This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
And another great mix of Rhythm & Blues from decades long ago. This is the roots of all that we listen to nowadays - the music, that made our music. And probably the musicians have not realized what groundbreaking work they did - but in hindsight, we owe them and that's why I bring this program to you listeners. That is - it's great music too, of course.
And so let me begin with a female blues classic of a woman who like no other knew how to sing about no good men - Dinah Washington. Well she married seven times before she died at the young age of 39 so you may wonder if she found seven no good men or that she had to do something with her failing marriages. Anyhow here she is with the Salty Papa Blues.
01 - Dinah Washington - Salty Papa Blues
02 - Helen Humes with Buck Clayton - Today I Sing The Blues
On the Mercury label trumpeter and band leader Buck Clayton backing up Helen Humes with Today I Sing The Blues. It was recorded in January of 1948 and that is pretty unusual to find, as the American Federation of Musicians had organized their second strike on recording, and the almighty union was pretty strict in enforcing it.
Buck Clayton had a pretty remarkable early career - it had brought him to Shanghai where he played in the Canidrome in the French Concession. There he was a great influence to the important songwriter Li Jinhui, one of the founders of Chinese popular music. Clayton left China before the war with Japan started in 1937.
Next an early protest song against racism in the Armed Forces. Uncle Sam Says tells the story of how America's forces were segregated like the Deep South with African-American divisions only used for support tasks. From the same session that he did in New York were more songs against racism and segregation. The records were released as an album, that is, a book with several 78's in it, and liner notes by Richard Wright.
Now of course that caused some uproar, especially in the South, but it didn't affect the close relationship White already had with the Presidential family. Instead, White was asked to be the first African-American to perform in the White House, and after he reportedly has discussed segregation with president Roosevelt.
Listen to Uncle Sam Says.
03 - Josh White - Uncle Sam Says
04 - Bukka White - Parchman Farm Blues
(jingle)
05 - Victoria Spivey - Harlem Susie-Kue
06 - Elizabeth Johnson - Sobbin' Woman Blues
That were four in a row - after Josh White's protest song, you got the Parchman Farm Blues of Bukka White, with Washboard Sam on the washboard percussion, recorded in 1940 on the Okeh label. Parchman Farm is Missisippi's state penitentiary, infamous for its system where discipline was held by privileged inmates and the widespread physical abuse. This so-called trusty system was effective until 1970 when Federal court ruled out the system including its flagrant cruelties that hadn't effectively changed since the prison was started in 1903. According to the judge, it violated the eighth amendment and modern standards of decency.
There was more - after the jingle you got Victoria Spivey with the Harlem Susie-Kue. Now you may remember Suzie Q as a rockabilly song from 1957 of Dale Hawkins, or more likely the version of Creedence Clearwater Revival of ten years later, but this is 1937 - twenty or thirty years before.
Then finally you got Elizabeth Johnson with the Sobbin' Woman Blues on the OKeh label from 1928. The label credits 'her Turpentine Tree-O' as the background instrumentals.
Next a recording from 1946 of Champion Jack Dupree that didn't make it to a regular 78 but instead it got included on a 1950 Folkways album - and several later re-issues like a CD on the Document label named Chicago blues. Here is the Slow Boogie.
07 - Champion Jack Dupree - Slow Boogie
08 - Black Cats & The Kitten - Step It Up And Go
Recorded in November of 1940 this obscure combo goes by the name of the Black Cats & The Kitten - but the identities of both the singing kitten and her accompanying black cats remain unknown, even to the great jazz discographers. So only that I can say about them is that they were released on the OKeh label.
The next one does have a name for the singer, but on the label the pianist is credited as Peter Pan - not very useful for identification I'm afraid. The blackout blues - from 1943 on the Beacon label, is about a typical wartime phenomenon - cutting off the electricity in the evenings and to the singer that would not a problem as long as she had a man to comfort her. Despite the time it was recorded and the subject, this has a very twenties feeling over it. Listen to the Blackout Blues of Billie Hayes.
09 - Billie Hayes - Blackout Blues
10 - Pete Brown - Pete Brown's Boogie
The combo of Pete Brown was that with Pete Brown's Boogie, a recording from 1944 for the Savoy label. He was a well-known appearance in the New York scene when he started out in '39 on his own. This session for Savoy and one for the Keynote label were at the top of his career.
Next Helen Proctor backed up by Skeets Tolbert and his Gentlemen of Swing. Here is You'll Never Miss The Water 'Til The Well Runs Dry.
11 - Helen Proctor - You'll Never Miss The Water 'Til The Well Runs Dry
12 - Pinnochio James - Pinnochio's Blues
Pinocchio James - we know him from his time with Lionel Hampton from 1957, but this Pinnochio's Blues is much earlier. Not clear why the singer took up this name, except that Cornelius Jones, his real name, doesn't sound for a stage name.
Next Monte Easter shouting his homesickness for Dallas in Thomas Avenue Blues, a recording from 1951 for the Imperial label. But it's not Dallas but Kansas City that this trumpeter and blues shouter comes from - and most of his time he spent in Los Angeles where he played the clubs of Central Avenue.
Here is the Thomas Avenue Blues.
13 - Monte Easter - Thomas Avenue Blues
14 - Titus Turner - Stop Trying to Make a Fool of Me
Stop Trying to Make a Fool of Me - you got Titus Turner with a recording he did in 1951 for the Regal label. His impact rather is as a songwriter though, he wrote All Around The World that Little Willie John did, and Little Milton under the title Grits Ain't Groceries, and Leave My Kitten Alone, also a hit for Little Willie John, and long before that beautiful marijuana song of Julia Lee, Lotus Blossom.
And we stay with the Regal label with a recording from 1949 of Larry Darnell. Here is Lost My Baby.
15 - Larry Darnell - Lost My Baby
16 - Walter Davis - Hello Blues
17 - Mills Blue Rhythm Band - Harlem Heat
And these three end this episode of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. After Larry Darnell you got Hello Blues of Walter Davis, from 1940 on the Bluebird label. Now Walter Davis - a St. Louis based bluesman - has recorded over 150 sides with Victor and Bluebird, but he didn't make as much impact as Peetie Wheatstraw or Roosevelt Sykes - also from the St. Louis scene. It's still nice and enjoyable blues.
Then finally you got the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, with a 1935 recording for the Columbia label named Harlem Heat. The band used to be one of the regular performers at the famous Cotton Club, but often in the silent hours and until 1934 it got numerous leaders until that place was taken by Lucky Millinder. It never got the recognition like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway - both steadies at the Cotton Club at the same time. And with that - I'm telling about the same story as about Walter Davis, and another similarity is that they both recorded about 150 sides.
Well it's not only the big names but also the forgotten legends that I play on here, listeners, and I just assume you like that, but of course you can let me know and react by e-mail to rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. And if you want to read again what I told you today, or see what's on for next week, then go to my web site, easiest way to get there is to search the web for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman.
For today, time's up so have a rocking day and I hope to see you back for the next show of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!