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Joe's Blues Blog February 2021

1/28/2021

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Some February Blues Births:
  • February 3rd.,1935-- Joseph Leon "Jody","Joe","Sugarboy" Williams,aka Little Papa Joe, Little Joe Lee, but best-known as Jody Williams
  • February 14th.,1950-- Otis Grand​
  • February 27th.,1943-- Jimmy Burns

Answer To The January 2021 Blues Question: The group we were looking for was/is The Dixie Blues Boys. As I said in the Question, their name would suggest a Southern heritage or starting point, but they recorded in Los Angeles, on June 6,1955. They recorded 5 sides, with only 2 being released, on the Flair Records label, a subsidiary of Modern Records, which was founded in 1946 by the 4 Bihari brothers. The 2 sides that were released were "Monte Carlo" and "My Baby Left Town". One or the other can be found now on different compilations, on quite a few labels. You can get both on 1 c.d., P-Vine Records (out of Japan), #PCD-3038, which is now out of print, so expect to pay the long dollar for it. A CD that has all 5 of those sides on it is ACE Records U.K., #CDCHD-1003, which is also out of print. Since it's got all 5 sides on it, it's even more expensive. There's 1 currently advertised on Amazon for $902.81 plus $3.99 freight, with tax on top of that. I contacted ACE in England, and they told me that due to slow sales of that disc, they were not planning to re-issue it. I have located and ordered 3 of them, from different sources, 2 from France, and 1, from, of all places, Russia, and NO, they weren't cheap, but they are definitely ordered. Just for your info, the P-Vine disc title  is "Blues From The Deep South", and the ACE title is "The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions, Volume 3". Now, about the group itself, about which not much is known. When John Broven of ACE Records was researching for the liner booklet in that disc, he found the original contract that the group had signed with Modern Records. There were 4 signatures: Charles S .Johnson, Ozie (or O.Z.) Saxton (most likely the "Dee Dee" credited on the releases as the vocalist), Dan Winston, and Clarence Wilkins. The odd thing on this disc is that there were 2 harp players, 1 being Saxton, the other only known as "Leonard". Supposedly the two worked together on gigs in Los Angeles. Those sides featured the 2 harps, guitar, upright bass, and drums, and not sure (other than the harps) who played what instrument. The debate is ongoing about from where the group originated and/ or where their base of operations was. Some of the suggestions are: Itta Bena, Mississippi; Helena, Arkansas; Monroe, Louisiana; St.Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. Some of the players were born in Mississippi or Louisiana. Maybe someday more info will be found about the group's founding and travels.

Blues Question For February 2021: This bluesman is another you've never heard of, but you should. He was a great vocalist who also played guitar and/ or drums. An early example of post-war electric blues, but he didn't record that much of his own work, most of his many recordings are with him as a sideman for many of the big names, both in the studio and on tours with them. Any ideas on this one ??

Blues Song(s) and Artist(s) For February 2021: The song is "The Devil's Shoestring", and the artist is Jimmy Reed. To understand why I picked this song, see the "Blues Trivia" section.

Blues Trivia For February 2021: As promised last month, it's about Hoodooists (and more). First off, gotta' clear something up:  Hoodoo is NOT Voodoo ! Both have their basis in religions, and in some cases, similar practices. Voodoo is a combination of different African tribal religions and some from Haiti, and sometimes requires animal sacrifices (unless you believe what Hollywood seems bent on supplying). Haiti was a French territory until a war between the 2 led to Haiti becoming it's own country. New Orleans was a port city, so immigrants (and some who had been slaves) settled there, after the end of the civil war. One of those was a woman named Marie LaVeau, who was a Haitian Voodoo priestess. She didn't as yet, have a church there, and a Catholic priest allowed her to use his church for her followers to have their services. She would eventually be known as "the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans". The French language was spoken in Haiti, since it had been a French-controlled territory for years, so that's what most immigrants from there spoke. When in New Orleans, it was combined with the Creole (Indians) language, and became known as Cajun. That's why when you hear Cajun music (and sometimes Zydeco) it's usually done with French vocals. The immigrants from Haiti and West Africa countries who settled in Memphis, spoke in English, then throw in a little bit of European folklore, Christianity, and Judaism and --presto-- you have Hoodoo. In it, spells are cast in the hope that good fortune, in all aspects of an individual's desires or needs, are met. The Hoodooist often uses roots, animal body parts, or an article of a person's personal property, to work a mojo (cast a spell). Enter Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey (the original Ma Rainey) with the recording "Louisiana Hoodoo Blues" in 1925. She was rumoured to be a caster of Hoodoo spells. Then came Lillie Mae Glover, known, after Ma Rainey's death in '39, as Ma Rainey II, or Big Memphis Ma Rainey, in later years. Besides her music, she was also recognized as a highly-skilled Beale Street Hoodooist. Not always easy to find, she was sought out by other musicians, to help with their difficulties in writing songs, matters of the heart, or getting work, or to get a mojo hand (a charm bag) from her. She only worked with items that were inexpensive and easily found, such as sugar, flour, lumps of coal, or something small from the person being helped. Then came Elizabeth "Kid" Douglas, who you should know as "Memphis Minnie", recording a song called "Hoodoo Lady", on February 18,1936. All 3 of them were considered to be "Hoodoo Ladies". Sonny Boy Williamson and  Amos "Junior"wells also sang about Hoodoo. Some of the items used in the practice of Hoodoo are: White Snakeroot--a branched herb; Aspan Seed-- an herbal seed; and here's the one referred to in the Blues Song Of The Month, Devil's Shoe String-- a member of the honeysuckle family of plants, it's long,white roots (like shoe strings) are used in Hoodoo. A man-made item, 1 of 2, used is red flannel, to make small bags in which to put spell ingredients or a gris-gris. A Gris-Gris is the other man-made item-- an amulet (a good luck charm) used in both Hoodoo and Voodoo. The early ones had Islamic scripture engraved on them. If you're going to go to Memphis' Beale Street for the first time or you've been there before, you should go into the A.Schwab store. it's the last original business on Beale (it was founded in 1876), and it's in the oldest original building on Beale (built before 1870's). When it first opened, it was a haberdashery, and now it's a tourist's delight, as far as souvenirs, and hard-to-find items too. It now has an original old-time soda fountain, and they also serve sandwiches. The real attraction there, though, is, or was, on the second floor. It was a museum on the history of the store and of Beale Street, and had Hoodoo potions, lotions, and other items used in Hoodoo. There was also a large selection of blues vinyl. I've heard that, since the new owners bought it in 2011, the second floor is now reserved for large gatherings or luncheons, and that what was up there is now downstairs, on the first floor. Unfortunately, it's called "progress". I hope you've taken time to read all of this, and understand what I keep saying-- the blues is so much bigger than most realize. We need to always keep seeking knowledge and learning more about what makes the blues what it really is !  'Nuff said !

(Editors note: In January 2020 we stopped at A. Schwab and while there is now a meeting area much of the 2nd floor is as Joe describes)


Some February Blues Passings:
  • February 1st.,1958-- John Grayton Dolphin--murdered--but that's another story
  • February 13th.,1989-- Hip Linkchain, born as Willie Richard​
  • February 27th.,1994-- Roosevelt Holts
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Joe's Blues Blog January 2021

1/5/2021

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Some January Blues Births:
  • January 3rd.,1904-- Joel "Squatty" Hopkins (yes, Lightning's brother)
  • January 15th.,1980-- Christoffer "Kid" Anderson​
  • January 27.,1930-- Robert Calvin "Bobby"/"Bobby Blue" Bland
Answer to the December 2020 Blues Question: The blueswoman we were looking for was/is Lillie Mae Glover, born September 9, 1907, in Columbia, Tennessee. When she was 13, the family was living in Nashville. Her father was a preacher, but she wanted to sing blues, so she ran away from home. She would later say that she ran away , since her father was a preacher, and she believed that to sing blues, which was considered to be "dirty music", would bring shame to the family. In the early to mid-'20's, she travelled and performed as either/or a blues singer or comedian, with such groups as the Tom Simpson Traveling Medicine Show, Rabbit Foot Minstrels, The Bronze Mannequins, The Vampin' Baby Show, The Georgia Minstrels, Harlem In Havana, and Nina Banson's Medicine Show. Some of these shows were on the road, and some were at venues in Memphis, which is where she settled. She performed all over Beale Street, and downtown Memphis, in the '20's. In April of '27, she recorded 6 sides under the name May Armstrong, for a Chicago record company. Around August of '27, she recorded 6 sides as Side Wheel Sally Duffie, and 2 of those sides have not been found. In Richmond, Indiana, on July 29, 1929, she recorded 4 sides as Mae Glover. On February 24, 1931, she recorded 10 sides, again as Mae Glover, and 2 of those have not been found. I have the titles and numbers for them, and, hopefully, some day, maybe they'll be found. By the way, 1 title from that last session was "Forty Four Blues", when it was released under her name. Another release of that song was titled "Big Gun Blues", when it was released on the Varsity label, under the name of Mae Muff. Under it's original name, it was released on the Supertone and Champion labels. One source lists her birth name as being Lillie Mary Hardison, born September 9, 1906, but that date doesn't work with any of the confirmed info I could find. I went back and tried to research the Hardison family. Turns out, it was a fairly common name in both Carolinas and in Maury County Tennessee, from th 1600's through the early 1850's, but record-keeping after that is sketchy, at best. Back to the person in this, Mae. In '28, she married Willie Glover, shown in some sources as a preacher, and in others, a cook. From the mid-'20's on, she performed at venues up and down Beale Street, and downtown Memphis, such as the Midnight Rambles, The Coca-Cola Club, The Citizen's Club, The Manhattan Club, Hotel Improvement, and a venue that's still popular today, The Peabody Hotel. Early in her career, her then manager had told her that she could make more money as a hoodooist than as a performer. She had taken that to heart, and practiced that craft, along with her singing career, and became a sought-after hoodooist on Beale Street. Her inspiration in her singing was Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett "Ma" Rainey, and after the original Ma Rainey's death in '39, Glover started to go by the name Ma Rainey II. She would not record again until '53, when she recorded under the name "Big Memphis Ma Rainey". Some sources  say "she recorded several sides for Sun Records", while some others say "she recorded a few sides for Sun Records". Well, she recorded TWO only, get it right, people. Now, some of the recordings she made earlier were with a Mississippi guitarist, named John Byrd, backing her (with others also). There's a cd, now out of print, on the da Story Blues label, #3517-2, titled John Byrd & Walter Taylor (1920-1931). That label and brand is a spin-off of Document Records, out of Austria at that time. Included on that cd are 2 tracks , basically sermons, by the Reverend George Jones and Congregation, titled "That White Mule of Sin" and "The Heavenly Airplane", featuring guitar accompaniment by Byrd, along with vocals by Byrd and Sister Jones, which is believed to be Mae Glover. I have a new copy of all of Glover's recordings, along with an excellent pre-owned copy of the Byrd/Taylor cd, in the store. A man named Paul Savarin, who owned a blues and barbecue restaurant in downtown Memphis, around 1970, hired her to sing with the Blues Alley All Stars. She performed there, even after requiring help to walk, until her health declined enough that she went to the hospital. When she checked out of the hospital, she went to Iuka, Mississippi, to live with a friend, in December of '84. Most sources show her passing away on March 25, 1985, but, after some serious digging, I believe the correct date to be April 3rd. She had said, in one interview, that "I was the Mother of Beale Street, and I ruled that street between Fourth and Hernando". A UPI press story about her death said that former owner of Blues Alley, Paul Savarin, said she would be buried near her longtime Memphis political boss E.H.Crump, and that her gravestone's inscription will read " I don't care  what Mr.Crump don't allow, I'm gonna barrelhouse anyhow". If your'e a true blues fan, you might know that the Mr. Crump being referred to here was a Democratic candidate for the mayor of Memphis, in 1909.  There was a campaign song written for him titled "Mr. Crump", by a mister W.C.Handy (ever heard of him ?) Handy re-wrote the song later and changed it's title to "Memphis Blues". Though she was a hard worker all her life, there was never enough money to live on, and the actual epitaph on her pink granite headstone says " I'm Ma Rainey #2, the Mother of Beale Street / I'm 78 years old / I never had enough of nothing and it's too damn late now ! ". Some other names she used at different times were Sister Jones, Big Sister, Flossie Brown, Sally Sad, and Bessie Jones.

Blues Question For January 2021: This blues group only recorded four songs, with a fifth one being a different take on one of those four. The group's name throws off where their actually from. Any ideas on this one ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For January 2021: The song is "Sputterin' Blues", and the artist is Walter Robertson, a west coast harmonica player. Yes, I know -- in today's "culture" (I use that term loosely), that this recording is not "politically correct". Robertson only recorded 2 songs, one's a sad blues, the other--this one-- was, when recorded, was as a laugh-getter in the clubs of the day. So, incorrect as it is, get over it, live with it, and, most of all, enjoy it!

Blues Trivia For January 2021: Due to the length of the answer above, the amount of research that it required, and a concern about the reader being overwhelmed by info, I'm going to forego the hoodooist and related info till February's Blog. I hope I got the above info on Mae Glover clear enough for you. If not, call me and I'll cover more ground.

Some Blues Passings In January:
  • January 8th.,2012-- Dave Alexander
  • January 17th.,1961-- "Blind" Simmie Dooley​
  • January 29th.,1993-- "Big" Willie James Dixon
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Joe's Blues Blog December 2020

11/28/2020

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Hope all had a nice, safe, and enjoyable Thanksgiving, even with our current health "situation". Just remember what that particular day was, and is all about, from it's first one forward.

Some December Blues Births:
  • Either on the 20th., 1902, or the 4th., 1903 (depends on where you look)--Walter Roland
  • on the 16th.,1949--William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons​
  • on the 27th.,1930--Bob Stroger

Answer To The November 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is John Henry Barbee, born November 14, 1905, in Henning, Tennessee. He claimed he was born as William George Tucker, and the confusion starts. One source states, according to a U.S. Census record, that his parents were father, Beecher Barbee, and mother, Cora Gilford. Another source, however, lists his parents as Becker Tucker, father, and Cora Gilton, mother. The first names are close, so maybe it was just an error in translating the notes from which these entries were made. At any rate, John taught himself how to play guitar at a young age, but his normal work was on his parent's farm. He did play at some house parties and suppers in the area during that time. In the early '30's he travelled around the South, all the way to the Delta. Along those travels, he would work with other bluesmen, such as Big Joe Williams, John Lee "Sonny  Boy" Williamson, and Sunnyland Slim (Albert Luandrew), through that area and in Memphis. Around the mid-'30's, he was living in Luxora, Arkansas (0.9 sq.miles), most likely with his girlfriend. It's directly north of Memphis, in the northeastern part of Arkansas, and is located next to the old "blues highway", Route 61. He travelled from there, to Chicago, to play the blues. He sometimes performed on the famed Maxwell Street. He did four recordings for Vocalion on September 8, 1939. 2 were released, 2 were not, but the released ones sold well enough that Vocalion wanted him to do some more recording, but he couldn't be found at his last known location, which was Luxora. I don't have exact dates for some of this, other than the recording date. He would later say that he changed his name to John Henry Barbee to pay tribute to his favorite folk song-- "The Ballad of John Henry". Some surmise that he did it to evade detection under his real name, to avoid the legal system. He believed that he had shot and killed his girlfriend's lover, and it wasn't till many years later that he found out that he had only wounded him. He had quit the music business and worked odd jobs instead. He served in the U.S. Army in the early '40's. When the blues revival started in the '60's, Willie Dixon tracked him down, so he could take John on a European tour with The American Folk Blues Festival group. He had been working as an ice cream server somewhere. When he returned to the U.S. after that tour, John used some of the money he had earned from it, to buy his first car. Just 10 days after he bought it, he was involved in an accident in which he ran over and killed a man. While waiting in jail for disposition of the case, he had a heart attack and died on November 3, 1964, 11 days shy of his 59th. birthday. NOTE: Those 4 original songs for Vocalion can be found on Document Records DLP520 vinyl, or DOCD5159 cd, or Wolf Records #107 cd. He also recorded on several smaller labels in the U.S. and Europe, when he was on that tour. The big label he recorded for over there was Storyville. There's a  Storyville cd  "Blues Masters Vol.3" that has all the studio tracks he recorded for them, it's out of print, but it can be found, used. They also did a live recording of him, along with one of Sleepy John Estes, at a club in Copenhagen, doing a set each, at different times.  That one I found new and it's on it's way, and it has both of them on it. The Wolf cd is also on order.

Blues Question For December 2020: This blues person was active for many years. She recorded under four different names, at different times. She worked the streets and parks of Memphis, and was known as "gifted hoodooist". Any idea who this blues lady might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For December 2020: The song is "The Twelve Blue Days of Christmas", and the artist is Jack de Keyzer. Covid or not, 'tis the season!!

Blues Trivia For December 2020: In each month's blog, I put in a list of Blues Births, and Deaths. In last month's blog I had listed in the Births section John Paul Hammond. I noticed when it was published that the Editor had added Jr. to the end of his name, which is O.K., as it's a pretty common thing with Hammond's name. This is not meant to be critical of that, nor trivial, at least to me. I've often wondered about that Sr./Jr. tag, so I thought O.K., time to dig into this. The common thought is that all the name has to be the same: first, middle, and last. What I found is that there is no set rule on what's the correct way to use these tags, but there are ways that are commonly agreed upon for it. John's great grandfather was John Henry Hammond, a general in the Civil War. His son, John Henry Hammond, was a Columbia Law School graduate, who, along with his legal work, also did other jobs to take care of his family. John Henry Hammond II (actually the III,  our John's father) was a record producer, a music critic, and a civil rights activist. Even though our John is often tagged with the Jr., according to the commonly accepted way, he's not, since his middle name is Paul. As each generation passes away, the Sr. tag goes to the next in lineage, with the next then being now Jr., instead of III. It goes that way as each generation passes away. If you follow that line of thought, our John would be either Sr. or the First. Again, I'm not being critical, but rather, pointing out how hard I try to get the info I give you, Correct, to the Nth. degree. You can drive yourself a little nuts with some of this. Think about Robert Lockwood Jr. How many times do you see him incorrectly shown as Robert Jr. Lockwood ?

Some December Blues Passings:
  • on the 3rd.,1978-- William Grant Still
  • on the 17th.,1989-- Johnny "Little Sonny" Jones​
  • on the 23rd.,1958 Henry "Son" Sims
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Joe's Blues Blog November 2020

10/30/2020

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First, a couple of notes: The 2021 Blues Calendars with free c.d. are in stock here now, and secondly, we'd like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and hope you can celebrate it with family, whether that be just a small one, with immediate family, or a large one, with many relatives or friends. Please, just be mindful of today's health concerns or conditions or needs of those around you.
Some November Blues Births:
  • November 6th.,1941-- Roscoe Lanier
  • November 13th.,1942-- John Paul Hammon​d, Jr.
  • November 28th.,1928-- "Little" Sammy Davis

Answer To The October 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is "Big John" Thomas Wrencher, aka "One Arm John", born February 12,1923, in Sunflower, Mississippi. Interested in music at an early age, he taught himself to play the harmonica. By his early 20's, he was working as a roving musician, performing in Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois. By the mid to late 1940's, he was in Chicago, playing on Maxwell Street and at house parties, sometimes with other local bluesmen. In the '50's, he moved to Detroit, performing in that area with Robert Henry "Baby Boy" Warren. While living there, he also sometimes travelled to Clarksdale, to perform and/ or visit with family. As I stated in last month's Blog, some blues musicians were injured and got even better at their craft, and he was no exception. In 1958, just outside of Memphis, Big John was injured in an automobile accident. Because of those injuries he lost his left arm, hence, the "One Arm John" name he sometimes used. In the early '60's he settled in Chicago, and eventually spent Sundays playing on Maxwell Street, from around 10:00 AM to around 3:00 PM. In 1964, he was filmed and recorded, with that material to be used in a documentary film titled "And This Is Free" (we have both versions of this, on dvd, in stock here), and these were the earliest recordings of him as a solo performer. He was also recorded on Maxwell Street, as a sideman, with Robert Nighthawk, and also as a member of the Chicago String Band. There are 2 recordings of Nighthawk on Maxwell, one with Big John, the other featuring Carey Bell (Harrington). In '73 and '74, Big John travelled with (in '73) The Chicago Blues Festival, and (in '74) with The American Blues Legends, performing all over Europe. His work on that '74 tour, backed by Eddie Taylor and his band,  was recorded and put on an LP, by Big Bear Records, and later released by them, on c.d. In '77, he was on a trip to visit with family, in Clarksdale, and was in Wade Walton's barbershop (that place is on the Blues Trail; check it out), had a sudden heart attack and passed away, on July 15th. One of his recordings with his own band, done on Maxwell, is on LP only, and is considered to be one of the best ever blues recordings. I've seen that one for sale, from different sources, at anywhere from $250.00 to $475.00. If you want more info on his work or recordings, stop in and see me.

Blues Question For November 2020: This bluesman has said he took his name from a song he liked. He did a lot of work with some of the biggest names in blues, and also did some recording of his own. Due to some legal problems, he dropped out of sight for many years, before returning to touring and performing again. He did vocals and played slide guitar. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For November 2020: The artist is Shemekia Copeland, and the song is " Apple Pie And A .45 ", off her new Alligator Records album "Uncivil War", which came out on 10/23/20, and is in stock here. This is a good album, but a little on the sad side, as it deals with some of the pressing problems we face today. But-- let me say, there's also a somewhat hopeful note in it's content. We met and worked with her at a festival in New York, at a ski resort. She was 19 at the time, and was traveling with 2 of her aunts, in support of her first Alligator album "Turn The Heat Up", in '98.

Blues Trivia For November 2020: In the October 2019 Blog, I told of Sonny Boy Williamson III, and the fact that he only recorded 4 songs before disappearing. I also said that there is only one cd that has all four songs on it, but that it's out of print, and if you could find one, expect to pay a collector's price for it. It is "Red River Blues; Shreveport Blues From R A M Records". I've since found three of them, one each in France, Belgium, and England, and they're now in stock here. Yes , there is one currently shown for sale here in the U.S., but it's at twice what we have it for. We are always trying to find the things that some others can't, and to take care of all the blues fan's requests for help. May seem trivial to you, but it's important to us.

Some November Blues Passings:
  • November 1st.,2008-- Rosetta Reitz
  • November 17th.,2008-- Pat Ramsey
  • November 24th.,1964-- Edwin Goodwin "Buster" Pickens
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Joe's Blues Blog October 2020

9/28/2020

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Some October Blues Births:

  • October 2nd.,1951-- Henry "Co Co" Montoya
  • October 14th.,1957-- Kenny Neal
  • October 30th.,1930-- Haywood S. Warner, aka Little Sonny Warner.

Answer To The September Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Edward P. "Eddie"/"Ed" Harris, aka "Country Paul", "Jammin' Jim", "Lazy Slim Jim", "Paul Howard", and the one he is best known by - "Carolina Slim", born August 22, 1923, in Leasburg, North Carolina. While he learned guitar from his father, his main influences were Sam "Lightnin' " Hopkins and Blind Boy Fuller (born Fulton Allen), both considered to be Piedmont-style blues performers. In 1950 he moved to Newark, New Jersey, and made his recording debut. That first session was on July 24, 1950, and 4 songs were recorded, listing the performer's name as "Carolina Slim", on the Acorn Records label, a subsidiary of Savoy. I stated, in the September blog that he only recorded 27 songs, but I have to add here that those 27 were the total songs of his that were released, and then add that there were 4 more songs recorded that were never released, and still, to this day, haven't been found. I do have those 4 song titles, their recording dates and recording numbers, if they are ever found and issued. Those first sessions for him were at the Nola Recording Studios, which were on the top floor of the Steinway Building, so, because of that, you may find the Nola studio referred to as Penthouse Recordings. His best-known songs were "Black Cat Trail" and "I'll Never Walk In Your Door", for the King Records label, on April 11, 1952, on record numbers K8215 and K8214, respectively. . The odd part of that is that there were 3 label printings of it: 1 on a white label, 1 on a light blue label, and 1 on a dark blue label. He made a total of 8 recordings for King, all under the "Country Paul" name, showing Paul Harris as the writer on the disc's label. Paul, by the way, was Slim's middle name. There were 4 songs done on December 14, 1951 and 4 done on April 11, 1952. He then went back to the Savoy label and did 5 songs on June 5, 1952, under the name "Lazy Slim Jim", which would be his final recordings. Henry Glover, a record producer, songwriter, trumpet player, and arranger, who met Slim at his sessions for King, said that Slim "was a very sickly young man at the time". At some point in '53 Slim entered the hospital in Newark for surgery on his back. While undergoing that operation, he had a heart attack and died, on October 22, 1953. His body was returned to and buried in Roxboro, North Carolina. The 27 songs of his that were released can be found on Document Records #BDCD 6043, done in 1993, and is now out of print. They can also be found on the 4 disc set "New York Blues", by JSP records, #77108. Disc #4 has the 27 tracks, with each song listed under the name on which it was originally released. That set we have in stock.

Blues Question For October 2020: Over the years, some of the bluesmen (and blueswomen too), lost limbs, or, even sometimes, their lives, in any number of ways or causes, that were not "natural". Some of those who were so injured, went on to be better at their craft, maybe because they just endured another of the life's trials that the blues was/is based on. This bluesman was one of those who went on to become better. He worked most often as a sideman, but did do some recording on his own. Any ideas on who this bluesman might be, or for that matter, what instrument he plays ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For October 2020: The song is "Bad Luck Shadow" and the artists are Johnny and Shuggie Otis. I couldn't establish exactly when or where this was recorded, but it seemed appropriate for Halloween. Also, just for your information, we have roughly 75 c.d.'s here, in stock, for or about Halloween: blues, garage blues, rockabilly, stories to scare the kids, sound effects, rock and rock and roll, and even Elvira.

Blues Trivia For October 2020: This is just going to be a random collection of thoughts that come from the research that goes into what I do, here, at the store, and to put together this blog. The blues is kind of like building a house-- it must have a solid foundation, or what follows will be flawed, or, on a lesser note, never be quite right. Let's go from the top floor now, then descend into the basement. If you get on your computer, listen to Sirius radio, your cable channels, or some other device, you can put together a pretty accurate picture of today's performers. You're saturated with info about them all the time. Now, do the same search for an old-timer, long since gone from us. You'll be doing a lot of looking, as there is so much conflicting info into the early history. One of them might be well-documented, but the next one you look for can't be found. Let's look at an early blues song that's still performed today-- "Catfish Blues". It's most often credited to first being recorded and written by Robert Petway, in 1939. Around those years, Petway travelled, most of the time, with Tommy McClennan. Some say McClennan recorded it first. His recording, however, used a different title, and was recorded in 1942. So, let's dig some more. Ending in 1928, Jim Jackson recorded 6 records, for Vocalion, the first 4 titled Kansas City Blues, the last 2 titled as "I'm Gonna Move to Louisiana". He was a medicine show performer who did these, for a long time, at his shows. The one which was the third one, had the line inclusive of the word "catfish" on it. There is evidence of it being recorded in 1926, under a different title. It's still being performed and recorded today. Jimi Hendrix did it on his blues album. Muddy Waters changed a few of the words in it and recorded it as "Rollin' Stone" (that one aught to sound familiar to you). Most recently, it's been recorded on Alligator Records, by Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. It's been performed by Gary Clark Jr., Eric Gales and Beth Hart, just to name a few. Sound like I'm rambling ? It should, because I am--but, with purpose. It just shows how something that should be real simple, takes off and goes wherever. When you dig into this stuff, be prepared for a long journey !

Some October Blues Passings:
  • October 4th.,1994-- Daniel "Danny" Wood Gatton
  • October 18th.,2011-- Robert "Bob" Brunning

  • October 26th.,1952-- Hattie McDaniel. 
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Joe's Blues Blog September 2020

9/13/2020

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 Some Blues Births:
  • September 4th.,1930-- "Bowling Green" John Cephas
  • September 16th.,1931-- "Little" Willie Littelfield
  • September 30th.,1925-- Arzell J. Hill, aka Z.Z. Hill (think "Down Home Blues")

Answer To The August 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Henry Stuckey, most well-known birth date is April 11, 1897, and there's the first problem. Different sources list several alternative dates, such as December 12, 1896, March of 1898, and April 11, 1898, but at least they're consistent in showing the place as Bentonia, Mississippi. In 1905, he was taught some chords on the guitar by an older local bluesman, Rich Dickson (or Dixon ?) He was in the military in France in 1917, where he heard a different sound from the guitars of some Black soldiers. They claimed to be from the Caribbean, and used a completely different tuning on their guitars, which they taught him. Upon his discharge, Henry returned to Bentonia, where he, for about the next 6 years, up to c1924, would use that new tuning when playing dances and suppers. During that period there was a young man who attended those gatherings, to watch and listen and to learn from Henry's performing. That young man was Nehemiah "Skippy"/"Skip" James. After they finally met, Henry began to teach Skip, and from that point, they travelled and performed together, up to c1930. Some believed them to be brothers. They played house parties, jukes, and barrelhouses, from Bentonia to Yazoo City, and on down to Jackson. In Jackson, they met and performed with Johnnie "Geechie" Temple. During that travelling time, one of the songs that Henry wrote and that they performed was titled by him as "Devil's Dream". Skip would re- title it as "Devil Got My Woman" when he recorded it in his recording sessions for Paramount, in 1931. It would become James' signature song, the one that is recognized to be the one that made him famous. When Skip returned to Bentonia, disillusioned with the music business, quit that business, and moved to Texas, to become a minister. Henry sold his barrelhouse and moved to Morgan City, where he worked on a plantation, but still performed with local musicians. In '35, Henry moved back to Bentonia, only to find that Skip had returned and was preaching locally. It didn't take long for the pair to get back together and start playing blues again. During the '30's, they performed at a local barrelhouse, now known as the Blue Front Cafe, which is on the "Historic Blues Places Trail of today, with others, such as Cornelius Bright, Rich Griffith, Jack Owens, and the current owner, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, who actually learned guitar from Stuckey. Out of all that, the unrecorded Henry Stuckey, is considered to be the "father of Bentonia blues". Holmes, right now, is considered to be the "last of the Bentonia bluesmen". There was a period when Stuckey played in a local band in Omaha, Nebraska. When he filed for social security in '52, he listed his residence as being in North Platte. I'm not aware of much more info on his time in Nebraska, but it's still being hunted. In Henry's later years, he was living in abject poverty, with a granddaughter, in Satartia, not far from Bentonia. He entered the V.A. hospital in Jackson, where he died of cancer, on March 9, 1966.

Blues Question For September 2020: This bluesman recorded 27 songs that were released, with possibly a few more unreleased. Those recordings were done over a two year period, and on several different labels, and he was only 30 when he died. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) for September 2020:​ The song is "(You'll Never Find Anyone) To Be a Slave Like Me", and the artist is "T-Bone" Walker. Others on this are Willard Burton on piano, Johnny Copeland on rhythm guitar, Jimmy Jones on bass, with an unknown drummer. I found it listed as first being recorded on the "Wet Soul" label album, #WS-1002, done in 1967. Then I found other listings saying that that date was incorrect, and that it was recorded in 1970 or '71, in Pasadena, Texas. I have an original LP on the way, to hopefully get the correct info on players and date.

Blues Trivia For September 2020: Aaron Thibeaux Walker, had his middle name shortened to a pet name by his mother-- T-Bone. This is the bluesman who gave us "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday's Just As Bad), back in 1949. It has since been covered by just about every blues bar band in history. One of the best versions I've heard was by Cleveland's own P.C. Williams, a bass player with a perfect voice for this song. Like T-Bone, another player who started when young, really didn't get good at the blues, until he made his "deal with the devil"-- Robert Johnson. T-Bone also started early and learned most stringed instruments, plus piano and organ. BUT, his true early start was at age 10, when he was "lead-boy" for Blind Lemon Jefferson, up and down Central Ave., in Dallas, Texas. T-Bone would later be billed as "the Daddy of the Blues", because he was one of the first to play electric guitar, in the '30's.

Some Blues Passings:
  • September 3rd., 2003-- Charlie Caldwell
  • September 11th., 2004-- Cosimo Vincent Matassa
  • September 26th., 1980-- Auburn "Pat" Hare
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Joe's Blues Blog August 2020

7/30/2020

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First, I have to correct a couple of mistakes in the July 2020 Blues Blog (not including the "fat-finger" ones: a couple of keys at once or missing a space between words). In the Blues Births section, the second person I listed, the artist now known as "Little Freddie King", I showed his birth name being spelled Fred Eugene Martin, when his correctly spelled first name is FREAD. Don't know why his parents spelled it that way, but they did. Second, in The Blues Trivia section, I listed some record labels, one of which was Travellin' Man. I listed their final release, a cd, in 1996, number TMCD 09, titled "I Can Eagle Rock; Chicago Blues From 1940-1941". I don't know what I was thinking, but that was wrong. It should have read "I Can Eagle Rock; Jook Joint Blues From Alabama and Louisiana 1940-1941". If you've never heard this before, you should-- it's exactly what you would have heard, walking into the local jook joint, minus the crowd and associated noises-- talking, laughing, maybe having something to eat, and, most certainly, drinkin', all with no amps or electric guitars! This cd features artists you've never heard of, all recorded by Alan Lomax, for the Library of Congress. I have one pre-owned copy in the store, for sale. Now, on with the Blog.

Some August Blues Births:
  • August 2nd., either 1917 or 1915-- Walter Travis "Big Walter" Price
  • August 14th.,1937-- Terry Lee Evans
  • August 27th.,1926-- Odie Payne Jr.

Answer To The July 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Luther Johnson, born August 30, 1934, in Davisboro, Georgia, one of at least 10 children. His birth name was Lucius Brinson Johnson, but during his life and career, he was also known as Luther "Georgia Boy", "Snake", "Snake Boy" Johnson; Little Luther, and Luther King. His birth year, depending on where you look, is anywhere from 1934 to 1941. His father, Willis, was a guitarist. Luther learned guitar when he was 7, and worked on a farm up into the '40's. He ran away from home, ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was placed in reform school. While there, he was active in the music program, from around 1947 to '50. He served in the U.S.Army from '50 to '53, and frequently performed at service clubs. From '53 to the early '60's, he worked in the Milwaukee area, early, with a gospel group, later on with a blues trio. He moved to Chicago in the early '60's, and by '64 was working with Elmore "Elmo" James at Narvel Eatmon's "Cadillac Baby Lounge". He did some recordings on the Checker label as Little Luther. From '65 to '67, he performed and recorded with Muddy Waters' Blues Band. During that same time period, he did the same with Otis Spann. In 1970 he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, formed his own band to work local club dates, with the occaisional work in New York City. He then toured and performed with The Chicago Blues Festival, and toured with them in Europe, from '72 to '75. When he was home (Boston) he performed around the area, with occiasional gigs at universities in Vermont. In '75, he entered St. Elizabeth's Hospital, in Boston, where he died of cancer on March 18,1976. NOTE: do not confuse "Snake Boy" Johnson with Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson (1939 -    ) (he too played in Muddy's band, but from '72 to '80, and yes, he's still performing), or Luther "Houserocker" Johnson (1939 - 2019), a local Atlanta bluesman, who also did a few recordings.

Blues Question For August 2020: This bluesman made ZERO recordings, but he should be up toward the top of the list of bluesmen to be recognized and remembered, as his was a great contribution to the field. You've probably never heard of him, but you, for darn sure, should know his foremost "student". Any idea who this might refer to or be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For August 2020: The song is "Hookin'", and the artist is Earl Hooker. In the backing band were Johnny "Big Moose" Walker on piano, Paul Asbel on rhythm guitar, Chester E. "Geno" (sometimes spelled Gino) Skaggs on Fender bass guitar, Jeffrey M. Carp on harmonica, and Roosevelt Shaw on drums. This was recorded May 29,1969, #70040, on the album titled "You Don't Have To Worry".

Blues Trivia For August 2020: As I'm sitting here thinking about where to go with this section this month, when it dawns on me: why go too far from where I already am? So, the above song, "Hookin", is an instrumental that features some really great players. Earl contracted tuberculosis as a youth, and had bouts with it throughout his life, sometimes requiring lengthy hospital stays. From that, he had difficulty with stuttering, which is why a lot of his recordings are instrumentals. He did record some vocal work, but didn't have the strong voice needed for the blues. This is also why he played on so, so many recordings of other artists, performing as a sideman. B.B. King was quoted as saying once, in response to an interviewer's question, that "I'm not afraid to follow any guitarist's show on stage, except maybe for Earl Hooker". This particular song that I listed is kind of rare to hear. Almost all who hear it, like it. And then there are those who immediately say " he stole the use of that Wah-Wah pedal from Jimi Hendrix". In my personal opinion, Hendrix was a Rock and Roll, or just rock guitarist, not a bluesman. Could he play the guitar well ?--Yup; was he a showman, and sometimes, a show-off ?? Yup. You want to see what makes a bluesman, a really good one, find and read a good bio on Earl Hooker. And yes, his cousin was John Lee Hooker, with whom he sometimes played and/ or recorded.
Some Blues Passings For August 2020:
  • August 5th., 2003-- J.W. Warren
  • August 14th., 1988-- Leroy "Roy" Buchanan

  • August 27th., 1990 -- Stephen "Stevie" Ray Vaughan, aka "Skeeter"

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Joe's Blues Blog July 2020

6/27/2020

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Some July Blues Births: 
  • July  4th., 1943-- Alan Christie "Blind Owl" Wilson
  • July 19th., 1940-- Fred Eugene Martin, aka Little Freddie King
  • July 23rd., 1946-- Percy Lee Strother

Answer To The June 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/ is Eugene "Buddy" Moss, born January 16, 1914 (some sources show the year as 1906), in Jewell, Georgia, one of 12 children. When he was 4, his family moved to Augusta, where he remained for the next 10 years. At an early age he taught himself how to play the harmonica. By 1928 he was busking in the streets of Atlanta, where he was noticed by Curley Weaver (aka Slim Gordon) and "Barbecue Bob" (Robert Hicks), who then mentored him. On December 7, 1930 he went with them, to record for Columbia Records, at the Campbell Hotel in Atlanta. They recorded 4 songs, with Barbecue Bob and Weaver on guitars and Moss on harmonica, as the "Georgia Cotton Pickers". He wouldn't record again until '33, and by that time he had learned how to play guitar. Bob died October 21, 1931. Since the two had been performing together up 'till then, he needed to find another partner, which he did: that was Blind Willie McTell, with whom he performed at house parties around Atlanta. In January of '33, he went to New York City, to record for/ on the ARC label. Over a four day period, he recorded 11 songs, accompanied by Curley Weaver and Fred McMullen. Also, during those sessions, playing harmonica, he accompanied Weaver, McMullen, and vocalist Ruth Willis, recording as The Georgia Browns. September of '33 saw him return to New York City, with Weaver and McTell. With Weaver, he recorded some of his own songs, and accompanied the two on their recordings. By mid-'34, his records were outselling both Weaver's and McTell's. Then he teamed up with a new recording partner, Joshua "Josh" White, who recorded as " The Singing Christian".  By mid-'35, his recordings had become so popular that his recording fee went from $5.00 to $10.00 a song. In mid-August, Buddy and Josh recorded 15 songs. This was shortly before his legal problems started, when he was arrested, tried, and convicted of the shooting death of his wife, and sentenced to a long prison term. There have been arguments since the trial, about the validity of the whole case-- evidence, trial, the sentence, all of it. What we need to remember here is that, since Blind Blake died in '32 and Blind Boy Fuller died in '41, the recordings of Moss and White, from '33 through '35, are the basis or the big link to the start of the Piedmont blues style development. In '41, J.B. Long, Fuller's manager, petitioned to get Moss released from prison, to fill the gap left by Fuller's death. He was assisted in those efforts by Columbia Records. The effort was successful. In '41, while working for Long, at Elon College, which was part of his parole agreement, Moss met Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. In October of '41, the three went to New York City to record for Columbia. Of the 13 songs they recorded, only 3 were released. In December of '41, the U.S. entered WW II. Because of that, shellac was an item that was rationed, since it was termed as a war material. Since that is what records were made of, that postponed the musical careers of all but the top performers of the time, who could still be allowed the material to make their records. That put Buddy's career on hold for slightly more than 20 years. In '64, Buddy heard that his old partner, Josh White, was performing at Emory University, in Atlanta. He went to visit him, backstage, and White persuaded him to perform together for other college audiences. White also got Buddy a contract to record for Columbia, in Nashville. Buddy went on to perform at many festivals, mostly in the Eastern states. He passed away October 19, 1984, in Atlanta.
Blues Question For July 2020: This bluesman is another of those who didn't quite get the recognition that he should have, both for his voice and the feeling with which he sang. Most often he worked as a sideman, but did do some recording as the frontman. Any ideas on who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For July 2020: The song is "My Grandpa Is Old, Too!", and the artist is Sam Lightnin' Hopkins. The only info I have on it's history is that it first shows up on Bluesville LP #1045, released in 1962. Thought you could use a couple of chuckles hearing the lyrics !

Blues Trivia For July 2020: While going through materials on Buddy Moss, I saw that most of his early recordings, 1930 to 1941, were shown to be on either the Columbia/OKeh label, or ARC. ARC, if you'll remember from an earlier blog, had control of many labels, and determined who got released on what label. The cd that we stock here is a collection of 23 tracks from throughout his career, on the Wolf label. Wanting to find more of his early works, I found listed Travelin' Man Records, which, along with Flyright, Krazy Kat, and Magpie, are trademark labels of Interstate Music,Ltd., out of East Sussex, England. Travelin' Man was started in 1983, and their first LP was TM-800, Buddy Moss: Georgia Blues. In '84, they issued a second one, TM-802, Buddy Moss: Red River Blues (Vol.2). The first one covered 1930-1935, the second one covering 1933-1941. Of note here is that the Vol.2 version was taken off an LP from Kokomo Records, a U.S. company, #K-1003, which was manufactured in 1968. There were only 99 copies pressed. Kokomo Records specialized in pre- WW II recordings. They were only in business from 1967 into 1971. They released a total of 7 different LP's, all re-issues of earlier recordings. In 1990, Travelin' Man started to release some cd compilations of some of their LP's. Their fifth one #TMCD-05 is Buddy Moss: 1930 - 1941, and is of some of the songs on the 2 LP's of him that they did. They produced a total of 9 different cd's, with one of them, Son House, getting two different cd's, both identical in content and information, the difference being that the first one was manufactured in France, as were all their cd's, withe the exception of one other. The second Son House was manufactured in the Czech Republic. The only difference I see is that the one in France had a blue backround on the liner notes cover and on the disc itself. The one from the Czech Republic was yellow in the same places. The other one from the Czech factory is TMCD-09 "I Can Eagle Rock", a compilation of Chicago Blues from 1940--'41, also done in yellow. This was Travelin' Man's final release of any kind, and that was in 1996. Since, in some of the past blogs, I've said that a lot of the earlier bluesmen had been in prison, I'm gonna' throw in a couple of tidbits, one on blues, one on folk musics: tidbit #1- we stock a cd done of Jimmy Reed's songs, by Bill Cosby. And here's the real zapper-- we don't stock this budding folk singer/songwriter/guitarist's LP's or cd's, but we can order them for you-- that would be Charles Manson (by law, the proceeds from those sales go toward restitution to the victims families) and I don't think he's related to Marilyn).

Some July Blues Passings: 
  • July 4th.,1977-- Earl Bell
  • July 13th.,1979-- Lesley "Esley" Riddle
  • July 24th.,1997-- Bob Gaddy
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Joe's Blues Blog June 2020

5/28/2020

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First off, I'd like to say that I hope that all are doing well amid the restraints of the COVID-19 rules. As you know, many events, in all fields, have been postponed or cancelled. Postponed: maybe they'll be done in the future, but maybe not. Cancelled, they're just gone. All of this has an effect that, in one way or another, touches all who are involved, either directly, or indirectly. Some will have profited from this, while quite a few others will never recover. At any rate, if you can help someone who needs it, please do so--- we'll get through this!

Some Blues Births For June: 
  • June 1st.,1925-- Marie Knight
  • June 15th.,1946-- Duris Maxwell, aka Mohawk, Ted Lewis
  • June 29th.,1943-- Robert "Bob" Brunning

Answer To The May 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/ is B.K. Turner, born Babe Kyro Lemon Turner, on December 21, 1905 (some sources list it as 1907), in Hughes Springs, Texas. He was also known as Babe Turner, Buck Turner, but he is best- known as "Black Ace". At a young age he taught himself how to play guitar on a homemade instrument. In the late 1920's and into the early '30's, he travelled and performed with a youth a few years his junior, who he was mentoring on the guitar, one Andrew "Smokey" Hogg. They played at dances, parties, picnics, and other venues, around East Texas. In the mid- '30's he moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he met a musician who played the guitar, with a slide, with it sitting in his lap. That would be Oscar "Buddy" Woods. Woods mentored Ace in playing in that manner. Ace bought a National steel guitar after that, and used it, with a slide when he performed. He recorded 2 songs on April 5, 1936, in Fort Worth, Texas, on the ARC Records label. Those were "Bonus Man Blues" and "Black Ace Blues", numbers FW-1260-1 and FW-1261-2, respectively, credited artist- Buck Turner. Those were never released. On February 15, 1937, he recorded six songs with an "unknown" accompanist, believed to be Smokey Hogg, in Dallas, on the Decca label. One of those songs was "Black Ace". Also in '37, he started a radio show in Fort Worth, on KFJZ. He used that "Black Ace" recording as the show's theme song, which is when he "assumed" that name. He would not record again until 1960, as he'd been drafted into the Army in '43, and gave up playing music. In 1960, Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records persuaded him to record an album. Part of it was recorded at Ace's home, and part of it was recorded in Fort Worth, and, yes, on different dates. That was on a vinyl lp. In '92, Arhoolie put together a cd, using most of those songs, added a couple of unreleased ones, and also adding the six from that '37 session. That cd is #374, and it's titled "I am the Boss Card in your Hand", and, yes it's in our stock. One critic labeled his sound as "Hawaii meets the Delta", and I have to agree. Ace passed away on November 7,1972, in Fort Worth, of cancer.

Blues Question For June 2020: This bluesman was putting a great career together, when some legal problems and a war put a crimp in what had looked like a great future. It wasn't until the '60's blues revival that his career recovered. He is considered to be one of the main influences in the early development of the "East Coast" blues. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For June 2020: The song is "Telephone Blues", and the artist is Floyd Dixon, shown to be backed by Johnny Moore and his Three Blazers. There are conflicting dates shown for this recording; one is October 26,1950, and the other is December 30,1950. Also, the people I found listed as being on it are: Floyd Dixon on piano and vocals, Johnny and Oscar Moore on guitars, Johnny Miller on bass, and Maxwell Davis on tenor sax. Regardless-- enjoy!

Blues Trivia For June 2020: This ties in with the answer on Black Ace. This is in reference to the ARC recordings of his in '36. By it's proper name, American Recording Corporation, was founded in 1929 through the merger of three record companies. Two of them contributed three record labels, while the third partner contributed five. ARC was sold, in 1930, to Consolidated Film Industries, who had leased Brunswick Records from Warner Brothers. The initial idea was to provide recordings to movie theaters, for use as background and/ or intermission music. From 1929 up to December 30, 1938, ARC recorded, issued, and/ or pressed records for at least 32 different labels, at least from what I could find. In '38, it was sold to Columbia Broadcasting System, and they started releasing under the Columbia Records, along with it's subsidiary label, OKeh Records. Today, it's still alive, but is shown as Sony Music Entertainment. Now, about those 2 recordings by Buck Turner (Black Ace): we'll never hear them, unless the masters can be found, and documented.

Some Blues Passings For June 2020: 
  • June 4th.,1980-- Coy "Hot Shot" Love
  • June 18th.,1998-- Archie L. Edwards
  • June 24th.,1975-- Charles Walker 
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Joe's Blues Blog May 2020

4/25/2020

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Some May Blues Births: 
  • May 8th.,1893-- Charlie Spand
  • May 6th.,1946-- Roger Earl
  • May 30th.,1965-- Rick Holstrow

Answer To The April 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Simeon "Blind" Simmie Dooley, born July 3, 1881, in Hartwell, Georgia. When he was a young boy, he worked the streets around Spartanburg, South Carolina, singing and playing guitar, for tips, around 1900. While doing that, he attracted the attention of a slightly younger person, who liked to watch and hear him perform. The youngster introduced himself -- he was Pinkney "Pink" Anderson, who Simmie would teach how to play the guitar. The two would pair up and work the streets, house parties, picnics, fish fries, and whatever else they could work, to make money. From about 1916-18 up into the late '20's, they also performed and travelled with  "Doc" W.R. Kerr's Indian Remedy Company Medicine Show. When not on the road, the pair would return to Spartanburg and resume working as they had. In 1928, they travelled to Atlanta, to record for Columbia Records. On April 14th., they recorded four songs, with vocal and guitar duets, and possibly Simmie on kazoo. Two of those were released that year, the other two, the following year. All of them were good sellers. Pink was then invited to record more, but without Simmie. Pink refused to do that without Simmie. Those were/are the only recordings Simmie ever did, and Pink would not record again until 1950. Simmie went back to Spartanburg and continued to work the streets and other small venues, until his health would no longer allow him to perform. He passed away at 79 years of age, on January 17, 1961, in Spartanburg, of heart disease. You can find those 4 songs on compilation cd's, sometimes 1 or 2, never all 4. Some years ago Document Records made 2 different compilation cd's, with all 4 on each of them. I have 1 of each in my collection, and 1 new one in stock at The Sound of Blue.

Blues Question For May 2020: This bluesman, though somewhat obscure, did do quite a few recordings. He took his nickname from the title of one of his first recordings. His ability should put him with the likes of Eric Clapton and Ry Cooder. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For May 2020: The song is "Biscuit Baking Woman", and the artist is James "Yank" Rachell. It was done April 3,1941, in Chicago, and featured John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson I on harp, William Mitchell on bass, and Washboard Sam (Robert Brown) on washboard.

Blues Trivia For May 2020: This is just a collection of random thoughts, ideas, and opinions, some mine, others thrown into the mix by others. If any of you have a subscription to a blues magazine, whether it's a printed copy or a digital one, you'll note that they all have a "review" section for albums, dvd's, books, or whatever else is available for sale. They get copies sent to them by independent artists, record companies, etc. to evaluate. It's basically a cheap way to get a published and circulated ad, so it makes good business sense. When you look at the cd reviews, have you ever seen one that politely says "if you like this artist/band or if you just like one or two songs on it, then, by all means, buy it. If you don't like it for one of those reasons, don't waste your money-- skip it. Maybe the plastic in it should have been used to make a license plate frame." Have you noticed that it seems that 75 to 80% of the mag is ads? There are bright spots in them, too. I was just reading Blues Music Magazine (formerly Blues Revue), and in there is an interview/article featuring Charlie Musselwhite. In the interview he says the exact same thing that I've been trying to get across to blues fans for years. I won't quote it directly, just kind of a summary: "any decent musician can play blues music, but the blues isn't just music, it's a way of life. It's a story about life's ups and downs, on a daily basis, and if you really want to understand it, you have to go back and look at the old- timers, as that's where it started-- telling their stories". If I haven't made it clear, please read the article, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Let's shift gears here, a little bit. when I was picking the Blues Song for this month, I was considering one of many that are about different illnesses, diseases that are passed from one to another, afflictions that have plagued man for years, but I thought no, right now, though it's relevant, there's enough grief and suffering with this virus. So, sitting here on lockdown, I'm thinking about good food, and this goofy weather. An a-ha moment-- homemade hot biscuits and gravy, and yes, there are plenty of songs about food. Anyhow, good blues to 'ya, and I hope you're healthy, safe, and happy.!!

Some Blues Passings For May 2020: 
  • May 6th.,2007-- Carey Bell Harrington
  • May 12th.,1972-- "Big John" Marshall Greer
  • May 28th.,1993-- Charles Isiah "Doc"/"Doctor" Ross
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Joe's Blues Blog April 2020

3/30/2020

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Hope that this finds everyone well, and coping O.K. with the current situation. You'll have observed that some of the NEOBA events have been cancelled or postponed. This is going to be true for all types of musics and musicians. It's most likely to have a considerable negative effect on summer concerts, cruises, and other music venues, and may stretch into the fall/ winter period, though I do hope I'm wrong. But, as is said-- hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Some April Blues Births: 
  • April 5th.,1934-- "Big" Bill Collins
  • April 16th.,1979-- Sean Costello
  • April 29th.,1925-- Otis Rush

Answer To The March 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Benny Turner, born October 27, 1939, in Gilmer, Texas. As I stated in the Question, he was the younger brother of a blues icon, one Fred "Freddie" King (shown on his early recordings as Freddy). Both boys learned how to play guitar from their mother, Ella Mae (King) Turner, along with the help of two of her brothers, Leon and Leonard King. Benny started his musical career playing guitar and doing background vocals with a gospel group, The Kindly Shepherds. During that period he also started playing with Freddie and his band, in some Chicago blues clubs. While doing that, he met Dee Clark (remember the song "Raindrops"?), who invited him to go on tour with him and his R&B band, which he did. After that, for a short time, he played bass for The Soul Stirrers. He, after a while, re-joined his brother's band. Freddie passed away three days after Christmas, in '76, which hit Benny hard, so hard, in fact, that he went into a state of deep depression, for which he was eventually hospitalized. When he recovered, two years after Freddie's death, Benny joined Mighty Joe Young's band, and performed with them for eight years. When he left that band, he moved to New Orleans, where, in '86, he became the band leader for Marva Wright, a blues singer of some note. He stayed in that spot for twenty years. After she passed away in 2010, Benny went out on his own and recorded four albums, the latest in 2019. The one that has garnered the most recognition and awards is "My Brother's Blues", a tribute to Freddie, being a collection of the songs Freddie liked the best, and yes, Benny's still alive 

Blues Question For April 2020: This bluesman only travelled one time and recorded only four songs. He was a guitarist and singer, who also played the kazoo. He's another of those "unknown" bluesmen, but you'll recognize his recording partner on those four songs. Any ideas on who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For April 2020: The song is "Ice Cream In Hell", and the artist is Tinsley Ellis. This was released on January 31st. of this year, on an album of the same title. I picked this one to show that I do listen to the newer artists, even though I favor the old "stuff". Those old artists and songs are how one learns about the blues, not just the songs, but the blues life in general. "There is much to be learned, Grasshopper".

Blues Trivia For April 2020: This ties in with Benny Turner (kinda'). Freddie King, his older brother, was a big man at 6ft.5in., and on the heavy side, where Benny was average height and skinny. When the family moved to Chicago, Freddie's first and main job, was working in a steel mill, and going to the blues clubs to listen, at night. At age 18, in 1952, he met and married another Texas transplant, Jessie Burnett, with whom, over the years, he/they had seven children. After sitting in with quite a few of the big names of the blues, he started his own band, and did a considerable amount of touring, about 300 shows a year, along with studio work. In 1960 he signed a recording contract with Cincinnati's King Records, and did his early recordings on King's subsidiary label, Federal Records, and was usually shown as Freddy King. His touring schedule in those years was the biggest contributor to his death, as he was a hard-partier. When he'd be setting up for a show, he'd usually, for lunch or dinner, have a Bloody Mary, because he didn't like to be feeling too full to work hard. That led to stomach ulcers, which caused his health to decline. If you get on YouTube and look at some concert footage of him performing, you'll see his size, how hard he worked, how in-command of the music, his playing, and his performance he was. He passed away at the age of 42, from the ulcers and acute pancreatitis. Now, a bunch of trivia: that 1960 contract with Federal got him to record four songs, two of which were released in '60, but not met with a lot of success. The other 2 were released in '61. One of those is now a blues standard, a blues instrumental, unheard of at that time as popular, "Hide Away", which was named after a Chicago West Side club, Mel's Hide Away Lounge. It made it onto and up the pop and R&B charts, not to the top, but close enough. There was a time when a guitarist, auditioning for a gig or a spot in a band would be asked "can you play Hide Away ?". If the answer was no, you were gone. It has been said that Freddie was the best of the four Kings, including Albert, B.B., and Earl. Now, let's back up a bit in time. In 1956, Freddie made his first recording (shown as Freddy King) on the small El-Bee Records label, #157. The "A" side was "Country Boy", and the "B" side was "That's What You Think". Freddie didn't play guitar on these, he only did vocals. The "A" side was a duet with Margaret Whitfield, while the "B" side was just him on the vocal. The surprise here is the musicians on these songs: Earlee Payton on harmonica, Billy "The Kid" Emerson (he's the one who did the original "The Woodchuck" song) on piano, and, depending on what source you're looking at, either Milton Rector or Robert "Big Mojo" Elem on bass. Fred Below was on drums, but the surprise here is the guitarists: Eugene Pearson, and our own Robert Lockwood Jr.. You often hear or see the phrase "small independent label" ? Well El-Bee is one of those. it recorded that #157 of Freddy's in '56. It recorded #161, "The Foster Bros.", in '57 (they went on to record quite a bit more on other labels), and #162, "Vera & The Three Jays" (the only recording by them that I've seen). That label was owned by Chicago lawyer John Burton, and those are the only three records that label put out, a total of six sides.

Some April Blues Passings: 
  • April 1st.,1997-- Booker T. Lexing, aka Jimmy "Count" Hughes
  • April; 12th.,2018-- Deborah Francine Coleman
  • April 26th.,1988-- Arbee Stidham
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Joe's Blues Blog March 2020

3/2/2020

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Some March Blues Births:
  • March 3rd.,1945-- John Primer
  • March 15th.,1947-- Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder
  • March; 28th.,1950-- Dennis Brooks

Answer To The February 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/ is Eddie Shaw, born March 20, 1937, in Stringtown, Mississippi. In his teens he played tenor sax with the local blues musicians. When he was 14, he played at/ on a jam session with none other than The Ike Turner Band, in Greenville. In '57 he had a gig in Itta Bena (remember that town's name and some of the great bluesmen to come from there?), where he was spotted, then approached by Muddy Waters, who invited him to play in his Chicago- based band. Once in Chicago he found that he was splitting the sax position in the band with A.C.Reed (real name Aaron Corthen, with Reed being the type of instrument). Shaw then left Muddy's band and went with Howlin Wolf's band in '72, which he would take over the running of, a position he held up to Wolf's death in '76. He would continue to run that band, The Wolf Gang for several years, until it disbanded. In '74 Eddie "inherited" a blues club at which he and Wolf and the band had performed frequently, at that time known as the 1815 Club, which was it's street address on W. Roosevelt Road, on the corner at S. Wood Street. In '70, the club's owner, at that time called the Alex Club, was stabbed to death on the dance floor, while trying to stop a knife fight between two women. Different family members ran it and re- named it the 1815 Club, though they really didn't want to be running it. That's how and why Eddie ended up with it. He then made the Wolf Gang the house band, and re- named it Eddie's Place. Since he was still running the band, which was always touring and performing all over the U.S. and abroad, he wasn't there to manage it, and it went downhill. He decided to close it in '80. As I stated in the Question, he re- opened it almost 10 years later, re- named again as The New 1815 Club, with a new partner, LeRoy Edwards. He sold it shortly thereafter, and it was re- sold several times over the years, until it was bought by a Baptist church in '94, and was named the Howard Chapel Community Church, with the Rev. James Brooks running it. Eddie Vaan Shaw Jr. joined the Wolf Gang, performing with his dad. At that time Vaan used a three- necked Fender guitar. He eventually replaced Hubert Sumlin as the guitarist in the band. His second, younger son, Stan, is a character actor of some note, who lives in Hollywood. Eddie passed away on January 29, 2018, in Chicago, of natural causes.

Blues Question For March 2020: This bluesman is the younger brother of a blues icon. When his older brother died, he quit performing for several years. When he did return, he was mostly performing as a sideman, which he did for years, before going out on his own. He did one album of his brother's songs, as a tribute. Any ideas on who this bluesman might be ?

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For March 2020: The song is "Ain't Got No Rabbit Dog", and the artist is "Smoky Babe" (Robert Brown), accompanied on harmonica by Clyde Causey, recorded in February of '60, in Scotlandville, Louisiana. Possibly, this was based on the song "Uncle Bud", a "rowdy blues" song recorded in '29, by Georgia Tom (Thomas A.Dorsey) and Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker), though neither is credited with writing it.

Blues Trivia For March 2020: You can count this entire section as a collection of trivia, all thrown into the pot. When I was trying to figure out which Smoky Babe song to put in this blog, I did some digging into his recordings history. Turns out, he was recorded at only two sessions, in '60 and '61, by Dr. Harry Oster, yes, the same one who did all the recordings of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as Angola, prisoners. He specialized in field recordings of what he viewed as American folk musics of all types. He started a record company, Folk-Lyric, to gather and sell these recordings, using that income to go out and record more. As it turned out, he was assisted in Smoky's sessions by a young man interested in doing the same thing, born a count in his native Germany, one Christian Alexander Maria "Chris" Strachwitz. When he came to the U.S., he settled in California, but wanted to head to Louisiana to do some recording of locals in small towns. This came about after he had seen the 1934 movie "New Orleans". Chris started the Arhoolie Records company to do these releases, when he would get some recording done. The first album released under that label was one by Mance Lipscomb, which actually had been recorded/ released earlier by another young man by the name of Robert "Mack" McCormick, who would become a musicologist and folklorist of some note. He's the one who suggested the Arhoolie name to Chris, as it was a word used to describe the "field hollar", which is known as "call and response" music, used by field hands to have a cadence while working. It was also used by the prisoners on "chain gangs". Oster's recordings of the blues men and women were later released on the Arhoolie label. The balance of his recordings were of all different types of musics, including Cajun, country, and various other ethnic origins. His company was sold to/ merged with Folkways. Another note: Mack McCormick quit high school to work in the Cedar Point ballroom, taking care of the needs of the musicians. This section of the blog was put together to illustrate how many different things fall into place or come into being, as a result of chance, luck, and sometimes planning and hard work. Hope it gives some food for thought.

Some Blues Passings For March 2020: 
  • March 2nd.,2008-- Norman Jeffery "Jeff" Healey
  • March 18th.,1991-- Narvel Eatmon, aka Cadillac Baby
  • March 22nd.,2008-- Reg Isidore    
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Joe's Blues Blog February 2020

2/4/2020

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Some February Blues Births:
  • February 2nd.,1890-- Horace Sprott
  • February 15th.,1984-- Gary Lee Clark Jr
  • February 28th.,1934-- Giorgio Gomelsky

Answer To The January 2020 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Emery H. "Little Junior" Williams, better known as Detroit Junior, born October 26, 1931, in Haynes, Arkansas. While he was an infant, the family moved nine miles to the north, to Forrest City. In '39 they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and then on to Pulaski, Illinois, in '43, where Junior was raised by his grandmother. He became interested in music in his early teens. In '47 he moved to Flint, Michigan, where he worked house parties and shows, into '50. In late '50 he worked outside of the music field, in Pontiac, Michigan, and then in Cleveland, Ohio, in '51. He made his first recordings in '52, on the Great Lakes label, in Pontiac, but they were never released. From '52 to sometime in '56, he performed with musicians who were travelling in the area, such as John Lee Hooker, Amos Milburn (the original writer and performer of the song "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer"), and Eddie Boyd. Most of that was done in the Detroit area. In '56, Boyd got him to move to Chicago, hopefully to get a recording contract with Chess Records. While in Chicago, Junior performed with J.T. Brown, Little Mack (Simmons), James Cotton, Sam Lay, Eddie "Playboy" Taylor, Johnny Twist (Williams), and others. During that time, he also toured with James Cotton’s band. He then went on to tour, perform, and record with Howlin' Wolf's band, up to when Wolf passed away in '76. He stayed on with that band for a number of years, The Wolf Gang, who continued to perform Wolf's tunes. As I mentioned in the Blues Question, his career was influenced by his idol, Amos Milburn, who wrote humorous songs about the evils of alcohol. Of the hundreds of songs that Junior wrote, his best were along those same lines. After the Wolf Gang broke up, he returned to Chicago, where he performed on his own, occasionally with others, in the local clubs. In his early career he developed a fan base because of his style of play, and his stage shows. He would play standing up, kneeling, and-- picture this --from underneath the piano (and people think that playing the guitar behind one's head is hard!). Even after he lost a leg to diabetes, he continued to play in Chicago's North Side clubs, such as B.L.U.E.S. and Kingston Mines. He passed away on August 9,2005, at home, of heart failure.

Blues Question For February 2020: This bluesman was known mostly as a sideman, though he did front a band for a number of years. He also owned a Chicago blues club, shut it down, and, some years later, re-opened it. Any idea who this bluesman might be?

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For February 2020: The song is "Strange Letter Blues", and the artist is Schoolboy Cleve (Cleveland White), recorded around August of '54, in Crowley, Louisiana, on the Feature label. Cleve did the vocal and harmonica work, with Lightnin' Slim (Otis V. Hicks) on guitar, and Sammy Drake on drums. Listen closely to the words in this song, as they relate what the blues is/are all about. If you don't hear them clearly, look up the lyrics, and you'll get it!

Blues Trivia For February 2020: I thought since the main artist in this month's answer section is a pianist, that I should have another one in this section. Accordingly, this is about Otis Spann, who was the piano player in Muddy Waters' early '50's band. He was recruited for that spot by Jimmy Rogers, who had found him to having been sleeping in his car, because he couldn't get enough gigs to afford an apartment. Since the early blues recordings at Chess Records were building the careers and name recognition of its roster of bluesmen, such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and many others, Spann was also being noticed. He was tapped frequently to be a session player for many of the Chess artists, in different genres, though most of the time he was uncredited as being on those recordings. Those sessions led to Otis being sought after to be a session player for many other artists, on many other labels. Most of the time he was not credited on those either. Here's a little trivia on Otis. If you're familiar with Chuck Berry and his Chess recordings, you know that his piano player was Johnnie Johnson. What you may not know however, is that quite a few of Chuck's recordings used Otis Spann on piano, uncredited yet again.

Some February Blues Passings:
  • February 5th.,2008-- Cleveland "Schoolboy Cleve" White
  • February 16th.,2010-- Wilroy Sanders
  • February 26th.,1995-- Willie Lee Johnson
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Joe's Blues Blog January 2020

1/6/2020

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Hope all had a Merry and Safe Christmas, and a good start on New Year's Day, for 2020!
Some January Blues Births:
  • January 2nd.,1939--Albert "Little Smokey" Smothers
  • January 13th.,1959--David "Kid" Ramos
  • January 31st, either 1926 or 1928--Harold Jerome "Chuck" Willis

Answer to The December 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Hammie Nixon, aka Hammie Nickerson, born as Hammie Davis (father was Green Nixon, mother was Martha Davis), on January 22,1908, in Brownsville, Tennessee. He was orphaned at an early age, and was raised, up to age 10, by a white family. He was interested in music at an early age and started playing at parties. He teamed up with a locally performing bluesman, one "Sleepy" John Estes, from 1924 to '27, playing picnics and country dances. Often, the pair went hoboing through Arkansas and Missouri. He worked in '30 and '31, mostly as a farmer, in Brownsville. In late '31 he moved to Chicago, where, up to '37, he worked house parties and street corners, with "Brownsville" Son Bonds, for tips. He recorded blues songs with Bonds, on the Decca label. He recorded more with Bonds, gospel songs, with Bonds being listed as "Brother" Son Bonds. In '35, Hammie teamed up with "Sleepy" John Estes, and recorded on the Champion label. Later on in '35 and '37, the pair recorded on the Decca label (in '34, Decca had bought out Gennett and its' subsidiary label, Champion records). From then, up into '62, he returned to Brownsville, to work mostly outside the music field, but did travel to record with Estes, Little Buddy Doyle, Charlie Pickett, Lee Green, and Clayton T. Driver. One source shows that he recorded with Estes, on the Victor label, in '29, but I find no record of that. Estes did record for Victor in '29, not with Nixon, but with Jab Jones and James "Yank" Rachell, as the "Three J's Jug Band". What I did find is that Nixon and Estes did, in '48, record 2 unreleased cuts, "Harlem Bound" and "Stone Blind", on the Ora Nelle label (more on that label shortly), but that recording also shows an "unknown" washtub bass player. It lists Estes as being on vocal and guitar, with Nixon shown on harmonica. Could it also be Nixon on that bass? His primary instrument was the harmonica, but he also played guitar, Jew's harp, washboard, jug, kazoo, and tub bass. Starting in '63, and from then on, until Estes' died in '77, the pair toured and performed all over the U.S., Canada, and most of the countries of Europe. Many of these performances were recorded and later released by the labels in the countries in which they took place. After Estes' death, Hammie toured and performed with the Beale Street Jug Band, up into the '80's. He suffered a cerebral hemmorage and passed away on August 17,1984, in Jackson, Tennessee. By the way, he was married to Estes' daughter, Virginia Estes.

Blues Question For January 2020: This bluesman played guitar and piano, with piano being his main focus. He was known for his ability as a player, but also for his stage presence and performance thereon. He was influenced by a couple of the greats in blues piano but favored and idolized one in particular. That one influenced both his playing and his songwriting. He wrote hundreds of songs, with many of those covered or performed by some of the leading names in the blues. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) and Artist(s) For January 2020: The song is "Call My Job", and the artist is "Detroit Jr.". This is the original, the 1965 recording of what is now a blues standard. I picked this one as a "tip of the hat" to those who did the "party hearty" thing on New Year's Eve, and took two days to recover, before going back to work.

Blues Trivia For January 2020: Earlier in the Blog I listed a recording by Nixon and Estes on the Ora Nelle label, done in 1948. In 1947, the first issued recording on that label, #711, was done by Little Walter J. and Othum Brown, the "A" side being "Ora Nelle Blues, the "B" side being "I Just Keep On Loving Her". Vocal and guitar on the A side by Brown, with Little Walter on harp and the B side with Little Walter on vocal and harp and Brown on guitar. Two things to note on that record: it was Little Walter's first recording and it was two of the three recordings ever done by Brown. Some sources show that the "Ora Nelle Blues" title was in honor of Walter's girlfriend, while other sources show it was about Brown's girlfriend. Further research, however, has shown that it was to honor a cousin of Idel Abrams (known as "Red" to friends, because of her haircolor), the wife of Bernard Abrams. In 1945 Bernard opened the Maxwell Radio and Record company, at 831-833 West Maxwell Street. He sold and repaired radios and other electrical items. He bought a military surplus record cutting machine and set up an area in the store where blues musicians could make demo recordings. A lot of those recordings went out the door, after the musicians had paid the bill for the services. It didn't take long for him to figure out that there might be money to be made with an actual record label, hence the Ora Nelle label was born, sole distributor being Maxwell Radio Co. He built up quite a collection of those demo recordings and sold them out of the store. Idel handled the sales end of things. During that time, Bernard had bought up one whole block of buildings on Maxwell Street. Some sources show only 4 songs ever pressed and released, while others show 5 and/or 8. There's one that shows 14, including alternate takes of some of the songs. Bernard was quoted as saying that "a bluesman never plays a song twice the same way". One of the bluesmen who recorded demos there was Muddy Waters, who later confirmed that he had taken all his recordings with him when he left the store. He also said, and Bernard confirmed, that he performed on the sidewalk in front of the store, before he became well-known enough to start booking gigs locally. We'll never know what treasures were lost there, as the building burned down a few years later, with lots of demos inside. By the way, that store/recording "studio" was the only store of its' type on the fabled Maxwell Street. We have 3 different dvd's in stock that document the history of that street and the blues men and women who performed thereon, and the "market", some showing a little history of Ora Nelle Records, Bernard and Idel Abrams, and the Maxwell Radio and Record Store.

Some January Blues Passings:
  • January 5th.,2009-- Sam "Bluzman" Taylor
  • January 17th.,1975-- Elzadie Robinson
  • January 28th.,2017-- Gabriel Perrodin, better known as "Guitar Gable"
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Joe's Blues Blog December 2019

12/1/2019

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First off, wishing all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and hoping that all will have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!

Some December Blues Births:
  • December 6th.,1925-- Robert Daniel Ealey
  • December 15th.,1955-- Mark Hummel
  • December 25th.,1944-- Henry Charles Vestine, aka "The Sunflower"

Answer To The November 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, born June 9, 1926, in Greenwood, Mississippi. He grew up on a farm near Inverness. While growing up, he learned to play the violin and acoustic bass. He would later switch to electric bass, which became his instrument of choice. In the following years he worked with many mainstream bluesmen, such as Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Little Walter, James Cotton, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Muddy Waters, and Mississippi Heat. In 1970 he joined the Muddy Waters band, and toured and often recorded with them, through the '70's. In 1980 he appeared in the first Blues Brothers movie, playing on Maxwell Street, outside the Soul Food Cafe. Also, in '80, he joined others from Muddy's band, and formed the Legendary Blues Band, playing bass and, on occasion, doing the lead vocal. Between then and '83, they recorded 7 albums, before they broke up. In '93 he played bass on Mississippi Heat's first album. On that recording, he did the lead vocal on one song, "Ruby Mae", which was written by bandmember Billy Flynn, to honor Calvin's wife, Ruby Mae. Flynn had also been in the Legendary Blues Band, with Jones. Calvin also played in several tribute bands, honoring Muddy, Howlin' Wolf, and the Jelly Roll Allstars. In '99, he recorded with Barrelhouse Chuck, on Chuck's debut album. In 2003, Jones backed Cassandra Wilson on her album "Glamoured". He also recorded with Cassandra on her version of "Vietnam Blues" (originally written by J.B. Lenoir), which was/is featured in the 7- part video story "Martin Scorsese Presents The Best of The Blues". In his last few years, Jones lived in Senatobia, Mississippi. He passed away in Southaven, Ms., on August 9, 2010, of lung cancer and a heart attack. If you read the Blues Question in the November Blog, you'll remember that I said that the town where he was born (Greenwood) should be familiar to all blues fans, as many blues people were also born there. Some of those are Hubert Sumlin, Fenton Robinson, Nora Jean Bruso, Walter E. "Furry" Lewis, Betty Everett, and Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones. You've probably heard one of Guitar Slim's often-recorded songs (probably his best), "The Things That I Used To Do". If you're not familiar with some of those listed, there is one other person associated with the blues, though on a somber side in reference to Greenwood-- it's where Robert Johnson died.

Blues Question For December 2019: This bluesman started performing when he was 16. He spent most of his career as a sideman to a well-known bluesman, performing on the road, and recording with him. He was a multi-instrumentalist. Though you've probably heard his playing, backing others, but don't know him. Any idea who this bluesman might be?

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For December 2019: I must explain this one more than usual, so you can see what I was shooting for. The artist I was looking for is "Big Walter" "Shakey" Horton, when I found this clip. It's a 2-song medley, performed in 1970, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 7th. The song was shown titled as "Roundabout Midnight", but was really the "All Star Boogie", as the first song, with the 2nd. one being titled as "That Ain't It", but it's actually "Hard Hearted Woman". The featured players here are Willie Dixon (stand-up bass), "Big Walter" Horton (harp and vocal), Lee Jackson (guitar), Lafayette Leake (piano), and Clifton James (not shown, on drums). This performance shows 2 things: Horton's ability on the harp, along with showing the feeling that real bluesmen have for their musical stories, and why Little Walter was so influenced by Horton's work. Willie Dixon has been quoted as saying "Shakey Horton is the best harmonica player I've ever heard". This medley was done during The American Folk Blues Festival tour of Europe.

Blues Trivia For December 2019: Willie Nix toured, performing as a dancer and comedian, with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, in his early twenties, during the late'30's and into the early '40's. In the following years, up to the mid-'40's, he most frequently worked the parks and streets in the Memphis area. In '49 and '50, he toured and performed with Sonny Boy Williamson II, Willie Love, and Joe Willie Wilkins, as The Four Aces. Nix recorded on the R P M label in '51, on the Checker label in '52, and in '53 on the Sun label (as the "Memphis Blues Boy"), all in Memphis. In his later years he toured and/or recorded with many of the headliners, such as Sonny Boy II, Sunnyland Slim, Elmore James, "Shoeshine Johnny" Shines, Jimmy Cotton, Big Amos Patton, and Willie Cobbs, playing either drums or guitar, as required. Over his long career, he performed on many radio shows with some of these people, including with B.B. King, on "The Pepticon Boy" show. Here's the trivia: in 1947, for his first radio "on-air" show, he was backing one of the icons of the blues, one of whom I spent time with, talking about the blues and some of it's players, and was a strong influence in starting this store, one who I will call our own, Robert Lockwood Jr.

Some December Blues Passings:
  • December 2nd.,2008-- Odetta Felious Gordon, aka "Odetta"
  • December 19th.,1989-- Floyd Jones
  • December 27th.,2006-- Delaine Alvin "Delaney" Bramlett

We have lots of Christmas Blues CDs (and some in other genres, too) in stock, and, again, have a safe and happy holiday season!!
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Joe's Blues Blog November 2019

10/30/2019

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Just to let you know: The 2020 Blues Calendar with free cd is ordered and should be here around November 22nd.

Some November Blues Births:
  • November 1st.,1975-- Hamilton Michael Loomis
  • November 19th.,1970-- Mike Zito
  • November 28th.,1946-- William Daniel McFalls, aka "Blues Boy Willie"

Answer to the October 2019 Blues Question: The blues artist we were looking for is/was Johnnie Mae Dunson (born Hudson), born March 29, 1921, near Bessemer, Alabama. At the age of two she contracted rheumatic fever, which left her in a weakened state. She spent most of the 4th. and 5th. grade years in bed. At the age of ten, doctors told her mother that she wouldn't make it to 14. Her mother gathered some of her friends from church at their house to pray for Johnnie Mae's health to get better, which it did. Her mother liked fresh spring water and often sent Johnnie Mae and her older sister to get some. To get some they carried a washtub with them. She'd beg her older sister to let her turn over the tub and beat on it with sticks, as she liked the sound and rhythm she could make. As she got older and stronger, she sang in the church choir. Some friends of her mother's from Chicago came to town to visit with her, and some relatives, who also lived in town. They attended church and heard Johnnie Mae and were so impressed with her that they urged her to come to Chicago to perform. She did so in 1943 and got an apartment on the West Side. To make money, she did hair in her kitchen, and performed, for pocket change at the famous Maxwell Street market area, which is where she met quite a few of the big-name Chicago blues performers, who also performed on Maxwell Street. There she would often sing to accompany on old drummer, Eddie "Pork Chop" Hines. She noticed, at one of their sessions, that he wasn't looking too healthy, and she asked for permission to play his drums. To that request, he replied "girl, you gonna' wreck my drums". After hearing and watching her play, he said "don't never stop playin' ". After that, she formed a trio, including Hines, to perform in clubs on the West Side. They became known as the Globetrotters, named after one of the clubs where they most often played-- the Globe Trotter Lounge. By then, she'd become well known and well liked enough that the blues locals often visited at her apartment, to talk about the blues, or get a bite to eat, or get her to help them write songs. If she was cooking gumbo or her pepper steak with gravy, it was a pretty safe bet that Willie Dixon would be there pretty soon. At some point in time, she married Andy Smith. They had a son in 1959, Jimi "Prime Time" Smith, who also became a bluesman, now living in Minneapolis. While he was growing up at home, he learned guitar from some of his mother’s visitors. The one who taught him the basics was Jimmy Reed. Then two other visitors taught/showed him how to develop his own style. Those two were Hubert Sumlin and Eddie "Playboy" Taylor. In the late '50's and early '60's Johnnie Mae was, besides performing, buying buildings, fixing them up, and selling them. According to Jimi, she wasn't afraid to swing a sledgehammer. One of the people in her "orbit" in the '60's was Charlie Musselwhite. Of her, he said that she could really belt out some gut-bucket blues, and she looked like someone you wouldn't want to mess with, a sentiment echoed by Jimi. Charlie also said that she carried a ledger-type book, everywhere, with her, that listed all the songs she'd written. When she went somewhere, she would have bluesmen almost begging her to write a song for them. Sadly, that book and other items were lost in a house fire. It has been said that she wrote over 800 songs, a lot of them hits for others, like "Evil" for Muddy Waters, Going Upside Your Head", "Life Won't Last Me Long", and "If You Want It Done Right" for Jimmy Reed. She is also said to have written the original version of "Wang Dang Doodle", which is now credited as being written for KoKo Taylor, by Willie Dixon. She has received almost no credit for what she has written, but she has said that it doesn't matter, as it's all about the music. She quit the music scene in 1973 and wasn't heard from again until around 1983. Her husband, Andy, had a heart attack and passed away, at home, in 1991. She did her first and only album under her own name, in 2000 -- "Big Boss Lady", on the Bogfire label. And, yes, it was in answer to Jimmy Reed's song "Big Boss Man". In the early '70's she had become Jimmy's manager and helped him get off the alcohol. She passed away October 4, 2007, in Chicago, of complications from intestinal problems.
Blues Question for November 2019: This bluesman, primarily known as a sideman, sometimes played lead and did vocals. He performed with many of the best-known blues headliners and bands. He came from a town steeped in blues history. Any idea who this bluesman might be?

Blues Song and Artist for November 2019: The song is "Please Have Mercy On Me", and the artist is Little Richard (Penniman). I picked this one to illustrate, again, that the "founders" of rock and roll came out of the blues, as did rock and roll itself.
Blues Trivia for November 2019: This ties in with the Blue Question answer from earlier, as it references Johnnie Mae Dunson- Smith, Jimmy Reed, and Mary Lee "Mama" Reed (Davis). I had indicated that Johnnie Mae hadn't recorded under her own name, and, for the most part, that's true. However, in 1972, after she'd taken over managing Jimmy's career, she set up an in-studio recording date with the Magic Recording Co., for him. Out of that session came two 7" 45 rpm records, 1 song on each side, for a total of 4 songs. She wrote the songs, did the producing of the recordings, and did vocals on them. Jimmy did the lead vocals and played harmonica, along with Larry Nestor on piano, King Edward (possible last name Antoine?) on guitar, Nolan Struck on bass, and someone listed only as "Rico", on drums. Unknown at the time, these would prove to be Jimmy's last studio recordings. Most all his studio recordings had been done in earlier years on the Vee-Jay label, while his "live" recordings were on a wide variety of labels. It's also widely known that "Mama" Reed wrote many of his songs, and that sometimes she'd have to give him the lyrics, on stage, because he was so drunk that he couldn't remember them. You should also know that she did vocals on most of his hit records from 1959 through 1962. A couple of other small items on this: I found one article that showed that the 4 songs that Johnnie Mae and Jimmy recorded together were done by the Memphis Recording Service. That label was only alive late in '50, all of '51, and a short period of '52, when its name was changed to Sun Records. Possibly that writer meant Magic Recording, and slipped, as we all do sometimes, and wrote Memphis in error? Also, I have 1 of each of those original Magic 45's in my collection. I wanted them because of their rarity, but also because I don't find any of those 4 songs in any compilation of Jimmy's work or added to any of his albums. "Nuff said!

Some Blues Passings for November 2019:
  • November 3rd.,2002-- Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegon
  • November 17th.,1995-- Peter J. "Pete" Welding
  • November 26th.,2006-- Robert Percell "H-Bomb" Ferguson
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Joe's Blues Blog October 2019

9/29/2019

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First, an apology: On the Blues Passings section for August and September. In the August Blog when I listed the first person, I listed the correct date, but the wrong name. Thankfully, that whole first line was omitted. In the September Blog I missed all three listings. I'll keep trying to improve!

Some Blues Births for October:
  • October 3rd.,1951-- William Earl "Billy" Branch
  • October 14th.,1895-- Edna Hicks, aka Mae Alix, Lila Vivian
  • October 27th.,1949-- Clifford Antone

Answer to The September 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/ is Sonny Boy Williamson III. In some records he is shown to have been born as Jeffery "Jeff" Williamson, which has been determined to be incorrect. According to the birth certificate for his son, Charles E. Johnson, his listed name as the father is shown to be Edward William Johnson. This info was found by researchers/ writers Bob Eagle and Alan Balfour. It is also shown in some sources he was known as Sonny "Golden Boy" Williamson. A little note on that one in just a bit. He arrived in Shreveport, coming from New Orleans, Louisiana, wanting to make a record. In the 'phone book, he found a listing for Mira Ann Smith's R A M Records (Royal Audio Music). He called and made arrangements with Mira for an interview and possible recording session. When he got there, he was met by Margaret Lewis, a singer, recording artist, and song writer, who was working with Mira. Lewis would later say of that meeting, that "he was a tall, slim man, who had a Little Richard style pompadour, dyed gold". He was accompanied by his own guitarist/ drummer, a James Moore, from Birmingham, Alabama (no, not James "Slim Harpo" Moore). He was quoted as saying to Lewis that "in New Orleans they call me the Golden Boy". He recorded 4 songs, 2 of which were released, while 2 were not. Yes, he was a harp player. Sometime after that, he moved to East Texas, where he signed with Don Robey's Buffalo Bookings Agency, better known as the owner of Duke and Peacock record labels. It's rumored that this Sonny Boy died sometime between 1964 and 1968, in Houston, after being hospitalized due to an automobile accident. The actual places and dates of both his birth and death, all remain, at this time, unknown. You can hear his 2 released recordings on YouTube, or all 4 on Spotify. On all compilation discs I've seen, only one song comes up: "Mailman, Mailman". There is 1 cd, "Red River Blues: Shreveport Blues from R A M Records", on Ace Records U.K., #CDCHD 725, that has all 4 of his recordings, along with several really obscure artists and labels. It was released in 1999, and now, is out of print. If you can find one, expect to pay a "Collector's Price" for it.

Blues Question for October 2019: This blues artist is another in the barely known group, but certainly should be better-known. After writing hit songs for most all of Chicago's bluesmen, and knowing all of them, and being the most knowledgeable person about the history of Maxwell Street -- well, maybe at sometime, will be recognized. Any idea who this person might be??

Blues Song And Artist(s) for October 2019: The song is "Black Cat Bone", and the artist is Johnny Copeland. This is off the "Showdown!" album, on Alligator Records, featuring Albert Collins and Robert Cray as the other headliners, with Danny Gayden on bass, Allen Batts on organ, and Casey Jones on drums. Picked this one because Halloween is coming, and it fits. If you listen closely, at the beginning of the song, you'll hear Johnny and Albert referring to Harding "Poppa Hop" Wilson, who, along with Ivory Lee Simien, aka "King Ivory Lee", wrote and recorded the original of this song, with the title being "My Woman Has A Black Cat Bone", with Wilson on lap steel and vocal and Simien on drums. There is some debate on the vocals on the original ACA recordings, from which the Poppa Hop version was taken, as poor notes on the masters didn't show that other vocalists at/on this session were none other than Fenton Robinson and/or Larry Davis. The Alligator album, since it's 1985 release, has sold more than 285,000 copies, and has been remastered, with 1 song added, in 2011.

Blues Trivia For October 2019: This ties in with the aforementioned cd "Red River Blues". RAM Records appears to be the featured label, but, if you look closely, you'll see that the included labels of K, Jo, Clif, Speed, and Red River are there too. They were all tied to Mira Smith's RAM Records label. Think about this: she was one of the first women to own a recording company, which was difficult in the male dominated music business of that time. Anyhow, I don't know where the Jo name came from, but the K Records was in recognition of her sister, Katherine. Clif Hagin, a songwriter, teamed up with Mira, and the Clif Records subsidiary of R A M came to be. Speed Records, owned by Oscar Wills, aka T.-V. Slim, also became a subsidiary. There are 5 tracks on the Red River Records label, performed by Jesse "Baby Face" Thomas, who also owned that label. It wasn't a subsidiary of R A M, but rather, another Shreveport bluesman. A couple of other notes here: the recordings on this disc, from Speed Records, featured T.-V. Slim on vocals, Eddie Williams on piano, Jimmy White on drums, and Joe Young on guitars. Young would later move to Chicago, where he went on to be one of the best -- he was then known as "Mighty" Joe Young. Also on this cd are several other artists who recorded for these labels, but obviously didn't own them There were a lot of reasons for the "subsidiary" thing, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Some October Blues Passings:
  • October 1st.,2005-- Paul J. Pena
  • October 18th.,2009== Freddi Robinson, later known as Abu Talib
  • October 25th.,2016-- Robert "Bob" Lowery
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Joe's Blues Blog September 2019

9/3/2019

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Some September Blues Births:
  • September 3rd.,1895-- Noah Lewis
  • September 14th.,1952-- Darrel Nulish
  • September 28th.,1951-- Phillip Jackson, aka Norton Buffalo

Answer To The August 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Robert Percell Ferguson, best- known as H-Bomb Ferguson, born May 9, 1929, in Torrest, South Carolina, the 11th. of twelve children. As Robert was growing up, his father, a Baptist preacher, said he'd pay for piano lessons, but only if Robert learned sacred melodies. In a later interview, H-Bomb said that during the services, he'd play sacred music, then, when the services were over and the congregation would move outside to talk and socialize, he and his friends would run back inside, where Robert would play the blues on the piano. When he was 19, he toured and performed with Joe Liggins (also a piano player) and The Honeydrippers, after which the band ended up in New York. He went out on his own after that, and landed a gig at The Baby Grand Club, a Harlem nightclub, where he was billed as "The Cobra Kid". He first recorded as Bob Ferguson, in 1950, 4 tracks, on the Derby label, in New York City. The band backing him was The Jack "The Bear " Parker Orchestra. Parker became Ferguson's manager, and is credited as the one who gave him the " H-Bomb " nickname. It has also been said that he was given that name by Savoy Records producer Lee Magid, for whom he started recording in 1951, but I find that titles credited to "H-Bomb Ferguson" recorded in 1950 and early '51, on the Atlas and Prestige labels, were prior to his move to Savoy. He went on to record for at least 12 more labels in his career, as the featured artist. He toured with people such as Ruth Brown, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and even Redd Foxx, working clubs, performing as a singer and telling jokes. In '57 he moved to Cincinnati, where he signed with King Records. He formed his own band, "H-Bomb Ferguson and The Mad Lads, with whom he worked, to further develop his own style, focusing on his piano playing, up through the '60's. He quit performing in the early '70's but made a come-back in the '80's and on into the '90's, performing mostly in Britain and Europe, in his own self-developed wild style, wearing different multi-colored wigs. In 1990 he recorded a vinyl album for local Cincinnati record label Papa Lou Recordings, for local only release. In '93 he recorded a cd for Earwig Records, out of Chicago, titled "Wiggin' Out", backed by The Medicine Men. As near as I can tell, this was his last recording. He passed away November 26, 2006, in Cincinnati, of emphysema and cardiopulmonary disease. I only got to meet and talk with him once, at a blues festival at Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where we had a booth and worked that festival. We also met Guy Davis there. We had a bluesman spend those 2 days with us, sitting at our booth, talking with us and festival go-ers. His name was James Reed, and no, not THE Jimmy Reed, but the one with us was also a harp player. I'll never forget the red suit he was wearing!

Blues Question For September 2019: This is an almost totally unknown blues harp player who recorded only four tracks on the now long defunct RAM Records before he more or less, vanished from the business. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) for September 2019: The song is "Airport Blues", and the artist is Silas Hogan. This was recorded in January 1963, in Crowley, Louisiana. It features Silas Hogan on guitar and vocal, Sylvester Buckley on harmonica, Isiah Chatmon on the second guitar, and Samuel Hogan (Silas' son) on drums. This was done long before today’s airport congestion, and the T S A.

Blues Trivia For September 2019: Are you familiar with Alden Bunn, better-known as "Tarheel Slim" ? Probably not, though he recorded in many music genres, including blues, gospel, pop duets of the day, with groups in R & B, and rockabilly. He recorded under the names Alden Bunn, Allen Bunn, Allen Baum, and, of course, Tarheel Slim. Around 1955 he married Anna Lee Sandford, and they first recorded as "The Lovers", and later, going by "Tarheel Slim and Little Ann" on recordings. One of his interesting songs is "The Guy With A .45". The trivia part here is that another guitarist, as a sideman, recorded with him. That was James "Wild Jimmy" Spruill. Never heard of him either, right ? Well, you've probably heard his guitar work on things, such as Dave "Baby" Cortez's "The Happy Organ", Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City", Buster Brown's "Fannie Mae", and many of Elmore James' recordings. Bunn didn't record in all the genres he played, but Spruill did--and then some. The list of all the people/bands with whom he recorded is waay too long to be included here, but please, check him out, you'll be surprised! One last little bit of trivia on "Wild Jimmy"; he was well-known for playing his guitar with his teeth. Speaking of his guitar, he started out with the traditional "cigar box" guitar, with an elastic band, as a youngster, learning to play. After a few years, he stepped up to a Fender Telecaster. After that, he graduated to a Gibson Les Paul. This part, if you're a guitar player or collector, you might not want to read. He sawed off most of the Gibson's body, leaving maybe 2 inches of it on each side, parallel to the fret board, retained the pick-ups and controls, and replaced the sides to complete the soundboard, to suit his style of play. To hear some of that, listen to his tune "Hard Grind", on the "Fire" label, #1006, or "June's Blues", with King Curtis on sax, on the Symbol label (a subsidiary of Sue Records), #900, with the artist listed on the label as "The Commandos".

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Joe's Blues Blog August 2019

8/1/2019

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Some August Blues Births:
  • August 3rd.,1934 -- Alex "Easy Baby" Randle
  • August 16th.,1951 -- Eric Charles Bibb
  • August 26th.,1954 -- Scott Henderson

Answer To The July 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for is/was William Lloyd "Bill" Johnson, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, birth date unknown. When he was 2, the family moved to Ottawa, Ontario. Artistic family? -- yes; his mother, Dorothy Oxborough, is a recognized painter. While he was growing up he listened to his brother's blues records collection (his brother plays blues harmonica). At the age of 9, his family moved to Victoria, British Columbia. That was the year he started playing the guitar, as with the move, he, as yet, had no new friends. He excelled in his music classes and was playing professionally by the age of 15. He spent his teen years playing local gigs and studying guitar. He has said that his desire to play guitar was most influenced by his listening to recordings done by Chuck Berry. He now plays acoustic, electric, and lap slide guitars, and also the flute and harmonica. He performed with different bands through the '70's and '80's, all in varying genres of music. That's probably why he now fuses many styles into his playing (rock, country, jazz, and blues). In the mid - '80's he started to really concentrate on the blues area. Between 2005 and 2016 he has released 5 albums. In his career he has worked as a sideman for people such as Hubert Sumlin, Son Seals, and Otis Rush. He and his band were often the opening act for Otis Rush. He has been nominated, in different categories, by the Maple Blues Awards, The Blues Underground Network, and by both the Western Canada and Juno Awards. He won both best song, "Half the Man", and the best album (cd) "Still Blue", from which that song was taken. I picked this artist to show that the blues is not exclusive to our South, or Chicago, or anywhere else that lays claim to it -- it's recognized and appreciated world-wide. Two very good publications about the blues come from Europe -- 1 in England, and 1 in Italy. Why do you think so many blues and jazz musicians moved to Europe, in particular, France ? One of those who did that, because he felt he wasn't appreciated here, was Luther Allison, though some years later, after he had developed a following, a fan base, he moved back to the U.S.

Blues Question For August 2019: This bluesman was known as a "blues shouter", a name given to jump blues singers. He also played piano, which allowed him, in the mid -'50's to be a "pioneer" in the beginning of the Rock & Roll era. Late in his career he lived in Cincinnati. His recordings are sometimes found in the R & B section, as he contributed to that genre, as well. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) and Artist(s) for August 2019: The song is "I'm In A Phone Booth, Baby", and the artist is Albert King. You might be more familiar with Robert Cray's version, recorded at a later date. King's original was recorded in 1984, on his last studio album, "Phone Booth". First, I picked this one because of the guitar work, for the guitar players out there, and secondly, because the sounds you hear are the product of King's fingers -- there were no effects machines or pedals, or any other "artificial" sounds -- it was all Albert's talented playing. By the way, how long since you've seen a phone booth, and what are Clark Kent and Dr. Who going to use in the future?

Blues Trivia For August 2019: This one is about The Sound of Blue and remembering Deborah Coleman. In 1996, before we actually opened the store, we wanted to see if and how it would be received. We spent that Summer and Fall working manufacturer and craft shows where we would be inside or under a large tent, with many other assorted businesses, as well as some school festivals and sales where we'd be inside. At that time we had roughly 150 to 200 cd's and cassettes that we'd display and, hopefully, sell. The response was good. It showed us that it would probably work, but that it was going to take both a considerable amount of work, and a substantial investment in merchandise expansion. In the Winter/Spring of '96 and '97, we did just that. By the beginning of Summer, we had roughly 1,100 cd's, 400 cassettes, and 100 or so l.p.'s and 45's, along with various tee-shirts, ball caps, most of the blues magazines of the day, and some books. Now, we'd best get serious about moving some "product", and along came our first big debut, our Grand Opening, in May, featuring Crazy Marvin and The Blues Express, for entertainment. After that, we signed up to have a booth at The Cleveland Blues Festival, which was to take place August 15, 16, and 17, at the Berea Fairgrounds. The booth we took was inside a building, in what was billed as "The Blues Barn", to make sure that, in the case of bad weather, our merchandise was safe and dry, since it had a concrete floor. Spotty showers Friday turned into a mild storm on Saturday. Since fairgrounds aren't paved, they turn into mud city when there's a prolonged rain, and that one was. That's when we learned that the only floor drain in the "Blues Barn" was dead square in the center of our booth's area. We all worked that day in ankle - deep muddy water, and still had a good time with the die - hard blues fans. The last day at most blues festivals is when the "headliners" perform, which was the case here, as well. The day was over, the performers, bands, and acts were all done. That's when things wind down and things are being closed up, in some cases, loaded up, and people head for home. We backed our van in and were preparing to take the booth apart, and load up, when a young lady came up to me and asked if we had a cd that had "44 Blues" on it. She then introduced herself -- Deborah Coleman. She had performed a set at this festival to show her ability and to promote her newly released album on Blind Pig Records. Having heard the album, and hearing her play at this venue, I knew she probably didn't want the original of this, as it was done by Roosevelt Sykes, and featured his piano work. I suggested she get the Howlin' Wolf version, which featured Hubert Sumlin on guitar. She agreed and took that one. From that time on, anytime we worked a festival where she was playing, she'd come by the booth to say Hi, and chat for a bit. Seems she never forgot us or our help, way back when. A neat lady, a good guitarist, who'll be missed by her family, friends, and fans. R.I.P., Deborah!

Some August Blues Passings:
  • August 2nd.,1963 -- William "Will" Ezell
  • August 16th.,1967 -- Dan Pickett, born James Fouty
  • August 29th.,1976 -- Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed   
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Joe's Blues Blog July 2019

6/30/2019

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Some July Blues Births:
  • July 1st.,1947-- Marc Benno
  • July 15th.,1956-- Joseph "Joe" Satriani
  • July 31st.,1931-- Kenneth Earl "Kenny" Burrell

Answer To The June 2019 Blues Question: The blueswoman we were looking for was/is Deborah Francine Coleman, born October 3,1956, in Portsmouth, Virginia. I also mentioned that she came from a musical family -- her father played piano, her two brothers played guitar, and her sister played guitar and keyboards. At age 8 she saw the t.v. show "The Monkees” and thought that would be a cool thing to do, and started to learn guitar. At the age of 15 she was playing bass in rock and R & B bands. She switched to guitar after hearing Jimi Hendrix, then started listening to popular bands of that time, such as Cream, Led Zeppelin, and Rush, then followed those band's roots-- back to the blues. At age 25 she married Donald W. Williams, and then had a daughter, Misao Marie Williams. She then dropped out of the music field to raise her daughter. During those "time out" years she went on to become a nurse, then went on to become a Master Electrician. She then decided that she'd raised a family, worked a 9 to 5 job, and wanted to get back into music, fulltime. In 1985 she worked with an all- female rock band, "Moxxie", which allowed her to work on her own style. She got her first experience playing blues in an R & B trio named "Misbehavin' “ and toured with them for 18 months. She then took a year off, listening to all the blues bands, playing live, that she could find. Out of that, she came to understand that many of the music genres came out of the blues. In 1993 she put together a group of musicians to back her, did a frantic practice session, and left for Charleston, South Carolina, where she entered The Charleston Blues Festival's National Amatuer Talent Search, which she won, hands down. That win gave her some studio time to record a demo, which got her a contract with New Moon Records, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she recorded her first album, "Takin' A Stand", which was released in 1994 (some sites list that release date as 1995). She then went with Blind Pig Records, where she recorded/released 5 albums, the first of which was "I Can'T Lose", released February 14,1997. She did one on Telarc in 2004, and 1 on JSP in 2007. Also in 2007, 1 was released on Ruf Records, a compilation featuring Sue Foley and Roxanne Potvin. In 2008 a second compilation on Ruf featured Kandye Kane and Dani Wilde. Sadly, Deborah passed away, unexpectedly, April 12, 2018, in Norfolk, Virginia, from complications brought on by bronchitis and pneumonia, at the age of 61.

Blues Question For July 2019: This bluesman is a multi-instrumental player, but he favors guitar. His stated jump into playing guitar was prompted by his hearing Chuck Berry. He fuses many genres of music into his work. He has worked as a sideman to players such as Hubert Sumlin and Son Seals. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For July 2019: The song is "Rainy Day Blues" and the Artist is Lightnin' Hopkins. I picked this one because of the amount of rain we've had (the rest of the country, too!). Though it's not raining as I'm typing this, it's supposed to be.

Blues Trivia For July 2019: This is referring to the song I listed above. The supposed earliest version I could find is by John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson I, shown to have been recorded December 17, 1938, on the Bluebird label, featuring Speckled Red on piano, Willie Hacher on mandolin, and Robert Lee McCoy on guitar, with no indication who wrote it. Next up was James "Yank" Rachell, also shown on Bluebird, recorded December 11,1941, with him on vocal and guitar, Sonny Boy Williamson I on harp, and Washboard Sam on washboard, with writing credited to Rachell. Another version by Willie "The Lion" Smith, doing vocal and piano. Writing credit on some other versions list Big Joe Turner and J. Mayo Williams. There are versions by others, such as Willie Nelson, Tab Benoit, and John Lee Hooker. There's even one by Victor and Valentino, two characters in a Cartoon Network show. A great live version can be seen on youtube. It was at the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. You can check out that one as "Loveless Jam Rainy Day Blues". If you take the time to listen to some of these, you'll notice that the lyrics are totally different on most of them, not always expressing the same thoughts. If you hear a blues song and you like it, when you start to hunt for it at the store of your choice, make sure that you've got the correct artist, song title, and/or album title. If you're trying to find it by one line from the song, you'd better be dealing with someone who knows the stuff, or you're gonna' be unhappy with the result. Just sayin'.

(Editor Note: Just see Joe for all your Blues music needs and you’ll save much aggravation.)

Some July Blues Passings:
  • July 13th., 2011-- Jerry Ragovay
  • July 30th., 2009-- Betty Miller
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Joe's Blues Blog June 2019

5/30/2019

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Some June Blues Births:
  • June 3rd.,1916-- Edwin Goodwin "Buster" Pickens
  • June 15th.,1938-- Aron Burton
  • June 28th.,1947-- Spurling Banks

Answer To The May 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Auburn "Pat" Hare, born December 20,1930, in Cherry Valley, Arkansas. As with many blues performers of the early '50's, there is conflicting information. He is shown as joining "Little Junior" Parker and his Blue Flames' band in 1951, with whom he made his first recordings, on the Duke label with Parker, in December of 1953. The band’s name was listed as Little Junior Parker with Bill Johnson's Blue Flames. I also found that his first recording is shown to be in February of 1952, as a sideman, with "Walter Bradford and the Big City Four", at Sun Records, #176, but a copy of that has never been found, which begs the question, was it ever released? He also did some recordings with Rosco Gordon, on the Duke label, in 1952. In the May 2019 Blog I indicated that he (Hare) made a recording (as a sideman) that is considered to be the main influence to hard rock and heavy metal guitarists. That song would be "Cotton Crop Blues", with James Cotton doing the vocal, Mose Vinson on piano, John Bowers on drums, and Hare on guitar. That was on Sun Records, #206, recorded May 14,1954, in Memphis. In a session later that day he recorded 3 songs; the only ones ever done in his own name. They featured him on vocals and guitar, with Billy "Red" Love on piano, and Israel Franklin on drums. Those were unissued at that time, and I'll get to them shortly.  All the rest of his recordings were as a session player or sideman with the fore-mentioned Parker, Gordon, and Cotton, but also with Bobby Blue Bland, Howlin' Wolf, Big Mama Thornton, Big Memphis Ma Rainey (Ma Rainey #2, born Lillie Mae Hardison or Harrison), among others. Now, about those 3 under his own name. The "B" side was "Bonus Pay"(Ain't Gonna Be That Way). The "A" side was 2 different versions of "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby", with the second version titled the same, but also tagged with "Cheating and Lying Blues", which was the title of the original, recorded by Dr. Clayton on November 11,1941. In Hare's case it proved to be prophetic. From '54 to '56 Pat lived in Houston (home of Duke/Peacock records), where he recorded with Gordon and Bland, while playing full-time with Bland at gigs. Bland fired him for legal problems Pat was having (supposedly he was in jail). Then Pat got a call from Cotton, asking him to come to Chicago, to play in the Muddy Waters band. He accepted the offer, but before moving there, he situated his wife, Dorothy Mae, and their 3 children in Cleveland. Once in Chicago, he performed and recorded with Cotton, in Muddy's band. The recordings were on the Chess label, but, unfortunately, Pat didn't get along with Leonard Chess. Consequently, when Leonard would do the mix on Hare's playing in the band, he would move Pat's sound to the rear, while bringing another player's sound to the front. Some records indicate that Muddy fired him, because of Pat's drinking, which rendered him hard to control, and sometimes, unable to play. Anyhow, on Sunday, December 15,1963, Pat had been drinking and was in heated arguments with his then girlfriend, Agnes "Aggie" Winje, 49, at their apartment (Pat was 32 at that time). When shots were heard fired for the second time that day by a neighbor’s girlfriend, she called police to investigate. Officers James E. Hendricks and Chester Langaard responded from a couple blocks away. Once on scene, Hendricks, who was a few steps ahead of his partner, went through the doorway first, and was heard by his partner to say "Give me the gun", right before 3 shots were heard. Langaard went through the doorway and saw Pat standing over his partner, with a gun in his hand. Langaard shot Pat twice, then called for ambulances. The first one took his partner to the hospital, where he was pronounced D O A. The second ambulance took Aggie, who'd been shot twice, and Pat to the hospital. She died on January 22, 1964. Hare was then charged with 2 counts of murder, among other charges. The case went to court on February 19,1964. The trial lasted one day, and he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, was immediately bound over to Stillwater State Prison, in Bayport, near St. Paul, Minnesota. While there, Pat started a band, "Sounds Incarcerated". He passed away September 26,1980, of lung cancer.

Blues Question For June 2019: This blueswoman came from a musical family. She learned to play guitar by the age of 8. At 15, she was playing bass professionally, then switched to guitar. Any idea who this blueswoman might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For June 2019: The song is "Take A Look Behind", and the artist is Otis Rush. Recorded in 1971, for Capitol, never released. Otis bought the masters from them and had it released in 1976, on P-Vine, out of Japan. After that, it was released on the Bullfrog label, in the U.S. The title of the album was/is "Right Place, Wrong Time", and is one of his best recordings. It's still available.

Blues Trivia For June 2019: Since the Blues Question answer was so long, I'm going to try to keep this shorter than usual. This ties into that answer, though. When I started researching Hare, I ran into the same thing that I've seen on so many other bluesmen: when looking at bio's of these people, 4,6,8 or however many you run across, all from different people and sources, you'll find that a lot of them are exactly the same. Word for word, sentence for sentence, etc., exactly the same, with some of these people claiming to be the author of said bio. To that I say, I think not! On the info I gathered on Hare, that answer would be 5 times+ longer to document him more accurately. His guitar work on Cotton's 1954 "Cotton Crop Blues" is the first recording of intentionally distorted guitar, using power chords. Yes, others used it during live performances-- I'm talking about recorded. Also, Hare's guitar work on Junior Parker's 1953 recording "Love My Baby", is credited with being one of the big influences on rockabilly guitar. If you talk to or listen to interviews with today's rock or heavy metal guitarists, you'll hear them credit their influence being the first recording of distorted power chord playing, the instrumental "Rumble", by Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray. Not so fast, boys and girls, as that was done in 1958. That recording has been used in movies, on television, and in documentaries, such as The Sopranos, Pulp Fiction, Independence Day, and The Warriors. It's currently being used in Jack Daniels commercials. It's the only instrumental ever banned on radio airplay, in New York and Boston, as "rumble" was a slang term for a gang fight. It was thought that it might glorify juvenile delinquency. Incidentally, Link Wray was of Shawnee Native American descent. Once again, it came from the blues first!!

Some June Blues Passings:
  • June 3rd.,2009-- Cora Walton, aka KoKo Taylor
  • June 14th.,1995-- William Rory Gallagher
  • June 22nd.,2013-- "Little" Willie Littlefield
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Joe's Blues Blog May 2019

5/1/2019

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First off, congratulations to the winners of the 2019 NEOBA Blues Challenge. In the Band category, Mojo Theory, based out of Columbus, Ohio, and in the Solo/Duo category, Jake Friel and Nic Clark (Jake & Nic). And, thank you to all the others who participated! Now, on with the monthly blog.

Some May Blues Births:
  • May 5th.,1934-- Johnnie Harrison Taylor
  • May 11th.,1941-- Eric Victor Burden
  • May 29th.,1951-- Ron Levy, born Reuvin Zev ben Yehoshua Levi

Answer To The April 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for is/was Wayne Talmadge Bennett, born December 13, 1931, in Sulpher, Oklahoma. As I stated in the question, he wanted to be known as a versatile performer, as he played blues, jazz, and rhythm & blues material. In his life, at different times, he performed in the house orchestras at the Apollo, in Harlem, at the Regal, in Chicago, at the Howard, in Washington D.C., at the Royal, in Baltimore, and at the Uptown, in Philadelphia, theaters. In the blues field he performed (and sometimes toured) with Bobby Blue Bland, John Lee Hooker, Mighty Sam McClain, Buddy Guy, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Rosco Gordon, Little Junior Parker, and James Cotton, just to name a few. In the jazz field he worked with Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley, and Dexter Gordon, and others. In the R & B, soul, gospel, and doo-wop fields, he performed with the Soul Stirrers, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Five Blind Boys, Jackie Wilson, Fats Domino, Ramsey Lewis, The Chi-Lites, the Hues Corporation, and many others. That should give you some idea of his abilities, and, yes, he also did some country. In the Question, I also mentioned that he played guitar on a recording and that that had influenced the rock guitar sound of the '60's. That was/is Elmore James' recording "The Twelve Year Old Boy", on April 12, 1957 (released May '57), on the Chief label, BMI # C2402, Chief # 7001. That recording features Elmore James on vocals, both Wayne Bennett and Eddie Taylor on guitars, J.T. Brown on tenor sax, Johnny Jones on piano, Homesick James on bass, and Odie Payne on drums, featuring Wayne Bennett on the guitar solo work. Both Wayne and Eddie were plugged into the same amp, which is what generated the distortion in sound. James recorded this song again in 1963, on the Fire /Fury/and Enjoy Record(s) company, but it's nowhere as good as the earlier version, and didn't feature Bennett or Taylor. Wayne passed away on November 28, 1992, in New Orleans, from heart failure, one week before a scheduled replacement could be transplanted.

Blues Question For May 2019: In some of the past Blogs, I've listed or shown that some of the great bluesmen had gotten their professional start while they were in prison. This time, this bluesman who was already well established professionally, was sent to prison, where he eventually passed away. One of his recordings is often recognized as the beginning of the "heavy metal" guitar sound. Any idea who this bluesman might be??

Blues Song(s) And Artist)s) For May 2019: The song is "Pickin' The Blues", and the artist is Elmore James, on the Enjoy label, #2015, with Johnny "Big Moose" Walker on piano. If you listen to this and your feet aren't tapping, have someone make sure you have a pulse.

Blues Trivia For May 2019: When you're listening to the blues that you like, do you know what type it is? There are many factors and sub-types: acoustic, electric, guitar, harmonica, piano, or horn-driven, also by area or region. When I say regional, I'm referring to style by area: Mississippi Hill Country, Chicago, St. Louis, New York, West Coast, among many others. The one I'm touching on here is referred to as the Piedmont style. That's played acoustically, with the thumb thumping out the bass line, and the index (and/or others) finger(s) supplying the upper or treble notes. You're probably familiar with some of those who play(ed) that style: Blind Blake, Barbeque Bob, Rev.Gary Davis, Brownie McGhee, Josh White, Blind Willie McTell, Buddy Moss, the list goes on and on. Here's the trivia part: I've said, for a long time, that all American music has come/grown out of the blues. One of the not-well-known Piedmont style blues players was Lesley "Esley" Riddle, of African-American descent, born June 13,1905, in Burnsville, North Carolina. Piedmont style blues was common from the Southern East Coast, northward, as far as New York and New Jersey, including West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. He grew up with his grandparents, not far from the Virginia border, in an area close to Kingsport, Tenn. As a young man, he worked in a cement plant, where he was injured. That injury required that his right leg was amputated at the knee. While he was recovering, he took up the guitar. Shortly after that, he started working with other musicians, such as Brownie McGhee, Harry Gray, and Steve Tarter. Once, at Tarter's house, he met Blind Lemon Jefferson. In 1928, Esley met A.P.Carter (Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter), who had just started a "country band", The Carter Family Country Band, consisting of A.P., his wife, Sara, and his sister-in-law, Maybelle. Esley and the Carter family travelled and worked together, performing. That pairing was the foundation of country music as it is known today. Here's a question for you: the banjo was used in the earliest blues string bands, and is now used in folk, country, bluegrass, and Dixieland jazz, so from where did it come??

Some May Blues Passings:
  • May 2nd.,2011--L.V.Banks
  • May 16th.,1988--Johnny Charles "J.C." Burris
  • May 30th.,1980--Carl Dean Radle   
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Joe's Blues Blog April 2019

3/31/2019

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First, a correction on an item in last month's Trivia section: I don't know if it was how I tapped the keys or if it was being in too much of a hurry to get it typed, but I showed Howlin' Wolf arriving in Chicago with $4,00.00 in his pocket. Look at that closely: I had the comma correct but I left out a "0". Although in, 1952, getting into town with four hundred dollars would have been impressive for a bluesman, it should have read $4,000.00, an unheard-of amount then, or even now! Now, on to the Blog.

Some April Blues Births:
  • April 1st,1906-- Carl Martin
  • April 15th.,1894-- Bessie Smith
  • April 29th.,1927-- James "Big Jay" McNeely

Answer To The March 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for is/was "Texas" Johnny Brown, born John Riley Brown, on February 22,1928, in Ackerman, Mississippi. There are two versions of his childhood-- I'll give you both, as they are plausible.  As a child he played guitar, next to his father, an ex-railroad worker who had been blinded by an accident while at work, in the streets of their town, and in close-by towns. The other story is that Johnny's father, Cranston Exerville "Clarence" Brown, had likely left his wife and Johnny. Johnny lived with his mother until she passed away, when he was nine years old. He then moved to live with his father. Johnny played the tambourine and danced, to accompany his father, who sang and played guitar. Also accompanying them was their dog, named Carburetor, who would strum the guitar on cue. He and his father lived alternately in New Orleans, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi, while they travelled and performed in towns in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Johnny moved to Houston, Texas, in 1946, while the other version says the family had done that. Somewhere around that 1946 date, his father moved to Ethel, Mississippi, where he passed away in the mid-'50's. Johnny got his professional music start in the backing band of Amos Milburn, The Aladdin Chickenshakers, most likely so named because that's the label on which they recorded. He also backed Ruth Brown on her early recordings on the Atlantic label. He entered military service, served three years, and was discharged in 1953. On his return, he backed Lightnin' Hopkins and "Little" Junior Parker, among others, throughout the'50's, while he also worked as a sideman/studio musician for the Duke/ Peacock labels (same company). In the late '50's he wrote the song "Two Steps From The Blues". The song was recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland, on Bland's first studio album, and its title was used as the title of that album. During the '50's and '60's, he recorded as a sideman for many different artists, but was usually uncredited. He also toured, as the lead guitarist with Bobby Bland, during those years. Starting around 1963, he also worked outside the music field, as a truck driver, a forklift operator, a mechanic, and as a landscaper. In the mid-'60's he sat in on jam sessions with people, such as Goree Carter, Clarence Holliman, Joe Bell, and Roy Gaines. He retired in 1991, and formed his own band, The Quality Blues Band. In 1998 they recorded an album, "Nothin' But The Truth", nominated for "the Best Comeback Album of The Year", in 1999. That included his "Two Steps From The Blues" song and it was the first time he recorded it himself. They recorded a second album, "Blues Defender", in 2001, which was released in 2002. Both of those were on the Chocktaw Creek Records label, which Johnny owned, named after the county where he was born. He passed away on July 1,2013, at home, in Houston, of lung cancer. Sadly, I only got to meet and chat with him once, some years back. An interesting man, and  the loss of yet another relatively unrecognized talent and contributor to the blues world.

Blues Question For April 2019: This guitarist preferred not to be known as a bluesman, but rather, as a versatile musician. On the blues front, he played on recordings of many of the big names of the blues. You've probably heard his work on some of those recordings, and, yes, even on some of Bland's songs, though he's usually uncredited. One of those recordings, as a sideman, is sometimes said to be the beginning of rock guitar. Any idea who this "bluesman" might be ??

Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For April 2019: The song is "Saddled The Cow (And Milked The Horse)", and the artist is Rosco Gordon. I picked this one 'cause we need a little more humor in our day to day lives, a little stress relief.

Blues Trivia For April 2019: I hope you enjoy the Blues Blogs, and pick up some information and ideas about the blues from them. If you've liked them, and that has prompted you to go back and see some of the earlier ones, you'll have noted on some of them, that the video isn't there anymore, but has been replaced with a frown and the message "Sorry, Video Not Available" or "Video Has Been Removed Because Of Possible Copyright Infringement". This has not been done by myself or NEOBA, but rather by the person or site which originally posted it.  As you can see, almost all of what I write about is the earlier recordings and artists. Seeing those videos removed, if you think about it, indicates that BMI or ASCAP services, or whatever individual or record company who/that has procured the rights to that recording, either didn't give permission or receive compensation for someone to use it. Sometimes it's just a record company who wants you to purchase an album or collection of theirs. If it's protecting rights, or compensation going to the correct entity, then I'm O.K. with it. The important thing is, do not lose the music. Almost all of those about whom I write, we have in stock, or, can get it. Some, however, are gone, so enjoy them if you can find them on the web. Whatever you do, do things right or don't do them at all.

Some April Blues Passings:
  • April 4 4th.,1960-- Sylvester Weaver
  • April 11th.,2017-- John Warren "J" Geils Jr.
  • April 29.,1997-- Keith Ferguson
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Joe's Blues Blog 2019

2/28/2019

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Some March Blues Births:
  • March 2nd.,1948-- Rory Gallagher
  • March 13th.,1942-- Marshall Chess
  • March 31st.,1982-- Roxanne Potvin

Answer To The February 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for is/was James "Jimmy/Jimmie" D. Harris, best-known as "Shakey Jake" Harris, born April 21,1921, in Earle, Arkansas. In 1928 the family moved to Chicago, where his father, James Sr., did odd jobs. In his youth Shakey taught himself to play harmonica. He frequently returned to Earle to work outside the music field. He dropped out of high school in the early '40's to serve in the U.S. Army. After his discharge he returned to Chicago where he worked as a mechanic, sometimes sitting in at local clubs, with bands, such as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and others. In 1952 he formed his own band to play local club dates, sometimes with his nephew, Magic Sam (Maghett), up into 1967. He recorded on/for the Artistic label in Chicago in 1958, the Prestige/Bluesville label in New York City in 1959 and '60, and on the Polydor label in Hamburg, Germany, in 1962. Also in '62, he toured with the Rhythm & Blues U.S.A. Package Show through England and Europe. That early recording session for Artistic featured Magic Sam and Syl Johnson on guitars and was produced by Willie Dixon. He was never paid for that session, but he won $700.00 shooting craps, with/from label-owner Eli Toscani. The nickname "Shakey Jake" came from that, because of his ability to "shake them cubes", a common phrase for crapshooter's abilities with dice. In 1968 Jake moved to Los Angeles, California, where he played local club dates. He recorded for several different labels there, one of which he owned from 1977 to 1982, the Good Time label. He also owned and performed at the Safara Lounge in 1977 & '78. Health problems eventually led him to return to Arkansas, where he passed away, from pneumonia, on March 2,1990, in Forrest City.

Blues Question For March 2019: This "unknown" and under-appreciated bluesman was born, as were many, in Mississippi, but was/is associated more with Texas, where he took up residence and performed. His most famous song title was used as the title for another bluesman's album. He was/is featured on many recordings, often uncredited. He released only two albums under his own name, the first when he was 58 years old, and the second one sixteen years later. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) and Artist(s) for March 2019: The song is "Blues After Hours", and the artist is Pee Wee Crayton. The original was recorded in 1948, on the Modern label. He recorded it again in December 1984, on the small Murray Brothers label, which was produced by Rob Murray and Rod Piazza

Blues Trivia For March 2019: This bluesman's trivia started with his name on his birth certificate: Chester Arthur Burnett, named after the 21st. president, Chester A. Arthur. You know him as Howlin' Wolf, one of the premier Chicago bluesmen. He claimed that the " Howlin" part came from his grandfather, who told him that if he misbehaved, a " howling wolf " would get him. It has been said that later that he got the nickname from one of his early musical influences, country singer Jimmie Rodgers. Wolf had tried to match Jimmie's " blue yodel ", but it had come out as a growl or howl, so that's what he stuck with. He was taught guitar by Charlie (sometimes shown as Charley) Patton. In his early days Wolf sat in with Patton, where they played the local jukes. He was taught harmonica by Sonny Boy Williamson II, with whom he would occasionally sit in with at KFFA radio in Helena, Arkansas, on the King Biscuit Flour Hour. Now, here's some more trivia about Wolf: after his first recordings in Memphis, in 1951 & '52, he moved to Chicago, but he did it differently than all other bluesmen who had moved there from the South. He drove his own car, and he had roughly $400.00 in his pocket. He was functionally illiterate into his forties, when he went back to school and got a G E D diploma, after which he went on to take a course in accounting, and other business- related courses. By then he had married Lillie, who was an educated woman. She took care of the business end for him. He, with Lillie, the love of his life, raised two daughters, Betty and Barbara, that were from a prior relationship Lillie had. Some of the things he did for his band members were to provide good wages, on time, provide unemployment insurance, contribute to their social security, and provide health insurance. He didn't believe in foolish spending-- he drove a Pontiac station wagon. He remained deeply in love with Lillie up to his passing. With all this said, I'd like to pose a question, or, at least, provoke some thought by you blues fans. Look at and think about today's blues performers and ask yourself how many, if any, would take so much care of their band members. Just think about it.

Some March Blues Passings:
  • March 6th.,2013-- Alvin Lee
  • March 16th.,2013-- Saul "Sol" Rabinowitz
  • March 26th.,1976-- Anthony "Duster" Bennett
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Joe's Blues Blog February 2019

1/30/2019

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Some February Blues Births:
  • February 1st.,1943-- William "Bill" Miller, aka "Mr. Stress", a Cleveland bluesman
  • February 12th.,1900-- Pink Anderson (the Pink of Pink Floyd
  • February 28th.,1939--John Fahey, born John Aloysius Fahey

Answer To The January 2019 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for is/was Willie Lee Johnson, born March 4, 1923, in Senatobia, Mississippi. His first instrument, as with many a bluesman's beginnings, was a homemade guitar, and by the late 1930's he was working local parties. His first touch with a professional bluesman was working with Howlin' Wolf, in 1941, at Dooley Square, in Tunica, Mississippi. In the mid-'40's he moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he worked local clubs with other bluesmen, such as Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Calvin Newborn, Willie Nix, Willie Love, and Howlin' Wolf, who by that time, had also moved to Memphis. Johnson's first recordings were with Wolf, at Memphis Recording Service (later to become Sun Records), in 1951. Two of those songs were released on/by Chess Records, with two more released on/by the R P M Records label. In 1952 the studio was re-named Sun Records, with further sessions for Johnson, with Wolf and several other artists, with the recordings, again, being released on many different labels. Some of the people with whom he recorded, as a sideman, were Wolf, Willie Nix and His Band, Little Junior Parker, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Elmore James, Rosco Gordon, and others. In 1955 he moved to Chicago, where he sat in with Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, J.T. "Saxman" Brown, and other local bluesmen. He recorded with Wolf, a few sides, for Chess Records. There were some of those recordings, done in '56 and '57, that some "Facebook experts" claim were wrongly credited to Johnson. By the way, his earlier recordings (in 1951) with Wolf were "How Many More Years", "Moaning At Midnight", and "Riding In The Moonlight"(recorded originally as "Baby Ride With Me"). Willie passed away, at home, on February 26, 1995.

Blues Question For February 2019: This bluesman, not real well-known, but should be, as you have probably heard his work. He recorded on at least seven different labels, toured extensively / sat in with some of the big names in the blues. He got his nickname because of another "trade" at which he was proficient. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??

Blues Song(s) and Artist(s) for February 2019: The song is "Cold Weather Blues", and the artist is Muddy Waters. There were two reasons for picking this one: first, because it's this time of year, and second, because of the "sidemen": a young Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar, and Willie Dixon on stand-up bass. This came from the 1964 Muddy Waters album, "Folk Singer", on Chess Records.
(As I edit this blog it is -3 degrees)

Blues Trivia For February 2019: After listening to the aforementioned song, I got to thinking about Muddy and Willie Dixon. Willie wrote or co-wrote over 500 songs, some for himself, but most for others. The song I'm referring to in this section, has been, in some listings, shown as one of his compositions, but I believe those statements to be wrong, as I can find no record showing that to be true. Muddy was famous for "appropriating" writing credits on some songs. One that comes to mind is "I Got My Mojo Working", which is still mis-credited to him, which a lawsuit corrected years ago. This type of thing has been happening since the beginning of recorded music. Sometimes, it's done accidentally when re-issues of materials are done, but other times it's done on purpose, to sell more "product". Anyhow, here's the trivia part. About 1996 0r '97, when we started this store, I bought some discs from a distributor in Colorado. The two brands that I most often purchased from him were "Blues Encore" and "Giants of Jazz", that second one having some jump blues artists featured. One title on the Blues Encore items I ordered, I bought a copy for myself, to play here in the store, was a compilation cd, "Uncle Sam Blues". The disc has 18 tracks, songs done about the war times of W.W.II, Korea, Vietnam, and other references. One of those songs was "Atomic Bomb Blues", by Homer Harris. When I listened to it, I thought the guitar sounded familiar, so I got to digging. Turns out, it was recorded September 27,1946, in Chicago, on Testament Records(?), along with two other songs by Harris: "Tomorrow Will Be Too Late" and "I'm Gonna Cut Your Head, Mama". The backing band personnel were: Muddy Waters on guitar, James Clark on piano, Ransom Knowling on double bass, and Judge Riley on drums. If you look for "Atomic Bomb Blues" now, you'll find most listings for it under Muddy Waters. One listing credits it to Homer Harris. That's on the Bear Family Records label, out of Germany. It's on an l.p.-sized boxed set, containing 5 cd's, 1 dvd, and a 250 page hardcover book. The set is titled "Atomic Platters: Cold War Music", and the cd's have over 100 vintage cold war songs and over 2 dozen civil defense Public Service Announcements, voiced by celebrities such as Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, Pat Boone, Johnny Cash, and many others. The dvd features 9 bizarre civil defense and anti-communist cold war short films of the '50's and '60's. If you're interested, the set has an msrp of $ 249.99 and can be ordered. The song is also available on some Muddy Waters compilations: an 8 cd set out of the U.K., and is in stock ($23.98), a 4 cd set, also out of the U.K., not in stock (also $23.98), and a 20 cd set, on the Sony label, again, from England, with an msrp of $ 93.99 (not in stock).

Some February Blues Passings:
  • February 1st.,1990-- Johnny Woods
  • February 15th.,1994-- Mozelle Alderson, born Mozelle Fagans
  • February 22nd.,1994-- John Henry Creach, best known as Papa John Creac
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    Joe Vassel

    Proprietor of The Sound of Blue record shop in Kent, Ohio. 

    You are probably familiar with the current crop of blues performers, so the next time you’re at a performance or listening to some sort of broadcast of them, you should wonder and find out what “old-timer” they were/ are influenced by!         


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