Hi ! To everybody visiting this website. This is the last fortnight’s favorites selection of 2016, and I hope you will find something of interest in this serie. Not much inspired (and not enough researches) this time, I’ll add very few comments on each record.
The SEVEN ROWE BROTHERS were 7 brothers (and a younger sister) who came originaly from Oklahoma, but settled in California after WWII. They did cut first on Pioneer 607 a fine romping instrumental, an hybrid Western swing/hillbilly boogie in « Spring boogie blues », piano led with solos by steel (Guy Rowe)l and fiddle.
On Pioneer 608, Jack Rowe takes the vocal duty for this good Billy Hughes‘ classic « Birthday cake » : twin fiddles are in the hands of Earl and D.L. Later on the song was revived first by Skeets McDonald on Fortune, then by Jimmy Ballard on Kentucky.
The third disc by the Rowes was issued in 1952 under the name of JACK ROWE & the Wichita Mountain Boys, and again « Bomb bosh boogie »(# 46398) is a nice shuffler.
“Steel guitar stomp”
“Let me play with your poodle”
A fast Hillbilly boogie now with BUSTER PACK on the Campbellville, KY. Rich-R’-Tone label (# 1051). « Indian boogie » came in 1952. He had previously recorded in vintage Bluegrass style with “Better late than never” (# 1050).
“Indian boogie”
“Better late than never”
LAMAN DAVIS delivers « If I can, can, can », a lovely piece of bop on the Las Vegas label (no #).
Finally there’s a R&B rocker on N.Y. Vest label # 8006) by the « Kansas City » man himself, WILBERT HARRISON
from 1959-61. «Please forgive me » is piano led and has a short guitar solo. This record is not listed in Les Fancourt’s « Blues discography ».
Sources : Youtube ; Praguefrank ; my own archives. Next articles about SPECK & DOYLE, DUB DICKERSON and “PECK” TOUCHTON. Information needed for future features on FRED CRAWFORD and WALTER “Tex” DIXON.
Thank you for all the selections this year. I have really enjoyed them. Merry Christmas to you.
Thanks Jim for the kind words. Keep bopping. Xavier