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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