Brown Gal

Side A

01. R.M. Blues - Roy Milton

02. Groovy Blues - Roy Milton (vocal - Camille Howard)

03. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - Roy Milton

04. Sometimes I'm Happy - Jimmy Grissom

05. Mr Fine - Roy Milton (vocal - Camille Howard)

06. If I Had You - Dorothy Donegan

07. Milton's Boogie - Roy Milton

Side B

01. Rock It - Lil Armstrong

02. The Piano Player's Blues - Dorothy Donegan

03. Brown Gal - Lil Armstrong

04. Joogie Boogie - Lil Armstrong

05. Baby Daddy - Lil Armstrong

06. Baby Daddy (alt take) - Lil Armstrong

07. Rock It (alt take) - Lil Armstrong

Download from here:

http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/oqipNxAB/file.html

Red hot and fine as wine jumpin' comp of Gotham sides released on Krazy Kat in 1986. Side A keeps our ongoing Roy Milton theme to the fore as all the sides except Dorothy Donegan's "If I Had You" were originally recorded for Roy's own labels - Roy Milton and Miltone. The discography of Roy Milton's early sides can be confusing as he recorded some of his big hits several times and there were multiple issues of these recordings.

Roy Milton & His Solid Senders first recorded for Lionel Hampton's Hamp-Tone label in September 1945. 4 sides were recorded which were issued on 2 singles: "I'll Always Be In Love With You" / "To Be Alone Blues" (Hamp-Tone 101) and the 2-parter "Burma Road, Parts 1 and 2" (Hamp-Tone 104). These singles were not released until June and July 1946, by which time Roy had recorded for Art Rupe's Juke Box label with great success and was in the midst of setting up his own label, Roy Milton Records.

Art Rupe signed Roy up to his Juke Box record company in November 1945. On the 11th December 1945 Roy recorded 4 tracks which remained unissued and then re-recorded the same tracks on the 22nd December. These were issued in early 1946 on 2 singles: "Milton's Boogie" / "Groovy Blues"(vocal- Camille Howard) on Juke Box 503, and "R.M. Blues" / "Rhythm Cocktail" on Juke Box 504. "Milton's Boogie" sold heavily but "R.M. Blues" was a massive hit, being the 5th best selling "race" record of 1946. In August 1946 Art Rupe decided to leave his Juke Box partners and before the year was out he had started Specialty Records which would become one of the top independent R&B labels in the U.S.

In the meantime Roy Milton had also decided to strike out on his own, going into partnership with Ben Waller and Forrest Perkins to set up Roy Milton Records in mid 1946. Roy re-recorded the tracks he had laid down for Juke Box for issue on his new eponymous label. At an unknown date in 1946 the following Solid Senders recorded sides for Roy Milton and its successor label Miltone: Hosea Sapp (trumpet), Caughey Roberts (alto sax), Buddy Floyd (tenor sax), Camille Howard (piano, vocals), David Robinson (bass), Roy Milton (drums, vocals).

All of which brings us to the tracks on Side A of "Brown Gal." The original issue of these tracks was as follows: "Mr. Fine" and "Milton's Boogie" were issued on Roy Milton 103. "R.M. Blues" and "Groovy Blues" were issued on Roy Milton 105. "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" was issued on Miltone 202, with a Jimmy Grissom number, "Do As I Say" on the B side. "Sometimes I'm Happy" is by Jimmy Grissom who recorded a couple of sessions for Miltone. He was backed by the Solid Senders on one session and by Maxwell Davis and His Blenders on the other session. I can't find which session this track is from.

Many issues on Roy Milton and Miltone featured featured hip cartoons by New York cartoonist William "Alex" Alexander as can be seen by the above examples. Roy himself went back to Art Rupe, signing for his Specialty label in March 1947. The Miltone label carried on, issuing material by Roy, Camille Howard, Jimmy Grissom, Maxwell Davis, Jesse Price and, through a deal with De Luxe Records, material recorded in New Orleans by Roy Brown, Paul Gayten, Annie Laurie and Chubby Newsome.

The original Roy Milton Juke Box masters had meanwhile been inherited by Specialty and it is possible that some Miltone masters also went with Roy to Specialty. His two Juke Box singles were reissued as Specialty singles, and further Specialty singles included titles originally issued on Roy Milton / Miltone. These may have been re-recordings or reissues of the original Roy Milton / Miltone masters. Roy continued to record for Specialty until 1953, achieving considerable success with hits such as "True Blues", "Everything I Do Is Wrong","Hop, Skip And Jump", "The Hucklebuck", "Information Blues", "Oh Babe" and "Best Wishes."

The Miltone label continued for a few years under the "colourful" leadership of Forrest Perkins. It was a tale of lawsuits and a flight to the Phillipines to set up a recording plant. Much greater detail of the saga is available in an article by Louis Opal Nations in "Blues & Rhythm" Magazine no. 235, Christmas 2008.

In June 1950, Billboard announced that Ivan Ballen, head honcho of Gotham Records, had purchased 300 Miltone masters, including sides by Roy Milton, Camille Howard and Jimmy Grissom.  Sides were released on Gotham in 1950 as follows:

Gotham 258 - "Mr Fine" / "Milton's Boogie" ("Mr. Fine" was credited to Camille Howard, "Milton's Boogie" to Roy Milton & The Solid Senders);

Gotham 260 - "R.M. Blues" / "Groovy Blues" ("R.M. Blues" was credited to Roy Milton & The Solid Senders, "Groovy Blues" was credited to Camille Howard & The Solid Senders);

Gotham 261 - "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" / "Sometimes I'm Happy" both sides credited to Camille Howard despite the fact that Roy Milton sings on Side A and Jimmy Grissom sings on Side B.

Dorothy Donegan was a Chicago born jazz pianist who enjoyed a long recording career. Her early recordings (starting from 1942) included issues on Continental, Plymouth and Miltone. Her only release on Gotham, "Piano Player's Blues" / "If I Had You" was recorded in 1950 and issued on Gotham 257. She went on to record for labels such as Roulette, Jubilee, MGM and European labels Four Leaf Clover and Black & Blue. Her last recording was of a concert in the Caribbean on board the SS Norway in 1992. A stylish way to sign off!

Lil Armstrong was born Lil Hardin in Memphis. She joined King Oliver's band where she met and married Louis Armstrong. Although the marriage lasted only seven years she kept the name and continued to record with Louis as well as building a long and distinguished career in her own right. Of particular note is her stay at Decca from 1936 to 1940 where she recorded her best known song "Brown Gal" which was later adapted by Clarence Palmer as "Brown Boy" and later as "Bad Boy."

She had a session for Gotham, probably in 1950, which resulted in two singles, "Baby Daddy" / "Joogie Boogie" (Gotham 241) and "Rock It" / "Brown Gal" (Gotham 256). These are excellent recordings backed by a tight combo (personnel unknown) and featuring great blues and boogie piano and strong vocals from Ms Armstrong. "Baby Daddy" is a suggestive and salacious paen to a well built toy boy. "Rock It" is unmitigated filth which simply has to be heard to be believed.

Sources -

The Roy Milton and Miltone Record Labels by Opal Louis Nations, Blues & Rhythm magazine no. 235, Christmas 2008.

Global Dog Productions website, http://www.globaldogproductions.info/

Notes to "Brown Gal" LP, Krazy Kat LP 808, by Tony Buke, 1986.

Big Al Pavlow's The R&B Book, Music House, 1983.

For subscriptions / back issues, info, see:

http://www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk/

Jack McVea Special!

Tracklist:

Side 1:

01. Bartender Boogie

02. Tarrant Blues

03. O-Kay For Baby

04. We're Together Again

05. Ooh Mop

06. Don't Blame Me

07. Frisco Blues

08. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying

Side 2:

01. Open The Door Richard!

02. Wine-O

03. Inflation Blues

04. Groovin' Boogie

05. No, No, You Can't Do Dot Mon

06. Jack Frost

07. Mumblin' Blues

08. The Key's In The Mailbox

Download "Open The Door Richard!" from here:

http://www20.zippyshare.com/v/zWoIoeVl/file.html

Tracklist:

Side A:
01. My Business Is C.O.D.
02. Play It Over
03. Rainy Day Blues
04. F Minor Boogie
05. It Never Should Have Been This Way
06. Jack's Boogie
07. Baby Make Up Your Mind
08. Butch

Side B:
01. Two Timin' Baby Boogie
02. Evening
03. Fish For Supper
04. New Deal
05. Naggin' Woman Blues
06. You Can Come Back Home
07. Tatoe Pie
08. Carlos

Download "New Deal" from here:

New Deal (Mega)

Original issue of "Open The Door Richard!" tracks, which were recorded in Los Angeles between August 1945 and December 1947:

01. Bartender Boogie aka B.B. Boogie - Black & White 750
02. Tarrant Blues - Apollo 370*
03. O-Kay For Baby - Apollo 761
04. We're Together Again - Apollo 366*
05. Ooh Mop - Black & White 750
06. Don't Blame Me - Apollo 761
07. Frisco Blues - Black & White 751
08. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - Black & White 793
09. Open The Door Richard! - Black & White 792
10. Wine-O - Black & White 751
11. Inflation Blues - Exclusive 260
12. Groovin' Boogie - Black & White 810
13. No, No, You Can't Do Dot Mon - Exclusive 266
14. Jack Frost  - Exclusive 266
15. Mumblin' Blues - Exclusive 270
16. The Key's In The Mailbox - Black & White 828

* = credited to "Rabon Tarrant with Jack McVea's All Stars"

Original issue of "New Deal" tracks, which were recorded in Los Angeles between August 1945 and late 1948, except for "Rainy Day Blues" which was recorded in San Francisco in 1944.

01. My Business Is C.O.D. - Black & White 762
02. Play It Over - Black & White 762
03. Rainy Day Blues - Rhythm 502/509
04. F Minor Boogie - Black & White 767
05. It Never Should Have Been This Way - Apollo 370*
06. Jack's Boogie - Black & White 767
07. Baby Make Up Your Mind - Black & White 763
08. Butch - Black & White 842
09. Two Timin' Baby Boogie - Black & White 842
10. Evening - Exclusive 70X
11. Fish For Supper - Exclusive 70X
12. New Deal - Melodisc 110
13. Naggin' Woman Blues - Apollo 365*
14. You Can Come Back Home - Modern 20-756**
15. Tatoe Pie - Exclusive 270
16. Carlos - Exclusive 48X

* = credited to "Rabon Tarrant with Jack McVea's All Stars."
** = credited to "Gene Phillips with Jack McVea & His Orchestra." The song title was "You Can't Come Back Home."

As requested by a cool cat (by your re-up requests shall ye be judged), here's Jack McVea on a couple of Jukebox Lil LPs. We know what that means - occasional dodgy sound quality as the tracks were mastered from original 78 rpm records coupled with superb background research and notes. Jonas Bernholm's reissue labels really set the standard back in the 1980s.

The excellent "Blues And Rhythm" magazine has recently completed a 3 part series on Jonas and his work entitled "The Mr R&B Interviews." There is also a Label Listing of every release on every Jonas Bernholm label. These labels were: Route 66, Mr R&B, Stockholm, Blues Boy, Crown Prince, Saxophonograph, Jukebox Lil, Whiskey, Women, And ... , Dr. Horse, Earth Angel, Gospel Jubilee, Jazz Information, and Clanka Lanka. Scream and shout, check it out!

LPS from the Mr R&B group of labels can still be purchased at North American distributor www.cityhallrecords.com and also at Norton Records. In Europe they can be purchased at Bear Family Records, Germany.

And so to Jack McVea. My original post on "Open The Door Richard!" had a summary of his career. Here's the link:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/jack-mcvea-his-all-stars-open-door.html

The original "New Deal" post is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/jack-mcvea-his-all-stars-new-deal_06.html

He was an important figure in the development of West Coast R&B. After quitting the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, he formed a small jump group in 1943 which was very much modeled on the successful Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five. Mid to late 1940s Los Angeles hosted a thriving jump 'n' jive small group scene with bands led by McVea, Roy Milton, Joe Liggins, Luke Jones, Buddy Banks, Joe Lutcher, Jimmy Liggins, Johnny Otis, King Perry, Calvin Boze and others all playing in the jump blues style which dominated the nascent rhythm 'n' blues scene.

Jack McVea's first recordings were made for the small Rhythm label of San Francisco in 1944  (see "Rainy Day Blues"). His first LA records were made for Melodisc in August 1945 (see "New Deal"). In the same month he recorded for Apollo, not only having discs issued in his own name, but also accompanying artists like Wynonie Harris and Big Duke Henderson. These sessions are covered in a Delmark CD, "McVoutie's Central Avenue Blues." A recommended purchase!

In October 1945 Jack signed up with Black & White Records, with whom he recorded until March 1947 when the company went bankrupt. It was Black & White which issued Jack's massive hit "Open The Door Richard!" but unfortunately almost all the royalties were diverted from the artist while coincidentally the label owner was suddenly able to indulge in a lavish lifestyle. Continuing creative accountancy practices drove Black & White to inevitable bankruptcy. In late 1947 Jack recorded sides for Exclusive but did not record again as a leader until he signed for Combo in 1953. By now Jack's band was totally different from the band which had enjoyed success in the 1940's. He continued to record for Combo until 1957 after which his recording career quickly faded.

The full story can be read on the sleevenotes to both the Jukebox Lil LPs. The period covered by these albums, 1944 - 47, is also comprehensively covered on a 4CD set issued on JSP.

More accurately, Jack's 1944 - 1947 recordings are contained on the first 3 CDs of this set while CD number 4 contains tracks by George Vann and Alton Redd, both of whom were drummer / vocalists with 1940s LA jump bands. George Vann is featured on tracks by The Sepia Tones, Joe Alexander's Highlanders, The Spirits of Rhythm, Four Joes And a Jane, Johnny Alston and Sylvester Scott. Early Jump Heaven!

The Combo masters are owned and reissued by UK Ace Records. There's some good Combo McVea tracks on the excellent compilation of Combo and Dootone sides "Honk! Honk! Honk!"

Also on Ace is a CD dedicated solely to Jack McVea on Combo, "Fortissimo!"

This CD includes quite a few alternate takes and even some rehearsal tracks. Worth investigating, but "Honk! Honk! Honk!" is a far better collection.

Buster Brown and B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts - 45s

Tracklist:

01. Fannie Mae - Buster Brown

02. Lost In A Dream - Buster Brown

03. John Henry (The Steel Driving Man) - Buster Brown

04. The Madison Shuffle - Buster Brown

05. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby - Buster Brown

06. Don't Dog Your Woman - Buster Brown

07. Doctor Brown - Buster Brown

08. Sincerely - Buster Brown

09. Sugar Babe - Buster Brown

10. I'm Going But I'll Be Back - Buster Brown

11. Hardworking Man - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts

12. My Baby Left Me - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts

13. Fannie Mae Is Back - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts

14. Candied Yams - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts

15. Rockin' With B - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts

Download from:

http://www111.zippyshare.com/v/YS3FDYxE/file.html

Time for a bit of fun with some crackly old records. This is an expanded version of a compilation originally got together by Joan K way way back in the early days of the blog. Back in the days when we were proud to post old records that had been scratched to heck. There's a few like that here. Indeed I remember wondering if Joan had been dancing on the records or perhaps just using them as beermats. Whatever, this is the way that the Good Lord intended for us to hear rock 'n' roll and this stuff rocks like crazy.

I've added a few more sides in more respectable condition to the originals that Joan sent in. Back when I originally posted on Buster and B. Brown there was some confusion as to whether or not they were the same artist. Despite some similarities they are completely different people, although one can't help but suspect that B. Daniel  Brown with "Fannie Mae Is Back", was trying to cash in on Buster's big hit "Fannie Mae."

All sides were recorded for Bobby and Danny Robinson owned labels between 1959 and 1962. Wild Jimmy Spruill is present on both artists' sides.

Jasmine Records have released a collection called "I'm Going But I'll Be Back" which has the complete Buster Brown and B. Brown output on the Robinson labels. 28 tracks in all, and a promise that the mystery of the Buster Brown / B. Brown relationship has been definitively solved.

Looks like it's worth buying! In the meantime have a Bebop Wino taster courtesy Joan K.

New York Blues Volume 2

Tracklist:

Side 1

01. Angel Child - Sammy Myers

02. Little Girl - Sammy Myers

03. You Don't Have To Go - Sammy Myers

04. Sad, Sad Lonesome Day - Sammy Myers

05. Rockin' With B - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts

06. The Pleasure Is All Mine - Bobby Long

07. I'm Tired Of It - Dr. Horse

Side 2

01. I Go Into Orbit - Johnny Acey

02. What Am I Going To Do - Johnny Acey

03. Why Baby - Mighty Joe Young

04. Empty Arms - Mighty Joe Young

05. Jack That Cat Was Clean - Dr. Horse

06. Think I Know - Dr. Horse

07. Go Away Mr. Blues - Noble Watts and June Bateman

Download from:

New York Blues Volume 2 (Mega)

New York Blues Volume 2 (Zippy)

Second compilation of blues sides from Bobby Robinson's labels. These are all early 1960s recordings from Fire, Fury, Fling and Everlast. Two of the Sammy Myers sides (recorded with Elmore James in 1961) were unissued as singles. Original release details are given below:

01. Angel Child - Sammy Myers - unissued recording (1961)

02. Little Girl - Sammy Myers - unissued recording (1961)

03. You Don't Have To Go - Sammy Myers - Fury 1035 (1960)

04. Sad, Sad Lonesome Day - Sammy Myers - Fury 1035 (1960)

05. Rockin' With B - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts - Everlast 5014 (1961)

06. The Pleasure Is All Mine - Bobby Long - Everlast 5020 (1963)

07. I'm Tired Of It - Dr. Horse - Fire 501 (1961)

08. I Go Into Orbit - Johnny Acey - Fling 728 (1962)

09. What Am I Going To Do - Johnny Acey - Fling 728 (1962)

10. Why Baby - Mighty Joe Young - Fire 1033 (1961)

11. Empty Arms - Mighty Joe Young - Fire 1033 (1961)

12. Jack That Cat Was Clean - Dr. Horse - Fire 514 (1962)

13. Think I Know - Dr. Horse - Fire 501 (1961)

14. Go Away Mr. Blues - Noble Watts and June Bateman - Everlast 5033 (1965)

Bobby Robinson was an example of that comparative rarity in the world of 1950s R&B - a black entrepreneur who owned record companies catering for the musical tastes of the black community. Other examples include Don Robey, John Dolphin and the Rene Brothers. His first label, started in 1951, was Robin (quickly renamed Red Robin) on which the first record issued was "Bobby's Boogie" / "Ghost Town" by saxman Morris Lane. Other Bobby Robinson labels were Fire, Fury and Fling. He had a brief business relationship with Jerry Blaine with whom he co-owned the Whirlin' Disc label. With his brother Danny, Bobby also ran Everlast and Enjoy. Danny owned Holiday and Vest.

The music issued on these labels covered most R&B bases, from sophisticated sax outings to fiery electric guitar blues to doo wop. The only really big pop hit was Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City" but Buster Brown's "Fannie Mae" and "Sugar Babe", Bobby Marchan's two parter "There Is Something On Your Mind", and "Soul Twist" by King Curtis also saw a bit of pop action while selling well in the R&B market.

In the UK, JSP Records have issued a 4 CD collection, "The Bobby Robinson Story, Selected Sides 1951 - 1960."

There are no doo wop or vocal groups sides included. Disc A is drawn from the Red Robin label and includes sides by Morris Lane, Charlie Singleton, Red Prysock, Tiny Grimes, Sonny Terry, Champion Jack Dupree and Brownie McGhee. Disc B has Fire and Fury sides from Hal Paige & The Wailers, Wilbert Harrison, Junior Lewis, Sam Myers and Tarheel Slim. Disc C has Fire sides by Willis Jackson, Mary Ann Fisher, Buster Brown, Wild Jimmy Spruill, Riff Ruffin, Tarheel Slim & Little Ann, Elmore James and Bobby Marchan. Disc D has Fury, Fire, Vest and Everlast sides by, inter alia, Tarheel Slim, Buster Brown, Bobby Marchan, Elmore James, Lightnin' Hopkins, Wild Jimmy Spruill and B.Brown.

If that don't whet your appetite then Jack you're dead.

Also worth looking out for is the 2 CD letter box set on Charly from 1996 - "The Fire & Fury Story."

Disc One is titled "The Doo Wop Years" and includes sides by The Du-Droppers, The Channels, The Teenchords, The Kodoks, The Vocaleers and others. Disc Two is a more eclectic mix with quite a few sides and artists to be found on the JSP collection plus Arthur Crudup, King Curtis, Titus Turner and the one and only Doctor Horse.

New York Blues Volume 1

Tracklist:

Side 1

01. Shake Baby Shake - Champion Jack Dupree

02. Daisy - Brownie McGhee

03. Candied Yams - B. Brown

04. Drunk Again - Champion Jack Dupree

05. Doggin' My Heart Around - Sonny Terry

06. My Baby Left Me - B. Brown

07. Number Nine Blues - Champion Jack Dupree

Side 2

01. Harmonica Hop - Sonny Terry

02. Fannie Mae Is Back - B. Brown

03. Highway Blues - Champion Jack Dupree

04. Don't Dog Your Woman - Brownie McGhee

05. Stumbling Block Blues - Champion Jack Dupree

06. Hardworking Man - B. Brown

07. Shim Sham Shimmy - Champion Jack Dupree

Download link:

http://www48.zippyshare.com/v/npFCaTA8/file.html

Good collection of sides from Bobby Robinson's NYC labels, mainly from 1953 sessions for his first label Red Robin, by Champion Jack Dupree, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Also present are 4 early 1960s sides from the Vest label (owned by Bobby's brother Danny) by B. Brown and his Rockin' McVouts. It's all rousing stuff and there are good notes by Chris Smith on the back cover. Session and release details are also on the back cover so there's no need for me to add any more. Just download and dance!

Chick Webb & His Orchestra - In The Groove

Tracklist:

Side 1

1 - Don't Be That Way

2 - What A Shuffle

3 - Blue Lou

4 - Go Harlem

5 - You'll Have To Swing It *

6 - Strictly Jive

7 - Rock It For Me *

8 - Squeeze Me

Side 2

1 - If Dreams Come True *

2 - A-Tisket, A-Tasket *

3 - Azure

4 - Spinnin' The Web

5 - Liza

6 - Undecided *

7 - T'Ain't What You Do *

8 - In The Groove At The Groove

*vocal by Ella Fitzgerald

Download from here:

http://www65.zippyshare.com/v/YOIlZET2/file.html

All sides were recorded for Decca between November 1934 and February 1939. The Chick Webb band had previously recorded for Vocalion and Columbia / Okeh.

I have to own up to being out of my comfort zone with this one. We've stepped back a decade from the normal Bebop Wino era of jump blues and early R&B to the heyday of big band swing. However there are, inevitably, strong connections with the postwar era of rhythm 'n' blues and jazz to be found in the personnel of the Chick Webb Orchestra. Most obviously there is the presence of Ella Fitzgerald who joined the band in early 1935 and whose vocal efforts guaranteed big record sales in the second half of the 1930s.

Ella in front, Chick at the drums

There among the reed players is none other than alto sax man Louis Jordan who became a band member in mid 1936, replacing arranger and alto sax player Edgar Sampson who had decided to strike out on his own. As well as contributing the occasional vocal performance, Jordan played clarinet and soprano saxophone with the band. He had ambitions to form his own band and when he did leave in mid 1938 it was after a blazing row with Chick, who was convinced that Jordan had attempted to lure some of his musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald, to the new group. Shortly afterwards Louis formed the Tympany Five which set a whole new trend for blues and boogie based jump bands.

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan in the studio

Tenor sax player Teddy McRae was a long standing member of the Chick Webb Orchestra. In the 1950s he recorded humorous R&B records under the pseudonym "Mr. Bear."  His "I'm Gonna Keep My Good Eye On You" is considered by discerning critics (i.e. me) to be a work of genius but it unaccountably remains absent from The Great American Songbook.

Chick employed Bardu Ali as front man for the band. Although a musician (trumpet) and band leader in his own write, his role in the Chick Webb Orchestra was akin to that exemplified by Cab Calloway and Lucky Millinder: hold the whole show together and keep the audience's attention by M.C.-ing, conducting, dancing and even singing the occasional number. After the death of Chick and the breakup of the band, he formed his own group and subsequently headed West to L.A. He entered a business partnership with Johnny Otis and opened the Barrelhouse night club, a venue which played a pivotal role in the rise of West Coast rhythm and blues. His full name was Bahadur Ali and he was the son of a Bengali immigrant, Moksad Ali and his African American wife, Ella Blackman. There is a very interesting article on Bardu Ali on the "Taj Mahal Foxtrot" blog here:

http://www.tajmahalfoxtrot.com/?p=2541#more-2541

A blog with the subtitle of "The Story of Bombay's Jazz Age" is simply irresistible.

Stompin' at The Savoy

The Chick Webb Orchestra reigned supreme at the Savoy Ballroom where they attracted a fanatical following among the dancers. The room was equipped with two stages, making it an ideal venue for big band battles. Among the bands who lost out to Webb were those of Count Basie and Benny Goodman although Chick had to cede victory to Duke Ellington.

As for Chick himself, his life was tragically short. Born in Baltimore in 1909, he was a diminutive hunchback because of tuberculosis of the spine. Despite his physical handicaps he had the drive and determination to become a first class drummer and bandleader. His health, which was never good, deteriorated markedly in 1938-39. In June 1939 he entered hospital in his native Baltimore for an operation but failed to recover from the procedure. The band limped on for another year or so under the leadership of Ella Fitzgerald with Teddy McRae as musical director but without Chick it just wasn't the same and the inevitable breakup came in 1941.

Chick Webb

Buddy Johnson Special!

Be Bop Wino continues its look at big big band rhythm 'n' blues with re-ups of 3 Buddy Johnson LPs. 

First up is the Silver Star Swing Series compilation of Decca sides recorded by Buddy in the 1940s and early 50s.

Tracklist:

Side 1

1 - South Main

2 - Fine Brown Frame

3 - Opus Two

4 - Walk 'em

5 - You'll Get Them Blues

6 - Hey, Sweet Potato

7 - Far Cry

8 - Serves Me Right

Side 2

1 - Li'l Dog

2 - You Can't Tell Who's Lovin' Who

3 - Down Yonder

4 - Shake 'em Up

5 - Dr Jive Jives

6 - I'm Gonna Jump In The River

7 - Baby You're Always On My Mind

8 - Shufflin' And Rollin'

Download link:

http://www118.zippyshare.com/v/8BxLFjy3/file.html

Original post (well worth reading!) from 9th October 2009 is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/buddy-johnson-and-his-orchestra-silver.html

In 1953 Buddy moved to the Mercury label and I've re-upped two Mercury LPs which were originally released in the 1950s. One of them, "Rock 'N Roll," was donated in its 1950s form by a kindly saxophonist, and the other, "Walkin'," is a 1980s re-release on Official. Buddy's band was perhaps the longest surviving of the big swing bands, playing through the swing and r&b years and on into the rock 'n' roll era, so here's the Mercury LP "Rock 'N Roll", with additional artwork from the 1980s re-release on Official:

Tracklist:

Side1

1 - I Don't Want Nobody

2 - Doot Doot Dow

3 - Bring It Home To Me

4 - You Got It Made

5 - A Pretty Girl

6 - Any Day Now

Side 2

1 - It's Obdacious

2 - Crazy 'Bout A Saxophone

3 - Upside Your Head

4 - Ain't But One

5 - A-12

6 - I'm Just Your Fool

Download link:

http://www48.zippyshare.com/v/CwHQLSRZ/file.html

Original post from 26th September 2009 is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/buddy-johnson-his-orchestra-rock-n-roll.html

This post is well worth checking out for insights from our anonymous sax playing donor plus other commentators, and my take on the role of Buddy's band in the early rock 'n' roll era.

On the 27th September 2009 I posted an Official re-release of another Buddy Johnson LP on Mercury, "Walkin'."

Tracklist:

Side 1

1 - Rockin' Time

2 - They Don't Want Me To Rock No More

3 - There's No One Like You

4 - Rock On!

5 - Ain't Cha Got Me (Where You Want Me)

6 - Buddy's Boogie

Side 2

1 - Oh! Baby Don't You Know

2 - You'd Better Believe Me

3 - You're Everything My Heart Desires

4 - So Good

5 - Bitter Sweet

6 - Gone Walkin'

New download link:

http://www118.zippyshare.com/v/uk1EfX7I/file.html

Original post from 27th September 2009 is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/buddy-johnson-his-orchestra-walkin.html

Once again, please read the wise words, especially if you're just discovering Buddy Johnson.

In the original posts I recommended 2 CDs for purchasing:

"Walk 'Em: The Decca Sessions" (Ace CDCHD 623) is still available. A superb collection which is one of my all time favourite Ace CDs and you can't get any higher praise than that!

For the Mercury sides I recommended a Rev-Ola compilation, "Gotta Go Upside Your Head" (CR Band 6) which at that time was an easily available mid-price CD. A search through Amazon and a few other sites has revealed that it is now a rarity and dealers are asking big bucks for it. If you come across a reasonably priced copy, snap it up. Otherwise, there is a 28 track CD on Hoodoo Records called "Rock On! The 1956-62 Recordings" or there is a 2CD compilation on Jasmine Records called "Rock On! The 100th Anniversary Collection - Twenty Years of Blues, Boogie and Ballads 1941-1961" which may be worth investigating.

Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra - Ridin' On The L&N

Side 1
1 - Ridin' On The L&N
2 - The Pencil Broke
3 - Doublin' With Dublin
4 - Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
5 - Royal Family
6 - There Will Never Be Another You
7 - I've Been A Fool (Thinking You Cared)
8 - Hawk's Nest
9 - The Man I Love

Side 2
1 - Adam Blew His Hat
2 - Cherokee
3 - Wee Albert
4 - Moonglow
5 - Everybody's Somebody's Fool
6 - Tempo's Birthday
7 - Lavender Coffin
8 - Sky Blue
9 - I'll Remember April

Download from:

http://www89.zippyshare.com/v/IyNsNtIj/file.html

More big band swing with quite a few small group tracks in the mix this time round. This LP is much more of a mixed bag than the uniformly excellent "Leapin' With Lionel." There's a smattering of sentimental ballads and formulaic instrumental workouts, but there are definitely quite a few gems in among the mediocre tracks. "Ridin' On The L&N", "The Pencil Broke", "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus", "Adam Blew His Hat", "Wee Albert" and "Lavender Coffin" are all outstanding in my opinion.

Here's the lowdown, track by track:

"Royal Family" - recorded by The Lionel Hampton Octet, 2nd March 1942. Not released as a single.

"Doublin' With Dublin" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Septet, 21st May 1945. Released on 1969 LP "Steppin' Out."

"Ridin' On The L&N" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Quartet on  30th January 1946. "Ridin' On The L&N" released February 1947 on Decca 23839 with "Hamp's Walkin' Boogie."

Billboard November 9th 1946

"Tempo's Birthday" and "Adam Blew His Hat" were recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra on September 9th, 1946. "Tempo's Birthday" was released on Decca 23696 with "The Pencil Broke", November 1946. "Adam Blew His Hat" b/w "Reminiscing Mood" was released on Decca 24015 in August 1947.

"The Pencil Broke" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, September 17th, 1946. Released on Decca 23696 b/w "Tempo's Birthday", November 1946.

"Hawk's Nest" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 10th November 1947. Released on Decca 24505 b/w "Goldwyn Stomp" October 1948.

"Cherokee" recorded by The Lionel Hampton Sextet, 14th November, 1947. Released on Decca 24430 b/w "Re-Bop And "Be-Bop" in May 1948. Part of 4 disc album "New Movements In Re-Bop."

"Wee Albert" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 28th January, 1949. Released on Decca 24699 b/w "Beulah's Sister's Boogie", August 1949.

"Moonglow" recorded by Lionel Hampton Quartet, 28th April 1949. Not released as a single.

"Lavender Coffin" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 10th May, 1949. Released on Decca 24652, b/w "The Hucklebuck", May 1949. "Hampton's version of this highly original novelty really jumps sanctified" says Billboard review, 25th June 1949. Listen to "Lavender Coffin":



"Sky Blue" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 29th December, 1949. Not released as a single.

"I've Been A Fool (Thinking You Cared)" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra  with vocal by Little Jimmy Scott, 5th January, 1950. Released on Decca 24864 b/w "I Almost Lost Mind", January 1950.  "Young Jimmy Scott gets off a haunting, note-bending vocal in his piercing, high-pitched voice" says Billboard on 18th February 1950. They were being very kind.

"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra with vocal by Irma Currey, 25th January 1950. Released on Decca 27176 in October 1950, b/w "September In The Rain" by Gil Bernal.

"There Will Never Be Another You" recorded by Lionel Hampton And His Quintet, 26th January, 1950. Released on Decca 27198, b/w "Where Or When",  in September 1950. "Mood jazz disking of this revival spots large chunks of Hamp's vibes in subdued garb. There's a neat slice of Doug Duke's Hammond organ work sandwiched in as well." Billboard, 30th September 1950.

"I'll Remember April" and "The Man I Love" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Sextet, 14th September, 1950. "The Man I Love" released on Decca 27373; "I'll Remember April" released on Decca 27875. Both discs were part of a 4 disc album "Moonglow" by the Lionel Hampton Sextet, released in March 1951. This album was available in 3 formats - as a set of 4 78 rpm discs; as a set of 4 45 rpm records; and as a 10-inch LP.

"Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" was recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra on October 27th, 1950. Released on Decca 27325 b/w "Merry Christmas Baby" in November 1950. Both sides sung by Sonny Parker. Said Billboard (2nd December 1950): "Parker chants the ditty registered last year by Mabel Scott. Unimpressive job." Actually I quite like it!

More big band grooves coming soon, swingsters!