The record changer (Jan 1955-Dec 1957)

16 (Continued from Page 9) been treated by at least a half-dozen other artists of almost every style, and several other sides, several of which were never released. The coupling of Dirty Dozens and Wilkins Street Stomp sold so well that the company brought Red to Chicago the following year to record a second version of the Dozens and some other tunes, including The Right String But The Wrong Yo Yo which, though not a big seller in 1930, did very well by his brother Willie (Piano Red) on Victor in 1952. It was at the Chicago session, as Red recalls, that the famous Jim Jackson's Jamboree Vocation was etched. The depression, probably coupled with a terrific backlog of unreleased material, forced Brunswick, like most other studios, to curtail its recording program tremendously, throwing its musicians back on the hard road that was the legacy of the blues. Eight years later, Walter Davis (a steady artist for Bluebird and a talent scout for new names for Bluebird) heard Red playing in St. Louis and arranged for a date at the Aurora Studios outside Chicago. (At that time Petrillo had banned recording in Chicago. Decca sent its artists to New York to record; Vocalion set up shop in Southern cities; and Bluebird simply moved to nearby Aurora.) Willie Hatchett and LeRoy McCoy were called in to accompany Red's bluessinging and piano. Being unused to playing with other musicians, Red was more hindered than helped by his accompaniment. Nevertheless, some great sides were cut in a day-long session, including St. Louis Stomp and Doin' The Georgia, and Red went back to the road with $125 in his pocket for his day's work — back to the road and the obscurity from which he had so recently emerged. Settling in St. Louis in 1941, Red retired somewhat from the music profession and took a job at the St. Louis Produce Market "down on the levee." Occasionally he augmented his income with a trip to the hillbilly joints out South Broadway. When the market was moved, Red was laid off and obtained a steady job playing at the World's Fair Bar at Franklin and Broadway, which lasted until the place was closed last year. In fine physical condition and just a little amazed at the reception he is getting at the Top Deck, with his execution as good as ever, we can surely expect to hear Red dirty the Dozens for dozens of years to come. Speckled Red Discography Memphis; October 15, 1929 — vocals with own' piano accompaniment. Ml 84 House Dance Jilues Br 7137 M187 Dirty Dozens Br 7116, 80020, BLP 58018 Ml 88 Wilkins Street Stomp 80021, Chicago; April 8, 1930 — as above, except on Jamboree, which also includes: Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker) and Jim Jackson, guitars and vocals; Georgia Tom (Thomas Dorsey), piano and vocals. C5584 Dirty Dozen No. 2 -I -II Vo 1428 C5585 You Got to Get that Thing Fixed C5586 Jim Jackson's Jamboree C5587 Jim Jackson's TamboreeC5588 Speckled Red Blues Br 7164 C5590 Right String ... Br 7151 C5591 Lonesome Mind Blues Br 7164 Aurora, 111.; December 17, f938 — vocals and piano McCoy, guitar; Willie Hatchett, mandolin. Br 7151, 80021., BLP 58018 Br 7200 with Robert LeRoy 030838 Welfare Blues BB 8069 030839 Down on the Levee BB 8113 030840 Doin' the Georgia BB 7985 030841 Early in the Morning BB 8069 030842 Take It Easy BB 8036 030843 Try Me One More Time BB 8012 030844 Louise Baltimore Blues 030845 What Makes You Treat BB8113 Me Mean BB 7985 030846 St. Louis Stomp BB 8036 030847 You Got to Fix It Aurora; probably same date — Rambling Bob (Robert LeRoy McCoy, guitar and vocals; accompanied by Speckled Red, piano) 030858 Every Day and Night BB 8020 030859 Ol' Mosc (Oh Red) (Editors' Note: Following Koester's suggestion to us that additional Speckled Red sides were cut on the same day, wc have been able to establish the following titles and master numbers. All are "Rambling Bob" numbers, with Speckled Red accompaniment — but time did not allow the ferreting out of issue numbers, if any. ) 030860 You're All I've Got to Live For 030861 She's Got What It Takes 030862 Next Door Neighbor 030863 Bin Apple Blues 030861 Freight Train Blues 030865 Good Gambler The great game of West Coast mus il chairs which was apparently quieted di In in February commenced again within a w weeks. Turk Murphy, with his best b,d ever took off for Las Vegas leaving the "^n Angel" in bad shape until Lizzie M s' opening late in April. Bob Mielke's Bear ts filled in for a week, then came Saun rs King with a modern group, and finally al Tjader and his Afro-Cubans. The latter '0 outfits, though skilled in their field, were it of place at the spot, and not only lost mc ;y but also confused the traditional jazz is who came expecting Murphy, Scobey, pr Mielke. Finally, Wally Rose, who migh is well be here tabbed the "ramblin' Ri " organized a small band and filled in until ;e great Lizzie arrived. Bob Scobey's "perfect deal" at the "Ita n Village" basement turned sour ra :r quickly. Even with Clancy Hayes' vocals d a fine TV show to draw the crowds, Sec y couldn't buck the resistance offered by IM club's owners whose interest is solely in l plush and lucrative floorshow on the n n: floor. The Frisco Band left for a long sy g through the East, with a chance that tijl will open at the "Tin Angel" on retu.i Wally Rose, as mentioned above, sta d home and organized his first band, win includes Vince Catalico on clarinet, I ■ Lammi, bass, and Cuz Cusineau on dniw If Bob Mielke can keep his Bearcats Hj gether they may well become a nation.jl respected band. Bob has always suffered fiM a common Bay Area malady, namely, M "Lu Watters school." It has been virtujfl impossible for any band to get going arot« here unless a few of its members were V \4 ters alumni, and in addition Turk Mur jH is tough competition for any traditionaj<| minded trombonist (to say nothing of M Ory). But Mielke has kept plugging, ;aj developed a neat style, tremendous reiHj toire, and spirited ensemble. Pete Stanton la cornet, Bunky Coleman, clarinet, Dick Uri tot's banjo, and Pete Allen on bass comtjl with Mielke's trombone to produce a synm ing happy sound. Dave Jones of "Empir 1 Records" was in town recording the gro i and an LP should be on the market soon.i Lizzie Miles is still in grand form, cl turing her audience from the outset ;1 holding them through a wide selection1! blues, shouts and standards. She may be M salvation of the foundering "Tin Angi especially if her Cook LP's can be broack heavily. Pianist Burt Bales, another of the Francisco region's forgotten jazz giants, c< tinues at the "Pier 23," opposite the Angel, as a solo. Burt has recorded Cavalier records and hopes to get bel distribution and publicity than he has w