Blues Chicago - The Blues Yesterday Chicago - The Blues Yesterday Volume 19
Chicago - The Blues Yesterday Volume 19
Chicago - The Blues Yesterday Volume 19
01. No haps 02. I've got it 03. You promised 04. I'm lonely Roy Wright – vocals Denni Tillman – piano John Avant – trombone Red Holloway – tenor saxophone + band. Chicago, Ill. march 1957 05. True love 06. I hope it lasts forever 07. I tried Roy Wright – vocals Denni Tillman – piano + band Chicago, Ill. 1958 08. I'm going crazy 09. Once in awhile Roy Wright – vocals + band Chicago, Ill. 1962 10. Heartbreak 11. Something wrong Roy Wright – vocals + band Chicago, Ill. 1965 12. Hook line and sinker 13. Alone 14. You changed my life around Roy Wright – vocals + band Chicago, Ill. 1966-67 15. That's my gal 16. Come for a ride Bill Crosby - vocals Bill Owens – piano, drums Chicago, Ill. 28 october 1945 17. Those doggone blues (vcl: Sugarman Pennigar) 18. Eat, drink and be merry 19. Hip Chick blues 20. Sneaking woman blues Bill Crosby - vocals Bill Owens – piano Johnny Morton – trumpet Oett "Sax" Mallard – alto saxophone, clarinet Sugarman Penigar – tenor saxophone Bali Beach – bass Jump Jackson – drums Chicago, Ill. 29 july 1946 21. The eleven o'nine 22. Better be with me Lucky Carmichael – vocals + band Chicago, Ill. 1960 23. I'm comin' home 24. Hey girl 25. Hey Girl n°2 26. Blues with a feelin' 27. Lonesome & Lonely Lucky Carmichael – vocals M.T. Murphy – guitar + band Chicago, Ill. march 1961
This 19th (!) volume of our very popular Chicago/ The blues Yesterday series features artistes who are the exact opposite to what one's referring to "Chicago blues", the transplanted Mississippi/ Arkansas blues to Chicago during the post-war years, certainly a much too restrictive definition for a more broader musical range.
We don't know a lot about the soulful singer Roy Wright who anyway has recorded substantially for several Chicago labels, starting with four R&B singles in 1957-58 for Paul King et Les Caldwell's Dexler label, then after 1962 for famous DJ Al Benson's bunch of labels (Crash, Vick, Mica) this time much more in the then emergent Soul vein. Roy's emotionally Gospel-tinged vocals and excellent backing musicians (Red Holloway, Denni Tillman) give a special quality to most of those records. Despite our efforts, we haven't been able to gather all Roy's records. Any .mp3 copies - as well as more about this obscure artist - would be most welcome.
Bill Crosby who recorded two Chicago sessions in 1945-46 in a style mixing pre-war Chicago urban blues with the then new R&B arrangements is even more mysterious! It seems that nobody knows anything about this anyway very good singer. He is backed by Chicago blues veterans like piano man Bill Owens, Sugarman Pennigar (who even handles the vocals on one track) or Oett "Sax" Mallard. Some have suggested that Bill Crosby was in fact a nom-de-disque chosen by the producer to cope up with the enormous success of the crooner Bing Crosby!
James Anthony "Lucky" Carmichael (born 12th October 1920 at Harrodsburg, Kentucky) is a very good blues shouter who waxed six titles in Chicago that are famous because of the backing guitar of M.T. Murphy. But there is much more about Lucky who started his musical career very early, playing and dancing with itinerant tent shows throughout the Southern States, being at least for a while the pianist of Bobby Bland in Memphis. He tries his luck in Chicago during the 1950's, singing and playing with Lefty Bates' Orchestra before recording as a solo act. He is reported appearing in clubs in Chicago and Cincinnati until the late 1970's. Lucky died in Cincinnati, Oh. on 7th December 1982.
A lot of thanks to all who helped with this post, particularly Steve Wisner and Sir Shamblin and his first-rate website. ---Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com
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