This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
And I had promised you a few times already, so here it comes, the first show on the Decca Sepia series. Decca had started this series that numbered from 8500 and up, in 1940 next to it's "race" series, for music from African-Americans that had the potential to cross over to the general audience, say, potential for the pop hitlist. Now many releases didn't make it anywhere near and were still sold exclusively in record stores in Black neighborhoods. But there's a vast difference between the Race series and this Sepia series. I'll tell you more about that difference later. First some music, and I start with two releases for Louis Jordan, that were the catalog numbers 8500 and 8501. Here is the first of the two - Pompton Turnpike.
8500 - Louis Jordan - Pompton Turnpike
8501 - Louis Jordan - Never Let Your Left Hand Know
Never Let Your Left Hand Know what your right hand's doing - that was Louis Jordan once more and this was the flip of the far more famous A Chicken Ain't Nothing But A Bird, but I played that before here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman.
Today's spotlight is on the Decca label, but instead of the 7000 Race series, that I done numerous shows on, this is the Sepia series, and being released on this series meant a major upgrade for the artist, also with a better promotion budget.
There's a major difference between the material released on the Race series and the Sepia series. On the Race series, you'll find blues. It's maybe overdone to say, nothing but the blues, but it comes close. On the Sepia series, you'll find the transition from Swing to the Rhythm & Blues of the forties. And this Louis Jordan is maybe the best example of this transition.
But the series got more. Like the next one, on Decca 8503 the swing pianist Clarence Profit. Here he is with Hot and Bothered.
8503 - Clarence Profit - Hot and Bothered
8505 - Sam Price - Oh Red!
Sammy Price himself belting out the big hit of the Harlem Hamfats, Oh Red. It was recorded in New York in September of 1940 with his Texas Bluesicians, a loose combination of studio musicians that in this case included Don Stovall on the saxophone and trumpeter Joe Brown.
And on Decca 8506 we find Yack Taylor, who also had a lot of releases with the 7000 Race series, here on somewhat lighter material with Skeets Tolbert and his Gentlemen of swing. Here is the Sugar Boogie.
00 - 8506 - Skeets Tolbert & His Gentlemen Of Swing - Sugar Boogie
00 - 8507 - Buddy Johnson - Please Mr. Johnson
Please Mr. Johnson - you heard the sultry voice of Ella Johnson with the band of her brother Buddy Johnson. Don't know with you, but Ella gets me the goosebumps and the chills on my spine - she has one of the most fragile, sexy and wonderful voices I ever heard.
They were one of the regular orchestras in the prestigious Savoy ballroom, one of the few racially integrated ballrooms in Harlem and according to many, the most glamorous and classy of them all. Like so many of these venues, it don't exist anymore, it was closed in 1958 and demolished for a housing project - but it's a place I'd have wanted to see - be it, that I can't dance and that was a requirement for the Savoy.
A lot of vocal groups come by on Decca's sepia series, that I spotlight today here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. Like the next one, by a jive trio named the Three Peppers. Now researching for a group with a name like that gets you some great recipes for dishes that require three peppers, but the group's origin is pretty obscure. They pop up at a St. Louis radio show in 1932 and '33, and in a '36 musical short named Rush Hour Rhapsody. But they got themselves in the Apollo in Harlem in '36 and the Kit Kat club in 52nd Street, a.k.a. Swing street in Manhattan.
They made recordings for Vocalion and Decca and here they are with Was That All I Meant To You.
00 - 8508 - Three Peppers - Was That All I Meant To You
00 - 8510 - Erskine Butterfield - Beale Street Mama
Straight from the 78 - Pianist Erskine Butterfield wat that with the Beale Street Mama on Decca 8510. Butterfield's band was a mixed combo - it included the white musicians Jimmy Lytell on the clarinet and Carmen Mastren on the guitar. Several of his recordings made it to the more prestigious popular series of Decca.
For the next one number 8512 in the catalog - this is blues singer Mabel Robinson with an ensemble named the Four Blackamoors with Romance In The Dark.
00 - 8512 - Four Blackamoors with Mabel Robinson - Romance In The Dark
00 - 8513 - Sonny Boy Williams - I Want A Little Girl
The pianist and singer Sonny Boy Williams with I Want A Little Girl and that is not the bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson who had his fame with the Bluebird label. In fact, this Enoch Williams as his real name was, didn't play the harmonica and his musical style is completely different. He does have a few blues on record, in the 7000 Race series, but most of his output is much closer to pop music than to the blues.
Around the time of the real Sonny Boy Williamson several musicians were around that used the name of Sonny Boy. Best known is of course Aleck Rice Miller who, down in Helena, AK adopted the name of Sonny Boy Williamson, most likely to cash on the fame of the Chicago-based bluesman. But there were more - this Enoch Williams you just heard, and then there was a Sonny Boy Johnson, and another Sonny Boy who recorded with Lonnie Johnson.
Next the Delta Rhythm Boys - a vocal group that did both gospel and secular songs. On Decca 8514 this is Gimme Some Skin.
00 - 8514 - Delta Rhythm Boys - Gimme some skin
00 - 8515 - Sam Price - Jumpin' The Boogie
Jumping The Boogie - You got Sammy Price and his Texas Bluesicians on Decca 8515. In '38 Price had been hired as a session musician for Decca backing up many blues singers for the label. His Texas Bluesicians were a loose combination of musicians often playing sessions for Decca, and at some point included saxophonist Don Stovall and trumpeter Emmett Berry. Later he was the regular performer in several prestigious hotels and in the legendary Crawdaddy, a restaurant in New York with a New Orleans atmosphere.
Next on number 8516 of the catalog, once more blues belter Yack Taylor fronting the orchestra of Skeets Tolbert. Those Draftin' blues were recorded in December of 1940 in New York.
00 - 8516 - Skeets Tolbert & His Gentlemen Of Swing - Those Draftin' Blues
00 - 8517 - Four Blues - Easy Does It
Easy Does it of the obscure vocal group the Four Blues and fortunately with obscure vocal groups, Marv Goldberg comes to the rescue with his well-informed site that covers many, many vocal groups. And so we can learn that the group had performed in the Gay New Orleans pavillion of the 1940 World Fair that was being held in Queens, and in the meanwhile it did the nights in the Mimo Club, that had been founded by famous tap dancer Bojangles Robinson in the basement of the Lafayette Theatre on Lenox Avenue in Harlem.
The group did four songs in a session in late 1940 - this single was released in April of '41.
And on number 8518 of the catalog we find the band of Buddy Johnson with the Southern Echoes.
00 - 8518 - Buddy Johnson - Southern Echoes
00 - 8519 - Wingy Carpenter - Preachin' Trumpet Blues
00 - 8520 - Nat King Cole - This Side Up
And Nat King Cole ends today's first show on Decca's Sepia series, with This Side Up on Decca 8520 and before that Wingy Carpenter performing his antics on the trumpet with the Preaching Trumpet Blues.
I'm running somewhat out of time today, so I got just time to direct you to my website where you can find today's story and playlist and what's in store for next week. Do a web search for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman and it will show up first. And let me know if you dug the show and send me an e-mail to rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. All feedback is greatly appreciated.
I'm back here next week. Until dontcha get them blues. See you - her on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!