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!

 

 Walter Scott - I'm Walkin' Out [2:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hylo Brown - Lonesome Road Blues [2:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jimmy Martin - Hop, Skip and Wobble [2:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Darby & Tarlton - Sweet Sarah Blues [3:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Big Maceo - I Got The Blues [2:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Maura O'Connell - It's A Beautiful Life [3:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Nathan Abshire - Lu Lu Boogie [2:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

HILLBILLY BOOGIE !

Essential component of Rock’n’Roll, this Country stream goes as far as the 30’s. Following the Boogie Woogie wave (1928, Pinetop Smith), everyone includes a boogie in his repertoire : swing big bands (Count Basie : « Basie boogie »), western swing orchestras (Spade Cooley : »Three way boogie », or smaller combos – Country (Tennessee Ernie Ford : « Shot gun boogie », 1951) or Blues (Amos Milburn : « Amo’s Boogie », 1946 – one of thousand artists). And the phenomenon will last a good twenty years. Fast tempo is good for dancers, as in « Hillbilly Boogie » (Jerry Irby, 1949 –Pete Burke at the piano).

Piano style was transposed to

-  guitar (Arthur Smith, « Guitar Boogie », 1945),

-  harmonica (The Milo Twins, « Truck Driver’s boogie », 1949),

-  mandolin (The Armstrong Twins, « Mandolin Boogie », 1949),

- violin (Curley Williams, « Fiddlin’ Boogie », 1949),

- steel-guitar (Speedy West, « Stratosphere Booie », 1954),

- accordion (Nathan Abshire, « Lu Lu Boogie », 1947),

- banjo (The McCormick Brothers, « Red Hen Boogie », 1954),

- vocal too of course (Wesley Tuttle, «Yodelin’ Boogie », 1949).

You can recognize a Hillbilly boogie by the presence of a powerful stand-up bass, often slapped : you can hear here the monumental « Bull Fiddle Boogie » by PeeWee King (Redd Stewart on vocal)(1949).

Numerous other instruments can be found in hillbilly boogie such as saxophone, muted trumpet or clarinet.

And until now I’d only speak of titles including « boogie » ! There were thousands others on this tempo, not always fast, but « uptempo ». Finally it became the standard in hillbilly music, what we call now Hillbilly Bop. One example between hundred is  Downie Bowshier’s « Tight Shoe Boogie » (King, 1953). The song complains about shoes too tight to dance to the bop. It is doubly ironic, since Bowshier was confined to a wheel chair.

Recommended listening :

We are well treated these times, because there is a plethora of compilations.

- « Country boogie 1939-1947 » (Frémeaux et associés 161) – 36 classic recordings just before and after WWII, from « Oakie Boogie » (Jack Guthrie) to « Square Dance boogie » (Johnny Lee Wills), to « Saturday night boogie » (Al Dexter). A good choice from Gérard Herzaft, the famous compiler.

- « Hillbilly Bop, Boogie & The Honky Tonk », a serie of 3 double-CDs from Jasmine (UK) at bargain price. Buy in confidence, you won’t be sorry !

- « Hillbilly Boogie » Proper (UK) boxset (4 CD). 100 tunes for £ 10.99. All the greats are here.

- « King Hillbilly Bop’n’Boogie » (UK Ace 854) does concentrate on one of the genre’s best postwar labels. Many uncommon tracks.

-Hillbilly Boogie » (Columbia Legacy 53940) – 20 essential tracks (1990)  

- If you are looking for something else, try to find (remoted from current catalog) « A Shot In The Dark – Tennessee Jive », a 7-CD Bear Family boxset devoted to Nashville’s small labels from 1945 to 1955.

 

 Amos Milburn - Amo's Boogie [2:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Pee Wee King - Bull Fiddle Boogie [2:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Wesley Tuttle - Yodelin' Boogie [2:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tennessee Ernie Ford -Shot gun boogie [2:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Riley Walker - Uranium Miner's Boogie [2:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Nathan Abshire - Lu Lu Boogie [2:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Milo Twins - Truck Driver's Boogie [2:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Merle Lindsay -Mop Rag Boogie [2:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 McCormick Brothers - Red Hen Boogie [2:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Johnny Barfield - Doin' The Boogie Woogie [2:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jerry Irby - Hillbilly Boogie [2:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Donnie Bowshier - Tight Shoe Boogie [2:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bobby Soots - Boogie Woogie Blues [2:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download