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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 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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