Group & Last Name Index to Full History:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Tracks are listed in chronological order by year, then alphabetically.
Listings do not reflect proper order by month or day: later oft precedes earlier.
Find on Page = F3. Not on this page? See history tree below.
Featured on this page loosely in order of first recording if not record release (as possible).
Names are alphabetical, not chronological, per year:
| 1923 | George Thomas |
| 1925 | Hersal Thomas |
| 1928 | Meade Lux Lewis Tampa Red |
| 1929 | Clarence Pinetop Smith Roosevelt Sykes |
| 1931 | Will Bradley |
| 1934 | Albert Ammons Tiny Bradshaw |
| 1935 | Cripple Clarence Lofton |
| 1936 | Freddie Slack |
| 1937 | Lloyd Glenn |
| 1938 | Charlie Norman Arthur Guitar Boogie Smith |
| 1939 | Pete Johnson Big Joe Turner Jimmy Yancey |
| 1940 | Buddy Johnson |
| 1944 | Cecil Gant Wild Bill Moore Johnny Otis |
| 1945 | Hadda Brooks |
| 1946 | Pee Wee Crayton Amos Milburn Sunnyland Slim |
| 1947 | Jimmy Liggins Joe Lutcher |
| 1948 | Little Willie Littlefield |
| 1950 | Fats Domino |
| 1951 | Little Richard |
| 1956 | Jerry Lee Lewis |
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Caveats in the employment of this page: 1. It descends in chronological
order by the year the artist or band is first found on a commercial record
issue (ideally) by year only, alphabetical thereat. One musician above
another doesn't necessarily translate to earlier issue unless the year
changed. 2. Though release dates are the aim with links to YouTube, some
are recording dates and may not be everywhere clearly distinguished. 3.
Reissues are used to represent originals without much discussion. |
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This page documents the
development of rock music from early boogie woogie toward its expression
by big swing and jump blues (R&B) bands. Not included are various
(barrelhouse) blues musicians and fifties boogie woogie rockers like Piano Red and Jerry Lee Lewis. Boogie
woogie is
articulated on this page largely toward its eventual employment in
American R&B, though touches on blues artists, country music, the UK and
modern jazz as well. Wikipedia cites Clarence Pinetop Smith's 'PineTop's
Boogie Woogie' in 1929 as the first musical reference to "boogie woogie"
as a term, affecting the boogie woogie genre. See also
1,
2,
3,
4. Most
recording data not cited elsewhere on this page from
Lord's Disco.
More boogie woogie in Big Band Swing.
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George Thomas Junior Source: Discogs |
Boogie woogie was the southern equivalent of ragtime, said to have developed out of the Marshall region in eastern Texas [1, 2, 3]. Born in 1883 in Plum Bayou, Arkansas, pianist George Washington Thomas Jr. [1, 2, 3], was elder brother to Hersal Thomas by twenty-one years. He was also the brother of Sippie Wallace and father of Hociel Thomas. His composition, 'New Orleans Hop Scop Blues', published in 1916, is among the earliest markers in the development of boogie woogie. It was later recorded by such as Sara Martin, Bessie Smith and Jimmie Noone. A more bare bones rendition might be given by guitarist Dave Van Ronk (below). Likewise, Thomas composed 'The Fives' with younger brother Hersal, published in 1922, but we list a much later recording of it by pianist Stefan Ulbricht. Also known as Clay Custer, it is thought Thomas first recorded in 1923. He later issued tracks with his band, the Muscle Shoals Devils. Thomas passed away in 1937 in Chicago, of falling down a stairway. George Thomas 1923 Composition: George Thomas With Tiny Franklin Composition: George Thomas George Thomas 2012 Composition: George Thomas Published 1922 Piano: Stefan Ulbricht George Thomas 2013 Composition: George Thomas Published 1916 Guitar: Dave Van Ronk
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 Marshall, Texas Regional Home of Boogie Woogie Source: City Data |
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Born in 1906 in Houston, pianist Hersal Thomas [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] was instrumental in the development of boogie woogie. He is thought to have issued his first recordings in 1925 on Okeh 8227, again in the UK on Parlophone R 3262: 'Suitcase Blues' and 'Hersal's Blues'. Though they were the only solo recordings Thomas made, he soon thereafter began working with King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, also backing Hociel Thomas (niece) on her first recordings. Thomas was younger brother to George Thomas by twenty-one years. He was also brother to Sippie Wallace. Thomas is thought to have died of food poisoning on June 2, 1926, in Detroit, only nineteen years old [*]. Hersal Thomas 1925 With Sippie Wallace Composition: Sippie Wallace Composition: Hersal Thomas With Sippie Wallace Composition: Sippie Wallace With Sippie Wallace Composition: George Thomas Composition: Hersal Thomas Hersal Thomas 1926 With Sippie Wallace Composition: Hersal Thomas |
Hersal Thomas Source: BlueBlack Jazz |
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Cripple Clarence Lofton Source: Smokestack Lightnin'
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Cripple Clarence Lofton [1, 2] was born Albert or Clarence Clemens in 1887 in Kingsport, Tennessee. Lofton came by "Cripple" of being born with a limp, making it ideal to become a tap dancer before he turned to blues and boogie woogie piano. He left the Memphis/Delta region for Chicago in 1921 at the prime age of 34 [*]. Blues Trail has him opening his own club in Chicago 1932. On April 2 of 1935 Lofton led a session to result in 'Strut That Thing'/'Monkey Man Blues' (Vocalion 02951). On April 12 he was in Chicago to leave 'Policy Blues' for release on Bluebird 5930 as both as Albert Clemens and Adam Wilcox. He was back to Cripple Clarence Lofton for titles in 1935 including 'You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down' (Conqueror 8758) on July 18 in Chicago. February 4 of 1936 found him with Al Miller's Swing Stompers, possibly with Odell Rant on clarinet, to lay out 'It's Got To Be Done' (Champion 50067) and 'Juicy Mouth Shorty' (Champion 50072). He also supported Red Nelson in February that year. Having long been Chicago's principal boogie woogie attraction, along the way he issued the LP, 'A Lost Recording Date' (Riverside Records RLP 1037), in 1954, that documenting tunes recorded sometime in 1939. Lofton remained one of Chicago's favorite performers until his death on January 9, 1957, of a brain blood clot Lofton had composed titles like 'I Don't Know' and 'Blue Boogie' in the latter thirties. Other of his compositions at allmusic. See also 1, 2. Cripple Clarence Lofton 1935 Strut That Thing (I Don't Know) Prob first recording from first session Composition: Lofton Cripple Clarence Lofton 1939 Composition: Pinetop Smith Cripple Clarence Lofton 1944 Composition: George & Hersal Thomas 1922
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 Meade Lux Lewis Source: Deep Southern Soul |
Born in 1905 in Chicago,
Meade Lux Lewis
[1,
2,
3,
4] learned to play piano with
Albert Ammons, as they
were childhood friends and
Ammons's family had a piano. His debut recording
was in December 1927 for the Paramount Pictures label, a cover of 'Honky Tonk Train
Blues'. Lord's disco has
Ammons and Lewis in an unissued
session taped at the home of Frank Lyons in Chicago in December of 1938.
Those would get issued on CD in 1998 as 'Boogie Woogie Stomp' with later
titles, a couple by Pete Johnson
included. His next session with Ammons was a piano trio with
Johnson
at Carnegie Hall on December 23 of 1938 for 'From Spirituals to Swing'.
That was with
Walter Page on bass and
Jo Jones on drums. Lewis,
Ammons and
Johnson
played clubs and toured for about a year as a piano trio, he also
recording duets with both of them. In 1939 Lewis helped launch Blue Note
Records with that label's debut release: 'Melancholy Blues'/'Solitude'.
Half some of Lewis' well above eighty sessions were his own projects as a
leader. Among others he supported were per sessions during his period at
the Hangover Club in San Francisco, including both Red
Nichols and
Muggsy Spanier in
1953. That year and the next he recorded unissued solos at the Hangover
titled 'Coquette', 'Home, Cradle of Happiness', 'Jelly Roll' and 'Four or
Five Times'. Lewis recorded his last album, 'Boogie Woogie House Party',
in 1962. 1963 found him contributing to 'Honky Tonk Town', unissued, per a
Henry Red Allen session
for WNEW Radio in NYC. Lewis died prematurely in 1964 when he was
rear-ended on the highway, pushing him off the road into a tree. The
driver of the other car, traveling an estimated eighty miles per hour,
survived, though his passenger died [*].
Discos w composition and production credits at
1,
2.
Lewis in visual media.
Meade Lux Lewis 1928 Composition: Meade Lux Lewis Meade Lux Lewis 1939 Compositions: Meade Lux Lewis Meade Lux Lewis 1940 Composition: Meade Lux Lewis Composition: Meade Lux Lewis Meade Lux Lewis 1944 Composition: Meade Lux Lewis Meade Lux Lewis 1975 Recorded 1930 Composition: Meade Lux Lewis Album: 'Tell Your Story'
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Slide guitarist Tampa Red was born in 1904 in Smithville, Georgia [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. He got his start with Ma Rainey. His first titles with her were circa September of 1928 with Thomas Dorsey at piano for such as 'Daddy Goodbye Blues' and 'Keep Talking Blues'. His first name titles are thought to have been with his Hokum Jug Band for Vocalion on October 31, 1928, for 'Good Gordon Gin' and 'Down the Alley'. Those were followed on November 9 by 'It's Tight Like That', How Long Blues' and 'You Can't Come In'. A highly regarded guitarist, Red was a favorite session musician. Signing on with Victor in 1934, he remained with that label until 1953, the year his wife died. Upon his wife's passing Red began drinking, too much. Such that one of the main figures in blues was destitute by the time he died March 19 of 1981 in Chicago. Though Red had no clue rock and roll was coming, there is some early boogie woogie in the tracks written by him (as Hudson Whittaker) below. Various credits for Red on 78 rpm, 45 rpm and at Discogs. See also 78 rpm and Discogs. More Tampa Red in Blues 1. Tampa Red 1931 Composition: Hudson Whittaker (Tampa Red) Tampa Red 1942 Composition: Hudson Whittaker Tampa Red 1951 Composition: Hudson Whittaker
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Tampa Red Source: B-L-U-E-S
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Pinetop Smith Source: Blues Tour Database
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Among the first musicians to record boogie woogie, as well as stop recording boogie woogie, was pianist Clarence Pinetop Smith. Born in 1904 in Troy, Alabama [1, 2, 3], Smith is said to have come by "Pinetop" as child because he liked to climb trees [Wikipedia]. Raised in Birmingham, he moved to Philadelphia in 1920, there to begin his professional career before becoming a vaudeville entertainer as a comedian, pianist and vocalist. He also accompanied Ma Rainey and Butterbeans and Susie. Upon recommendation from Cow Cow Davenport who had ventured to Chicago and good luck with Vocalion Records, Smith followed him with wife and son to record his first unissued tracks for Vocalion on December 4 of 1928 to come up with 'Pine Top Blues', 'Pine Top Troubles', 'I Got More Sense Than That' and 'Now I Ain't Got Nothing at All'. Three more sessions that month resulted in five more unreleased titles until the 29th when he laid out 'Pinetop Blues' with 'PineTop's Boogie Woogie' issued in March 1929 on Vocalion 1245 [Discogs]. Wikipedia has the latter as the first musical reference to "boogie woogie" as a term [*]. Rent parties in the sixties were called boogies, to which a likely nonsensical "woogie" got appended. American Music has Smith's first date of 1929 on January 14 to result in 'I'm Sober Now' w 'I Got More Sense Than That' (Vocalion 1266). Several titles ensued on the 15th, Smith's next session his last on March 13, 1929, for 'Driving Wheel Blues' gone unreleased. Smith died two days later on the 15th of a gunshot wound received in a bar fight in Chicago. He had been scheduled for another recording session with Vocalion the next day. Smith's compositions have been covered variously. Discos w various credits at 1, 2. Clarence Pinetop Smith 1929 Composition: Pinetop Smith Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out Composition: Jimmy Cox Composition: Pinetop Smith Composition: Pinetop Smith
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Pianist Roosevelt Sykes (aka Honeydripper) was born in 1906 in Elmar, Arkansas [1, 2, 3, 4]. He took to the road at age fifteen, playing barrelhouse blues along the Mississippi at sawmills, levee camps, wherever laborers were gathered and a piano could be found. He left St. Louis for New York City in 1929 expressly to make his first recordings. His first issue, '44 Blues', is thought have been that year. Though Sykes played some boogie woogie he was largely a blues pianist. He also recorded as Dobby Bragg ('Fire Detective Blues', et al) and Willie Kelly ('As True as I've Been to You', et al). Sykes died in New Orleans in 1983. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999. Production and songwriting credits at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Sykes in visual media. More Roosevelt Sykes, including his earlier recordings, in Birth of the Blues 2. HMR Project. Roosevelt Sykes 1945 Composition: Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes 1946 Composition: Roosevelt Sykes Composition: Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes 1955 Composition: P. King/R. S. Bey Roosevelt Sykes 1957 Composition: Pickard/Buckalew Roosevelt Sykes 1960 Composition: Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes 1970 Composition: Roosevelt Sykes Composition: Roosevelt Sykes French televsion Composition: Roosevelt Sykes
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Roosevelt Sykes Photo: Doug Fulton Source: Alchetron |
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Born Wilbur Schwictenberg in 1912 in Newton, New Jersey, jazz trombonist, Will Bradley, traded NJ for NY in 1928, there to find work in bands like Milt Shaw's Detroiters. Bradley first appeared on records in 1931. His debut was from a session with Bob Haring on May 5: 'Building a Home for You' (Banner 32189). Tom Lord's discography, however, qualifies that with "possibly". On October 2 that year Bradley laid tracks with Red Nichols: 'Get Cannibal' and 'Junk Man Blues' on Brunswick 6219. November 2 found him backing Connie Boswell on 'Time on My Hands' and 'Concentratin'' (Brunswick 6210), he to finish the year with Nichols and begin 1932 with Bing Crosby on 'Shine' (Brunswick 6276). Bradley is thought to have changed his name from Schwictenberg when he began to lead his own orchestra in 1939 with drummer/vocalist Ray McKinley in the band. His initial titles as a leader were recorded September 19: 'Forever More' (Vocalion 5237), 'Love Nest' (Columbia 35354), 'Memphis Blues' (Vocalion 5130) and 'Old Doc Yak' (Vocalion 5130). Sessions followed in October and consistently beyond. Bradley's band would become well-known for boogie woogie via which he filled a timely role as a bridge between swing jazz and later rock n roll. He spent some time in the military during World War II as a member of Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band. World War II also made it difficult to keep an orchestra together. While playing in Detroit Bradley lost six musicians all at once to the draft. Along with leading his own outfit Bradley backed every jazz musician on the planet, among them Ray Noble, the Boswell Sisters, Jack Shilkret, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Mildred Bailey, Jerry Jerome, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Butterfield, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Ralph Flanagan and Neal Hefti. Bradley later become a member of the Tonight Show Band (Carson era). He died on 15 July 1989 in Flemington, New Jersey. References: 1, 2. Sessions: DAHR w composing credits; Lord; Rust: 1, 2. Discos: 1, 2, 3, 4. Compilations: 'The Best of Will Bradley with Ray McKinley: Eight to the Bar' 1939-41 by Collectables 2005; 'Rock-A-Bye the Boogie' 1940-41 by Aero Space 1995: 1, 2. Archives: 'Radio and Television Mirror' 1941. Other profiles: 1, 2. Will Bradley 1932 With Connie Boswell Recorded 11/2/1931 Composition: Harold Adamson Mack Gordon Vincent Youmans Will Bradley 1940 Beat me Daddy, Eight to the Bar Piano: Freddie Slack Composition: Don Raye Ray McKinley Hughie Prince Piano: Freddie Slack Composition: Don Raye Composition: Hughie Prince/Don Raye/Freddie Slack Note: Not to be confused w 'Rock-A-Bye Boogie' composed by Rocky Starr and Will Carson for the Davis Sisters in 1953, Composition: Charlie Dixon Scrub me Mama with a Boogie Beat Composition: Don Raye Will Bradley 1941 Composition: Leonard Whitney
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Will Bradley Source: Last FM
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Boogie woogie pianist Albert Ammons [*] was father to tenor saxophonist, Gene Ammons (b '25). Another of his sons, Edsel (b '24), became a bishop in the United Methodist Church. Ammons' first tracks to issue are thought to have been for vocalist, Sam Theard, with the Banks Chesterfield Orchestra on September 17, 1934, for Decca titles 'That Rhythm Gal' and 'Till I Die'. That same date the Banks Orchestra supported vocalist, John Oscar, on 'You Can't Last Long Like That' and 'Got to Be Worried Now'. Ammons first recorded in 1936 with his band, the Rhythm Kings, on January 13 for 'Nagasaki' and 'Boogie Woodie Stomp'. 'Early Mornin' Blues' and 'Mile-Or-Mo' Bird Rag' ensued the next day. Boogie woogie was a limb of jazz, the southern equivalent of ragtime, thought to have originated out of the barrel houses (bars) of Marshall region in eastern Texas. Ammons had been born in Chicago in 1907 [*]. He learned to play piano as a child on a pianola (player piano) his parents owned. Ammons was a percussionist in the U.S. military during World War I, then began playing clubs in Chicago. Wikipedia has him driving a cab for Silver Taxicab Company in 1924 with childhood friend, Meade Lux Lewis. He formed his first band while working at Club DeLisa in 1934 [*]. He played Carnegie Hall on December 23, 1938, at the 'From Spirituals to Swing' event that was a history of black music and helped launch the boogie woogie craze that saw its height in the early forties. Titles at that concert were 'Cavalcade of Boogie', 'Jumpin' Blues', 'Pinetop's Boogie Woogie' and 'Boogie Woogie Stomp'. In the latter forties Ammons played in Lionel Hampton's orchestra as well as Chicago lounges. He performed for President Truman in 1949. Ammons died in Chicago on December 3 of 1974, having spent his latter years performing at the Beehive Club and the Tailspin Club. Discos w production and songwriting credits at 1, 2. Ammons in visual media. Albert Ammons 1936 Composition: Albert Ammons Composition: Albert Ammons Composition: Mort Dixon/Harry Warren Albert Ammons 1938 Composition: Albert Ammons Albert Ammons 1939 Composition: Albert Ammons Albert Ammons 1941 Duet with Pete Johnson Composition: Pete Johnson/Albert Ammons Albert Ammons 1944 Composition: Albert Ammons Film Duet with Pete Johnson See Wikipedia Albert Ammons 1946 Composition: Stephen Foster
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Albert Ammons Source: BlueBlack Jazz |
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Tiny Bradshaw [1, 2, 3, 4] was a drummer and vocalist born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1907. Bradshaw was a bridge from boogie woogie to R&B via big band swing. He had a degree in psychology from Wilberforce University before beginning to play professionally with the Collegians. He traded Ohio for NYC in 1932 where he worked in a few bands until forming his own swing orchestra in 1934. The eight sides on which he recorded vocals that year for Decca began with 'Shout Sister Shout' and 'Mister, Will You Serenade?'. His next recording dates didn't follow until ten years later in 1944, though the two sessions listed in Lord's disco aren't exact. Sometime that year he performed vocals in NYC on 'After You've Gone' and 'Straight Up and Fly Right' with a couple instrumentals for Regis. Circa August found him broadcasting vocals for AFRS in Hollywood, 'Jubilee' #93: 'San Fernando Valley', 'Ready, Set, Jump', et al. Singer, June Richmond, was also featured on a couple of titles. Moving from swing toward jump blues found Bradshaw's tractor gaining traction into higher gear, he to record such as 'Butterfly' and 'School Day Blues' in '45, 'These Things Are Love' and 'If I Had a Million Dollars' in '47, and 'Gravy Train' and 'Teardrops' in '49. His first session in 1950 on February 8 in Cincinnati wrought such as 'Boodie Green Boogie' and 'After You've Gone', at which point Bradshaw's early fifties heyday commenced with such as 'Well Oh Well' reaching #2 on the R&B for 21 weeks in 1950, 'Soft' at #3 in '53. Bradshaw's last sessions were held on January 16, 1958, for release that year on the King label: 'Short Shorts' b/w 'Bushes'. He died relatively young at age 51 upon multiple strokes on November 26 of '58 in Cincinnati. Songwriting credits for titles by Bradshaw at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Tiny Bradshaw 1946 Tiny Bradshaw 1950 Composition: J. Wright Composition: Henry Glover/Sally Nix/Bradshaw Composition: Henry Glover/Sally Nix/Bradshaw Tiny Bradshaw 1951 Composition: Henry Glover/Lois Mann Composition: Bradshaw/Lois Mann Composition: Bradshaw/Henry Glover Tiny Bradshaw 1952 Composition: Bradshaw Tiny Bradshaw 1953 Composition: Bradshaw/Red Prysock Composition: Ralph Bass/Bradshaw/Red Prysock Tiny Bradshaw 1954 Composition: Billy Reid Composition: Ray Barrow
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Tiny Bradshaw Source: Same Old Song |
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Swing and boogie woogie pianist, Freddie Slack [1, 2, 3], was born in 1910 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He got relocated to Chicago upon his parents moving there in 1927. He had played xylophone since age 13 but shuffled from band to band as a pianist until his major break occurred in 1934 in New York City, hired to play in Ben Pollack's orchestra, with which he recorded the instrumental, 'Song of the Islands', with other vocal titles (not Slack) on September 15 of 1936 [Lord's disco]. Slack hung with Pollack to the end of that year, yet with his orchestra on December 18 for such as 'In a Sentimental Mood' and 'Deep Elm'. During his time with Pollack they had recorded as the Rhythm Wreckers with trumpeter, Harry James, among others, on September 21 to yield such as 'Sugar Blues' and 'Wabash Blues'. The Ben Pollack Orchestra is also thought to have backed vocalist, Chick Bullock, on October 2 for such as 'Let's Call a Heart a Heart' and 'I Can't Pretend'. After his first major excursion into the jazz business with Pollack he joined Jimmy Dorsey's band in Los Angeles in time to record such as 'All God's Chillun Got Rhythm' (w vocalist, Vickie Joyce) and 'The Wren' (w vocalist, Josephine Tumminia) in February of 1937. Slack laid rail with Dorsey for a couple of years into latter 1939 before joining his next university per the Will Bradley Orchestra at its inception in 1939. His initial tracks with Bradley are thought to have been on September 19, 1939, for a Vocalion/Columbia session bearing Slack's arrangements of 'Forever More' and 'Love Nest', et al. Slack stuck with Bradley into 1941, having the meanwhile recorded 'Down the Road a Piece' on September 7, 1940, with the Ray McKinley Trio, McKinley on drums with Doc Goldberg on bass. After Slack's period with McKinley he held his first session as a leader on June 27, 1941, with His Eight Beats, tapping out 'Strange Cargo', 'Boogie Woogie on Kitten on the Keys', etc.. His Trio consisting of Al Hendrickson (guitar) and Jud De Naut (bass) then joined vocalist, Big Joe Turner, on such as 'Rocks in My Bed' and 'Sun Risin' Blues' on September 8 of 1941. Slack's wheels were spinning nicely when blues giant, T-Bone Walker, employed him on July 2, 1942, for 'I Got a Break Baby' and 'Mean Old World'. Slack's was also the pleasure to work numerously with vocalist, Ella Mae Morse, whom he hired in 1942 for 'Old Rob Roy' and 'Get on Board, Little Chillun'. After future titles in 1942 they got back together again on February 12 of '46 for 'The House of Blue Lights' and 'Hey Mr. Postman'. Another session on April 24 brought 'Your Conscience Tells You So' and 'Pigfoot Pete'. They reunited on March 8 of 1960 with the NBC Studio Orchestra for 'Cow Cow Boogie' on the 'Ford Star Time Presents More Stars of the Swing Years' telecast from Hollywood. Slack had released the album, 'Boogie Woogie (On the 88 by the Great Freddie Slack)', in 1955. He died at only 55 years of age in August of 1965 in Los Angeles. Discos w songwriting and production credits at 1, 2, 3. Slack in visual media. Freddie Slack 1940 Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar Will Bradley Orchestra Vocalist: Ray McKinley Composition: Don Raye/Ray McKinley/Hughie Prince Will Bradley Orchestra Composition: George Harris/Will Bradley Freddie Slack 1945 Composition: Zez Confrey Composition: Freddie Slack Composition: Ray McKinley/Freddie Slack
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Freddie Slack Source: Scott Gronmark |
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Lloyd Glenn Source: Last FM
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Born in 1909 in San Antonio, Texas, pianist, Lloyd Glenn [1, 2, 3, 4], is thought have first recorded on November 18 of 1936 with the Don Albert Orchestra, contributing piano to such as 'The Sheik of Araby' and 'Liza'. He left Texas for Los Angeles in 1941, there hooking up with Walter Johnson's trio in '44, also becoming employed as a session musician. 1945 found him with Red Mack and His All Stars for such as 'The Joint Is Jumpin' and 'T'ain't Me'. Working with T-Bone Walker would have been a major highlight in any musician's career, which happened in December of 1946 for Glenn, he backing Walker as one of the Al Killian Quintet in Hollywood for takes of 'Stormy Monday', 'She Had to Let Me Down', et al. Glenn would see Walker again in latter '47, '57 and 1967-68, their last occasion for Walker's 'Funky Town' in Los Angeles. Come December of 1947 for Brown's first name session with his Joymakers, coming up with such as 'Joymakers Boogie' and 'Advice to a Fool'. He took residence in the band of another major figure in 1949, that being trombonist, Kid Ory, joining him for dates such as an AFRS radio broadcast of 'Kid Ory' yielding the likes of 'Wang Wang Blues' and 'Tuxedo Junction'. Glenn would see numerous sessions with Ory's Creole Jazz Band to July 17 of 1953 for titles that would eventually see issue on Ory's 'The Kid's Greatest!' in 1962. [All session data: Lord's Disco.] Others with whom Glenn had occasion to work, either recording or touring, were Lowell Fulson, BB King, Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Big Joe Turner. Glenn died of heart attack on May 3, 1985, in Los Angeles. Catalogs w various credits for Glenn at 45worlds and discogs. More compositions by Lloyd Glenn at Blues 4. Lloyd Glenn 1947 Composition: Lloyd Glenn Lloyd Glenn 1952 Boogie Woogie on St Louis Blues Composition: WC Handy
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Charlie Norman Source: Aftonbladet |
Americans weren't the only
to produce boogie woogie. Born in 1920 in Ludvika, Sweden, jazz pianist,
Charlie Norman
[1,
2],
was among the forbears of the jazz explosion that would occur in
Scandinavia in the sixties. Norman made his debut in radio the same year
as he first recorded in Stockholm for Sonora on October 4, 1938, with the Hakon Von Eichwald operation, 'Nagasaki' and 'Corrine Corrina' among them
[Lord's Disco].
Norman's next session was with Seymour Osterwall's orchestra on March 23,
1940, yielding 'The Prisoner's Song', 'Best Thing in Life Are Free', 'I
Want to Be Happy' and 'Undecided'. A couple more sessions followed with
Osterwall before Alice Babs joined
his orchestra to record 'Ett Glatt Humor' and 'Varat Gang'. Norman would
see a lot Babs into 1945. She would later become a major collaborator in
years to come. Norman's last sessions in September of 1998 were with Babs,
those available on a DVD titled 'Swingtime Again'. Norman had taken his first professional
job at the Societets Restaurangen in Varberg, followed by work in the orchestras
of Håkan von Eichwald and Seymour Österwall, where we pick him up above.
Norman made his first name recordings on June 11, 1943, with Ake Brandes
at drums: 'Charles Special' and 'Dream Boogie'. He would lead generally
smaller ensembles into the nineties, steadily if not prolifically. Tom
Lord's discography lists him last recording as a leader at a concert with
his Aces on August 31, 1995: 'There Is No Greater Love' and 'In a Mwllow
Tone'. Norman made his television debut
in 1947 in Paris. In 1949 he arranged
Edvard Grieg's 'Anitras Boogie' into
the 'Anitras Dance Boogie', concerning which The Grieg Foundation in Norway
had a fit, forcing the Metronome label to pull all copies after having already
sold ten thousand. Norman made his name largely via radio in the fifties,
hosting three broadcast programs: 'Nattugglan', 'The Charlie Norman
Show' and 'Charlie In School'. He had recorded 'Nattugglan' on
November 23, 1950, with his Disc Jockey Boys. Among American musicians he
hosted on their tours to Scandinavia was trumpeter/vocalist, Roy
Eldridge, in 1951, they to conduct three sessions for titles like
'Saturday Nite Fish Fry', 'They Raided the Joint', 'Nappin' John' and
'Scotty'. In the seventies Norman began working seasonally
for the next ten years at a resort on the Canary Islands in the Mediterranean.
He passed away in 2005. Included below are some of his later jazz performances,
featuring Alice Babs on most from
year 1951 onward. Discos w various credits:
1,
2
3.
Norman in visual media. Charlie Norman 1941 Soundtrack: 'Gatans Serenad' Seymour Östervalls Orkester Composition: Arthur Österwall Charlie Norman 1943 Charles Norman Orchestra Conductor: Charles Norman Composition: Charles Norman Charlie Norman 1945 Charles Norman Orchestra Conductor: Charles Norman Composition: Charles Norman Charlie Norman 1949 Charles Norman Quintet Composition: Edvard Grieg Arrangement: Charles Norman Charlie Norman 1950 Charlie Norman 1951 Composition: Bill Putnam With Alice Babs Composition: Irving Gordon Charlie Norman 1984 Composition: Edvard Grieg Charlie Norman 1999 Boogie Woogie on St Louis Blues Composition: WC Handy Composition: John Loeb/Carmen Lombardo Composition: George & Ira Gershwin Composition: Kai Gullmar/Hasse Ekman
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Born in 1921 in Clinton, South Carolina, Arthur Guitar Boogie Smith [1, 2, 3, 4] planted his feet both in boogie boogie and country western, country swing in particular, also recording popular music. Boogie woogie was the southern equivalent of ragtime, important at the roots of R&B and rock. Ragtime is largely of northern influence to jazz, such as that not developed in New Orleans. Though Smith issued a bit of rockabilly in the fifties he was largely a country artist. We list him here as a forerunner to fifties rock, distinguishing him as a country western guitarist from other boogie woogie precursors to rock, being pianists, per R&B. Though there was a period mainly come the sixties when the country western base made a point of separating itself from the rock base, both genres have long been siblings even as distinct as they are. (C&W's earliest sibling was jazz, as noted per A Birth of C&W.) Smith played cornet as a youth, forming a Dixieland combo with his brothers, Ralph and Sonny which eventually shifted over to country music as Smith picked up other instruments like guitar. In 1938 when Smith was seventeen the Carolina Crackerjacks took a trip to Rock Hill to record four tracks at the Andrew Jackson Hotel. Praguefrank's dates those per September 26, 1938: 'I'm Going Back to Old Carolina' (Bluebird 8304), 'Old Santa Claus Is Leavin' Just Because' (Bluebird 8104), 'There Are No Disappointments in Heaven' (Bluebird 8376) and 'Your Soul Never Dies' (Bluebird 8376). Smith played mandolin and fiddle on those, accompanied by Sonny (guitar), Ralph (banjo) and Luke Tucker (bass). Smith otherwise began his career in radio, hiring onto WSPA in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1941. 1943 found Smith moving to Charlotte, NC, to work for WBT radio in its Briarhoppers band for the 'Carolina Barndance' program, likely with his Crackerjacks as well. He and his brothers joined the military per World War II, after which they returned to WBT where Smith hosted the 'Carolina Calling' program. Smith recorded his fist version of 'Guitar Boogie' (Super Disc 1004) circa September 1944 possibly in Washington DC. 45Worlds has that issued in September of '45 credited to the Rambler Trio featuring Arthur Smith. He also appeared on the flip, 'Beaty Steel Blues', by Cecil Campbell's Tennessee Ramblers. Also recorded by the Ramblers on that date were 'Each Night at Nine'/'Please Come Back to Me Daddy' (Super Disc 1005). Smith alighted at #9 on Billboard's Country chart in 1948 with 'Banjo Boogie'. That was followed in 1949 by 'Boomerang' and another version of 'Guitar Boogie' both reaching #8 [musicvf]. In 1951 WBT radio became WBTV television, the year Smith released his first LP on 10": 'Fingers on Fire'. In 1955 Smith partnered with banjo player Don Reno to record 'Feudin' Banjos', which tune was later used in the 1972 film, 'Deliverance'. Smith is otherwise best known as television host of 'The Arthur Smith Show' which ran for about thirty years. He also built a recording studio in Charlotte where he produced radio programs. Discogs has him leading or co-leading above twenty albums to 'Jumpin' Guitar' in 1985, several with the Cracker Jacks. Smith died in Charlotte on April 3, 2014, 2 days after his 93rd birthday. By which time he had copyrighted about 500 tunes. Among them were 'Mandolin Boogie' ('51), 'In Memory of Hank Williams' ('53), 'Guitar Boogie Twist' ('62), 'Philadelphia Guitar' ('63), 'Back to His Hole He Went' ('63), 'The Stuttering Song' ('63), 'I Like Lasses' ('64) and 'Flat Top Hari Kari' ('64). Discographies w various credits at 1, 2. Smith wrote all titles below except as * = undetermined. Arthur Smith 1948 Arthur Smith 1955 With Don Reno Arthur Smith 1956 Arthur Smith 1959 Arthur Smith 1963
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Arthut Guitar Boogie Smith Source: Discogs |
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Pete Johnson, a prominent boogie woogie pianist, was born in 1904 in Kansas City, Missouri [1, 2]. He began his professional career as a drummer in 1922. He switched to piano in 1926 to play in Big Joe Turner's band. He first recorded with Turner in December of 1938 for Vocalion, that session producing: 'Roll 'Em Pete' b/w 'Goin' Away Blues' in 1939. He was among musicians featured in Hans Burger's 1944 film, 'Boogie Woogie Dream' [IMDb]. Despite Johnson's pianism he found himself in Buffalo, New York, in 1950 where he held day jobs washing vehicles for several years. Things picked up in 1958 upon touring Europe with Jazz at the Philharmonic. But then Johnson began to fall ill of a heart condition combined with diabetes, leading to strokes and paralysis of his hands. That in combination with failing eyesight made Johnson's career too difficult to pursue. He gave his last performance in January 1967 at Carnegie Hall, dying later that year on March 23 in Buffalo. Compositional credits for Johnson's titles at 1, 2, 3, 4. Pete Johnson 1939 Composition: Pete Johnson Trio w Albert Ammons & Meade Lux Lewis Composition: Albert Ammons/Meade Lux Lewis/Pete Johnson Trio w Albert Ammons & Meade Lux Lewis Composition: Albert Ammons/Meade Lux Lewis/Pete Johnson Composition: Pete Johnson Composition: Pete Johnson Composition: Pete Johnson Pete Johnson 1941 Composition: Pete Johnson Composition: Albert Ammons/Pete Johnson Pete Johnson 1944 Filmed live with Albert Ammons Composition: Albert Ammons See Wikipedia Composition: Keith Holden Pete Johnson 1946 Drums: JC Heard Composition: Pete Johnson Pete Johnson C 1948 Composition: Pete Johnson Composition: Pete Johnson Pete Johnson 1949 Composition: Pete Johnson
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Pete Johnson Photo: William P. Gottlieb Source: Wikipedia |
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Born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr. in Kansa City, Missouri, in 1911, vocalist Big Joe Turner was also known as Boss of the Blues [1. 2, 3, 4, 5]. Though more a blues and R&B vocalist, Turner illustrates a transition from boogie woogie during his earlier career toward later rock. He first recorded on December 23 of 1938 at Carnegie Hall with pianist, Pete Johnson, putting out 'It's All Right Baby' and 'Low Down Dog'. December 30 saw 'Going Away Blues' and 'Roll Em Pete' to be issued by Vocalion (4607). Turner had quit school at age fourteen to busk and sing in Kansas City nightclubs, becoming known as the Singing Barman (singing bartender). During that period he also partnered with boogie woogie pianist, Pete Johnson. Turner made his first appearances on the West Coast in 1941 in Los Angeles. His first session there is thought to have been on September 1 contributing vocals with Duke Ellington on piano to 'Rocks in My Bed' for the 'Salute to Labor' broadcast by KFI Radio. He layed his first golden egg on Billboard's Top Ten in R&B with 'SK Blues' in 1945, nesting it at #3. Since his nest was only big enough for one egg it had to hatch and fly off before the rest could follow, including two rock tunes that reached #1: 'Honey Hush' in '53 and 'Shake, Rattle and Roll' in '54. Music VF shows his last of sixteen Top Ten titles in 1956 with 'Corrina Corrina' at #2. Turner released his debut album in 1956: 'The Boss of the Blues'. Turner began performing internationally in 1965, recording in France and Yugoslavia with trumpeter, Buck Clayton, that year, Mexico City (with Bill Haley) and Berlin the next. He would also record with Count Basie in Europe, 'Flip, Flop & Fly' made in Paris and Frankfurt in April of 1972. Turner was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983. His final albums were 'Kansas City Here I Come' recorded on February 14, 1984, and 'Patcha, Patcha, All Night Long', made on April 11 of 1985 with Jimmy Witherspoon. Turner died of heart failure in California on November 24, 1985, then was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Other than those listed below, Turner composed such as (alphabetically) 'Blues on Central Avenue', 'Low Down Dog', 'Nobody in Mind', 'Rebecca', 'SK Blues' and 'Well Oh Well'. Discogs has him writing every title on the Czech compilation, 'Rocks in My Bed', issued in 2000. Production and songwriting credits for Turner titles at 1, 2, 3. More Big Joe Turner. Big Joe Turner 1939 Piano: Pete Johnson Composition: Joe Turner Big Joe Turner 1948 Composition: Pete Johnson/Joe Turner Composition: Pete Johnson/Joe Turner Composition: Horace Owens Composition: Pete Johnson/Joe Turner Big Joe Turner 1953 Composition: Big Joe Turner Big Joe Turner 1954 Composition: Charles Calhoun (Jesse Stone) Big Joe Turner 1955 Composition: Charles Calhoun/Chuck Calhoun/Joe Turner Big Joe Turner 1956 Composition: Mitchell Parish/Jay Mayo Williams/Bo Chatman Composition: Dave Bartholomew
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Big Joe Turner Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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Boogie woogie pianist,
Jimmy Yancey
[1,
2,
3,
4], was born in Chicago in
1894. His father was a vaudeville guitarist and vocalist, his older
brother, Alonzo, a pianist. Wikipedia has him touring the States as a tap
dancer and singer during his childhood. He began to teach himself piano at age fifteen. He played clubs for
years before making his first recording in 1936, a demo of 'Yancy
Special'. He was 41 years old when two of seventeen recordings were
released by Solo Art in 1939. Yancy began recording
with his wife, Estelle Yancy, in 1943 for Session Records. They played
Carnegie Hall together in 1948 and released an album in 1951 for Atlantic:
'Jimmy and Mama Yancey: Yancy Special' (LP 130). Yancey died in September
that year of diabetes upon a stroke. Beyond music Yancey was a baseball
enthusiast, having played for a local Chicago team as a young man. Despite
his ability at a piano Yancy kept his day job as a groundskeeper for the
Chicago White Sox throughout his career. But he was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Yancy wrote all titles below except as noted. Compositional credits for
his titles at
1,
2.
See also 1,
2. Jimmy Yancey 1939 Jimmy Yancey 1944 Composition: Meade Lux Lewis/Andy Razaf Jimmy Yancey 1958 Recorded 1951 with Estelle Yancey
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 Jimmy Yancey Source: Agora Sol Radio |
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Buddy Johnson |
Born in Darlington, South
Carolina, in 1915, pianist and bandleader Buddy Johnson
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5],
studied classical music as a youth. Johnson's sister was the vocalist, Ella
Johnson. Boogie woogie wasn't the only trick in Buddy's bag, though he
lends some illustration of its application to the big band in transition
from swing to R&B. Among his earliest jobs upon heading for NYC in 1938 was with the
Cotton Club Revue which, upon touring Europe, was expelled from Nazi
Germany in 1939. His first recordings are thought to have been with his
own orchestra for such as 'When You're Out with Me' and 'Jammin' in Georgia'
on November 16 of '39 with the Mack Sisters. Singer, Arthur Prysock, is thought to
have gotten his start in the music business with Johnson in 1944. Another
singer with whom he worked was
Ruth Brown, such as 'Sure Enough'
and 'Here He Comes' released in 1961. Johnson is an excellent early example of
jazz transitioning toward jump blues and rhythm and blues. He died of brain
tumor and sickle cell anemia in 1977 in New York. Like most orchestral
leaders, composing was fundamental to Johnson's career, authoring such as
'Stop Pretending' ('39) and 'Please Mr. Johnson' ('41). Songwriting
credits for Johnson titles at
1,
2,
3,
4,
5. Buddy Johnson 1940 With the Mack Sisters Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1941 Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1942 Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1944 Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1946 Vocal: Ella Johnson Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1947 Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1949 Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball? Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1950 Vocal: Arthur Prysock Composition: Bennie Benjamin/George David Weiss/Harry Revel Vocal: Ella Johnson Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1954 Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1955 Composition: Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson 1956 Vocal: Ella Johnson Composition: Buddy Johnson Composition: Buddy Johnson Composition: Buddy Johnson Composition: Buddy Johnson
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| It was as Pvt. Cecil Gant
that pianist Cecil Gant
[1,
2,
3,
4] first billed himself after having served in
the military during World War II. Having been raised in Cleveland, Ohio,
he'd begun his musical career in Nashville before the War's debut explosions in
'39. Gant
served his first plate
in 1944 with his compositions, 'I Wonder'/'Cecil's Boogie' (Gilt Edge
501). 'I Wonder' flew to the #1 tier in Billboard's R&B that year.
'Cecil's Boogie' followed in 1945 (#5) along with 'I'm Tired' (#4) and
'The Grass Is Getting Greener' (#7). 1948 witnessed 'Another Day Another
Dollar' alight at #6. 'Special Delivery' saw #11 that year, 'I'm a Good
Man But a Poor Man' #12 the next. Among Gant's numerous compositions were
'I'm Tired', 'Are You Ready', 'The Grass Is Getting Greener', 'Special
Delivery', 'I'm a Good Man But a Poor Man' and 'Cecil's Jam Session'.
Other songwriting credits at
45worlds,
discogs and allmusic
1,
2. Gant died of pneumonia on February 4 of 1951, age only 37, too
young to witness the rise of rock n roll from out of the R&B to which he had contributed. Gant was also a great
blues performer. Cecil Gant 1944 Composition: Gant Cecil Gant 1945 Composition: John Alston/Campbell Tolbert Cecil Gant 1946 Composition: Gant Composition: Gant Cecil Gant 1948 Composition: Gant Composition: Gant Cecil Gant 1950 Composition: Gant Cecil Gant 1951 Composition: Gant
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Cecil Gant Source: The Music's Over |
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Wild Bill Moore, tenor sax, is an excellent ride from swing jazz toward rock and back to jazz. Born in Houston in 1918 [1, 2, 3], he was a Golden Gloves boxer in his latter teens, then turned professional. He meanwhile played alto saxophone, switching to tenor in 1944. Moore's recording career commenced in April 1944 in NYC, backing vocalist, Christine Chatman on 'Bootin' The Boogie'. That was followed in February by a radio broadcast with the Louis Armstrong Orchestra, future sessions that year with Armstrong in August and October. August 1945 found Moore in Los Angeles with Helen Humes: 'Unlucky Woman', 'Every Now And Then', 'He May Be Your Man', 'Blue Prelude' and 'Be-Baba-Leba'. In October that year he recorded with Slim Gaillard, then with Shift Henry in December [*]. Moore began releasing titles with his own band in 1947 upon leaving California for Detroit [*]. He largely worked in clubs as he continued recording, eventually returning to Los Angeles where he died in August of 1983. Songwriting credits for Moore at 1, 2. See also Discogs. Wild Bill Moore 1944 With Christine Chatman Composition: Christine Chatman/J. Mayo Williams Wild Bill Moore 1945 With Helen Humes Composition: Humes Wild Bill Moore 1946 With Joe Turner Composition: Joe Turner Wild Bill Moore 1948 Composition: From 'Sunny Side of the Street' Baritone sax: Paul Williams Composition: Paul Williams/Moore Wild Bill Moore 1949 Composition: Moore Composition: Moore Wild Bill Moore 1950 Composition: Teddy Brannon/Sam Theard Wild Bill Moore 1961 Composition: Moore Album: 'Bottom Groove'
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Wild Bill Moore Source: Boomer Culture |
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Bandleader, drummer, vibraphonist and vocalist, Johnny Otis [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] began his career in jazz, shook the rock and roll world for a couple decades, then returned to jazz. He was born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes to Greek immigrants in 1921 in Vallejo, California. Father of four children, one was blues guitarist, Shuggie Owens (b '53). Johnny's father owned a small grocery store. The reason Otis may be the only Grecian in all these histories might be his modus operandi in times of lack, beginning his vocation with a forged credit slip to purchase a set of drums. How his father, whose money it was, reacted isn't known, but Otis quit Berkeley High School high in his junior year and joined a local band, the West Oakland Houserockers, to play engagements in Berkeley and Oakland. He first appeared on record playing drums for the Stan Kenton Orchestra per a session in Hollywood on April 20, 1944, for titles like 'Five O'Clock Drag' and 'Russian Lullaby' (Philo/Aladdin). He then formed a group called His All Stars which saw a session in summer of '45 with major rival, Wynonie Harris, resulting in 'Around the Clock Blues', 'Cock a Doodle Doo' and 'Yonder Goes My Baby'. Otis' first session work arrived in 1945 as well, that with Illinois Jacquet for such as 'Flying Home Parts 1 & 2' for Philo and Aladdin. A later session in August yielded 'Ladies Lullaby' and 'Illinois Stomp'. Otis began issuing records in his own name in 1945, those debut recordings thought to have been 'Drop Another Nickel In The Juke Box', 'Daddy-O' and 'My Baby's Business'. The success of 'Harlem Nocturne' in 1946 catapulted Otis out of the barrel, now a big shot in Los Angeles with a remarkable nonstop career in the fast lane ahead of him as one of the original rockers. It was Otis' band in which Esther Phillips got her start in 1949 (she age thirteen). They recorded 'I Gotta Gal' in October [*]. On November 10 of that year she joined Junior Ryder on 'Chilton Switch'/'Get Together Blues' (Savoy 824). That's also the first session on which Otis is thought to have performed vibes. His first vocal is thought to have been March 19, 1951, shared with George Washington on 'All Night Long' during his three-year residency at the Savoy in NYC begun in 1950. Etta James got her start in Otis' band in 1951 (she age thirteen). Otis would later co-write and produce James' 'The Wallflower' ('Dance with Me, Henry') in 1954 for issue the next year. In 1953 his band accompanied Big Mama Thornton on 'Hound Dog'. Other of Otis' discoveries were Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, and Little Willie John. Otis had his own radio (KFOX Long Beach, CA) and television shows in the fifties, also founding his own label, Ultra Records, in 1955. Vocalist, Tony Allen, saw issue that year on Ultra for 'Check Yourself' and 'It Hurts Me So'. Otis' first rendition of '(Willie and the) Hand Jive' saw session on April 3, 1958. During the sixties Otis found time to unsuccessfully run, by his birth name, for a seat in the California State Assembly as a Democrat, after which he became chief of staff for Congressman, Mervyn M. Dymally. In 1973 Otis released the first of his 'Great Rhythm and Blues Oldies' series in 1973 on his own label, 'Blues Spectrum'. Also in the seventies Otis founded and pastored the nondenominational New Landmark Community Gospel Church as Reverend Hand Jive (kiddingly). That church opened its doors for some twenty years, closing in 1998. Otis returned to radio in the eighties in Los Angeles, hosting for KPFK, eventually moving to KPFA. In 1987 he helped organize the first Red Beans & Rice R&B Music Festival in Los Angeles, later moved to San Dimas. 1990 saw the recording of 'Spirit of the Black Territory Bands' released in '92. In 1993 Otis put together a deli/grocery/cabaret business in Sebastopol, California, from which he began broadcasting live weekend shows in 1994, the year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1996 found Otis in Zurich, Switzerland, recording 'A Yo Yo' with guitarist, Tefo Hlaele. 1997 saw Barbara Morrison recording 'Mood Indigo' at Otis' cabaret in Sebastopol. Circa 1999 witnessed Heather Marie recording her album, 'Got My Mojo Working', at Sebastopol. Released in 2000 were titles he arranged for vocalist, Barbara Morrison, on 'Ooh-Shoobie-Doo!', also at Sebastopol. Otis' Sebastopol recordings got issued by J & T Records. Otis retired from his highly active career in 2004, dying in Los Angeles on January 17 of 2012. Songwriting credits for titles by Otis at 1, 2, 3. See also Discogs. Otis in visual media. Johnny Otis 1945 With Wynonie Harris Drums: Johnny Otis Composition: Wynonie Harris Composition: Otis/Lester Current Johnny Otis 1946 Composition: Earle Hagen/Dick Rogers 1939 Johnny Otis 1947 Composition: Bardu Ali/Otis With Wynonie Harris Composition: Otis Johnny Otis 1948 Vocals: Joe Swift Composition: Swift Vocals: Joe Swift Composition: Swift Johnny Otis 1949 Vocal: Little Esther Phillips Composition: McCoy Johnny Otis 1950 Vocal: Little Esther Phillips & Mel Walker Composition: Otis Vocal: Little Esther Phillips Composition: Otis With Little Esther Phillips Composition: Otis Johnny Otis 1951 Composition: Otis Johnny Otis 1955 Composition: Richard Penniman (Little Richard) Johnny Otis 1957 Composition: Otis Vocals: Marie Adams Composition: Con Conrad/Sidney Clare With the Jayos Composition: Alan Freed/Harvey Fuqua Composition: Otis/Darby Hicks Johnny Otis 1958 Composition: Otis Johnny Otis 1959 Vocals: Marie Adams Composition: Otis Johnny Otis 1963 Composition: Ernie Freeman/Otis Composition: Otis/Nehemia King Johnny Otis 1969 Composition: Delmar Evans/Otis Johnny Otis 1973 Guitar: Shuggie Otis Composition: Pee Wee Crayton/Johnny Otis/Shuggie Otis From Lovie Austin's 'Barrelhouse Blues' 1923 Johnny Otis 1977 Vocal: Barbara Morrison Composition: Lermon Horton/Otis Hayes/Sonny Craver Johnny Otis 1982 Composition: Stick McGhee/J. Mayo Williams
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Johnny Otis Source: Past Blues |
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Hadda Brooks didn't pursue rock and roll, her boogie woogie largely in the context of jazz. Born in 1916 and raised in Los Angeles, Brooks made a reputation for herself as the Queen of Boogie Woogie [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Boogie woogie was the southern equivalent of ragtime, developing out of music performed in the barrel houses (bars) of eastern Texas, thus "barrelhouse" is aka for early boogie woogie. Brooks came to reputation despite that she issued few recordings during her career, attending only twenty something sessions to result in such during her more than fifty years as a professional pianist. Brooks' first single, 'Swingin' the Boogie', was in 1945. She recorded piano fairly steadily into the fifties. She appeared on the 10" album, 'Modern Records Volume 7' in 1950. 1957 saw the issue of 'Femme Fatale', the same year she hosted 'The Hadda Brooks Show' on KCOP TV in Los Angeles. 'Hadda' was issued in 1971, upon which Brooks spent the seventies touring to Europe and moving to Australia. She wouldn't show up on record again until 'Queen of the Boogie' in 1984, recorded in Netherlands. In 1986 she played Perino's in Los Angeles, then other venues on the East and West Coast. 'Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere' arrived in 1994. Brooks died in Los Angeles on November 21 of 2002. She is thought to have last recorded in 1996 for 'Time Was When'. Songwriting credits for Brooks' titles at at 1, 2, 3, 4. More Hadda Brooks in Jazz. Though 'That's My Desire' below isn't boogie woogie, it's a beautiful blend of jazz and R&B. Hadda Brooks 1947 Guitar: Teddy Bunn Music: Helmy Kresa Lyrics: Carroll Loveday Composition: Hadda Brooks Composition: Hadda Brooks Composition: Hadda Brooks
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Hadda Brooks Source: Lileks
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Pee Wee Crayton Source: Beadologie |
Born Connie Curtis Crayton in Rockdale, Texas, in 1914, Pee Wee Crayton [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] left Texas for Los Angeles in 1935, where he became employed at a shipyard. Need to escape no doubt drove him to get more serious with his guitar, forming a trio and turning professional about year 1945. That was the year Ivory Joe Hunter launched his recording career with 'Blues at Suntrise' jumping to Billboard's #3 in R&B. Hunter and his jump bands would place 16 titles onto Billboard's Top Ten to 1957, but Crayton came and left too early to participate in those. Crayton is thought to have held his first recording session with Hunter in Berkeley in early 1946 to result in Hunter's compositions, 'Seventh Street Boogie'/'Reconversion Blues' (Pacific 601, Hunter's own label). Several plates followed with Hunter into '47 when Crayton ventured upon a solo career mid-year with 'After Hours Boogie'/'Why Did You Go' (Four Star 1304), not issued until '49. Come sessions in '47 for 'Don't Ever Fall in Love'/'Pee Wee Special' (Gru-V-Tone 217), not issued until '49. Sometime in 1948 Crayton recorded: 'Blues After Hours' and 'I'm Still in Love with You' per Modern 624. 'Blues After Hours' climber to Billboard's No. 1 spot in R&B in October that year. His composition, 'Texas Hop', reached No. 5 in December. 'I Love You So' reached No. 13 in July of '49, also his own composition. Others among numerous titles written by Crayton were 'Blues Before Dawn', 'California Women', 'Dedicated to the Blues' (with Jules Taub), 'Don't Break My Heart', 'I Got News for You', 'Phone Call from My Baby', 'Win-O', et al. He issued his first of several LPs, 'Pee Wee Crayton', in 1960. His next followed a decade later: 'Things I Used to Do' ('71). Crayton performed throughout much of the States until his death on June 25 at home base in Los Angeles in 1985. He had recorded 'Early Hour Blues' in December of 1984. Among highlights in his latter career were appearances on four Big Joe Turner albums from 1975 to 1978: 'Everyday I Have the Blues', 'Nobody In Mind', 'In the Evening' and 'Have No Fear Joe Turner Is Here'. His recording of 'Stormy Monday' in '74 with Turner didn't show up until 1991 on the album 'Stormy Monday'. Crayton on 78 rpm and 45 rpm. At Discogs. Further reading: 1, 2. More Pee Wee Crayton in Blues 3. Pee Wee Crayton 1946 With Ivory Joe Hunter Composition: Ivory Joe Hunter Pee Wee Crayton 1949 Composition: Pee Wee Crayton Pee Wee Crayton 1950 Composition: Pee Wee Crayton Pee Wee Crayton 1951 Composition: Pee Wee Crayton Pee Wee Crayton 1954 Composition: Dave Bartholomew Pee Wee Crayton 1955 Composition: Esther Crayton Pee Wee Crayton 1971 Album
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Amos Milburn Source: MP3 XL
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Born in Houston in 1927,
pianist Amos Milburn
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]
was playing piano by age five. Much of his work is exemplary of jump blues
(up-tempo blues). He enlisted in the Navy during World War II
at age fifteen and earned thirteen battle stars in the Philippines before
returning to Houston to form his first band. It was 1946 when Milburn released
his first recordings
gone down in Los Angeles: 'After Midnight'/'Amos's Blues' (Aladdin 159),
'Darling How Long'/'My Baby's Boogie' (Aladdin 160) and 'Don't Beg
Me'/'Down the Road Apiece' (Aladdin 161). From 1948 to 1954 Milburn placed
no less than 19 titles on
Billboard's R&B Top Ten. Four of those reached
#1: 'Bewildered' ('48), 'Chicken-Shack Boogie' ('48), 'Roomin' House
Boogie' ('49) and 'Bad Bad Whiskey' ('50). Compositional credits to
recordings by Milburn at
45Cat,
45Worlds, Allmusic
1,
2,
3,
4 and Discogs
1,
2. Milburn died
on January 3, 1980. More Amos
Milburn in Blues 4. Amos Milburn 1946 Composition: Lola Anne Cullum/Amos Milburn Amos Milburn 1947 Composition: Amos Milburn/Lola Cullum Composition: Don Raye Amos Milburn 1949 Composition: Jessie Mae Robinson
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Sunnyland Slim Source: Mapleshade Records |
Blues oriented pianist and vocalist, Albert Luandrew, would develop the stage name,
Sunnyland Slim
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5],
from his composition, 'Sunnyland Train'. Though largely a blues musician, Sunnyland Slim
was also an early contributor to rock n roll, as demonstrated on 'She Ain't
Nowhere' below. He was born in 1906 near Vance, Mississippi.
His father a preacher, Slim left home for Memphis at age eighteen where he
worked day jobs while applying himself to boogie woogie piano. The next
several years saw Slim develop into a popular musician, though yet
dependent on odd jobs. It was to work in a factory that found him in
Chicago by the early forties. His musical career meanwhile began gaining
ground as he performed with such as Baby Face Leroy (Leroy Foster),
Tampa Red,
Doctor Clayton and
Sonny Boy Williamson II [Marion, et al]. His
debut recording session
fell on September 26 of 1946, singing vocals for Jump Jackson on 'Night
Life Blues' (Specialty 507 Nov '46). (Pianist, Roosevelt Sykes, sang
vocals on Side A: 'Alley Cat Woman'). Most sources want Slim's
first solo name session
per Aristocrat (to become Chess in 1950) in late August or early September of
'47, backed by
Muddy Waters on
'Johnson Machine Gun'/'Fly Right Little Girl' (Aristocrat 1301). He
supported
Waters
on 'Gypsy Woman'/'Little Anna Mae' (Aristocrat 1302). Campbell et al
note that a session for Hy-Tone
could possibly have preceded that, also put down
in latter August or early September on an unidentified date to
include: 'Jivin' Boogie'/'Brown Skin Woman' (Hy-Tone 32). Slim also
recorded as "Doctor Clayton's Buddy" for RCA Victor in '47, eight sides to
include 'Illinois Central' with 'Sweet Lucy Blues' B side.
Slim issued his first LP in 1960: 'Chicago Blues Session', followed by 'Slim's
Shout' the next year. The blues revival concurrent with the folk revival
in the sixties served him well as he toured the States and Europe, such as
the American Folk Blues Festival in 1964. Slim formed Airway Records
about 1973, releasing four albums with it (: 'She Got That Jive' '74,
'Just You and Me' '81). Slim remained active until dying of renal failure
on March 17, 1995, in Chicago [*].
Among Slim's numerous recording partners had been
Snooky Pryor,
Robert Lockwood Jr,
Moody Jones, Ernest Cotton, Big Crawford, Alfred Wallace,
Big Walter Horton,
Jimmy Rogers, Bob Woodfork,
Willie Dixon, SP Leary and
Canned Heat. Slim had written titles
like 'Johnson Machine Gun', 'My Baby, My Baby', 'Got a Thing Going On' and
'See My Lawyer'. Other of his
compositions at 45worlds, allmusic
1,
2,
45cat and
discogs.
Further reading: 1,
2,
3. He wrote all titles below except as indicated. More
Sunnyland Slim in Blues
4. Sunnyland Slim 1947 Sunnyland Slim 1948 Composition: Albert Luandrew Sunnyland Slim 1951 Sunnyland Slim 1953 Composition: Shorty Long/Lee Roberts/Syd Nathan/Henry Glover Sunnyland Slim 1961 Composition: Big Joe Turner Composition: Big Joe Turner
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Jimmy Liggins [1, 2, 3] was a guitarist born in 1922 in Newby, OK. He was younger brother to Joe Liggins and a boxer before he began driving his older brother's band around on tours. It was 1947 when he formed his band, the Drops of Joy, in Los Angeles to record such as 'Troubles Goodbye' and 'I Can't Stop It' on September 9 for issue by Specialty. That session also included Liggins' first version of 'Cadillac Boogie', that unissued. It was a couple sessions later on November 26 that he recorded the version that inspired 'Rocket 88' released three years later by Jackie Brenston and Ike Turner. (Among the numerous candidates, some like to call 'Rocket 88' the first rock & Roll record. We start our history of rock & roll several years earlier with such as Roy Brown and Smiley Lewis, choices as good as any of the many possible. Simply hearing rock & roll, we disregard that they were marketed to black audiences as R&B. By comparison we start R&B with Julia Lee in 1944.) Liggins' career was a brief one of not quite twenty years before fading into obscurity, what recording he did very little, though of no small note in boogie woogie's contribution to R&B of the period. His most popular titles had been 'Tear Drop Blues' (#7 R&B '48), 'Careful Love' (#2 R&B '49), 'Don't Put Me Down' (#9 R&B '49) and 'Drunk' (#4 R&B '53), those his only titles to chart [*]. To go by Duplex issue numbers, his last recordings would appear to have been in 1965 for #9014: 'Working Man Blues' and 'Good Loving Baby'. Songwriting or production credits for his titles at 1, 2, 3. He died in Durham, North Carolina, on July 21 of 1983. Jimmy Liggins 1947 Composition: Jimmy Liggins Jimmy Liggins 1948 Composition: Jimmy Liggins Jimmy Liggins 1950 Composition: Jimmy Liggins Saturday Night Boogie Woogie Man Composition: Jimmy Liggins Jimmy Liggins 1954 Composition: Jimmy Liggins Composition: Jimmy Liggins
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Jimmy Liggins Source: Artist Direct |
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Joe Lutcher Source: Hallelujah Rock 'n' Roll
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Alto saxophone player Joe Lutcher (brother of jazz vocalist Nellie Lutcher) was born in 1919 in Lake Charles, Louisiana [ 1, 2]. Upon discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1945 Lutcher led a band at the Look Café in Los Angeles, then the Café Society where he named his band the Society Cats. He quickly found himself a bandleader for Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr. and the Mills Brothers before his initial eponymous recordings for Specialty Records in 1947. His first release was 'Boogie #1' that year. As Specialty came to want only slow blues from him he soon signed up with Capitol in August of '47. 'Rockin' Boogie' reached #14 on Billboard's R&B in 1948 along with 'Shuffle Boogie' at #10. Lutcher's third and last tune to chart was 'Mardi Gras' in 1949, having moved to Modern Records that year. Lutcher's first release for Capitol was 'Strato-Cruiser' b/w 'Sunday Blues' in 1947. Lutcher became a Seventh Day Adventist in 1953. As that denomination forbade union membership Lutcher dropped out of the American Federation of Musicians and traded the music business for evangelism, notably with Little Richard, they touring the country in 1957 as the Little Richard Evangelistic Team. About that time (latter fifties) Lutcher established a record shop that specialized in gospel, as well the Jordan record label, also to produce gospel music. (Little Richard recorded numerous tracks with that label.) Lutcher is thought to have remained faithful to the Christian religion until his death on October 29, 2006, in Los Angeles. Songwriting and other credits at 1, 2, 3, 4. Joe Lutcher 1947 Composition: Joe Lutcher Composition: Joe Lutcher Joe Lutcher 1948 Composition: Joe Lutcher Composition: Joe Lutcher Joe Lutcher 1949 Composition: Joe Lutcher Composition: Joe Lutcher/Jules Taub
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Boogie woogie was vital in the development of rock n roll. It was the southern equivalent of ragtime, the latter out of which jazz had developed. Boogie woogie, jump blues and R&B pianist, Little Willie Littlefield, was born in El Campo, Texas, in 1931, but was raised in Houston [1, 2, 3, 4]. His first recordings were made in late 1948 with Eddie Henry who had his own record label. Two of those eight tracks were released in 1948: 'Little Willie's Boogie'/'My Best Wishes' (Eddie’s Records 1202) [*]. 'Chicago Bound'/'What's the Use' and 'Boogie Woogie Play Girl'/'Swanee River' followed in 1949. He also issued 'Littlefield Boogie' in 1949 for Freedom Records on a disc shared with Goree Carter's 'Sweet Ole Woman's Blues' on B side. Eight more titles were issued later in '49 for the Modern label. His enormously popular 'Kansas City' was first released as 'K C Loving' in 1952. Some call it rhythm and blues. Some call it rock n roll. Same thing. Highlighting the early fifties were recordings with Little Esther Phillips: 'Last Laugh Blues'/'Flesh, Blood And Bones' (Federal 45-12108 '52) and 'Hollerin' and Screamin'/'Turn the Lamps Down Low' (Federal 45-12108 '53). Littlefield made San Francisco his base of operations in the latter fifties where he remained quite popular as his national career began to wilt. In the latter seventies he toured Europe and decided to move to the Netherlands. He made a number of recordings during that later period, but ceased touring in 2000. After an hiatus of five years, spent fishing for herring in Holland, he began touring again in 2005. Littlefield died of cancer at his home in Voorthuizen, Netherlands, in 2013. Songwriting and other credits at 1, 2, 3. Little Willie Littlefield 1948 Composition: Littlefield Little Willie Littlefield 1949 Composition: Littlefield Composition: Littlefield Composition: Albert Ammons Little Willie Littlefield 1952 Composition: Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller Composition: Littlefield Little Willie Littlefield 1955 Composition: Littlefield Little Willie Littlefield 1959 Composition: Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller Composition: Littlefield Little Willie Littlefield 1986 Filmed live Composition: Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller Little Willie Littlefield 2009 Composition: Robert Johnson Filmed live at the UK Boogie Woogie Festival
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Little Willie Littlefield Source: Washington Post |
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Fats Domino
See
Fifties Rock: Fats Domino. |
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Little Richard
See
Fifties Rock: Little Richard. |
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Jerry Lee Lewis
See
Rockabilly: Jerry Lee Lewis. |
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End Boogie Woogie. |
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