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 Blues Passings:

• September 3rd., 2003-- Charlie Caldwell
• September 11th., 2004-- Cosimo Vincent Matassa
• September 26th., 1980-- Auburn "Pat" Hare

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 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.

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.

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
  

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
  

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!

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
  

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".

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   
  

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
  

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!!

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.

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??

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.

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.

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 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).

Answer to the December 2018 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Bumble Bee Slim, born Admiral Amos Easton, aka Amos/Shelley Armstrong, on May 7th.,1905, in Brunswick, Georgia, one of 6 children. In his youth he worked as a barber. In 1920 he left home to work in the travelling circus of Ringling Brothers. Interested in music early, he then hoboed across the U.S., singing and playing guitar in the streets, at parties, in juke joints, at fish fries, and in parks. He returned to Georgia around 1926 and was briefly married. In 1928 he travelled, on a freight train, to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he worked in the local juke joints. He lived there until about 1930, when he relocated to Chicago and worked in clubs and juke joints and at parties. While living in Chicago he often toured from Michigan to California. In 1931 he made his first recordings for Paramount Records, in Grafton, Wisconsin. In 1932 he recorded "B & O Blues", which was a hit for Vocalion Records. From 1932 through 1936 he recorded over 150 songs, spread between the Decca, Vocalion, and Bluebird labels. Almost all his recordings are vocals, with backing by others, such as Big Bill Broonzy, Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker), Memphis Minnie (Lizzie Douglas), Peetie Wheatstraw (William Bunch), and Washboard Sam (Robert Brown), as Slim was not a great guitarist. In 1937 he moved back to Georgia. In the early 1940's he moved to Los Angeles, where he hoped to get into the movies as a songwriter or a comedian. In the period between 1951 and 1962, he recorded on the Fidelity, Marigold, Specialty, and Pacific Jazz labels, none of which met with much success. From 1962 on, he worked mostly outside the music field, but did continue to perform in local Los Angeles clubs until his passing on June 8,1968.

Blues Question for January 2019: This bluesman was a guitarist, born in Mississippi. As far as I can tell, he only recorded once as the lead performer, but recorded many times as a sideman to many of the big names in the blues of his era, both in Memphis and Chicago. He is sometimes credited with creating the guitar sound at the beginning of rock and roll. Any idea who this bluesman might be??

Blues Song(s) and Artist(s) for January 2019: The song is "My Starter Won't Work" and the artist is Lightnin' Slim (Otis Verries Hicks). This was done on the Excello label #1452, on June 2, 1958, by one of the best of the swamp blues players. He did the vocal and played guitar, with Lazy Lester on harp, Guitar Gable, also on guitar, an unknown bassist, and possibly Roosevelt Samples on drums. I thought this song fitting for our normal January weather and its' usual causing of vehicle failures.

Blues Trivia for January 2019: In the August 2018 Blog, I started with a Blues Tidbit, listing Lazy Lester being featured in a Geico Insurance ad. As you should know, the Blog is written in the prior month, in this case, July. By that time, that ad had been running for some time. I must add a little more info on Lester. In his early years he worked outside the music field as a gas station attendant, a woodcutter, and in a grocery store. He was interested in music then and learned to play the harmonica, the guitar and drums. He was lucky enough to find a seat on a bus ride next to Lightnin' Slim, who was headed to the Excello recording studio for his first recording session. The harp player who was supposed to play on that session was a "no show", and Slim and Lester spent the afternoon hunting for him. Not finding him, Lester told Slim that he could play harp. Jay Miller, the producer for Excello, was so impressed by Lester’s' abilities on those recordings with Slim, that he decided to record Lester as a solo performer and to also use him as a session player on harp, guitar, or drums on others', such as Slim Harpo, Katie Webster, and Silas Hogan's recordings. Lester’s' solo recordings were of songs he himself wrote, but they were credited to Miller or Lester & Miller. Here's the trivia part: Lester’s' style was a combination of country, Cajun, and blues (country was his favorite). Knowing that, a session drummer suggested to Miller that he should let Lester record some country songs, to which Miller wouldn't agree and stated to the drummer why __"But look, he's colored". According to Lester, stated in a later interview, "Man, that was the hurtingest thing in the world". Lester also said in that interview that because of the statement by Miller and the fact that he received almost no royalties from Excello, he quit the music business, for about twenty years. Shortly after quitting he moved to Pontiac, Michigan, where he lived with Slim Harpo's sister. While there he worked outside the music field, in construction building roads, driving a truck, and as a lumberjack. When he did get back into performing, he moved to California. When he made that Geico ad he was living in Paradise, California, with his girlfriend, Pike Kaksonen. Sadly, I must report that he passed away on August 22, 2018, of cancer, which was the same month of the Blog in which I had listed him.