Hello folks, here I am again, back in wonderful Vallée du Rhône (where I lived for more than 40 years): Roman monuments, wines, goat cheeses, near Lyon, the second city of France (rivalling Marseille). Here in Vienne we have one of the foremost Jazz Festivals all around Europe (1rst fortnight of July), held in a marvelous Roman theater (fantastic acoustic!). Among all artists will be this year Joe Cocker – he’s not a Hillbilly yet, you know, but one of the truly Soulful artists ever. The show is booked…
All my records are still in boxes, and the library has yet to be set up, later this Summer. So this early July fortnite will be made up of tunes stored on my Macintosch for accidental use like this one. No label pictures, no spare time left to research in my files, only the music. After all, it’s only music we all love that got importance, isn’t?
Here we go.First from Indiana (Ruby label) comes WALTER SCOTT and the fine Hillbilly bop « I’m Walkin’ Out » (1956) complete with swirling fiddles and steel-guitar. Then to Texas, I think (I may be wrong!), with the great HYLO BROWN, whose career was firmly dept in Bluegrass but flirted with Hillbilly at times. I’ve chosen his 1951 rendition of « Lonesome Road Blues » (Four Star). Down in Louisiana, here comes the Pope of Cajun accordion, NATHAN ABSHIRE and one of his first records (although he had already recorded in 1939) under his name, the fine instrumental « Lu Lu Boogie » (Khoury’s label, 1947). On to Nashville, and JIMMY MARTIN, one of the founding members of the Bluegrass style (he’s been once guitar player for Bill Monroe). The song herein is Bluegrass, indeed, but Jimmy has hiccups in his voice…that predate (in my mind anyway) Rockabilly! « Hop, Skip and Wobble » (Decca) Complete with fiddle, banjo, string-bass. Back to the real roots of Hillbilly of the Thirties: (Tom) DARBY & (Jimmy) TARLTON – the haunting « Sweet Sarah Blues » (may be from 1928? 1931? I cannot verify at the moment). Great, strange vocal, and wild dobro.
We finished with two very different tunes, separated by at least 50 years. BIG MACEO (Merryweather) was a fine piano player and intimate vocalist of Chicago in the early 40s. Hear his « I Got The Blues » (backed by Tampa Red on the fluid electric guitar). Then MAURA O’CONNELL (late 1990’s) and the beautiful (both melody and lyrics) « It’s A Beautiful Day ». Enjoy, folks!
Howdy folks! I am moving on June 11th. So, before my entire library/computer is set up, I may be out ’till this end of June. I’ll do my best to give you some more music in the meantime.
We begin with JAMES O’ GWYNN, Star of the Louisiana Hayride, here in 1959 (Azalea label) with the fine, amusing « Ready for Freddy ». Great hillbilly phrasing. Go ahead with Cincinnati, Ohio, KING’s recording artist BOBBY GROVE. Fine « No parking Here » (double-entendre lyrics!) with the cream of Ohio musicians backing. Then down South. You are for a treat…BADEAUX & LOUISIANA ACES, 1962 (Swallow label) and the classic « The Back Door » – even for me, French speaker, the words aren’t easy to understand. Honky tonk life…Back to Texas with GLEN REEVES and « That’ll be love » (Decca), good Hillbilly bop/Honky Tonk from 1956. 1936, Dallas, LEON SELPH and « Swing Baby Swing » (Decca)(proto-Hillbilly Bop!). A real phenomenon: ROD MORRIS. Although he had had a recording career (Capitol among other labels – he came originally from Missouri), he was a songwriter. Here he is singing a song taken from Americana tradition about trains and drivers, « The Ghost of Casey Jones », a mix-up of Rockabilly/Rock’n'Roll (Ludwig label, 1958).
Leon Selph & Blue Ridge Playboys, 1936
Amos Milburn & Chickenshakers, 1956
As a bonus, a great wildie, AMOS MIBURN pounds the 88-keys on « Amo’s Boogie » (Aladdin, September 1946) – on the West Coast. Enjoy the music, comments welcome. Bye…
The Lonesome Drifter was born Thomas Johnson. His recording of « Eager Boy » on Mira Smith’s K record label is one of the most sought-after records among Rockabilly fans.
In tbe late 50s, Thomas, an established Hillbilly performer, got word of a new recording company, Ram records, that had just opened for business in Shreveport, 70 miles from his home in Monroe, Louisiana. Johnson recalls that first release for Ram: « I had been to Mira Smith’s studio to record and she asked me what name I wanted on the rcord. I didn’t want Thomas Johnson. As I was driving back to Monroe tbat night I thought about one of my idols, Hank Williams, and he had made records as ‘Luke The Drifter’. I was sort of a rambling man in those days, so when I got to Minden, it came to me, I got out of the car and phoned Mira and said « Call me the Lonesome Drifter ».
« Eager Boy » and « Teardrop Valley » were released in 1958 on K records, a subsidiary of Ram, named after Mira’s sister. On « Eager Boy » Thomas’ friend Tom Bonnet, who had accompanied him to the studio, plays the lead guitar. The success of the flip, « Teardrop Valley », featuring Shreveport musician George Mercer on lead guitar, secured the Lonesome Drifter his wish to appear on the Louisiana Hayride.
Johnson was born on 6 December 1931 on a cotton farm in Bastrop,Louisiana. As a youth he worked as a water boy for the cotton pickers on the pantation and recalls hearing his first blues music while watching on old black man playing a slack string guitar outside a Bastrop general store. Other influences included Jimmie Rodgers and Bill Monroe,and bluegrass music was the foundation of his style.
Johnson was not a professional musician and worked in the steel business as an erector and welder and this took him as far afield as Chicago and Kansas City. Today Johnson lives quietly in Monroe where he owns a small recording studio in which he records artists in the gospel music field.
Collector LP (NL)
Notes by Ray Topping to Ace 818 CD « Shreveport High Steppers »
NATHAN ABSHIRE
He was, after Iry LeJeune, too soon deceased (in 1955), the pope of traditional Cajun accordion, and, today, he remains a reference for numerous artists such as Jo-El Sonnier or, even more recently, Wilson Savoy, lead accordionist for the Pine Leaf Boys. He held a dominating position in the 70’s during the big revival of Cajun music, due to his very long association with the Balfa Brothers (Dewey, Rodney and Will). His most-widely known track, « Pine grove blues », first put on wax in 1949, and re-recorded several times later on, was a big regional hit, and even made a mark on people such as Steve Cropper and on the debuts of Memphis soul music : « Last night » by the Markeys is directly inspired from it. Read the rest of this entry »
