Let’s begin this new fortnight serie with BUDDY GRIFFIN. He stayed a good part of his life in the shadow of his elder brother REX, who never encouraged his younger brother performing first in Birmingham, Chattanooga and Atlanta. He later teamed up with fiddler Bobby Atchison and guitarists Pete Cassell and Doug Spivey and he played for many sessions early ’50s in Dallas. His recording debuts occurred on the Dude label, as « Otis West & his All Star Cowboys ». When the career of Rex Griffin began to decline in the mid-50s, Buddy Griffin recorded for the tiny Ekko label. Was it in Nashville or Los Angeles ? The writers E.. Hazlewood and J. Willard rather show on the West coast. « Bartenders girl » (Ekko 1017) swings, a mid-pace tempo with heavy guitar and piano (2 soli). (biog. details from the notes of Bruce Elder on « All music » site)
RUSTY NEWBY comes next on the Academy label (# E4KB-1022, a RCA pressing from 1954). « Musician’s blues » bears some western swing overtones. Medium paced hillbilly bop and a lazy vocal. The whole thing is swinging.
From the mountains on the Folk Star label (# 630-A, a parent label to Rich-R’Tone) I’ve chosen KEITH BUCK and the good « Only fooling around » from ca. 1955.
1966 saw the issue of HILLBILLY HERMAN and the medium « Today I watched my dream come true » (Breeze 366), a fine bopper (with mandolin) for the era. Despite deep and large researches, I’ve found nothing on the artist neither the label.
Get back to Virginia, in Staunton. The Buttermilk 1001 label has HARRY SNYDER well bopping for « Worry, worry, worry ».
From Gadsden, AL, we now have « Railroad bum », a great « Hillbilly-goes-Rockabilly » type song for its insistant slapping string bass played by Jimmie Harris; Calvin Flemons is on lead, Ronald Underwood on rhythm and the steel is played by the leader RIP UNDERWOOD. No date is given, except the personnel. A fabulous bass throughout.
We finish this fortnight with CARL LOTTS and « Wandering lonesome blues », a fast Hillbilly bopper on Delmarti F80W-1478 (another RCA pressing) from 1955. Indianapolis origin. The label says « & his Kentucky Kernels » Both sides were reissued (or was it the first issue?) on Lot [sic] label, same numbers.
Howdy folks! First my seasonal greetings: the best Hillbilly bopping music for a happy new Year.
We begin this 2014 year with a rockabilly (stops-and-go) by NORIS MIMS and his energetic “Sweet sweet baby” on Arlington, alas very short. A nice guitar and a short piano solo to the fade-out end. TED NEWTON is less unknown. He’d been recording on the Bellwood label out of Richmond, VA, “Save me the label“, a cross between rockabilly and hillbilly bop. Short guitar solo (lots of echo in there).
Then two tracks on the Cross-Country (#523/524) label, from “I don’t know where” by a HANK TROTTER. Perhaps he’s playing fiddle, as this is the dominant instrument for two ballads: “Because-because” (he’s doubled on vocal by a certain Billy (The Kid), and “I threw away a diamond”. Nice work.
A call and response format for the following track, “Hot rod boogie” by HOWARD W. BRADY on a NJ Flagship label. Very good hillbilly boogie (accordion).(March 31rst, 2018. Is included the moderately interesting flipside “Weary Walkin’ Blues“)
arkansas 45s