit and this is probably where she was noticed by pianist and producer Clarence Williams who gave her her first studio experience on 30 April/ 1st May 1924.

            She has to wait two years to record again (April 1926) this time with two of her own penned blues and backed by no other that King Oliver and his band! She certainly enjoys some commercial success with this record for she records again the two same titles but this time accompanied only by guitar (the great Lonnie Johnson) and piano in a much more mainstream blues feel.

            After that, she will record extensively the following years under her name as well as several nicknames for contractual reasons (Chocolate Brown, Dixie Nolan) backed by some of the best blues musicians of the decade, particularly Blind Blake with whom she toured, sharing the stage as a successful risqué duo!

            And in August 1930 she records her greatest session at Richmond's Indiana studios for the Gennett label. This time the feeling is particularly down home with a powerful moving vocal by Irene and the sublime guitar part (with slide) probably (as some sources declare) played by James "Kokomo" Arnold.

            Irene records a last session with pianist Little Brother Montgomery and she tours the USA with him the following years, reportedly stealing the show with her sexy risqué act. But she progressively gives up music and finally leaves the United States with his young daughter Baby Leazar Scruggs (who danced on stage with her mother since she was nine years old) for Europe, settling in Paris then London. After the war, Irene Scruggs took part of several radio broadcastings, particularly for the BBC but mostly managed her daughter career. Baby Scruggs enjoys an enormous success as a go-go exotic dancer during the 1950's all over Europe.

            Irene Scruggs dies in Trier (Germany) on 20 July 1981 and her recording works (that was for her very secondary to her stage career) certainly deserves a strong revaluation.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

Irene Scruggs, vcl; Clarence Williams, pno. New York City, 30 April-1 May 1924

01. Everybody's blues

02. Why he left me I don't know

03. Cruel Papa but a good man to have around

04. My daddy's calling me

Irene Scruggs, vcl; King Oliver, crt; Kid Ory, tb; Albert Nicholas, clt/s-sax; Luis Russell, pno; Bud Scott, bjo; Paul Barbarin, dms. Chicago, Ill. 23 April 1926

05. Home town blues

06. Sorrow Valley blues n°1

Irene Scruggs, vcl; Lonnie Johnson, g; DeLoise Searcy, pno. Saint Louis, Mo. 2 May 1927

07. Lonesome Valley blues

08. Sorrow Valley blues n°2

Irene Scruggs, vcl; Johnny Hodges, pno/vcls; g; g. Memphis, Tn. 28 september 1929

09. Worried love I & II

Irene Scruggs, vcl; Blind Blake, g/vcls. Grafton, Wisc. 26-28 May 1930

10. Stingaree man blues

11. Itching heel

12. You've got what I want

13. Cherry Hill blues

14. Married man blues

Irene Scruggs, vcl; prob. James "Kokomo" Arnold, g; Norman Ebron, pno. Richmond, In. 30 August 1930

15. The voice of the blues

16. You've got what I want

17. If you want to give me some

18. My back to the wall

19. Borrowed love n°1

Irene Scruggs, vcl; Little Brother Montgomery, pno. Grafton, Wisc. September 1930

20. Good grinding

21. Borrowed love n°2

22. Must get mine in front

23. Back to the wall

This is a repost from public demands with new links.

LOUIS BROOKS/ Nashville R&B

LOUIS BROOKS/ Nashville R&B

           

Louis Brooks is certainly not what one could call a "major" blues artist and he is mostly remembered for having brought to the limelight one of the most famous Nashville bluesman Earl Gaines, waxing several 45s with Earl as the featured vocalist of the band. Louis is nevertheless a very good sax player and bandleader and his large enough recorded output made between 1951 and 1959 certainly deserves to be better known, although facts about Louis' life are rather scarce.

            Born Louie O'Neal Brooks on 19 March 1911 in Nashville, Tn he was the son of a noted New Orleans sax-player who gave his thirteen children the taste for the music (eleven played an instrument!). We don't know how and when Louis' father settled in Nashville but there - probably during the 1940's - Louis formed a band, The Hi-Toppers that were regularly playing in clubs like the Sugar Hill. Brooks was "rocking the house" with his wide range of tenor sax playing, backed by his combo with Lowell Phillips tickling the ivories, Ollie Brown on bass and Billy Sherrill on drums with featured young vocalists Larry Birdsong, Helen Hebb or Earl Gaines and even a young Latimore!. Their reputation was solid enough for the Hi-Toppers to be hired by local labels like Bullett, Republic or Tennessee to play studio sessions behind R&B Nashville artists such as Christine Kittrell or Rudy Greene.

            Under his name (Louis Brooks and His Hi-Toppers), Brooks recorded several instrumentals and some vocals featuring Earl Gaines. They hit very high in 1955 with the first version of 24 hours of the day, then named It's love baby which climbed up to # 2 on the R&B Charts and would be covered by many artists like Ruth Brown, Hank Ballard and rerecorded by Earl Gaines under his name after he'd quit Louis Brooks' band.

            It seemed that this success opened a lot of touring possibilities for The Hi-Toppers but Brooks was making a good living working by day at the First National Bank of Nashville and didn't want to try the hectic and unsecure life of a full time professional musician. During the 60's, Louis focused to raising his family and disbanded the Hi-Toppers sometime during this decade. He would never record again and died at his Nashville home 5 May 1993.

            We have been able to gather all Brooks' recordings under his name, minus two rare tracks (One slow rock; It's driving me mad ) and unfortunately the copy of Please understand that we have is cut short at about half time. Since, our friend Earthbound has given us a .mp3 copy  of Please Understand and It's drivin' me mad. Thanks a lot, Earthbound.
If anyone has those numbers, a .mp3 copy would be a welcome addition to this post. Thanks to Andy G. and Robert Goodman for sharing their 45s.

            This article is largely based on David Whiteis book Southern Soul blues, Blues/ A regional experience (Bob Eagle/ Eric Le Blanc) and the website Black Cat Rockabilly.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

Louis Brooks, t-sax; Lowell Phillips, pno; Ollie Brown, bs; Billy Sherrill, dms. Nashville, Tn. 1951

01. Almost boogie

02. Wine hangover

Louis Brooks, t-sax; Lowell Phillips, pno; Ollie Brown, bs; Billy Sherrill, dms. Nashville, Tn. 1952

03. Keep pushing

One slow rock

Louis Brooks, t-sax; Lowell Phillips, pno; Ollie Brown, bs; Andy Davis, dms. Nashville, Tn. 1954

04. Waddle trot

05. Bus station blues (vcl: Andy Davis)

06. Double shot

07. Time out

Louis Brooks, t-sax; g; Lowell Phillips, pno; Ollie Brown, bs; Earl Gaines, dms. Nashville, Tn. mars 1955

08. It's love baby (24 hours of a day) (vcl: Earl Gaines)

09. Chicken shuffle

10. Can't keep from cryin' (vcl: Earl Gaines)

11. Baby, baby, what's wrong (vcl: Earl Gaines)

Louis Brooks, t-sax; Earl Gaines, t-sax; Skippy Brooks, pno; g; Ollie Brown, bs; Andy Davis, dms. Nashville, Tn. août 1955

12. A long time ago (vcl: Earl Gaines)

13. I don't need you know (vcl: Earl Gaines)

14. Please understand (vcl: Earl Gaines) (fragment)

It's drivin' me mad
Please Uniderstand / It's drivin' me mad are there:
https://www98.zippyshare.com/v/GhR9AcE8/file.html

Louis Brooks, t-sax; band. Nashville, Tn. 1957

15. X-Cello rock

16. Gonna stop foolin' myself (vcl: Earl Gaines)

17. Don't you know

18. B.R. Drag

Louis Brooks, t-sax; band. Nashville, Tn. 1958

19. Overton Lea Drive

20. Frisco

Louis Brooks, t-sax; band. Nashville, Tn. 1959

21. Ridin' home

DETROIT BLUES MASTERS/ Volume 13

DETROIT BLUES MASTERS/ Vol. 13

            Let's start this new volume of our Detroit Blues Masters' series with the legendary singer-pianist Detroit Count, "legendary" mostly for his classic two sided storytelling of the Hastings Street Opera recorded by the great Joe Von Battle and reissued umpteenth times! But Bob White, the real name of Detroit Count has much more to offer. Bob, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, around 1920 went to Detroit in 1938, seemingly already an accomplished barrelhouse pianist. He recorded as soon as 1940 with The Florida Kid and under his real name. His whereabouts during the war years are shady but it seems that he was drafted and served on the Pacific zone. Anyway, he recorded again in 1948 and 1949 as Detroit Count, then a well known character and musician of the burgeoning Hastings Street scene. He is at ease either on a boogie piece like Detroit boogie (Piano boogie) or a cocktail lounge piece. The early 1950's find him playing the piano and the organ Hammond and singing as a member of the Emmit Slay Trio. He waxed a last session in 1954 with the Sax Kari band that I unfortunately have been unable to get a copy. He disappeared from the musical scene after the mid-1950's and seems to have passed in Detroit around 1970.

           

Although he recorded his first tracks in Detroit, singer and guitarist Johnny Wright is certainly not a Detroit blues performer. Born in Centerville, Tennessee February 20 1930, he began to sing and play guitar at an early age alongside his brothers Sherman (who played harmonica) and George (at the fiddle). In 1950, Johnny went to Saint Louis to try his luck. In a couple of years, he had gained a great reputation playing regularly at the Cosmopolitan Club He was even a member of an early Chuck Berry's band! In 1953, seeking for work in Detroit, Johnny recorded for Joe Von Battle the autobiographic blues I was in Saint Louis/ I stayed down boy that were issued on the DeLuxe label. The record gained enough attention for Johnny to be recorded by Ike Turner in Saint Louis. Wright then formed his own blues band and recorded again for the local Stevens label. Always seeking more opportunities, Johnny moved to Los Angeles, joined Ike Turner's band, formed a new personal one to play regularly in Southern California. But the 1960's were lean years for the blues and Johnny had to find a day job at Terre Haute, Indiana in a steel mill while playing week ends in local clubs with a white band under the nickname "Rolling Stone". He thus recorded a late 45s with the Steve Rusin band and played locally until his death at his Terre Haute's home on 2 June 1988.

            Last but not least, singer Katie Watkins is a total unknown, having recorded two very down home blues in 1957-59, the first backed by the Sax Kari's band with Kari on guitar.

            Thanks to all of those who helped for those researches, particularly the Dave Kyle's article on the National Road Magazine.

                                               Gérard HERZHAFT

DETROIT BLUES MASTERS

Volume 13

DETROIT COUNT (Bob White), vcl/pno; Alfred Elkins, bs/vcls. Chicago, Ill. 7 November 1940

01. I'm the woogie man

02. Pullet and Hen blues

Detroit Count, vcl/pno. Detroit, Mi. 1948

03. Hastings Street Opera I & II

Detroit Count, vcl/pno; band. Detroit, Mi. 1948

04. I'm crazy about you

05. Hastings Street woogie man

06. Detroit boogie

07. Parrot Lounge boogie

Detroit Count, vcl/pno; King Porter, tpt; Wild Bill Moore, t-sax; band. Detroit, Mi. 1949

08. My last call

09. Little Tillie Willie

Detroit Count, vcl/og; Emmit Slay, g; Larry Jackson, dms. Detroit, Mi. 23 January 1953

10. You told me that you loved me

11. Brotherly love

Detroit Count, vcl/og; Emmit Slay, vcl/g; Larry Jackson, dms. New York City, 30 March 1953

12. I've learned my lesson

13. Be mine once more

14. Male call

Detroit Count, vcl/pno; Sax Kari, g; band. Detroit, Mi. 1954

Brand new gal

One room, the blues and you

JOHNNY WRIGHT, vcl/g; Band. Detroit, Mi. 17 November 1953

15. 54 blues

16. Boogie baby

17. I stayed down

18. I was in Saint Louis

19. She went away

20. Up boy

Johnny Wright, vcl/g; Raymond Hill, t-sax; Eddie Jones, t-sax; Ike Turner, g; pno; Jesse Knight Jr, bs; Eugene Washington, dms. Saint Louis, Mo. November 1955

21. The world is yours

22. Suffocate

Johnny Wright, vcl/g; Joe Whitfield, t-sax; bs; Joe Hunt, dms. Saint Louis, Mo. January 1959

23. Look at that chick

24. Gotta have you for myself

Johnny Wright, vcl/g; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 1962

25. Wine head

Who was?

Johnny Wright, vcl/g; Steve Rusin, hca; Billy Five Coats, pno; Dave Kyle, g; Steve Ridge, dms. Terre Haute, In. 1978

26. Move

27. Shut up

KATIE WATKINS, vcl; Sax Kari, g; Jimmy, bs; dms. Detroit, Mi. 1957

28. Trying to get you off my mind

Katie Watkins, vcl; band. Detroit, Mi. 1959

29. Don't take, give

Thanks to our friend Tom Thumb, we have now three 1977 tracks by Johnny Wright backed by Steve Rusin and band: Coal Shed + Johnny's bad air boogie + I was in Saint Louis (solo guitar version with Steve Rusin). Those titles are there: 

LITTLE SONNY WILLIS/ DETROIT BLUES MASTERS 12

LITTLE SONNY WILLIS/ Detroit Blues Masters Vol. 12

Complete Studio Recordings 1958-74

           

Little Sonny aura connu une brève heure de gloire entre 1966 et 1974 au cours de laquelle il a été un des seuls harmonicistes de blues à réussir dans la Soul Music, alors dominante chez le public noir américain.

            Né à Casimore près de Greensboro dans l'Alabama le 6 octobre 1932, Aaron Willis a été élevé par sa mère Elmira et sa grand'mère, une Rainer d'origine Cherokee qui écoutait religieusement le Grand Ole Opry, particulièrement DeFord Bailey que Little Sonny (tout le monde l'appelait ainsi dès l'enfance) a tenté d'imiter avec l'harmonica offert tous les ans par sa mère à Noël. Venu à Detroit pour y travailler dans l'industrie automobile, Little Sonny fréquente assidument les clubs de Hastings Street dont il photographie (sa passion) les artistes et les clients et joue de l'harmonica avec les bluesmen comme John Lee Hooker, Eddie Burns, Baby Boy Warren et Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) qui a vécu quelque temps (et enregistré) à Detroit. Fondant son propre groupe qui comprend Mr Bo (Louis Collins) à la guitare et Chuck Smith au piano. Il enregistre quelques disques pour Duke (Gotta find my baby), Excello (Love shock qui est un petit succès régional) et d'autres petits labels locaux.

           

Contrairement à la plupart des bluesmen qui sont mis de côté par la montée de la vague Soul des années 60 et perdent tout contact avec le public noir, Little Sonny décide de tenter sa chance dans ce genre. Sans beaucoup changer son jeu d'harmonica Sonny se consacre à des riffs répétitifs, puissants, directs et sans fioritures, impeccablement soulignés par une rythmique funky. Il produit lui-même un 45t dans ce style pour son label Speedway (The creeper/ Latin soul) qui rencontre suffisamment d'intérêt parmi le jeune public noir pour attirer l'attention du producteur Al Bell. Sous son égide, il enregistre alors trois albums pour Enterprise, une sous-marque de Stax qui possède alors la fine fleur de la Soul Music dans son catalogue. Black & Blue, New King of the Blues harmonica et Hard Going up, produits avec soin et bien distribués permettent à Little Sonny de tourner à travers les Etats Unis avec la Volt/ Stax Revue en compagnie des plus grands noms de la Soul sudiste. Il figure ainsi dans le célèbre concert Wattstax de 1972, enregistré et filmé à Los Angeles.

            Quelque peu snobés par la critique de blues, notamment britannique, ces albums ont tous remarquablement passé le test du temps et sont aujourd'hui considérés comme des classiques, fort originaux, de l'harmonica blues.

            Mais la faillite de Stax est fatale à Little Sonny qui ne trouve plus de label et de moins en moins d'engagements. Il travaille hors de la musique avant de reformer un petit orchestre avec ses fils et d'enregistrer en 1995 Sonny side up (Sequel), beaucoup plus blues mais dans lequel on retrouve la puissance et l'originalité de ses disques antérieurs.

            Nous proposons ici, dans l'ordre chronologique, la totalité des enregistrements effectués par Little Sonny en studio entre 1958 et 1972.

                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

     

     Little Sonny (born Aaron Willis on 6 October 1932 in Alabama) has started to learn the harmonica listening to DeFord Bailey on the Grand Ole Opry. Coming to Detroit City to work in the industry, he was soon playing (and taking pictures, his hobby) and singing with local bluesmen like John Lee Hooker, Eddie Burns, Baby Boy Warren and also learned a little more of the harp playing with Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) when the bluesman stayed for awhile in Detroit during the early 50's. Sonny started recording some singles in the late 50's with a local small hit with "Love Shock". When the Soul trend started to be the strongest musical genre among the young African-Americans, Sonny, unlike most of the other bluesmen, jumped successfully in this fledgling movement and recorded three albums for Enterprise, a Stax subsidiary, that earned him some commercial success and the opportunity to tour with the main Soul Revues of the time. Sonny did not change so much his style, forceful and straightforward, but he put his solos and instrumentals in a Soul band context a la Booker T. & The MG's. Those albums were then a little bit scorned by the blues critics (partiularly in England) but they have stood up the test of time and are today considered as classic examples of the harmonica blues of this period.

            This post gathers all the studio recordings made by Little Sonny Willis between 1958 and 1974

                                                       Gérard Herzhaft

LITTLE SONNY WILLIS

Complete Studio Recordings

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Chuck Smith, pno; Eddie Burns, g; George Deloatch, bs; James Crawford, dms. Detroit, Mi. avril 1958

01. I gotta find my baby

02. Hear my woman calling

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Eddie Burns, g; James Johnson, bs; James Crawford, dms. Detroit, Mi. 1959

03. Love shock

04. I'll love you baby

Good good feeling I & II (unissued) 
Lovin' man (unissued)
Our friend Tom Thumb tells us that the two hitherto 1959 unissued tracks have been in fact at long last issued under the titles "Hastings Street after hours" and "Love you pretty baby". Those are currently available on Down Home Blues - Detroit - Detroit Special Wienerworld WNRCD5095. Thanks!

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Eddie Willis, g; Chuck Smith, pno; Sam Hall, bs; James Crawford, dms. Detroit, Mi. 1966

05. The mix up

06. Inside my heart

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; band. Detroit, Mi. 1967

07. The creeper

08. Latin Soul

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; band. Detroit, Mi. 1968

09. We got a groove

10. Sonny's bag

11. Don't ask me no questions

12. Stretchin' out

13. Let's have a good time

14. Orange pineapple

15. Down don't bother me

16. The blues for you

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Rudy Robinson, og; g; bs; George Davidson, dms. Detroit, Mi. décembre 1969 - janvier70

17. Wade in the water

18. They want money

19. Baby what you want me to do

20. Eli's pork chop

21. Hey little girl

22. Hot potato

23. Don't ask me no questions

24. Tomorrow's blues today

25. Back down yonder

26. Sad funk

27. The creeper returns

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Ron Gorden, og; Aaron Willis, g; Eddie Willis, g; Bobby Manuel, g; The Bar-Keys, horns; bs; Willie Hall, dms. Memphis, Tn. septembre 1971

28. Hung up

29. Sonny's fever

30. You got a good thing

31. A woman named trouble

32. Honest I do

33. Paying through the nose

34. Memphis B-K

35. Where women got meat on their bones

36. I found love

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; band. Detroit, Mi. 1971

37. Things I used to do

38. Blues with a feeling

Little Sonny, vcl/hca; Rudy Robinson, kbds; Eddie Willis, g; Aaron Willis, g; Sam Witcher, g; South Memphis Horns; Roderick Chandler, bs; Curtis Sharp, dms. Detroit, Mi. 1972

39. Going down slow I & II

40. It's hard going up

41. My woman is good to me

42. You're spreading yourself a little too thin

43. The day you left me

44. You can be replaced

45. Do it right now

46. You made me strong

47. Sure is good

48. I want you