HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Scrapper Blackwell & Leroy Carr

Birth of the Blues: Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell

Scrapper Blackwell w Leroy Carr

Calvin Coolidge was President, Kellogg's came out with Rice Krispies and Scrapper (Francis) Blackwell was in the moonshine business in 1928 when Blackwell and Leroy Carr formed their famous partnership. Guitarist, Blackwell, had been born in Syracuse, South Carolina, in 21 February 1903. Pianist and singer, Leroy Carr, was born on 27 March 1904 or 1905 in Nashville, though raised in Indianapolis.

According to five discographies Blackwell made his first (solo) recordings in Indianapolis on 16 June of 1928 per 'Kokomo Blues' and 'Penal Farm Blues'. The problem with this is that matrices IND124 and IND125 follow IND 122 and IND123 which arrived on 19 June 1928 with Leroy Carr. Only DAHR orders matrices so as to show 'Kokomo Blues" going down on the 19th after first recordings with Carr. Their initial sessions together on June 19 resulted in 'My Own Lonesome Blues' and 'How Long How Long Blues' becoming the best-selling blues plate that year. Carr is vocalist at piano and Blackwell at guitar on all their duets below. Carr composed nearly all of them. I go ahead and commence this study with Blackwell's first solo recordings as if they went down on the 16th, in agreement with most discographies, even though matrix numbers are out of order.

'Kokomo Blues' Scrapper Blackwell

16? June 1928 in Indianapolis [DAHR prefers 19 June] Matrix IND624 Vocalion 1192

Composition: Scrapper Blackwell

'Penal Farm Blues' Scrapper Blackwell

16? June 1928 in Indianapolis [DAHR prefers 19 June] Matrix IND625 Vocalion 1192

Composition: Scrapper Blackwell

'My Own Lonesome Blues' Leroy Carr w Scrapper Blackwell

First recording together to see issue

19 June 1928 in Indianapolis Matrix IND622 Vocalion 1191

Composition: Leroy Carr

'How Long How Long Blues' Leroy Carr w Scrapper Blackwell

Second recording together to see issue

19 June 1928 in Indianapolis Matrix IND623 Vocalion 1191

Composition: Leroy Carr

'Papa Wants a Cookie' Leroy Carr w Scrapper Blackwell

2 Jan 1930 in Chicago Matrix C5070 Vocalion 1561

Composition: Floyd Thompson / J.E. Guernsey

During Blackwell's partnership with Carr he also put away solo titles and duets with others such as pianist and vocalist, Georgia Tom (Thomas Dorsey):

'Mississippi Bottom Blues' Georgia Tom (Thomas Dorsey) w Scrapper Blackwell

5 Feb 1930 in Richmond IN Matrix 16220 Unissued

See 'Georgia Tom Dorsey 1928-1932 Come On Mama Do That Dance' on Yazoo L-1041 / 1974

Composition: Kid Bailey (Willie Lee Brown)

'How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone' Leroy Carr w Scrapper Blackwell

15 March 1932 in Chicago Matrix 11494 Vocalion 1716

Composition: Leroy Carr

'Midnight Hour Blues' Leroy Carr w Scrapper Blackwell

16 March 1932 in Chicago Matrix 11499 Vocalion 1703

Composition: Leroy Carr

'Rocks In My Bed' Leroy Carr w Scrapper Blackwell

25 Feb 1935 in Chicago Matrix 85495-1 Bluebird B5915

Composition: Leroy Carr

'When the Sun Goes Down' Leroy Carr w Scrapper Blackwell

25 Feb 1935 in Chicago Matrix 85496-1 Bluebird B5877

Composition: Leroy Carr

Carr died of nephritis in Indianapolis on April 29, 1935. Blackwell briefly continued recording that year as Frankie Black, working with pianist, Dorothy "Dot" Rice. On 7 July he and Dot put away his composition, 'Dedicated to the Memory of Leroy Carr' as 'My Old Pal Blues'. On that same date Bumble Bee Slim recorded 'Dedicated to the Memory of Leroy Carr' as 'The Death of Leroy Carr', that with music the same though different lyrics. Blackwell then retired from the music industry for two decades, yet began to make records again in 1958. In June that year he recorded the EP, 'Longtime Blues'. Come his LP, 'Blues Before Sunrise' gone down in September of 1959, and March and April of 1960. He accomplished 'My Heart Struck Sorrow' in December 1959 and summer of 1961 in Indianapolis with guitarist and vocalist, Brooks Berry toward issue in 1963. In July of 1961 he recorded the LP, 'Mr. Scrapper's Blues', issued on Prestige Bluesville BV-1047 in May 1962.

'My Old Pal Blues' ('Dedicated to the Memory of Leroy Carr')

Scrapper Blackwell as Frankie Black w Dorothy "Dot" Rice

7 July 1935 in Chicago Matrix 90079 Champion 50036

Composition: Scrapper Blackwell

'The Death of Leroy Carr' ('Dedicated to the Memory of Leroy Carr')

Bumble Bee Slim (Bumble Bee Smith)

7 July 1935 in Chicago Matrix 90083 Decca 7098

Composition: Scrapper Blackwell

'Little Boy Blue' Scrapper Blackwell

From the EP 'Longtime Blues' recorded June 1958 in Indianapolis Collector Records JEN 7 / 1963

Composition: Scrapper Blackwell

'Blues Before Sunrise' Album Scrapper Blackwell

Recorded in Indianapolis Sep 1959 / 31 March 1960 / 14 April 1960

See 77 Records 77-LA-12-4 1960

''Bama Bound' Brooks Berry w Scrapper Blackwell

From the album 'The Blues of Brooks Berry and Scrapper Blackwell: My Heart Struck Sorrow'

Recorded in Indianapolis Dec 1959 / sometime summer 1961

See Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1074 1963

Composition: Ida Cox

Unfortunately, the revival of Blackwell's career was short-lived, as he was shot to death during a mugging on October 7, 1962, in Indianapolis, age fifty-nine.

Sources & References for Scrapper Blackwell:

Bruce Eder (All Music)

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia

Audio of Blackwell: Internet Archive

Interviews: Jazz Monthly Magazine (July 1960)

Recordings by Blackwell: Catalogs: Discogs Music Brainz RYM SHS

Recordings by Blackwell: Select Compilations:

Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 1928-1958 (Document Records / 1992)

The Virtuoso Guitar of Scrapper Blackwell (Yazoo L-1019 / 1970)

Recordings by Blackwell: Sessions:

DAHR (1928-35)