First-off, I want to let you know that on June 18th., Alligator Records 50th Anniversary 3CD set should be here, in stock. It has 58 tracks, or you can opt for the 2 LP gatefold set, with 24 tracks, but that will be special order only.
Some Blues Births For May 2021:
- May 1st.,1936-- Lacy Gibson
- May 14th.,1943-- John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce
- May 24th.,1941-- Robert Allen Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan
Answer To The April 2021 Blues Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Frank Stokes, born January 1,1877 or 1888, in Whitehaven (known earlier as White Haven), Tennessee, a couple of miles from the Mississippi state line. One source shows that his daughter gave the year as 1888, while another source says that his WW I draft card shows the 1877 year. His parents died when he was young, and he was raised by his stepfather, Fred Corbin, in Tutwiler, Mississippi, which is where he learned to play the guitar. He worked on a farm, but did some performing at local parties and suppers, in and around the Memphis area. He settled in Hernando, MS, around 1900, which is where he met local residents and bluesmen Dan Sane (born Daniel Sains), Elijah Avery, Robert Wilkins, and Jim Jackson. He partnered up with Sane, and they travelled, on weekends, to busk in and around Memphis. His "day job" at that time was as a blacksmith. He then met Garfield Akers, then performed with him as a buck dancer, comedian, and as a "blackface Songster", in the Doc Watts Medicine Show, from around the mid-'10's to the mid-'20's. Stokes and Sane worked with Jack Kelly's Jug Busters (aka Jack Kelly's South Memphis Jug Band). The two of them did some recordings for the Paramount label, in Chicago, in 1927, as "The Beale Street Sheiks". They then did some recordings for the Victor label, in Memphis, under that same name. Some of those recordings are credited to Stokes, rather than the Sheiks, but Sane was on them. Some of the last Victor recordings have him accompanied by Will Batts, rather than Sane. The Sheiks recorded in ,27,'28, and '29, on both labels. One oddball here is a song titled "Unnamed Blues", recorded by Stokes in March of '29, on the Paramount label, #21246-1, which was never released. The other song on that session, however, "Jumpin' On The Hill", was released. The only place you can find that previously un-released song is on Yazoo Records LP-1056, issued in 1977, or on CD #1056, released in 1990. That album was put together with the assistance of Frank's daughter, Mrs.Helen Kent. The mastering on that LP was done by Nick Perls, and the jacket(cover) notes were done by Steve Calt. Through the '30's and early '40's, Stokes sometimes travelled alone, and at other times with others, such as Sane, Willie Borum, or Roosevelt Stokes (son), and performed in and around Memphis, at parties, suppers, some clubs, and in Church's Park (now known as W.C.Handy Park). He also did some tent and medicine shows, including working with the Ringling Brothers outfit. Around '49 he moved to Clarksdale,MS, and settled there, occasionally performing with Bukka White, in local "tonks". He retired from musical work in '51, as he was having trouble with his blood pressure, according to his daughter. He passed away in Memphis, on September 12, 1955, from the effects of a stroke. By the way, for you country music fans, when Stokes was performing at tent and/or medicine shows, there was a young man who copied his guitar style, and even performed some of his songs, and later, patterned his style after him. That person you should know-- one Jimmie Rodgers.
Blues Question For May 2021: This bluesman played piano and guitar. In his early days he worked as a porter, then, later on, as a truck driver, and still later, in an oil refinery. His first playing gigs were on an offer for him to sit in with a Zydeco band. He, like many others of his quality blues work, is mostly overlooked. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??
Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For May 2021: The song is "I Had A Dream", and the artist is Lafayette Jerl "Thing" Thomas on vocals and guitar, recorded September 9, 1968, in Berkely, CA. Others on this recording were L.C."Good Rockin" Robinson on steel guitar and guitar, Charles Thomas on guitar, Dave Alexander on piano, Malachi "Big Daddy" Spencer on bass, And Garwell Barfield on drums. It wasn't released until 1969, and I'll get to that in the following Trivia section.
Blues Trivia For May 2021: As stated above, this is about 1 LP, but the idea pertains to others, in all genres of music, as well. When you go looking for an older recording of a particular artist or song, you have to be careful. A lot of the early recordings, and I'm talking about shellac records, then vinyl, both LP's and 45's, cassette tapes (yes, even 8-tracks), and some of the early CD's, sometimes have incorrect info on them. On the above-listed song, I gave you the recording date for it. The album that that song is on is World Pacific Records, #WPS-21893, which was released sometime in late April 1969 or shortly thereafter, in the U.S.. It was also released in the U.K., on Liberty Records, #LBS-83234. Side 1 shows 5 songs, side 2 shows 6. The song's listings on the jacket (cover) and on the LP's labels match, but the actual vinyl record has a different order in which the songs are listed. I could give you all the wrong and correct listings, but that'd be a lot if typing and space. The 5 songs on side 1 and the first 3 on side 2, show the writer as being "Beulah Lacyson". I could find no record of this person. The person who arranged and directed those 8 songs was Jimmy McCracklin. I believe that the writing credit was to honor his wife (and possibly get the royalties), whose maiden name was Beulah Fayson. The last three songs on side 2 were recorded on March 7, 1969, in Los Angeles, rather than in Berkely, and with totally different backing band. The rear cover shows that the notes were done by Pete Welding in April of 1969. At this date, I can find no other place where that song can be found. You never know, it might show up on a compilation some day. All I'm saying is that when you find something you like, do some research so that you know that it's right, then get it, because it may never be again.
Some Blues Passings For May 2021:
- May 6th.,2012-- Michael "Iron Man"Burks
- May 17th.,1989-- Henry Lee Bester (went by Charles Edwards later), aka "Good Rockin' Charles
- May 29th.,2005-- Percy Lee Strother
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