Blues

New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.7

2018-03-18T12:17:34Z

New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.7


01. Break of day
02. Drive it home

Hal Paige - vocals, piano
Mikey Baker - guitar
+ band
New York City, 9 March 1953

03. Big foot May
04. Please say you do

Hal Paige - vocals, piano
+ band
New York City, 20 December 1953

05. My angel child
06. Rock this joint this morning
07. Guitar shuffle
08. Guitar blues

Hal Paige - vocals, piano
Jimmy Spruill - guitar
+ band
New York City, 1955

09. Pour the corn
10. Don't have to cry no more

Hal Paige - vocals, piano
Herbert Wright - guitar, saxophones
Bob Harris - bass
Kenneth McDonald - drums
New York City, January 1957

11. Sugar babe
12. Thunderbird

Hal Paige - vocals, piano
Jimmy Spruill - guitar
+ band
New York City, September 1957

13. Going back to my home town
14. After hours blues

Hal Paige - vocals, piano
Jimmy Spruill - guitar
+ band
New York City, 1959

15. Chicken in the basket
16. The fat man
17. Oh you for me
18. Chicken hop
19. Flo, open the door

Billy Bland - vocals
Buddy Lucas - tenor saxophone
Bob Gaddy - piano
Sonny Terry - harmonica
Brownie Mc Ghee - guitar, bass, drums
New York City, September 1955

20. If I can be your man
21. I had a dream

Billy Bland - vocals
+ band
New York City, 1957

22. Do the bug with me
23. Uncle Bud

Billy Bland - vocals
Mickey Baker - guitar
+ band
New York City, 1961

24. Grandma gave a party
25. Mama stole the chicken
26. What's that?
27. Doing the mule

Billy Bland - vocals
+ band
New York City, 1963

28. The last meal
29. Pennsylvania blues

Hurricane Harry - vocals
+ band
New York City, December 1956

Let's open this 7th opus of our New York City Blues Yesterday series with pianist, singer and bandleader Hal Paige. Despite a somewhat large discography (here entirely gathered), almost nothing is known about him and he didn't appear, to my knowledge, on any specialist blues magazine! He led during the 1950's his band The Wailers (sometimes The Whalers!) before vanishing at the end of the decade!

On the other hand, Billy Bland (born 5 April 1932 at Wilmington, NC) has enjoyed a great Hit with the pop dance number Let the little girl dance. A Newyorker since an early age, Bland has started a singing career as a member of the doo woop ensemble The Bees (with whom he recorded for Imperial) before launching his own personal act, recording quite a lot of singles for several New York based labels, alternating pop numbers with Rock'n'roll and blues. Unfortunately he never got another Hit and let down the music for good during the late 60's, managing his own chain restaurants in Harlem. Billy Bland died in New York City 22 March 2017. We have here gathered his most blues and bluesy tracks, particularly those recorded with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

At last, the mysterious (and very good) 45s by a certain Hurricane Harry is no one else than novelist, Hollywood scriptwriter, songwriter and occasionally recording singer Earl Solomon Burroughs (1925-2016) more widely known under his pen name Jack Hammer. He composed some of the greatest Rock'n'roll Hits of the 50's and 60's, namely Fujiyama mama and Great balls of fire (a smash hit for Jerry Lee Lewis) ---Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com

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New York City Blues Yesterday Vol. 6

2017-01-16T16:23:10Z

New York City Blues Yesterday Vol. 6


01. Titanic
02. Suggie duggie boogie baby
03. Once upon a time

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
Paul Wiliams – alto saxophone
+ band
New York City, 1 august 1956

04. You got what it takes
05. Blues get off my shoulder

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
Paul Wiliams – baritone saxophone
Oscar Dennis – tenor saxophone
Earl Williams – piano
Gene Redd – vibraphone
Skeeter Best – guitar
Ted Sturges – bass guitar
Harry Lewis – drums
Chicago, Ill. 3 september 1957

06. Foolish love
07. Stop by my house

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
Paul Wiliams – baritone saxophone, horns
Skeeter Best – guitar
+ band
Chicago, Ill. 1959

08. Steal your heart away
09. Watch your step

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
Buddy Sanchez – trumpet
Maurice Robertson – alto saxophone
Bill Clark – tenor saxophone, bass
TNT Tribble – drums
Washington DC, 1961

10. It's too late darling
11. Get it right

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
+ band
Washington DC, october  1963

12. Do the monkey
13. Gimme a little loving

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
+ band
Washington DC, december  1963

14. Don't drive me away
15. Keep away from my heart

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
+ band
New York City, 1964

16. I won't believe it till I see it

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
+ band
New York City, 1966

17. It's hard but it's fair

Bobby Parker – vocals, guitar
+ band
London, GB. 15 december 1968

18. Camp meeting

Pinocchio James – vocals
Ray Felder – tenor saxophone
Herman Smith - piano
Boots Nelson - guitar
Edwyn Conley – bass
Dutch Baker – drums
New York City, 23 october 1951

19. Your mouth got a hole in it

Pinocchio James – vocals
Todd Rhodes – piano
Charlie Hooks – trumpet
Hallie Dismukes – alto saxophone
Louie Stephens – tenor saxophone
Robert Fort – baritone saxophone
Joe Williams – bass
George DeHart - drums
Cincinnati, Oh. 20 june 1953

20. New Orleans woman
21. Rock'n'roll Rockin' chair

Pinocchio James – vocals
+ Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
Stuttgart, Germany, 5 january 1958

22. Kidney stew

Pinocchio James – vocals
+ Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
New York City, 13 april 1959

23. Weak and broken hearted
24. Mama don't love me no more

Pinocchio James – vocals
Ram Ramirez – organ
Kenny Burrell – guitar
Milt Hinton – bass
Osie Johnson – drums
New York City, 1959

25. Everybody loves my baby
26. Hamp's Twist

Pinocchio James – vocals
Lionel Hampton – vibraphone
New York City, 1962

27. Sneaking around
28. I'm still in love with you

Pinocchio James – vocals
Lionel Hampton – vibraphone
+ band
New York City, 1964

29. Can't help myself

Kenny Ballard – vocals, guitar
Moses Penham - vocals, guitar
+ band
New York City, 26 october 1956

30. I want to love you
31. I'm all alone

Kenny Ballard – vocals, guitar
Moses Penham - vocals, guitar
+ band
New York City, 19 february 1957

32. So long I'm gone
33. Yes I will

Kenny & Moe – vocals, guitars
+ band
New York City, 29 may 1957

Robert Lee "Bobby" Parker, born in Lafayette, La; 31 August 1937 has started his musical career as a guitar player as soon as the early 50's, first in the Los Angeles area with several R&B groups (Otis Williams & Charms) then in New York City with the band of saxophonist Paul Williams with whom he will record his first tracks in 1956. With his very special, brilliant and forceful guitar playing, Bobby Parker is much on demand during the following years, touring with great R&B acts of the day and recording regularly (a superb Blues get off my shoulder in 1958) and having a modest R&B hit in 1961 with Watch your step whose inevitable guitar riff will be recorded by Spencer Davis Group, Jefferson Airplane, Adam Faith or Santana! The riff will also be used and reused by The Beatles and Led Zeppelin without a lot of recognition and rewarding for Parker. Despite a short tour of England (and a last single for the Blue Horizon label), the following decades are lean years for Parker who, relocating in Washington DC, would play only in local venues. At last, "rediscovered" in 1992, Parker has then recorded two excellent blues albums for the Black Top label (Bent out of shape et Shine me up). He dies on 31 October 2013 in Washington.

Cornelius 'Pinocchio" James (born in Atlanta, Ga. 20 April 1916) is a blues shouter who has mostly recorded with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra with whom he was the lead singer (cf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D_s3tDCyS0) between 1957-65. A student at the Cosmopolitan School Music of Cincinnati, James begins to record with the pianist Todd Rhodes' band in 1951 before joining Hampton and to tour relentlessly worldwide. The musical career of Pinocchio seems to have stopped after he left Hampton and one doesn't know what he did the following decades. According to Blues/ a regional Experience, Cornelius James died on 22 November 1995 in Atlanta.

The very dynamic duo Kenny & Moe is composed by two singers/ guitarists Kenny Ballard and Moses Penham. They recorded ten tracks in 1956-57 that, while evidently rooted in the East Coast blues style, are also quite close to the Rock'n'Roll of the era. Despite my researches, I've not been able to gather much about Kenny & Moe and I'm not even sure than - despite it is said here and there - the Kenny Ballard of Kenny & Moe is the same than the Soul singer of the same name who recorded a handful of 45s during the 1960's. --- Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com

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New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.5

2015-04-17T15:51:42Z

New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.5


01. Ever lovin' baby
Cryin' blues

Little Luther (Thomas), vocals; 
band. 
New York City, 1960

02. Du dee squat
03. Sleepin' high
04. Doggin' me
05. Automatic baby

Little Luther (Thomas), vocals; 
band. 
New York City, 1962

06. Eenie Meenie Minie moe
07. The twirl

Little Luther (Thomas? or Johnson?), vocals, guitar; 
band. 
New York City, 21 february 1964

08. Who slipped out when I walked in?
09. Upset the town

Little Luther (Thomas), vocals; 
band. 
New York City, 1966

10. She'll stick by me
It hurts me to my heart
My main woman
Stay close

Little Luther (Thomas), vocals; 
band.
New York City, 1967-68


11. Can't understand it
12. Blue velvet

Big Bob Kornegay, vocals; 
Julian Dash, teno-saxophone; horns; 
Freddie Jefferson, piano; 
Carmen Taylor, vocals; 
Lee Stanfield, bass; 
Sonny Payne, drums. 
New York City, october 1951

13. Everythin's cool
14. I wanna see my baby

Big Bob Kornegay, vocals; 
Porkchops, band. 
New York City, 1956

15. Bacon Fat
16. Bad boy

Big Bob Kornegay, vocals; 
Count Hastings, teno-saxophone; 
Elwyn Frazier, baritone-saxophone; 
Skeeter Best, guitar; 
Kelly Owens, piano; 
Carl Pruitt, bass; 
Calvin Shields, drums. 
New York City, 11 january 1957

17. The man in the Phone Booth (Hello baby)
18. The man in the Phone Booth (Hello Mama)
19. Bullfrog
20. Hocus Pocus Voodoo
21. Humdinger
22. Stay with me baby

Big Bob Kornegay, vocals; 
band. 
New York City, 1957

23. At the house of Frankenstein
24. What am I
25. Your line was busy

Big Bob Kornegay, vocals; 
Leroy Kirkland, guitar
Orchestra. 
New York City, 1958-59


26. Ain't that loving you baby
27. I am so glad it's all over

B.B. KING Jr, vocals, guitar; 
The Blues Messengers, band. 
New York City, 1964

Let's go back to New York City for the 5th opus of this series New York City/ The blues yesterday. The African-American musical scene in post war New York was certainly abundant and extremely varied, spanning all styles, from the pure East Coast country blues largely derived from Blind boy Fuller to R&B pieces with big or small bands, jazz blues, pop blues, honking saxes, stinging guitars, proto-Rockabilly or real Rock n' roll... And aside well known big names, the myriad of NYC labels, majors, small or extremely tiny have recorded hundreds of little known or still unknowns blues and R&B artists... That of course doesn't mean their musical heritage is insignificant, far from it!

Luther Thomas is largely still an enigma. Singer (and probably also guitarist), he has for sure recorded three 45t under the nickname of Little Luther. His fourth (Eenie Meenie Moe/ The twirl) issued on the Chess label in 1964 is controversial among blues critics. Some say this Little Luther is Luther Thomas while the majority (and The Blues Discography as well as the knowledgeable site http://www.keeponliving.at/artist/luther_johnson.html) identify this Little Luther to Chicago blues artist Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson, from Muddy Waters' band. Johnson himself said he recorded an early 45t under this moniker. We had already included those two titles in Chicago/ The blues yesterday Volume 4 but we propose them here again for a better appreciation in a different context. After that, Luther Thomas has also waxed a handful of 45t under his real name. But once again (!) some think this Luther Thomas is another... Luther Thomas! Whatever and what he (or they) is (are), we have here a first rate musical output between blues, R&B and early Soul that it would be a shame not to be able to fully appreciate.

Bob Kornegay (1925-85) is much better known. He started his musical career as the bass singer of the fame doo-woop groups, The Du-Droppers, The Bells or The Ravens before launching a personal career first as the singer of Julian Dash's jazz band and then, recording several 45t under different nicknames (Big Bob Kornegay, Big Daddy, The Wanderer). His two-sided The man in the phone booth climbed in the Top40 R&B in 1957 but was cut short by a trade dispute between two record labels. It seems that Kornegay didn't pursue a musical career after the 1960's.

Our last feature, B.B. King Jr is a complete mystery. He is certainly neither Andrew B.B. Jr Odom nor related to the real B.B. King. He is a good singer and guitarist who recorded only one known 45t with a band called The Blues Messengers. I found one only track of him, the announcement of a show he gave at the famed Cotton Club! ---Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com

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New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.4

2015-04-14T14:42:18Z

New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.4


01. Scratch'n'twist
02. Slow draggin'

03. Kansas City march
04. Hard grind

Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitar; band. 
New York City, 1959

05. Lonely island
Chico Cha Cha

Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitar; 
Dave Cortez, organ, piano; 
band. 
New York City, 1960

06. Country boy
07. Scratchin'

Wild Jimmy Spruill, vocals, guitar; 
Bam Walters, tenor saxophone; 
Horace Cooper, piano; 
John Robertson, drums; vocals. 
New York City, 1964

08. The rooster
09. Cut and dried
10. Lonesome melody
11. Raisin' hell

Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitar; 
Irving Johnson, vocals; 
band. 
New York City, 1964

12. Party Hardy

Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitar; 
band. 
New York City, c. 1969

13. I got a brand new mojo

Wild Jimmy Spruill, vocals, guitr; 
Larry Dale, vocals, guitar; 
Charles Collins, keybds, bass, drums. 
New York City, 1987

14. Jump for joy
15. Walkin'

Charlie Luca Combo: 
Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitar; 
Horace Cooper, piano; 
Ben Walters, tenor saxophone; 
Charlie Jackson, tenor saxophone; 
Charlie Lucas, bass; 
John Robertson, drums. 
New York City, 1963

16. The Biddy Leg
17. My type of girl

Walter Rhodes, vocals, guitar; 
The Memos, vocal group; 
band. 
New York City, 1959

18. Strollie bun
19. I am to blame

Walter Rhodes, vocals, guitar, saxes; 
Walking Willie, piano; 
Leonard Edwards, guitar, bass; 
Leo Price, drums. 
New York City, may 1960

20. Aw shucks baby
21. I'm mad
Pickin' cotton
22. Ain't nothing but gossip

Walter Rhodes (as Little Red Walters), vocals, guitar, harmonica, tenor saxophone; 
Walking Willie, piano; 
Leonard Edwards, bass; 
Freddie Shwakes, drums. 
New York City, december 1960

23. You can run but you can't hide

Walter Rhodes, vocals, guitar; 
band. 
New York City, 1962

24. I worship the ground you walk on
25. Uncle Sam

Walter Rhodes, vocals, guitar; 
band. 
New York City, 1963

26. It's not what you do
27. Message to my woman

Walter Rhodes, vocals, guitar, harmonica; 
band. 
New York City, 1971

Let's go back to New York City yesterday for a fourth compilation! Wild Jimmy Spruill (1934-1996) is born in Fayetteville (North Carolina) among a sharecropping family, learning the guitar while listening to Country Music radio programmes, a strong and lasting influence. When arriving in New York in 1955, Spruill is already a masterful guitarist and quickly finds the path of the local studios, particularly those of Bobby and Danny Robinson for whom he recorded a lot of sessions. His clean, sharp, precise, virtuoso and expressive guitar is on the forefront of many records and Hits by Dave Cortez, Wilbert Harrison, Bobby Lewis, The Shirelles, Noble Watts & June Bateman ... He also records some 45s under his name that are highly rated by blues fans all over the world. Anyway, Spruill is certainly not confined to the blues genre and those loving his style should certainly lend an ear to those great Country guitarists of the era like Hank Garland, Joe Maphis or Jimmy Bryant who are in similar style than Spruill. We have gathered here almost all of his recorded output (under his name that is) but, despite our and friends' efforts, I'm still missing three titles. Thanks to anyone who would own it and willing to share on this blog. Rediscovered briefly by some British collectors in the 1980's, Spruill died from a heart attack in his Motel room while he was on tour in the Southern States. We have included also here the only single by the Charlie Lucas Combo in which Spruill is heavily featured. In fact, Lucas was the one-time bass player of the regular Jimmy Spruill's band.

Walter Rhodes (1939-1990) came also from North Carolina to New York at the end of the 1950's. He plays guitar and harmonica on several sessions, recording as a member of The Memos, a vocal group and then under different names (The Blonde Bomber, Little Red Walters, Walter Rhodes), alternating blues and more rock or even pop-oriented pieces. We have gathered all his recordings minus one title (Cotton Pickin') that would be nice to feature here if anyone is willing to share. Rhodes has also been rediscovered in the 1980's, touring Europe quite often as a surprising country blues solo acoustic number. He waxed two excellent albums in this style for the Dutch Swingmaster label. ---Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com

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New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.3

2015-04-09T16:35:22Z

New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.3


01. I’ve got to know
02. Cuddle up

Guitar Crusher (Sidney Selby) - vocals, guiyar
B. Brown – harmonica
Clyde Sykes – piano
Willie Blair – basss,  drums
New York City, 1962


03. I feel the pain
04. Itch with me
05. The monkey
06. I once loved you baby

Guitar Crusher – vocals, guitar; band 
New York City, 21 august 1962

07. I can’t help it
08. Better days ahead
09. Why oh why
10. Weak for your love

Guitar Crusher – vocals, guitar; band 
Cincinnati, Oh. 8 may 1963


11. I’ll catch your tears
12. Goin’ down slow

Guitar Crusher – vocals, guitar; band 
New York City, 12 january 1967


13. Since my baby hit the numbers
14. Hambone blues
15. What about me?

Guitar Crusher – vocals
Jimmy Spruill - guitar 
Alvin Lee - guitar 
Terry Noonan – trumpet
Bud Parks – trumpet
Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone 
Les Wigfield – tenor saxophone 
Dave Willis -  baritone saxophone 
Chick Churchill – piano
Leo Lyons – bass
Ric Lee – drums
New York City, 6 august  1968


16. Need your love
17. Yes I will

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone 
Jimmy Spruill - guitar 
Horace Cooper – piano, bass, drums
vocal group
New York City, july 1957


18. Believe me darling
19. Come on little boy

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone,  guitar,  bass 
Bernard Purdie – drums
New York City, 1960


20. What ya gonna do?

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone,  vocals 
Billy Butler – guitar, bass
Bernard Purdie – drums
New York City, 1962


21. I don't wanta
    I still love him

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone,  vocals 
Band
New York City, april 1963


22. Georgia mule
    Mama I love him so

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone
Paul Williams – baritone saxophone
Band
New York City, September  1963


23. Go away Mr blues (Everlast 45)
24. Possum belly overalls (Everlast 45)

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone
Jimmy Spruill – guitar
B. Brown - harmonica
Royal Hamilton – piano, bass
Willie Jenkins – drums
New York City 1964


25. Possum belly overalls (Shaw 45)
26. Go away Mr blues (Shaw 45)

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone
Band
New York City 1965


27. Queen Bee
You made me do it

Bee Bee Queen – vocals
Teacho Wilshire – piano
Band
New York City, 1956


28. I Wanna be loved
29. Yes Sir’ee

Bee Bee Queen – vocals
Teacho Wilshire – piano
Band
New York City, 1957

And there it is the third volume of our New York City blues Yesterday series.

Guitar Crusher was born Sidney Selby in Hyde County (North Carolina) on July 28th 1931. He started to sing at an early age in the Baptist Church of his mother and followed her to New York around 1950. Very fond of the R&B bands of Harlem, he started to lead his own group, The Midnight Rockers with whom he played in the clubs. His moniker (Guitar Crusher) seems to come from the consequence of a brawl in a bar and not because he anticipated the histrionics stage acts of Jimi Hendrix! Anyway, Guitar Crusher enjoyed some success during the 60's when he recorded a string of nice 45s and toured with such names as the Drifters, the Isley Brothers or Ben E. King. The 70's were nevertheless lean years for him and he then drifted into obscurity, making a living outside of music. But some of his 45 having been reissued on British LP's, he was rediscovered by European blues buffs during the late 80's and persuaded to resume his musical career. He even settled in Germany where he recorded several CD's. He is still sporadically singing on stage in Europe. We have here gathered all his New York 45's.

June Bateman (born Marian June Batemon on November 17th 1939 at Schulenburg, Tx) has came with her parents at an early age to New York, living in Brooklyn. Still a teenager, she started to sing with local groups like The Marquis. But this is only when she met (and quickly married) the famous sax player Noble Watts - see the article on him in this blog - that she embarked in a fully musical professional career. As the featured singer of her husband's orchestra, she recorded a string of excellent 45s between blues, R&B and Rock'n'roll, some of them (Possum belly overalls) having even become "classics". She gave up her musical career during the late 60's to take care of her family, holding a steady job for the State of New York. In 1984, she followed Noble Watts to his native DeLand (Florida) where she is still living and playing an active part for the local and annual Noble "Thin Man" Watts festival.

At last, the so-called Bee Bee Queen is still a shadowy figure. She recorded two 45's in 1956-57. Any info about her would be welcome. Thanks a lot to Jack D., John Weill and the ever-reliable Gyro 1966 for their help when making this anthology. Two June Bateman titles (I still love him/ Mama I love him so) and one Bee Bee Queen (You made me do it) are still missing. Thanks by advance to anybody willing to share them. --- Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com

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New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.2

2015-04-06T19:21:26Z

New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.2


01. Catfish
02. Going back home

New York City, 1 July 1955

03. Stringbeans n°1
04. Stringbeans n°2
05. Matchbox
06. Woke up with the blues
07. I'm lonesome
08. Highway 41
09. Voodoo
10. Waitin' at the station n°1
11. Waitin' at the station n°2
12. Sail on
13. Crossroads n°1
14. Crossroads n°2
15. Up the river

Cousin Leroy (Leroy Rozier), vocals, guitar
Sonny Terry, harmonica
Champion Jack Dupree, piano
Larry Dale, guitar
Sid Wallace, bass
Gene Brooks, drums. 

New York City, August 1957

16. Bad hangover
17. Fishtail blues
18. Gimme your bank roll
19. Pepper headed woman

Square Walton, vocals
Sonny Terry, harmonica
Mickey Baker, guitar
Fletcher Smith, piano
Johnny Williams, bass
Marty Wilson, drums. 

New York City, 27 August 1953

20. Baby please don't go
21. Move it on over
22. Summertime
23. The sound of blues
24. Growing my own

LeGrand Mellon, vocals
Sam The Man Taylor, tenor-sax
Ernie hayes, piano 
+ band. 

New York City, 1966

This second opus of our "New York City/ The Blues Yesterday" series gathers the "complete" recordings of three very obscure but quite good or excellent artists. Cousin Leroy has for a very long time been the subject of questionings, many thinking he was a bluesman from Mississippi (some even suggesting he was a kinfolk to Robert Johnson!). Thanks to Gene Tomko who found him through a concert Leroy gave to a Lion's Club evening (!) in Georgia, we now know he was born Leroy Rozier in Chester (Ga) on September, 30th 1925. He played the guitar and sang, lived in Atlanta, New York City, Eastman, Miami and again New York City where he died on February, 26th, 2008. He recorded a handful of superb 45s in 1955 and 1957, backed by such luminaries as Larry Dale, Jack Dupree and most probably Sonny Terry.

Square Walton (is it really his name?) is still an enigma. A singer (maybe a guitar player) he was born in Georgia around 1920 and maybe died in 1995 in Auburn (Cayuga County in the State of New York). Anyway he has recorded one first rate session in 1953 and another (unfortunately still unissued the year after). Sonny Terry who is, this time for sure, playing behind him didn't remember the man at all (He said: "You know... I've played on so many sessions with so many people).

LeGrand Mellon has also been an enigma for years. Even the photo of a young white girl that illustrated one of her three 45's was said to be suspicious by critics who thought she was in fact a black singer or even only a nickname for a renowned band who took it for contractual reasons. In fact, LeGrand Mellon is the real name of a New Yorker from the famous Mellon family. Born in 1939, she wanted very much to make a career as a singer and paid a session at Columbia's in 1966, backed by a R&B band with probably Sam "The Man" Taylor and keyboardist Ernie Hayes. LeGrand starred also in several TV movies, playing "Miranda" in the famous Wild Wild West series. After that, she devoted herself to a medical career, even becoming a respected figure of Humanitarian programmes, particularly helping to re-establish Haïti's health system. She is still living on Park Avenue and an interview (if she agreed) about her musical short career could prove to be interesting. ---Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com

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New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.1

2015-04-04T13:47:10Z

New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.1

BETTY JAMES (Nadine Renaye), vocals; B. Renaye, guitars; J. Renaye, bass; drums. 
New York City, 1961
01. I'm a little mixed up
02. Help me to find my love

Betty James (Nadine Renaye), vocals; band. New York City, 1962
03. Henry Lee
04. I'm not mixed up anymore

Betty James (Nadine Renaye), vocals; band. New York City, 1966
05. Little Lee
06. I like the way you walk n°1
07. I like the way you walk n°2
08. Salt in your coffee

B. BROWN, vocals, drums; Cool Papa Sadler, guitar; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 28 june 1955
09. Mambo for dancers
10. Good woman blues

B. Brown, vocals/harmonica; Charles Walker, guitar; Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitar; bass; drums. 
New York City, 1960
11. My baby left me
12. Hard working man
13. Fannie Mae is back
14. Candied Yams
15. Chewing gum
16. Rocking with B.

B. Brown, vocals/harmonica; Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitar; band. New York City, december 1961
17. Standing on the corner

ALONZO SCALES, vocals, guitar; Brownie Mc Ghee, guitar; Champion Jack Dupree, piano; drums. 
New York City, 1948
18. My baby don't allow
19. Left me home blues

Alonzo Scales, vocals, guitar; Sonny Terry, harmonica; Brownie Mc Ghee, guitar; Bob Gaddy, piano; ; bass; George Wood, drums. 
New York City, august 1955
20. Hard luck child
21. My baby likes to shuffle
22. We just can't agree
23. She's gone

Betty James is the recording name of Nadine Renaye (or maybe Renée) who, born in Louisiana, was singing in Baltimore (Md) backed by her husband and son. She tried her luck for the small Cee Jay label in 1961 and her own penned I'm a little mixed up stirred enough local sales to persuade Chess Records to reissue the title with a wider distribution. Koko Taylor, under the tutelage of Willie Dixon, recorded this blues and made a hit from it. After that, Betty would come back twice in the studios with six more top notch rocking blues but without any success. One of her single was also issued under her real name of Nadine Renaye! Her music is rooted in the Piedmont blues style with a strong Blind Boy Fuller influence. We don't know what happened to her although her granddaughter wrote some laconic lines on the web about her "wonderful grandmother"! If some US searchers could find and interview her, it would be great.

Almost as obscure is B. Brown (Daniel Brown) who hailed from Los Angeles (where he recorded a first single as a drummer!), resurfacing in New York as a very good harp player under the name of B. Brown, certainly to cash on the success of the much well known Buster Brown who enjoyed at that time a massive hit with his classic Fanny Mae. B. Brown waxed a handful of excellent 45's, generally backed by his friend Charles Walker (see an article about this fine bluesman on this blog) and Wild Jimmy Spruill. After a divorce, B. Brown left New York to resettle in Tennessee.

Alonzo Scales, a singer and guitarist born in North Carolina around the turn of the XXth century came to New York during the 2nd World War, playing with Champion Jack Dupree (and recording with him as early as 1948) and Brownie Mc Ghee and Sonny Terry who backs him on his nice last 1955 session. Scales quit the music scene during the 60's and died in New York City in 1975. --- jukegh.blogspot.com

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