Some Blues Births For June 2021:
- June 1st. 1948-- Robert Paul Montgomery, aka "Rockin' Robin"
- June 17th. 1985-- Matt Hill
- June 30th. 1961-- Michael Lewis "Mike" Wheeler
Answer To The May 2021 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Cornelius Green III, aka "Lonesome Sundown", born on the Dugas Plantation (near Donaldsonville) Louisiana, on December 12, 1928. Growing up there, while in gradeschool, he taught himself how to play piano. When he was 18, in '46 or '47, he moved to New Orleans, to work outside the music field, as a porter. He returned to Donaldsonville in '48, where, after listening to records by Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, he decided to get serious about his music career, and took guitar lessons from a cousin. In '52, he moved to Jeanerette, where he took a job as a truck driver. In '53, he moved to Port Arthur, Texas, where he worked at the Gulf Oil refinery. While living there, he took some gigs playing in some local clubs and bars. In '55, he was listening to a band at the Blue Moon Club. He was asked, by the band's leader, if he'd like to sit in with them. That was Clifton Chenier, with his new band, The Zydeco Ramblers. He ended up touring with Chenier and the band, as the second guitarist, next to the first guitarist-- one Phillip Walker. They toured/performed throughout the South, then up to Chicago. From there, across the country, to play the West Coast. He recorded with Chenier, in '55, in Los Angeles, on the Specialty label. He also got married that year. Later in '55, he moved to Opelousas, Louisiana. He put together a demo tape, and took it to Jay Miller, in Crowley. Miller, after hearing the tape, gave him the "Lonesome Sundown" name, because of the melancholy tone in Green's vocals, tempered with the strongly-influenced Chicago style of his guitar work. Another strong influence to the sound of swamp blues recordings that Miller made, and then leased to Excello Records, which was based in Nashville.Sundown wrote most all of his own songs, which he recorded with Miller, over an 8 year period. By 1965, he was "disillusioned" with the music business and his lack of success in it. About this same time, he was going through a rough divorce, and missing his seven children. He joined The Apostolic Faith Fellowship Church, where he would eventually become a minister. In '77, he was persuaded to go back into the recording studio, where he recorded an album, titled "Been Gone Too Long", on the Joliet label. It would be released a second time on the Alligator Records label, but the sales of either/both of these releases were never that great. My own copy is on the Hightone label, released 1n 1991. In '79, he played at the New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival, and also toured and performed with Phillip Walker, in Sweden and Japan, then walked away, completely, from the music business. In '94, he suffered a stroke, and could no longer speak. He died April 23,1995, from the effects of that stroke.
Blues Question For June 2021: This bluesman, like Leadbelly, knew and played hundreds of songs in the blues, folk, country, and gospel genres. Though he travelled and performed extensively, one of his earliest "gigs" was a residency at a famous spot. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??
Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For June 2021: The song is "It Hurts Me Too", and the artist is Jimmy Nolen, recorded May 4, 1956, in Los Angeles, on the Federal label (a subsidiary of King Records), #12278, in both 78 and 45 rpm versions. The musicians on this recording are: Jimmy Nolen on vocals and guitar; Eldee Williams on tenor sax; Kenny Battle on baritone sax; Devonia "Dee" Williams on piano; Johnny Parker on bass, and Earl Hyde on drums. I'm guessing, but I think that these people were "borrowed" from Johnny Otis' band, since he was bandleader, talent scout, etc, for King Records. We have a c.d. in stock titled Jimmy Nolen "Before The Funk", which has all his Federal sides, from the time, before he joined the James Brown band. Incidentally, this song was originally written and recorded in 1940, by Hudson Whittaker, aka "Tampa Red", even though the writing credit on the record's label shows Nolen as the writer.
Blues Trivia For June 2021: How do you feel about paying restitution to whomever, for things that our forefathers may or may not have done 300 or so, years ago? Where does this "political correctness" stop, so we can get back to reality? We have it "right here in River City" (Cleveland Oh.), with the Cleveland Indians, "The Tribe". The images and name are "demeaning to Native Americans". O.K., so you want to do away with the "Tribe" name, pictures, portraits, or anything else that might be offensive. Think about this: how long will it be before one of these morons wants to get rid of the memories of "Bo "Big Chief" Dollis and The Wild Magnolias", a New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tribe. There are currently 38 Mardi Gras Indian tribes, where, at one time, there were 61. They are 1 of 2 Tribes who recorded their music, the other being "The Wild Tchoupitoulas", formed by George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry, and that album was self-titled. It wasn't a commercial success, but it was a critical one, and, as such, it's in the Library of Congress National Registry, with a designation of "cultural, artistic, and historic importance in the nation's aural legacy". You might be wondering how this particular recording relates to the blues, well, here's your answer: the musicians on this were put together by Big Chief Jolly, and 4 of them were his nephews, all musicians, but who had never before worked together. You know them as The Neville Brothers-- Art, Charles, Aaron (Tell It Like It Is), and Cyril. This album was done in '76, and the discography of the Neville Brothers recordings as starting in '78. All blues fans know that much of the blues was born in the Delta, with slaves working the fields. The part that they don't know, because you have to do some serious digging into the history of slavery, is that that "trade" was started by the Danes, with African people who they "purchased" from tribal chiefs. Now, when they arrived here, they were put into "slave camps", along with native (American) Indians, so, no, all slaves were not black. The mingling of the Africans and native indians is where the Mardi Gras Indians got their start. All of our history is not good, but we'd better start teaching the coming generations that because it's bad or reflects bad people, times, events, it should not be removed, but should be studied to keep from repeating the past. Stop removing monuments, places, memorials of our past, as it's what made us who we are, and right now, that's not a pretty picture. Now, Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias started to make recordings in '70, and made many singles and albums from that time forward. They got enough recognition and praise that they performed at Carnegie Hall, and the Capital Centre in Washington, D.C., at the height of their popularity. They have 1 c.d. titled "1313 Hoodoo Street", which showcases their talents in the blues, R&B, soul, funk, and the New Orleans sound. I don't stock either of these group's recordings, but I do have my own copies, which I'll be happy to show you if you stop in. I can still get these, new, if you want. You want to learn about the blues ? It's a lot of work, Bubba.
Some Blues Passings For June 2021:
- June 6th.,2010-- Calvin James Leavy
- June 13th.,2015-- Sarah Streeter, aka "Big Time Sarah"
- June 29.,1979-- Lowell Thomas George
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