Detour Records

Some time ago I posted a couple of LPs from the UK Detour Records reissue label – “Groove Jumping!” and “The Best of Doo Wop Classics Volume 2.” The “Groove Jumping!” post kicked off speculation among blog followers concerning the identity of other Detour releases, with The Hound reminding us of the follow up to “Groove Jumping!” and a couple of 45 rpm issues, dbtb weighing in with the info that volume 1 of “The Best of Doo Wop Classics” was a Du-Droppers LP and most recently Grant informing us that there was a Champion Jack Dupree LP on Detour.

Recently I came across an obituary for mastering engineer and founder of Detour Records, Bob Jones, in the June 2009 issue of Blues & Rhythm magazine. Written by Tony Burke, it includes a list of releases on Bob’s Detour label and I have taken the liberty of extracting the list from the very informative article.

"Boppin'" Bob Jones worked initially for Decca, then later for Pye where he was involved in re-mastering tapes for specialist reissue labels. For many years he was involved with Ace and also worked on Bear Family reissues. In the early 1980s he set up his own reissue label, Detour, releasing a limited number of LPs and singles which were distinguished by superb sound quality. Most of the material consisted of R&B and Hillbilly / Rockabilly from Groove and RCA, with issues being concentrated in two time periods, 1982-83 and 1987-89.
 

Juke Blues No. 11 Winter 1987/88

Ten LPs were issued:
In 1982 – “Ballroom King” by Pee Wee King. In 1983 – “Skeeter Davis Sings Buddy Holly,” and “Groove Jumping!” In 1987 – “Just Keep A-Movin’” by Hank Snow, “More Ballroom Kings” (a Hillbilly compilation), “Still Groove Jumping!” and the Champion Jack Dupree set “Shake Baby Shake.” In 1989 – “Hillbilly Hound Dawgs And Honky Tonk Angels,” “The Best Of Doo Wop Classics Volume 1 featuring The Du-Droppers (Bambalam!)” and “The Best of Doo Wop Classics Volume 2 featuring The 5 Keys and The Nitecaps.”

I have a vague memory that a Piano Red LP was in the pipeline, but it seems to have never been released.

Blues & Rhythm No. 38 August 1988

There were also some 45 rpm singles:

Cecil McCullough And The Border Boys - “Pick ‘Em Up And Shake ‘Em Up” / “Nothing Else,” Laura Lee Perkins - “Gonna Rock My Baby Tonight” / “Come On Baby,” Clarence Garlow - “Route 90” / “Crawfishin’” and Benny Barnes – “You Gotta Pay” backed with Les Cole – “Be Boppin’ Daddy.”

The Clarence Garlow single was a reissue of a Flair disc from 1953. Both sides were also on the early Ace (UK) LP “Texas Rhythm & Blues.”

Sources:

Tony Burke – Bob Jones obituary, Blues & Rhythm Magazine number 240, June 2009.

“Jump Man Jump” and “Midnight Hours” were downloaded from a posting of the "Still Groove Jumping!" LP on the cool “Twilightzone!” blog.

The Clarence Garlow tracks are from the Ace LP "Texas Rhythm & Blues." Both are now available on the Ace CD "Long Gone Daddies," a top notch comp of R&B and Rockabilly from the Bihari group of labels.

Juke Blues No. 12 Spring 1988

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.

Don't Move A Vip Till I Say Vop - Doles Dickens Quartet

El Enmascarado has edited another cool video to accompany the B-Side of "Sing Re-Bop." The Doles Dickens Quartet are in hepcat jive mode once more with "Don't Move A Vip Till I Say Vop," a piece of advice with which I find it hard to disagree.

The video incorporates sequences from "Jivin' in Bebop" and "Juke Joint." Both of these films can be viewed on the Internet Archive. Go to http://www.archive.org/ then select "moving images." Put the movie title into the search box and wham bam, thank you ma'am, you can watch or download the complete movie.

Despite the impression given by El Enmascarado's video, Dizzy Gillespie is NOT playing on this record. See the previous "Sing Re-Bop" post for the Doles Dickens story.

And lastly you can listen to "Don't Move A Vip Till I Say Vop" on streaming audio here:

Listen to "Don't Move A Vip Till I Say Vop"

Audio clip ripped by El Enmascarado from the original 78 rpm disc. Thanks to our benefactor for taking us down the road to an obscurer corner of R&B history.

Sing Re-Bop – Doles Dickens Quartet



Scan courtesy El Enmascarado

Recorded in New York City, 1946. Herbie Scott (trumpet); Reuben Cole (piano); Dickie Thompson (guitar); Doles Dickens (bass).

Released in May 1947 with “Don’t Move A Vip Till I Say Vop” on the B-side.

Listen to “Sing Re-Bop” on streamed audio here:

Listen to "Sing Re-Bop"

Ripped by El Enmascarado from the original 78 rpm disc.

This jive novelty was reviewed in the May 10th 1947 issue of Billboard Magazine along with another platter by the group – “I Cried For You” / “Half Time Boogie” on Super Disc.

The Billboard review of “Sing Re-Bop”:

“For their efforts on this label, the Dole (sic) Dickens Quartet make it a swing thingy for both of these Harlemese jive ditties of their own origination. It’s the re-bop phrasings for the solo voice for “Sing Re-Bop” with the piano, trumpet and guitar also phrasing it that way. And for the mated “Vip” side, it’s the same vocal re-bop style, with all the boys joining in on the song. Harlem jump locations will lay in coins for this cutting.”

Scan courtesy El Enmascarado

New York based double bass player Doles Dickens had a long career in recording from the early 1940s into the 1960s. His recording debut was in December 1940 while he was with the Eddie South Orchestra. This was an eight piece jazz band fronted by violinist Eddie South and featuring Ginny Simms on vocals. Band members included Charlie Shavers on trumpet and Russell Procope on alto sax. From this session two singles were released on Okeh and a further session in March 1941 produced a single of “Oh Lady Be Good” / “Stompin’ At The Savoy,” released on Columbia.

Eddie South - "The Dark Angel Of The Violin"

In 1943 and 1944 Doles was a member of Steve Gibson’s 5 Red Caps who at that time were recording for the Joe Davis owned NYC indy label Beacon. He was also a member of the Red Caps “side project” The Red Caps Trio (Steve Gibson – guitar, Romaine Brown – piano, and Doles on bass) which also recorded for Joe Davis. In November 1944 Doles left the Red Caps to join the Phil Moore Four.

The 5 Red Caps in 1944 - Doles Dickens on double bass

Red Caps publicity shot clumsily doctored after departure of Doles

The Phil Moore Four were actually six – Phil Moore (piano, vocal); Remo Palmieri (electric guitar); Eddie Gibbs (guitar); Doles Dickens (bass); Wallace Bishop (drums) and Billy Daniels (vocals). They were contracted to RCA, recording their first session on November 24th, 1944 and they recorded for the label until the end of July 1945.

In 1946 Doles formed the Doles Dickens Quartet with the line up as listed at the top of this post. Their first recording session was for Continental sometime in 1946. The four sides recorded were released on two singles – “Hey Honey” / “Holiday For Slang” (Continental 6046) and “Sing Re-Bop” / “Don’t Move A Vip Till I Say Vop” (Continental 6047). The next recording session for the quartet was for Super Disc, probably in early 1947, which resulted in one single, “I Cried For You” / “Half Time Boogie.”

In January 1949 the Doles Dickens Quintet made its recording debut for Gotham, recording four sides released on two singles – “Cabaret” / “Sam’s Boogie” (Gotham 176) and “You’re The One” / “Arnold Fine” (Gotham 185). The latter disc was reviewed in Billboard on July 9th, 1949. “You’re The One” was categorized as “an easy little ballad tune” while “Arnold Fine” intriguingly received a rather barbed review: “from the import of the lyric, Mr Fine is a journalist for whom the Doles Dickens Quintet have the highest regard. This nice thought is framed in a jump boogie arrangement with a touch of bop. With a different lyric, or none, it would have been a pretty piece.”

The Doles Dickens Quintet which signed up with Decca was a completely different group from the Quartet which had recorded for Continental and Super Disc back in 1946 / 1947. The group’s first Decca session was on June 23rd, 1949, and the line up was: Louis Judge (tenor sax); Clarence Harmon (piano); Sam Hendricks (guitar); Doles Dickens (bass); Jimmy Crawford (drums); Joe Gregory (vocals).

Doles Dickens Quintet

And it is at this point that Doles Dickens enters rock and roll history, for one of the four sides the group recorded at that session was a cover of the Wild Bill Moore opus “Rock And Roll.” Wild Bill’s original version, released on Modern 674, was reviewed in Billboard on the 9th of June, 1949 as “another frenetic instalment in the pounding ‘good rocking’ serial. A potent platter of its kind.” In other words tenor sax honker Wild Bill’s “Rock And Roll” was seen as one of a number of rocking R&B records which followed in the wake of the 1948 hit version of “Good Rocking Tonight” by Wynonie Harris.

The Doles Dickens version is a slightly speeded up, slightly smoothed out adaptation of Wild Bill’s rough house waxing. Otherwise it sticks pretty closely to the arrangement of the original. It’s a damned fine dance record as you can see on this YouTube video.

From that first session for Decca in June 1949, two singles were released – “Hold Me Baby” / “Rock and Roll” (Decca 48110) and “Find ‘Em, Fool ‘Em And Forget ‘Em” / “Choo Choo Hop” (Decca 48115). Billboard’s comment on “Find ‘Em …” was “Thumping shuffle rhythm sets the pace for a rousing performance of an amusing novelty.” The reverse side of the platter was also praised as a sequel to Louis Jordan’s hit “Choo Choo Ch’boogie.”

The Quintet’s next Decca session wasn’t until January 1951. Meanwhile on July 8th, 1950, Billboard noted that “Doles Dickens and His Whispers” were about to take up a residency at the Ceders Inn, a new roadhouse near Atlantic City. A group called The Whispers had a record out on Apollo (1156) in March 1950 – “Your Ever Lovin’ Slick” / “Got No Time.” Was it the Doles Dickens band? We hope not, for according to Billboard, the A-Side featured “mediocre warbling, unexciting tenor and rhythm,” while the reverse side was dismissed as a “dull ballad opus.”

Another two Decca singles were cut from the January 1951 session: “All Alone” / “Blues In The Back Room” (Decca 48199), released in March, 1951, and “Blues In The Evening” / “I Only Have Eyes For You” (Decca 48242), released at the end of September, 1951. The latter disc, which was the Quintet’s final release on Decca, received a less than enthusiastic review in Billboard on October 6th, 1951, with the A side being summed up as a “slow blues … effect is on the cold side,” while “I Only Have Eyes …” was dismissed as a “routine entry.” The same edition of Billboard was rather more enthusiastic about “Because Of You” by Tab Smith (“stacks up as a money making proposition”) and “Riding In The Moonlight” by Howling Wolf (“ok for rural market”).

The Doles Dickens Quintet’s final session for Decca was held in New York on April 25th, 1951. The two resulting singles were: “Woogie” / “Can’t Let Your Lovin’ Go” (Decca 48124), released in June 1951, and “Gonna Rock This Morning” / “Won’tcha Tell Me Where She Went” (Decca 48229) which was released in August 1951.

“Gonna Rock This Morning” turned up many years later on the 1984 Ace LP “Jumpin’ The Blues Vol. 1” (CH94) which was where I first encountered Doles Dickens. Back in September 1951, Billboard summed up “Gonna Rock This Morning” as “… a standard rocking blues. It’s good but nothing special.” In this case the Billboard reviewer was probably erring on the side of kindness. The other side of the disc was summed up as “routine blues.”

“Woogie” also turned up on the Ace “Jumpin’ The Blues” three volume set of LPs of Decca and Coral sides. It featured on Volume 2 (CH135) along with such notable efforts as “Take Out Your False Teeth Daddy” by Margie Day, “Sit Back Down” by Little Esther and “Block Buster Boogie” by baritone sax man Cecil Payne. “Woogie is a nice little shuffler as you can hear on streamed audio below:

Listen to "Woogie"

With the Decca contract not being renewed, this was the end of the Doles Dickens Quintet as a recording act. In July 1952 Doles signed a contract with deejay Ray Hudson to record six sides for his Lion label, but no recordings ever surfaced. The last session featuring Doles as the named artist appears to have been for Dot in 1958. In September of that year “Pia-Kuka-Ung-Cung” / “Our Melody” (Dot 15745) by “Doles Dickens and the De Costa Choir” was released.

The A side (I’m not gonna type it again) must have been something else according to Billboard – “This has the sound of hysteria with guitars, piano and soprano sax and big choral sounds contribute to the wild effects. Has the quality of a jungle war dance.” What about the other side? “A bit of offbeat cacophony that builds and builds.” Sounds like the kind of thing that would turn up on “Jungle Exotica” or “Las Vegas Grind.” It did have a UK release on the London label. I wonder if anyone actually bought the darned thing.

However, this was not the end of Doles Dickens’ recording career. Throughout the 1950s he was an in-demand session man on the New York R&B scene. In November 1952 and March 1953 he was on sessions by Piano Red for RCA. In 1954 he worked for Savoy on sessions for Doc Jones and Wilbert Harrison and the Roamers. In early 1955 he was on a Varetta Dillard session for Savoy. In August 1957 he was on another Piano Red session for RCA and in October of that year he was in the studio with Jimmy Witherspoon, again for RCA. In 1958 he was on a Mahalia Jackson session for Columbia. He popped into Atlantic for a Lavern Baker session in 1959, and in early 1962 along with Charlie Singleton, Buddy Lucas and Sam “The Man” Taylor he cut a series of Twist tracks for Camden. As the 1960s wore on Doles moved into music production and direction. Doles Dickens died in New Jersey on May 2nd, 1972.

And now it’s over to El Enmascarado’s record room to see that original Doles Dickens 78 rpm disc a-spinning on the vintage turntable. But hold! What do we have here? The record room is now doubling as a video editing suite and there are images culled from old films to accompany the crackly sounds. Be Bop Winos will recognize the source of the suitably hep re-bopper visuals on display here. It’s the famous nightclub sequence from the classic film noir D.O.A. Edmund O’Brien is confronted by the latest musical craze in a club called “The Fisherman.” I’m there – I’m the cat in the beret and goatee. Far out!

In his book “Nervous Man Nervous: Big Jay McNeely and the Rise of the Honking Tenor Sax!” Jim Dawson reveals just what is going on musically in the original sequence in D.O.A. On screen the showboating tenor sax man is James Von Streeter and the other musicians are Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Ray LaRue (piano), Shifty Henry (bass) and Al “Cake” Wichard (drums). However the soundtrack features a different set of musicians led by tenor sax man Maxwell Davis. Confusing? Yep.

Sources:

Billboard Magazine, available free to read on Google Books.

Marv Goldberg’s online article on The 5 Red Caps

Albert McCarthy – Big Band Jazz

Bruyninckx Discography

Bruce Bastin – sleevenotes to Krazy Kat LP KK779 “The Red Caps – Lenox Avenue Jump.”

Ray Topping – sleevenotes to Ace LP CH94 “Jumpin’ The Blues Vol.1”

Galen Gart – First Pressings – The History of Rhythm & Blues Volume 2:1952

Jim Dawson – Nervous Man Nervous: Big Jay McNeely and the Rise of the Honking Tenor Sax!

And most of all - thanks to El Enmascarado for "Sing Re-Bop" and its accompanying video.

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.

Still Waters / Nite-Flite - Lloyd Glenn (Aladdin 3268)

Listen to "Still Waters"

Listen to "Nite-Flite"

It's the return of Be Bop Wino after a two week break and back we come with another 78 rpm disc from the collection of El Enmascarado - Texas born but West Coast based piano man Lloyd Glenn's instrumentals "Still Waters" and Nite-Flite." These sides were recorded for Aladdin in October 1954, at Lloyd's second session for that label.

The musicians on these sides include Billy Hadnott on bass and Bob Harvey on drums. Both of these musicians had accompanied Lloyd on his most commercially successful sides which were recorded for Swing Time between 1949 and 1952. On the sides in this post the trio is augmented by guitarist Jessie Erwin who turns in sterling performances, particularly on the bluesy "Still Waters." The rocking "Nite-Flite" ain't too bad either, with some nice interplay between Erwin and Glenn.

If you've been following the blog recently you'll have realised that many of these joint El Enmascarado / Be Bop Wino posts serve as tasters for an upcoming LP. If you've been following the blog for a few years you'll probably remember that an LP of Lloyd Glenn's Aladdin sides has already been posted. I'm working on a revamp of that post with new scans and more information, so stand by for a re-up of that Pathe Marconi LP "After Hours" in a few days.

Thanks to El Enmascarado for the label scans and rips from the 78 rpm disc of "Still Waters" / "Nite-Flite."

Amos Milburn - Chicken Shack Boogie

Side A
1. My Baby's Boogying
2. Amos’ Boogie
3. Bye Bye Boogie
4. It Took A Long Long Time
5. Chicken Shack Boogie
6. Pot Luck Boogie
7. Jitterbug Fashion Parade

Side B
1. Roomin' House Boogie
2. Johnson Rag
3. Boogie Woogie
4. Sax Shack Boogie
5. Roll Mr Jelly
6. Grey Hound
7. House Party

This is the fifth of the Pathe Marconi Amos Milburn LPs to be posted on the blog and I believe that the set is now complete. I can say that I’ve saved the best till the last, for this collection of classic tracks rocks, rolls, pounds and boogies in a merciless onslaught of the finest rhythm and blues you’ll hear anywhere.

The only break is provided by the slower “It Took A Long Long Time” at track 4. From track 5, which is the original hit version of “Chicken Shack Boogie,” there is simply no letup as Amos shouts the blues and pounds that piano to the blasting tenor sax accompaniment of studio bands led by the great Maxwell Davis or else his road band, The Aladdin Chicken-Shackers.

This is a collection which spans Amos’ successful years with Aladdin, beginning with his first session for the label in September 1946 and ending in 1955, by which time the hits had dried up. He was born in Houston, Texas, in 1927, into a family of twelve children. After war service in the Pacific, he became the main breadwinner for the family and took up music professionally, forming a small combo which played the clubs around the Houston area. While playing at the Keyhole Club in San Antonio he was spotted by Lola Anne Cullum (the wife of a Houston doctor) who was something of a promoter on the local music scene. Taking the young Amos under her wing, Mrs Cullum soon had him relocated to Los Angeles and signed up with Aladdin Records.

From that first session under the supervision of Maxwell Davis, “My Baby’s Boogying” achieved good sales locally. In the next year or so Amos laid down a mix of boogies, salacious double entendre blues and the occasional ballad which sold well enough but it wasn’t until November 1948 that real success came along when “Chicken Shack Boogie,” which he’d recorded in late 1947 just prior to the AFM recording ban, stormed to the top of the R&B charts. This kicked off a remarkable series of hits for Amos which lasted from 1949 through to 1954 when “Good Good Whiskey,” the last in a series of drink related hits, (“Bad Bad Whiskey,” “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer,” etc.) charted.

Like many of his contemporaries, Amos was left behind by changing fashions in R&B and the advent of rock and roll. In 1956 he recorded in New Orleans with top musicians such as Lee Allen and Earl Palmer in an attempt to reboot his flagging career. This session produced one of the greatest rock and roll records of all time – a searing remake of “Chicken Shack Boogie” but it didn’t sell. The Aladdin contract was not renewed in 1957.

Towards the end of the 1950s Amos hooked up with his old buddy Charles Brown for live appearances and a single on Ace, “I Wanna Go Home,” / “Educated Fool.” Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me” was heavily based on “I Wanna Go Home,” but for Brown and Milburn there was to be not a hint of the success that Cooke would have with his version.

Amos recorded for King and Motown between 1960 and 1967, but nothing sold. As the 60s became the 70s, increasing ill health including two strokes and a leg amputation blighted the remaining years of his life which came to a close on January 3rd, 1980.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/XbNi61uX/file.html

Amos Milburn (piano and vocal) on all tracks.

Los Angeles, September 12th, 1946. Unknown g, b, dm. Maxwell Davis (ts) present at session:

1. My Baby's Boogying (Aladdin 160)
2. Amos’ Boogie (Aladdin 173)

Los Angeles, October 27th, 1947. Maxwell Davis (ts), possibly Gene Phillips (g), unknown b and dm:

3. Bye Bye Boogie (Aladdin 206)
6. Pot Luck Boogie (Aladdin 3026)

Los Angeles, November 19th, 1947. Maxwell Davis (ts), unknown g, b and dm:

5. Chicken Shack Boogie (Aladdin, 3014)

Los Angeles, December 18th, 1947. Maxwell Davis (ts), probably Frank Heywood (g), unknown b and dm:

4. It Took A Long Long Time (Aladdin 3014)

Los Angeles, February 28th, 1949. Maxwell Davis (ts), Gene Phillips (g), Ralph Hamilton (b), Jesse Sailes (dm):

7. Jitterbug Fashion Parade (Aladdin 3023)

Los Angeles, July 13th, 1949. Maxwell Davis (ts), Chuck Norris (g), Ralph Hamilton (b), Lee Young (dm):

8. Roomin' House Boogie (Aladdin 3032)

Los Angeles, December 19th, 1949. Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers – Don Wilkerson (ts), Billy Smith (ts), Willie Simpson (bs), Johnny Brown (g), Harper Cosby (b), Calvin Vaughan (dm):

9. Johnson Rag (Aladdin 3049)
10. Boogie Woogie (Aladdin 3105)

Los Angeles, January 4th, 1950. Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers – Don Wilkerson (ts), Billy Smith (ts), Willie Simpson (bs), Johnny Brown (g), Harper Cosby (b), Calvin Vaughan (dm):

11. Sax Shack Boogie (Aladdin 3064)

Los Angeles, January 30th, 1952. Willie Smith (ts), Bill Hill (ts), Leroy Robinson (as and bs), Wayne Bennett (g), Leonard Sonny Williams (b), Eldeen McIntosh (dm):

12. Roll Mr Jelly (Aladdin 3133)

Los Angeles, August 21st, 1952. Maxwell Davis (ts), unknown bs, g, b and dm:

13. Grey Hound (Aladdin 3150)

Los Angeles, July 25th, 1955. Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers – Arnett Sparrow (tb), Eddie Chamblee (ts), Joe Evans (bs), Irving Ashby (g), possibly Red Callender (b), possibly Rufus Jones (dm):

14. House Party (Aladdin 3306)

Mo’ Amos –

On the blog – the other 4 Amos Milburn Pathe Marconi LPs are shown below:


That gives you quite a helping of Amos but there is much more to explore. Try to hunt down and purchase the following CDs:

"Amos Milburn Rocks!" (Bear Family) is probably the current best single CD overview of his career:

The Revola CD "Let's Have A Party" is a compilation of 1950s sides recorded for Aladdin:

If you wish to explore the career of Amos Milburn in depth (and who wouldn't?), then the Chronological Classics series covers 1946 - 1953 in 5 CDs. The first CD, 1946 - 1947, may be hard to obtain. The succeeding four are available at Amazon.co.uk, some as mp3 downloads.

Now sadly out of print, but still one of my all time favourite R&B CDs, is the Capitol Blues Collection 3CD set ""Blues, Barrelhouse & Boogie Woogie." 66 tracks and superb liner notes by Mark Humphrey. Still available as a surprisingly cheap mp3 download from Amazon, but if you find a second hand copy at a reasonable price, buy it.