Lloyd Glenn - After Hours

Side A
1. Chick-A-Boo
2. Tiddly-Winks
3. Sunrise
4. Still Waters
5. Nite Flite
6. Old Time Shuffle
7. Southbound Special

Side B
1. After Hours Part I
2. After Hours Part II
3. Rompin’ Rhumba
4. Strollin’
5. Blue Ivories
6. Love For Sale
7. Petite Fleur

Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1909, pianist Lloyd Glenn started playing for South western territory bands in the late 1920s. From 1930 until 1932 he was pianist / arranger in the Oklahoma based Terrence Holder band which included Buddy Tate and Earl Bostic in its line up. In 1934 he joined the San Antonio based Don Albert Orchestra which billed itself as “Don Albert and his Music, America’s Greatest Swing Band.” Lloyd’s recording debut came in November 1936 when the Albert outfit laid down eight sides for Vocalion at a session in San Antonio.

The band toured extensively throughout the United States on a punishing schedule of one nighters and in 1937 even crossed into Canada and Mexico. Later that year the band broke up and Lloyd was not in the line up when it reformed in 1938 (although sax man Jimmy Forrest was). At this point Lloyd seems to have left the music business for a job in teaching.

In 1941 he relocated to California, settling in Los Angeles in 1945. He soon started building a reputation as a pianist and arranger in the burgeoning LA jump blues scene. In 1946 along with guitarist Gene Phillips, trumpeter Vernon “Jake” Porter, alto sax player Marshal Royal, bass player Arthur Edwards and drummer Bill Streets, Lloyd was in the group billed as Gene Phillips and his Rhythm Aces which recorded four sides for Modern. The band continued to record for Modern through to 1948.

Meanwhile in a series of sessions in December 1947 the same band recorded for Imperial as Lloyd Glenn and his Joymakers and also as King Porter and his Orchestra. These sessions may have been aimed at stockpiling recordings in the face of the impending AFM recording ban, but most of the tracks were subsequently released, although to little commercial success.

In mid 1947 Lloyd played on the T-Bone Walker session for Black and White Records at which “Call It Stormy Monday” was recorded. From 1949 until late 1952 Lloyd was with Swing Time Records, acting as A&R man, producing hits for Lowell Fulson, such as “Everyday I Have The Blues.” He formed a trio with bass player Billy Hadnott (who had played on many of T-Bone Walker’s Black and White sessions) and Bob Harvey on drums. With this trio Lloyd had the biggest hits of his career, “Old Time Shuffle Blues” and “Chica Boo,” both in 1951.

scans courtesy El Enmascarado

Lloyd moved to Aladdin Records in late 1953 or early 1954 where he stayed until 1960. And that brings us to this excellent 1983 Pathe Marconi selection of his Aladdin recordings.

The majority of these mid 1950s instrumentals were recorded by the trio which had been successful on Swing Time, with Billy Hadnott on bass and usually Bob Harvey on drums, although Harvey is replaced by Russell Lee on the 1955 session and by Johnny Kirkwood on “Petite Fleur” which was recorded in 1959. On “Still Waters” and “Nite Flite” the trio is augmented by guitarist Jesse Erwin. Tenor saxman Jack McVea provides restrained accompaniment on the October 1956 session which produced reworkings of Lloyd’s old hits “Old Time Shuffle” and “Chica Boo,” plus a great two part version of the old Avery Parrish / Erskine Hawkins piece “After Hours”.

courtesy Joan K

courtesy Joan K

courtesy Joan K

another from Joan!

This 1983 version of the “After Hours” LP is not a straight reissue of the LP of the same title which first appeared on Aladdin’s Score subsidiary in 1958 and was subsequently reissued on Imperial 1962. The Pathe Marconi issue mixes tracks from the original “After Hours” LP with tracks from Lloyd’s first LP “Chica Boo” which was issued on Aladdin in 1956 and reissued on Score in 1957 with the new title “Piano Stylings” and subsequently reissued again on Imperial in 1962 with its original title restored. The rather complicated story can be teased out from the wonderful Both Sides Now discographical website.

In the early 1960s Lloyd had a couple of recording sessions for Chess and Imperial. Although the era of classic R&B was over, Lloyd remained active in music, producing B.B. King’s LP “My Kind of Blues” and continuing to record and make live appearances into the 1980s. He died of a heart attack in May 1985 in Los Angeles.

Many thanks to Joan K for the 45rpm label shots. Thanks to El Enmascarado for the 78 rpm label shots.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

Lloyd Glenn After Hours (Mega)

1. Chicka-Boo
2. Tiddly-winks
3. Sunrise
4. Still Waters
5. Nite Flite
6. Old Time Shuffle
7. Southbound Special
8. After Hours part 1
9. After Hours part 2
10. Rompin’ Rhumba
11. Strollin’
12. Blue Ivories
13. Love for Sale
14. Petite Fleur

Recommended purchases:

There are two CDs in the Classics series available –

The Chronological Lloyd Glenn 1951 – 1952

The Chronological Lloyd Glenn 1954 – 1957 which has more of his Aladdin sides.

JSP has a 4 CD collection which I can personally recommend – “Rare West Coast Jump ‘n’ Jive 1945 – 1954.” It has 8 Imperial tracks by Lloyd Glen and his Joymakers, 10 Imperial tracks by King Porter and his Orchestra and 8 tracks from Modern by Gene Phillips and his Rhythm Aces. All of these tracks were recorded by what was substantially the same group of musicians in 1946 and 1947. Other artists on this 4 CD set are Jimmy Liggins, Joe Liggins, Roy Milton, Calvin Boze and, oh joy of joys, the much lesser known Charlie “Boogie Woogie” Davis, Poison Gardner, and Dick Lewis.