T-Bone Walker - The Natural Blues

Side One:

01. Lonesome Women Blues **

02. Vacation Blues

03. She Had To Let Me Down *

04. Don't Give Me The Runaround

05. Hard Pain Blues

06. So Blue Blues *

07. I'm Waiting For Your Call

08. The Natural Blues ***

09. That's Better For Me

Side Two:

10. Inspiration Blues

11. Description Blues **

12. I Want A Little Girl

13. The Time Seems So Long *

14. Hometown Blues *

15. Misfortune Blues ***

16. I'm Still In Love With You

17. She's The No Sleepin'est Woman *

18. I'm Gonna Move You Out And Get Somebody Else *

* = unreleased track

** = unreleased alternate take

*** = first released on UK only LP "The Blues Of T Bone Walker."

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This LP completes the trilogy of Charly compilations of T-Bone Walker's recordings for Black & White Records in 1946 and 1947. As you can see from the above tracklist, the set includes 6 tracks which were hitherto unreleased, 2 unreleased alternate takes of tracks which were released as singles in the 1940s, and 2 tracks which remained unreleased until 1965, when they appeared on a UK budget LP. The remaining 8 tracks were on singles released by Black & White, Comet (a subsidiary of Black & White), and Capitol Records, which purchased all of T-Bone's Black & White masters in April 1949.

A collection worth looking out for is the 3 CD set in the Capitol Blues Collection series, "T-Bone Walker: The Complete Capitol / Black & White Recordings." Issued in 1995, so it might be hard to find, this set has 75 tracks - the 2 sides T-Bone recorded for Capitol in 1942, the 48 sides he recorded for Black & White, plus 25 alternate takes of the Black & White sides. The accompanying booklet includes a 32 page article on T-Bone by Mark Humphrey.

Now it's time for the facts on the tracks from "The Natural Blues."

Track details in chronological order by recording date:

Don't Give Me The Runaround and Hard Pain Blues were recorded in Hollywood in December 1946.

Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar) with the Al Killian Quintet : Al Killian (trumpet); Jack McVea (tenor sax); Tommy "The Crow" Kahn or Lloyd Glenn (piano); Frank Clarke (bass); Rabon Tarrant (drums).

Don't Give Me The Runaround was first released on Black & White 115 b/w "It's a Lowdown Dirty Deal" in May 1947.

Hard Pain Blues was first released on Black & White 121 (B Side of "I'm In An Awful Mood") between May and December 1947.

She Had To Let Me Down was recorded in Hollywood, September 13th, 1947.

Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Teddy Buckner (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Lloyd Glenn (piano); Arthur Edwards (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

She Had To Let Me Down was first released on this LP in 1983.

I'm Waiting For Your Call and So Blue Blues were recorded in Los Angeles, November 7th, 1947.

Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Teddy Buckner (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass) Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

I'm Waiting For Your Call was first released on Black & White 126 b/w "That's Better For Me" in May 1948.

So Blue Blues was first released on this LP in 1983.

The Natural Blues, That's Better For Me, and Lonesome Women Blues were recorded in Los Angeles, November 12th, 1947.

Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); George Orendorf (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

The Natural Blues was first released on Music For Pleasure LP1043 "The Blues Of T Bone Walker" in 1965.

That's Better For Me was first released on Black & White 126 (B Side of "I'm Waiting For Your Call") in May 1948.

Lonesome Women Blues is an alternate take first released on this LP, 1983. Another take was released on Comet T50 as the B Side of "West Side Baby" in October 1948.

Vacation Blues, Inspiration Blues, and Description Blues were recorded in Los Angeles, November 13th, 1947.

Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); George Orendorf (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); John W. Davis (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

Vacation Blues was first released on Capitol 57-70012 (B Side of "Prison Blues") in June 1949.

Inspiration Blues was first released on Comet T51 (B Side of "I'm Still In Love With You") in late 1948.

Description Blues is an alternate take first released on this LP in 1983. A different take was released on Comet T52 (B Side of "That Old Feeling Is Gone") in February 1949.

The Time Seems So Long and Home Town Blues were recorded in Los Angeles, December 16th, 1947.

Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Jack Trainor (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

The Time Seems So Long was first released on this LP in 1983.

Home Town Blues was first released on this LP in 1983.

Misfortune Blues was recorded in Los Angeles, December 17th, 1947.
Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Jack Trainor (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

Misfortune Blues was first released on Music For Pleasure LP1043 "The Blues Of T Bone Walker" in 1965.

I'm Gonna Move You Out And Get Somebody Else, and She's The No Sleepin'est Woman were recorded in Los Angeles, December 18th, 1947.
Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Jack Trainor (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

I'm Gonna Move You Out And Get Somebody Else was first released on this LP in 1983.

She's The No Sleepin'est Woman was first released on this LP in 1983.

I Want A Little Girl and I'm Still In Love With You were recorded in Los Angeles on December 29th, 1947.

Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Jack Trainor (trumpet); Bumps Myers (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

I Want A Little Girl was first released on Black & White 125 (b/w "T-Bone Jumps Again") in April 1948.

I'm Still In Love With You was first released on Comet T51 (b/w "Inspiration Blues") in late 1948.

Here are the covers from a couple of Charly CD issues of the Black & White masters, "Low Down Blues" from 1986, and the 1992 "T. Bone Shuffle" from the Charly Blues Masterworks series:

In 1955-57 T-Bone recorded some excellent sides for Atlantic. Some of these were featured on Atlantic LP 8020 "T-Bone Blues" which was issued in 1959 and has remained in print in some form or another ever since. These are all terrific recordings which feature musicians such as Barney Kessel, Earl Palmer, Plas Johnson, Eddie Chamblee, Junior Wells and Jimmy Rogers. There's even a reunion of some of the old gang from the Black & White days - Lloyd Glenn, Billy Hadnott and Oscar Lee Bradley. This album stands up very well with the Black & White and Imperial recordings and is often cited by T-Bone fans as the last of his truly great recordings. Below is the cover from the 1994 Sequel CD reissue of the album which featured 4 bonus tracks. Any edition of this album is worth buying.

Below are the front and back pages of the CD booklet of a more recent Japanese reissue of Atlantic 8020 (with the same 4 bonus tracks as the Sequel issue). The original Atlantic LP had only 11 tracks as opposed to the 15 on CD reissues. And yes, I have just discovered that I have bought the same album twice. That's a hazard of bargain spotting while already having too many CDs in the house.

A World Of Blues (Imperial LP 9210)

Side 1:

01. Cold, Cold Feeling - T-Bone Walker

02. I Get So Weary - T-Bone Walker

03. Travelin' Blues - T-Bone Walker

04. The Sun Went Down - T-Bone Walker

05. Drifting Blues - Charles Brown

06. Black Night - Charles Brown

Side 2:

01. Trouble In Mind - Amos Milburn

02. Baby, Baby - Amos Milburn

03. Tired, Broke & Busted - Floyd Dixon

04. Call Operator #210 - Floyd Dixon

05. Rockin' & Rollin' - Lil' Son Jackson

06. Tend To Your Business - James Wayne

Download from:

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This is a 1982 Pathe Marconi re-release of Imperial LP 9210 which was originally released in May 1963. Billboard Magazine rated it as a 4 star album in its 4th May 1963 issue. The Beach Boys "Diamond Head" LP only rated 3 stars, along with "Frank Kouba and His Gay Bohemians" and "The Best Of The Bossa Nova" by The Tides. The mind boggles. However that's all very much bye the bye, and a propos de rien. Read on and learn that this is a glorious LP, a great collection of 1940s / early 1950s blues gems from the vaults of Philo / Aladdin and Imperial.

We have four giants of West Coast R&B: T-Bone Walker, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn and Floyd Dixon, all of whom were particularly adept at evoking a late night, after hours atmosphere. The music brings to mind one of my favourite quotes from "Unsung Heroes Of Rock 'n' Roll" by Nick Tosches, to be specific, from the chapter on Amos Milburn: "...the ceaseless saxophones of salvation, the crossing and uncrossing of restless nylon knees, the eightfold path of the unfiltered Kool and the miracle of Our Lady of the After-Hours Joint." Words which sum up this LP better than anything I could possibly write.

The sides by Lil' Son Jackson and James Wayne stand apart from the sophisticated West Coast R&B stylings of the four "big hitters." Lil' Son's "Rockin' And Rollin'" has just one man and his guitar. While looking back to earlier hits by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, this disc also presages the "swamp blues" style of Slim Harpo. You can hear both sides of the original Imperial 78 on this post featuring rips by El Enmascarado - Rockin' And Rollin' / Peace Breaking People.

James Wayne's "Tend To Your Business" is a 1961 Imperial re-recording of his big 1951 hit for the Sittin' In With label. It was in the R&B top ten from May through to August 1951, reaching as high as number two in May. In the middle of June it was at number three, tucked in behind Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" and "60 Minute Man" by The Dominoes, and ahead of Nat "King" Cole's "Too Young" and Billy Eckstine's "I Apologize." The 1961 version is much slicker than the original. Unlike the Lil' Son Jackson track, it really breaks with the overall late night bluesy mood of the album.

James Wayne was an interesting character, to say the least. This article (Not Tending To His Business) by writer Graham Reid is a good overview of  the trials (literally) and tribulations of a true eccentric. There is a link in the article to a lengthy account by public defender Mort Borenstein of his efforts to keep Wayne out of a mental institution and also get him some of his royalties. "The People versus James Douglas Wayne" is worth setting aside twenty minutes or so for what develops into a rollercoaster ride through, well, just read it for yourselves. I intended to merely "dip in" to the article and was quickly hooked. 

This Pathe Marconi reissue had a slight problem. Two of the T-Bone tracks were not those listed on the sleeve and record label. Tracks 3 and 4 on Side 1 were not "Travelin' Blues" and "The Sun Went Down", but were in fact "The Hustle Is On" and "Evil Hearted Woman." Bizarre - especially as "The Hustle Is On" is an up tempo shuffle which just doesn't fit the "blues" atmosphere of most of the other tracks. For this post I've removed the two intruders and restored the original track list, so you get the album as it was originally conceived.

"A World Of Blues" did appear on the blog way back in 2007 and it falls into the category of "rips which I thought I lost in the great PC crash of 2009". As I mentioned in a recent post, I came across a box of CDs burned from these old rips and so here is the LP once more, re-ripped from what turned out to be a CD of mp3s and not an audio CD. There was a lot of surface noise on the original rip, so I've re-edited the files on Magix Audio Cleaning Lab MX to improve your listening experience. I've also included new scans of the front and back covers and the record labels.

And here are the facts on the tracks, Jack:

1. Cold, Cold Feeling - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, December 1951. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Edward Hale (alto sax); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

Issued on Imperial single 5171, February 1952.

2. I Get So Weary - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 20th, 1951. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Edward Hale (alto sax); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums). Also with unknown trumpet player.

Issued on Imperial single 5161, December 1951.

3. Travelin' Blues - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, April 6th, 1950. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Eddie Hutcherson (trumpet); Edward Hale (alto sax); Eddie Davis (tenor sax); Big Jim Wynn (baritone and alto saxes); Zell Kindred (piano); Buddy Woodson (bass); Robert "Snake" Sims (drums).

Released on Imperial single 5094, August 1950.

4. The Sun Went Down - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, April 5th, 1950. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Eddie Hutcherson (trumpet); Edward Hale (alto sax); Eddie Davis (tenor sax); Big Jim Wynn (baritone and alto saxes); Zell Kindred (piano); Buddy Woodson (bass); Robert "Snake" Sims (drums).

Released on Imperial single 5086, May 1950.

5. Drifting Blues - Johnny Moore's Three Blazers

Recorded in Los Angeles, September 11th, 1945. Personnel: Charles Brown (vocal, piano); Johnny Moore (guitar); Eddie Williams (bass); Johnny Otis (drums).

Released on Philo single 111, November 1945.

6. Black Night - Charles Brown

Recorded in Los Angeles, December 21st, 1950. Personnel: Charles Brown (vocal, piano); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Jesse Ervin (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass); unknown (drums).

Released on Aladdin single 3076, February 1951.

7. Trouble In Mind - Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers

Recorded in Los Angeles, January 29th, 1952. Personnel: Amos Milburn (vocal, piano); probably Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); unknown alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax; possibly Wayne Bennett (guitar); unknown bass and drums.

Released on Aladdin single 3124, February 1952.

8. Baby, Baby - Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers

Recorded in Los Angeles, March 26th, 1954. Personnel: Amos Milburn (vocal, piano) with unknown tenor sax, baritone sax, guitar, bass and drums.

Released on Aladdin single 3248, July 1954.

9. Tired, Broke And Busted - Floyd Dixon

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 12th, 1952. Personnel: Floyd Dixon (vocal, piano); Roy Hayes (guitar); Eddie Williams (bass); Nat "Monk" McFadden (drums).

Released on Aladdin single 3151, October 1952.

10. Call Operator 210 - Floyd Dixon

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 12th, 1952. Personnel: Floyd Dixon (vocal, piano); Roy Hayes (guitar); Eddie Williams (bass); Nat "Monk" McFadden (drums).

Released on Aladdin single 3135, June 1952.

11. Rockin' And Rollin' - Lil' Son Jackson

Recorded in Houston, Texas, December 16th, 1950. Personnel: Melvin Jackson aka "Lil' Son Jackson" (vocal, guitar).

Released on Imperial single 5113, February 1951.

12. Tend To Your Business - James Wayne

Recorded in New Orleans, February 22nd, 1961. Personnel: James "Wee Willie" Wayne (vocal); unknown tenor sax, piano, guitars, bass and drums.

Released on Imperial LP 9210 "A World Of Blues" in May 1963.

T-Bone Walker Sings The Blues (re-up)

Side One:

01. Strollin' With Bones

02. You Don't Love Me

03. You Don't Understand

04. Say! Pretty Baby (Welcome Blues)

05. Tell Me What's The Reason

06. Blue Mood

07. Railroad Station Blues

Side Two:

01. The Sun Went Down

02. The Hustle Is On

03. Evil Hearted Woman

04. Cold Cold Feeling

05. I Got The Blues Again

06. Blues Is A Woman

07. Get These Blues Off Me

Download from here:

http://www5.zippyshare.com/v/bOmEhkV8/file.html

Original post (15th June, 2011) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/t-bone-walker-t-bone-walker-sings-blues.html

This is a 1983 Pathe Marconi reissue of Imperial LP 9098, originally released in 1960. The reissue reproduces the original front cover art, but includes extra tracks plus notes by Pete Welding on the back cover. I remember buying this LP second hand in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, possibly in the early 1990s, so that signature on the back cover isn't mine!

With this LP I feel that we reach peak T-Bone. These Imperial recordings pack a more powerful punch than the earlier Black & White recordings, thanks to superior production and strong backing from groups led by Big Jim Wynn, Maxwell Davis and Dave Bartholomew. The original post has the details of the recording sessions for these tracks and is well worth perusing, particularly as the information on the LP sleeve is incomplete.

As we saw in the previous post (T-Bone Jumps Again), T-Bone Walker left Black & White Records and signed a contract with Capitol Records at the end of April 1949. The contract included the complete master recordings he had made for Black & White, and Capitol started issuing T-Bone Walker singles cut from these masters from June 1949 onwards.

Less than a year later, and without actually recording any new material for Capitol, T-Bone signed with Imperial Records. His first recording session for his new label took place in Los Angeles on 5th April 1950, backed by the Big Jim Wynn band.

Five tracks on this collection are from the April 1950 sessions (held over two days): Strollin' With Bones, The Sun Went Down, You Don't Love Me, Travelin' Blues, and Evil Hearted Woman.

The first single released on Imperial was Strollin' With Bones (b/w Glamour Girl) on Imperial 5071 towards the end of April 1950. As for the rest of the tracks on this LP, the original releases were as follows:

The Sun Went Down / You Don't Love Me - Imperial 5086, May 1950

Travelin' Blues / Evil Hearted Woman - Imperial 5094, August 1950

You Don't Understand / Welcome Blues - Imperial 5147, September 1951

note: Imperial 5147 was re-released as Imperial 5384 in March 1956, with both sides re-titled: "Alibi" / "Say! Pretty Baby"

Cold, Cold Feeling (b/w "News For My Baby") - Imperial 5171, February 1952

Get These Blues Off Me / I Got The Blues Again - Imperial 5181, April 1952

Blues Is A Woman (b/w "Street Walking Woman") Imperial 5202, September 1952

Blue Mood (b/w "Got No Use For You") - Imperial 5216, January 1953

Railroad Station Blues (b/w "Long Distance Blues") - Imperial 5228, March 1953

Tell Me What's The Reason (b/w "Every Time") - Imperial 5247, September 1953

For further investigation:

If you started a serious R&B CD collection 25 years ago, then you probably bought the EMI 2CD set, "T-Bone Walker, The Complete Imperial Recordings, 1950-1954." (EMI Blues Series). Compiled and annotated by Pete Welding, this is probably still the best collection of T-Bone's Imperial sides. It's still available online and at a low price. 52 tracks.

The public domain label Not Now Music has a 2CD set with 50 tracks which covers the same ground as the original EMI 2CD set. It's available at a very low price (I've seen it going in Fopp Records in Glasgow for £3), but I have no idea if there are extensive notes to accompany the CDs.

T-Bone Walker - T-Bone Jumps Again (re-up)

Side 1:

01. Hypin' Woman Blues

02. Too Much Trouble Blues

03. I Got A Break Baby

04. Mean Old World

05. Bobby Sox Blues

06. I Know Your Wig Is Gone

07. T-Bone Jumps Again

08. Call It Stormy Monday

Side 2

01. You're My Best Poker Hand

02. First Love Blues

03. She's My Old Time Used To Be

04. On Your Way Blues

05. I Wish You Were Mine

06. Wise Man Blues

07. Born To Be No Good

08. T-Bone Shuffle

Download from here:

T-Bone Jumps Again (Mega)

The original post (June 5th, 2011) contains a biography of T-Bone Walker and recording details of the tracks on this LP. You can find it here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/t-bone-walker-t-bone-jumps-again.html

"T-Bone Jumps Again" was the first of three Charly LPs which compiled T-Bone's recordings for Black & White Records of Los Angeles, for whom he recorded between 30th September 1946 and December 1947. The series was originally conceived as a showcase for Capitol and Black & White recordings by T-Bone, but after "T-Bone Jumps Again" was released in 1980, further discographical research showed that the series of T- Bone Walker singles released by Capitol in 1949/50 were all cut from original Black & White masters.

An article in Billboard Magazine dated 30th April 1949 announced that Capitol had signed T-Bone Walker to a recording contract and had also purchased his Black & White masters. In fact T-Bone didn't record for Capitol in 1949/50 and all of his singles issued by that company were either reissues of material previously released on Black & White or first time releases of hitherto unreleased Black & White masters.

There was, however, one genuine Capitol single, recorded by T-Bone for the company while taking part in a Freddie Slack recording session in July 1942. "I Got A Break Baby" / "Mean Old World" was released by Capitol in November 1945 and it is included in this Charly collection.

The original post of this LP contains a lengthy appreciation of T-Bone and details of the recording sessions at which these tracks were cut. Information on the original release of the tracks was not included at the time, but I have now collected the necessary details. Note that the Comet label on which some T-Bone singles were released was owned by Black & White Records. Here is the track by track information in chronological order:

Tracks 3 and 4:

I Got A Break Baby / Mean Old World - Capitol 10033, November 1945.

Track 5:

Bobby Sox Blues (b/w "I'm Gonna Find My Baby") - Black & White 110, November, 1946.

Tracks 6 and 8:

I Know Your Wig Is Gone / Call It Stormy Monday But Tuesday Is Just as Bad - Black & White 122, December 1947.

Track 7:

T-Bone Jumps Again (B Side of "I Want a Little Girl") - Black & White 125, April 1948.

Tracks 10 and 16:

First Love Blues / T-Bone Shuffle - Comet T53, circa March 1949. (in Most Played Juke Box Race Records chart, 19th March 1949).

Track 9:

You're My Best Poker Hand (B Side of "Long Lost Lover Blues") - Capitol 57-70023, July 1949.

Tracks 1 and 15:

Hypin' Women Blues / Born To Be No Good - Capitol 57-70025, July 1949.

Track 12:

On Your Way Blues (B Side of "Go Back To The One You Love) - Capitol 799, January 1950.

Tracks 2 and 11:

Too Much Trouble Blues / She's My Old Time Used To Be - Capitol 944, April 1950.

Track 13:

I Wish You Were Mine - Capitol LP T1958 "T-Bone Walker: Classic Indigo Vocals And Guitar." 1963.

Track 14:

Wise Man Blues - Capitol LP T1958 "T-Bone Walker: Classic Indigo Vocals And Guitar." 1963.

Soul Jam have reissued Capitol LP T1958 on CD with 16 bonus tracks:

T-Bone Walker - T-Bone Walker Sings The Blues

It's not my name written on the cover - I bought the LP 2nd hand many years ago!

Side 1:
1. Strollin' With Bone
2. You Don't Love Me
3. You Don't Understand
4. Say! Pretty Baby (Welcome Blues)
5. Tell Me What's The Reason
6. Blue Mood
7. Railroad Station Blues

Side 2:
1. The Sun Went Down
2. The Hustle Is On
3. Evil Hearted Woman
4. Cold Cold Feeling
5. I Got The Blues Again
6. Blues Is A Woman
7. Get These Blues Off Me

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www5.zippyshare.com/v/bOmEhkV8/file.html

After his successful spell with Black and White Records, T-Bone Walker’s next recording contract was with Imperial Records for whom he recorded between April 1950 and June 1954. This 1983 Pathe Marconi release of an LP originally released by Imperial in 1960 (with 12 tracks only) finds T-Bone at the very top of his game. The April 1950 session used his road band, that of Big Jim Wynn, as backing musicians.

With Eddie Davis on tenor sax and Big Jim Wynn on baritone sax, from the very first session T-Bone’s Imperial sides delivered a far greater punch than his Black and White recordings of 1946 – 1947. The rollicking opening instrumental “Strollin’ With Bone” sets the tone and then it’s straight into the blues with “You Don’t Love Me.” Try listening to this LP with your media player on cross fade and hoo boy are you in for one hell of a musical treat.

Subsequent Los Angeles sessions through to March 1952 used musicians from Big Jim Wynn’s band mixed with former T-Bone cohorts such as Willard McDaniel, Billy Hadnott and Oscar Lee Bradley, with Maxwell Davis coming in on tenor sax. In March 1952 T-Bone’s nephew R.S. Rankin came in on second guitar. The Imperial label had established a strong New Orleans connection in 1949 – 1950, most notably with Fats Domino and Smiley Lewis, and in March 1953 T-Bone travelled to the Crescent City to record with the top local session men such as Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty. This LP features one side from those sessions – “Railroad Station Blues.”

There were further recordings with the New Orleans gang through to November 1953. Meanwhile in October 1953 T-Bone recorded in Detroit with the T.J. Fowler band which also backed him in his final recordings for Imperial in June 1954.

So download, sit back and savour R&B at its best with these great, great recordings which are probably the last sides T-Bone recorded with the rhythm and blues market in mind. Ill health brought a temporary hiatus to T-Bone’s recording career. In 1955 through to 1957 he recorded intermittently for Atlantic. Most of the sides made their first appearance on the LP “T-Bone Blues.” T-Bone’s career picked up in the 60’s when he became part of the blues revival. His subsequent recordings were all for the LP market, his final sides being recorded in 1973. He died in March 1975 at the comparatively young age of 64.

1. Strollin' With Bone
2. You Don't Love Me
3. You Don't Understand
4. Say! Pretty Baby (Welcome Blues)
5. Tell Me What's The Reason
6. Blue Mood
7. Railroad Station Blues
8. The Sun Went Down
9. The Hustle Is On
10. Evil Hearted Woman
11. Cold Cold Feeling
12. I Got The Blues Again
13. Blues Is A Woman
14. Get These Blues Off Me

All sides recorded in Los Angeles, 1950 – 1952, except “Railroad Station Blues.” T-Bone Walker, guitar, vocal on all tracks with:

April 1950 sessions personnel:

Eddie Hutcherson (tp); Edward Hale (as); Eddie Davis (ts); Big Jim Wynn (ts and bs); Zell Kindred (p); Buddy Woodson (b); Robert “Snake” Sims (d):

“Strollin’ With Bone,” “The Sun Went Down,” “You Don’t Love Me,” were recorded on April 5th, 1950. “Travelin’ Blues” and “Evil Hearted Woman” were recorded on April 6th, 1950.

August 1951 sessions personnel:

Unidentified (tp); Edward Hale (as); Maxwell Davis (ts); Willard McDaniel (p); Billy Hadnott (b); Oscar Lee Bradley (d):

“You Don’t Understand” and “Welcome Blues” (aka “Say Pretty Baby) were recorded on August 15th, 1951. “Tell Me What’s The Reason” was recorded on August 20th, 1951.

March 1952 sessions personnel:

Unidentified (tp); Edward Hale (as); Maxwell Davis (ts); possibly Big Jim Wynn (bs); Willard McDaniel or Zell Kindred (p); Buddy Woodson (b); R.S. Rankin (g); Oscar Lee Bradley or Robert “Snake” Sims (d):

“Cold, Cold Feeling,” “Get These Blues Off Me,” “I Got The Blues Again,” “Blues Is a Woman,” and “Blue Mood” were recorded in March, 1952 (exact date unknown.)

The March 1953 session was recorded in New Orleans. Personnel:

Dave Bartholomew (t); Wendell Duconge (as); Lee Allen (ts); Herb Hardesty (bs); Walter Nelson (g); Frank Fields (b); Cornelius Coleman (d); unidentified (p) Baby Davis or Tiny Brown (vocal):

“Railroad Station Blues” was recorded on March 20th, 1953 in New Orleans.

Sources: Pete Welding – liner notes to “The Complete Imperial Recordings, 1950 – 1954."

Recommended purchase:

“T-Bone Walker – The Complete Imperial Recordings, 1950-1954” is a double CD set issued in 1991 in the EMI Blues Series. Compiled by Pete Welding. 52 brilliant tracks.

T-Bone Walker - T-Bone Jumps Again

Side 1
1. Hypin' Woman Blues
2. Too Much Trouble Blues
3. I Got A Break Baby
4. Mean Old World
5. Bobby Sox Blues
6. I Know Your Wig Is Gone
7. T-Bone Jumps Again
8. Call It Stormy Monday

Side 2
1. You're My Best Poker Hand
2. First Love Blues
3. She's My Old Time Used To Be
4. On Your Way Blues
5. I Wish You Were Mine
6. Wise Man Blues
7. Born To Be No Good
8. T-Bone Shuffle

This is a glorious Charly collection of pioneer of the electric blues guitar T-Bone Walker’s classic 1946-47 sides which he recorded for LA indy label Black and White, plus two sides he recorded for Capitol in 1942 while with the Freddie Slack Orchestra. I bought it way back in 1981 at a time when my jump blues collection consisted of little more than a handful of Swing House LPs, a best of Louis Jordan compilation on MCA, a scratched second hand Amos Milburn comp on United Artists and some imported King releases on Gusto. So you can imagine the impact these jumpers, jivers, shuffles and blues had on the as yet youthful Be Bop Wino.

Oh sure, I could write at length about the importance of T-Bone Walker in the history of R&B. About how every blues guitarist and (shudder) blues-rawk axeman owes him a debt of gratitude. Or perhaps I would be better looking back to the influences and experiences that shaped T-Bone’s music and stage act, influences that reach back through string bands, Blind Lemon Jefferson, medicine shows, classic blues divas, chumming around with Charlie Christian, big bands, jamming all night with Lester Young, and just corny old showbiz in the shape of musical reviews and song and dance acts. But what this post is really about is the fantastic music contained in these sixteen tracks. They may be slightly crackly and scratched but I’ve had the LP for around thirty years, so what do you expect?

Quite simply this is probably the coolest music you’ll ever hear. It’s real relaxed West Coast Rhythm ‘n’ Blues with small jump bands led by Jack McVea and Bumps Myers providing subtle accompaniment to T-Bones’ smoky vocals and tasteful guitar licks.

Texan T-Bone arrived in California sometime in the mid 1930s. Big Jim Wynn remembered him in the Little Harlem Club in Watts in 1936: “He was dancing and picking up tables with his mouth. He’d dance on a table and then grip it in his teeth and whirl it around. That’s what Miss Brown booked him for, as a dancer. He started singing with the first small band I had and the people went mad about him. He had a funny little box he’d play, a contraption he had made himself …” Sounds like T-Bone was already experimenting with an amplified guitar.

In 1939 T-Bone joined the big band of Les Hite as a vocalist. In fact this was a new edition of the long established band as in September 1939 Hite had dismissed his own band and taken over that of Floyd Turnham. The band went on an extensive tour, opening in Dallas at the end of September (they may have picked up T-Bone in his old home town), and in January 1940 arrived in New York. “Downbeat” noted that “his new star is T-Bone Walker with choruses on ‘I wonder why she don’t write to me.’” While in New York, the band recorded for Varsity with T-Bone’s vocals (but not guitar) being showcased on “T-Bone Blues.”

During the tour T-Bone experimented backstage with a Gibson electric guitar and on his return to LA he developed a sensational crowd pulling act with his new instrument. He had the tricks which in later years would be used by Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix – playing the guitar behind his head and while doing the splits. Club success brought him to the attention of new label Capitol Records. In July 1942 T-Bone was on several Capitol sessions with the Freddie Slack Orchestra, a boogie based big band which had the fabulous Ella Mae Morse on vocals (along with Johnny Mercer).

At the end of his first session with the full band (having recorded “Mister Five By Five” and several other tracks), T-Bone was backed by a rhythm trio from the band (including Freddie himself) on “Mean Old World” and “I Got A Break Baby.” This was the first time that T-Bones’ by now fully developed vocal / guitar style was recorded. However, the first Petrillo recording ban brought a temporary hiatus to his recording career. It would be over two years before T-Bones’ electric blues guitar would be captured on wax again, this time for the Chicago based Rhumboogie label, which was a promotional tie-in for the successful Chi-Town Rhumboogie night club.

The Rhumboogie opened in April 1942 with a show headlined by the Tiny Bradshaw band. In August 1942 T-Bone opened at the club as the headliner in “The Dream Revue,” a show which featured singers, dancers, chorus girls and the Milt Larkin band with Arnett Cobb and Tom Archia on saxes. The Revue, which ran until October, was a massive success and in January 1943 T-Bone was back at the club, once again with the Milt Larkin band providing backing. T-Bones’ 1944 run at the club was another success, being repeatedly extended until Wynonie Harris took over as the headliner.

As T-Bones’ 1944 spell at the Rhumboogie drew to an end at the beginning of October, he recorded six tracks for the new Rhumboogie record label backed by the Marl Young band who were by now the house band at the club. “Sail On Boogie” in particular was a storming showcase for T-Bones’ electric guitar. Three singles were released from this session, and a further session of four songs was recorded in December 1945, but none of these later recordings was released on Rhumboogie. However, two of the tracks were released as a single on Mercury.

In September 1946 T-Bone signed up with the Los Angeles based Black and White label for whom he  recorded under the supervision of Ralph Bass until the end of 1947. At the two 1946 sessions T-Bone was backed by label mate Jack McVea’s band, with trumpeter Al Killian being added on the second session in December 1946. For the 1947 sessions, studio bands centred on tenor sax man Bumps Meyers and former Les Hite drummer Oscar Lee Bradley provided sterling support. Other musicians involved included pianists Lloyd Glenn and Willard McDaniel, trumpet players Teddy Buckner and George Orendorff and bass player Billy Hadnott.

The Black and White recordings had considerable commercial success with “Bobby Sox Baby,” “Stormy Monday,” “Long Skirt Baby Blues,” “I Want A Little Girl,” “I’m Waiting For Your Call,” “Midnight Blues,” “West Side Baby,” “Description Blues” and “T-Bone Shuffle” all entering the R&B charts between 1947 and 1949.

Despite achieving good sales for records by Jack McVea and T-Bone, Black and White ran into financial problems during 1948, eventually going out of business. The T-Bone masters were bought up by Capitol in April 1949. Their new owners remastered and renumbered the tracks and reissued many of them, leading to considerable discographical confusion, which is reflected in the sleevenotes to this LP. When T-Bone resumed his recording career in 1950, he had signed with Lew Chudd’s Imperial label. That story, however, is for another post and another day.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www104.zippyshare.com/v/pFGTa3PK/file.html

1. Hypin' Woman Blues
2. Too Much Trouble Blues
3. I Got A Break Baby
4. Mean Old World
5. Bobby Sox Blues
6. I Know Your Wig Is Gone
7. T-Bone Jumps Again
8. Call It Stormy Monday
9. You're My Best Poker Hand
10. First Love Blues
11. She's My Old Time Used To Be
12. On Your Way Blues
13. I Wish You Were Mine
14. Wise Man Blues
15. Born To Be No Good
16. T-Bone Shuffle

“I Got A Break Baby” and “Mean Old World” were recorded in Hollywood on July 20th, 1942, with Freddie Slack and His Orchestra, rhythm section only. Freddie Slack (p); Jud De Naut (b); Dave Coleman (d)

“Bobby Sox Blues” aka “Bobby Sox Baby” was recorded in Hollywood on September 30th, 1946 with the Jack McVea All Stars. Joe “Red” Kelly (tp); Jack McVea (ts); Tommy “Crow” Khan (p); Frank Clarke (b); Rabon Tarrant (d)

“I Know Your Wig Is Gone,” “T-Bone Jumps Again” and “Call It Stormy Monday” were recorded in Hollywood on September 13th, 1947. Teddy Buckner (tp); Bumps Myers (ts); Lloyd Glenn (p); Arthur Edwards (b); Oscar Lee Bradley (d)

“She’s My Old Time Used To Be” and “Too Much Trouble Blues” were recorded in Los Angeles on November 6th, 1947. “Hypin’ Woman Blues” and “On Your Way Blues” were recorded in Los Angeles on November 7th, 1947. Teddy Buckner (tp); Bumps Myers (ts); Willard McDaniel (p); Billy Hadnott (b); Oscar Lee Bradley (d)

“First Love Blues” was recorded in Los Angeles on November 12th, 1947. George Orendorff (tp); Bumps Myers (ts); Willard McDaniel (p); Billy Hadnott (b); Oscar Lee Bradley (d)

“T-Bone Shuffle” was recorded in Los Angeles on November 13th, 1947. George Orendorff (tp); Bumps Myers (ts); Willard McDaniel (p); John W. Davis (b); Oscar Lee Bradley (d)

“Wise Man Blues” and “I Wish You Were Mine” were recorded in Los Angeles on December 17th, 1947. “Born To Be No Good” was recorded in Los Angeles on December 18th, 1947. Jack Trainor (tp); Bumps Myers (ts); Willard McDaniel (p); Billy Hadnott (b); Oscar Lee Bradley (d)

“You’re My Best Poker Hand” was recorded in Los Angeles on December 29th, 1947. George Orendorff or Jack Trainor (tp); Bumps Myers (ts); Willard McDaniel (p); Billy Hadnott (b); Oscar Lee Bradley (d)

Sources:

Mark Humphrey – liner notes to the Capitol Blues Collection 3CD set “T-Bone Walker: The Complete Capitol / Black & White Recordings”

Helen Oakley Dance – “Stormy Monday: The T-Bone Walker Story”

Robert Pruter and Robert L Campbell - "The Rhumboogie: the rise of a great black and tan" in Blues and Rhythm, number 190, June 2004

Bill Millar – “Let The Good Times Rock!”

Albert McCarthy – Big Band Jazz

The Bruyninckx Discography

Arnold Shaw: Honkers And Shouters

Big Al Pavlow’s R&B Book

Cliff White: sleevenotes to Charly LPs “The Natural Blues” and “Plain Ole Blues.”

Mo’ T-Bone:

“The Complete Capitol / Black & White Sessions” – a 3CD set issued in the Capitol Blues Collection series in 1995. It includes the 48 recordings made for Black & White in 1946 and 1947, the 2 recordings with Freddie Slack for Capitol from 1942, and “T-Bone Blues” made with the Les Hite band for Varsity in 1940. There are 75 tracks in total on this set with the balance being made up of alternate takes of many of the Black & White tracks. Immaculate packaging and sound quality. Indispensable but almost impossible to find.

You might have a better chance of finding the Proper 4 CD set “The Original Source” which has 90 tracks recorded between 1930 and 1951.

Rockin' in Munich

It's time for Be Bop Wino to take a short break from bringing you the best of boppin' and bluesin' for movin' and groovin'. I'm off for a little trip to Munich. Should any Bavarian hipsters happen to notice a cool cat in a retro Scotland football shirt flitting through the streets, beer gardens and pubs of your wonderful city this weekend, that'll be me.

I'll be back with more rhythm delights sometime next week. In the meantime here's a little T-Bone Walker to tide you over - "T-Bone Jumps Again" on Black and White Records. Ripped from vinyl, as ever.