Joan's 78s Volume 3 - Johnny Has Gone

     Record 1 - Savoy 1153A

01. Johnny Has Gone - Varetta Dillard

      Record 2 - OKeh 6910A

02. My Song - Hadda Brooks

Record 3 - Duke 107

03. Cross My Heart - Johnny Ace
04. Angel - Johnny Ace

Record 4 - Duke 118

05. Saving My Love For You - Johnny Ace
06. Yes, Baby - Johnny Ace (with Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton)

Record 5 - Duke 144

07. How Can You Be So Mean - Johnny Ace
08. Anymore - Johnny Ace

Record 6 - Duke 148

09. So Lonely - Johnny Ace
10. I'm Crazy Baby - Johnny Ace

Record 7 - Hollywood 1031

11. Why Johnny Why? - Linda Hayes (with Johnny Moore's Blazers)
12. Johnny Ace's Last Letter - Johnny Moore's Blazers with Frankie Ervin

 Joan's 78s Volume 3 (Mega)

Joan's 78s Volume 3 (Zippy)

A Johnny Ace Special Edition of "Joan's 78s." I couldn't resist doing this when I found not only rips of 4 Johnny Ace singles in Joan's files, but also a couple of "tribute" discs which were issued in the wake of Johnny's unfortunate demise as a result of accidentally shooting himself through the head backstage at the Houston City Auditorium during the interval of a Christmas Day concert / dance in 1954. And accident it was. It wasn't an organised crime hit or a jealous husband or suicide, but simply an act of monumental stupidity. I actually get angry whenever I re-read accounts of the incident for never was so much thrown away for so little.

Johnny's greatest and mostly posthumous hit "Pledging My Love" isn't here and neither is the hit which launched his career, "My Song", but Joan has provided an excellent cover version of the latter by Hadda Brooks.

Two of the rips, "So Lonely" / "I'm Crazy Baby", were pretty rough with volume fading out and in and although I tried several times to coax decent sound from the files, the results are noticeably inferior to the other cuts on this collection. I like to think that they are still listenable and therefore decided to include them.

Shellac Lowdown

Savoy 1153 - Varetta Dillard - Johnny Has Gone / So Many Ways - released February 1955.

OKeh 6190 - Hadda Brooks - I Went To Your Wedding / My Song - released September 1952.

Duke 107 - Johnny Ace - Cross My Heart / Angel - released January 1953.

Duke 118 - Johnny Ace - Saving My Love For You / Yes, Baby - released December 1953.

Duke 144 - Johnny Ace - Anymore / How Can You Be So Mean - released July 1955.

Duke 148 - Johnny Ace - I'm Crazy Baby / So Lonely - released January 1956.

Hollywood 1031 - Johnny Moore's Blazers - Why Johnny Why (vocal - Linda Hayes) / Johnny Ace's Last Letter (vocal - Frankie Ervin) - released February 1955.

Label scans from discogs.com, 45cat.com, YouTube and the Johnny Ace Webpage on the Vocal Group Harmony site.

Thanks again to Joan for providing the sounds. Stay tuned and hear more of the late, great Johnny Ace in Be Bop Wino's next post.

Kenny Clarke Meets The Detroit Jazzmen

Side One:
01. You Turned The Tables On Me
02. Your Host
03. Cottontail
04. Apothegh

Side Two:
01. Tricotism
02. Afternoon In Paris
03. Tom's Thumb

Kenny Clarke Meets The Detroit Jazzmen (Mega)

Kenny Clarke Meets The Detroit Jazzmen (Zippy)

Cool jazz for a quiet Sunday. I'm a sucker for anything on the Savoy label, whether jazz or R&B or somewhere in between. These sides were recorded in April - May 1956 in Hackensack NJ and bring together swing and bebop veteran drummer Kenny Clarke with a group of younger musicians. Outstanding stuff, especially from guitarist Kenny Burrell and baritone sax man Pepper Adams, but the whole group swings along with vim and verve.

The original version of this LP was issued in 1956 as "Jazzmen Detroit" (Savoy MG-12083). The tracklist was - Side A: Afternoon In Paris; You Turned The Tables On Me; Apothegh. Side B: Your Host; Cottontail; Tom's Thumb.

You can find details of the '56 LP on the discogs website.

Personnel:

Pepper Adams (baritone sax); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded on April 30th, 1956:

Cottontail; Your Host; Tricotism; Tom's Thumb.

Recorded on May 9th, 1956:

You Turned The Tables On Me; Afternoon In Paris; Apothegh.

Joan's 78s Volume 2 - I Got Loaded

Record 1 - Apollo 443

01. Baby, Don't Do It - The 5 Royales
02. Take All Of Me - The 5 Royales

Record 2 - King 4415

03. Put It Back - Wynonie Harris
04. Triflin' Woman - Wynonie Harris

Record 3 - Ultra 101

05. Groove Juice - Preston Love And His Orchestra
06. If You Ever Get Lonesome - Preston Love And His Orchestra

Record 4 - Atlantic 972

07. She Rocks - The Cardinals
08. The Bump - The Cardinals

Record 5 - Meteor 5016

09. Dumb Woman Blues - J.T. (Big Boy) Brown
10. Sax-Ony Boogie - Sax Man Brown

Record 6 - Trumpet 187

11. Strange Kind Of Feeling - Tiny Kennedy
12. Early In The Morning, Baby - Tiny Kennedy

Record 7 - Modern 1000

13. Dancin' Dan - The Cadets
14. I Got Loaded - The Cadets

Joan's 78s Volume 2 (Mega)

Joan's 78s Volume 2 (Zippy)

OK rhythm fans, you got it. Back by popular demand, more shellac shenanigans, more lo-fi high jinks, yes, the return of Joan's 78s. Another 7 discs carefully selected from Joan's old low bitrate transfers from 78 rpm records and run through Magix Audio Cleaning Lab by myself in an effort to boost volume, suppress hiss and eliminate clicks and crackling. All while trying to avoid distortion. I'll get the hang of it someday.

So download and enjoy the gospel style vocal group hollering of The "5" Royales, a Wynonie Harris disc that hasn't turned up on all that many compilations, a Preston Love offering that doesn't have Preston Love on it, fantastic and occasionally chaotic bumping, rocking and rolling from The Cardinals, sax stylings from J.T. Brown backed by the Elmore James band, Tiny Kennedy's original Trumpet version of "Strange Kind Of Feeling" recorded at Sam Phillips' Memphis studio, and a couple of "covers" by The Cadets - a cleaned up version of "Sixty Minute Man" and a rather good version of Peppermint Harris's "I Got Loaded."

The story of Preston Love's "Groove Juice" is told by Tony Collins in his notes to the Ace CD "Creepin' With The Cats - The Legendary Dig Masters Volume One." This track and other "Preston Love" sides on Ultra and Dig were recorded in L.A. by the Johnny Otis band without Preston who was in Omaha at the time. Ultra was owned by the Mesner Brothers and Johnny Otis but after 5 releases it became Dig.

Anyway enough from me. Open up this latest 78 rpm album, crank up the turntable, and put the needle onto these big ten inchers. By the way Joan approves of this selection.

Big Ten Inch Fax

Apollo 443 - The "5" Royales with Charlie Ferguson, His Tenor and Orchestra - Baby Don't Do It / Take All Of Me - released December 1952.

King 4415 - Wynonie Harris - Triflin' Woman / Put It Back - released January 1951.

Ultra 101 - Preston Love and His Orchestra - Groove Juice / If You Ever Get Lonesome (vocal - Roy "Happy" Easter) - released February 1956.

Atlantic 972 - The Cardinals - She Rocks / The Bump - released August 1952.

Meteor 5016 - Sax Man Brown, Elmo James Broom Dusters - Sax-Ony Boogie / Dumb Woman Blues (as J.T. (Big Boy) Brown on Dumb Woman Blues) - released September 1954.

Trumpet 187 - Tiny Kennedy - Strange Kind Of Feeling / Early In The Morning, Baby - released December 1952.

Modern 1000 - The Cadets - Dancin' Dan / I Got Loaded - released September 1956.

Issue information from www.45worlds.com, www.discogs.com, Billboard, and The Cash Box. Label pics from discogs.com and various record sales sites.

On the front cover, from left to right: Tiny Kennedy, Wynonie Harris, The "5" Royales.

West Coast Blues

Side 1:
01. Stubborn Woman - Mercy Dee
02. Have You Ever - Mercy Dee
03. T-99 Blues - Jimmy Nelson
04. Blues After Hours - Pee Wee Crayton
05. Texas Hop - Pee Wee Crayton
06. S.K. Blues (Part 1) - Saunders King

Side 2:
01. Sitting Here Wondering - J.W. Walker
02. J.W.'s Blues - J.W. Walker
03. Dr. Brown - James Reed
04. You Better Hold Me - James Reed
05. Strange Land - Roy Hawkins
06. S.K. Blues (Part 2) - Saunders King

West Coast Blues (Mega)

West Coast Blues (Zippy)

This is the last of the Musidisc re-releases of the Kent Anthology of the Blues series that I have. West Coast Blues was number 12 and the last in this series which explored the blues sides in the vaults of the Bihari brothers' Modern / RPM labels. This collection differs from the others that I have posted as it includes some really big R&B hits. Pee Wee Crayton's "Blues after Hours" and "Texas Hop" were big sellers, making the higher reaches of the national R&B chart, as did Jimmy Nelson's "T 99 Blues."

The J.W. Walker ("Big Moose" Walker or "Moose John Walker") recorded for Trumpet Records in Jackson, Mississippi. The sides on this comp were recorded in St. Louis with backing provided by Ike Turner and therefore have no connection with the West Coast!

One circumstance common to all the other artists on this record is that they had a Bay Area connection. Pee Wee Crayton, for example, started his professional music career playing with Ivory Joe Hunter's band in San Francisco. Saunders King and Jimmy Nelson both lived in San Francisco and worked the local clubs there. Roy Hawkins was discovered by Bay Area record man Bob Geddins playing in a club in Oakland. James Reed also recorded for Geddins, in fact it was the latter who sent the sides featured on this comp to the Biharis. Mercy Dee Walton cut his first record in Fresno (admitedly well south of The Bay) for the Spire label.

All started their playing and recording careers away from LA, usually recording their earliest sides for Bob Geddins who then brought them to the attention of the Biharis. As with the LPs in the Anthology of the Blues series, there is now an expanded and carefully researched CD equivalent available on the Ace UK label:

The Downhome Blues Sessions Volume 5

Here is the complete list of the Anthology of the Blues series:

1. The Legend Of Elmore James
2. Memphis Blues
3. California Blues
4. Deep South Blues
5. Texas Blues
6. Detroit Blues
7. Arkansas Blues
8. Lightnin' Hopkins: A Legend In His Own Time
9. Mississippi Blues
10. The Resurrection Of Elmore James
11. B.B. King 1949-1950
12. West Coast Blues

West Coast Blues - The Who, The Where and The When (Perhaps)

Mercy Dee - "Stubborn Woman" and "Have You Ever" recorded in Los Angeles in 1955. Released on Flair 1078 in November 1955. "Have You Ever" on this LP is probably an alternate take to the version on the Flair single.

Jimmy Nelson - "T 99 Blues" recorded at the Clef Club, Richmond, California, in June or July 1951. Jimmy Nelson with the Peter Rabbit Trio. Released on RPM 325 in June / July 1951.

Pee Wee Crayton - "Blues After Hours" recorded in Los Angeles in September 1948. Released on Modern 624 in October 1948. "Texas Hop" recorded in Los Angeles in 1948, released on Modern 643, late 1948.

Saunders King - original version of "S.K. Blues" recorded in San Francisco, June 1942 and released on Rhythm 3. New version recorded in San Francisco in 1948 or 49 and released on Rhythm 302 as "Saunders Blues, Pts 1 and 2" in 1949. Reissued on RPM 375 as "New S.K. Blues Parts 1 and 2" in December 1952. Also reissued on RPM 497 as "S.K. Blues, Pts 1 and 2" in 1957. As to which version is on this LP, I'm not sure!

J.W. Walker - "Sitting Here Wondering" and "J.W.'s Blues" recorded in St. Louis, November 11th, 1955, with the Ike Turner band. First released on this compilation.

James Reed - "You Better Hold Me" and "Dr. Brown" recorded in Oakland in March 1954. With the Que Martyn Orchestra. Both sides released on Flair 1042 in July 1954. The version of "You Better Hold Me" released on Big Town 117 in 1955 is a different recording.

Roy Hawkins - "Strange Land" was recorded in San Francisco circa 1948. Released on Down Town 2025 in April 1949. Remastered and reissued on Modern 693 in September 1949.