Effie Smith - Blues & Rhythm Series Classics (1945 - 1953)

 "Effie Smith (born Effie Mae Blu or Bly, April 10, 1914 – February 11, 1977) was an American blues and jazz singer and comedian, best known for "Dial That Telephone", a song she first recorded in 1953 which became an R&B hit in 1965.

She was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, and after an early marriage took the surname of her husband, Fred Smith. By 1940 she was living in Los Angeles, California, with her two children, and was working as a singer in a WPA project. She sang in a vocal group, the Three Shades of Rhythm, and with the Lionel Hampton and Benny Carter orchestras, and during World War II appeared on several Armed Forces Radio Service broadcasts including sessions with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and 16-year-old pianist André Previn.

She married comedian, songwriter and record producer John Laurence Criner (1914–1992), and recorded several songs with Johnny Otis for the G&G and Gem labels, both parts of Criner's Royal Records group. She also recorded for Miltone Records in 1947, one of her songs being an answer record to label owner Roy Milton's own "R.M. Blues". During the 1950s, she recorded a number of tracks for Aladdin Records, including in 1953 the first version of "Dial That Telephone", a comedic monologue in which she complains to a friend about the absence of her husband.

She also recorded with Ike Carpenter's orchestra. In 1955 and 1956, she recorded several tracks including "Champagne Mind With A Soda Water Income" with the Squires, a vocal group featuring Don Harris and Dewey Terry (later Don and Dewey). She recorded several versions of "Dial That Telephone" over the years, including a 1959 version released on Criner's Spot record label. However, the song only became a chart success in 1965, when a new recording on the Duo Disc label reached #36 on the Billboard R&B chart. In 1968, her recording of "Harper Valley P.T.A. Gossip", a spoken elaboration of the content of Jeannie C. Riley's hit "Harper Valley PTA", reached #43 on the R&B chart.

Smith later worked in record promotion and A&R for Stax Records. She died from cancer in Los Angeles in 1977, aged 62.

A compilation of her recordings between 1945 and 1953 was issued by the Chronological Classics label in the 1990s. One of her children, Fred Sledge Smith (1933–2005), became a prominent songwriter and record producer in the 1950s and 1960s, with artists including The Olympics, Bob & Earl, and Bill Cosby." wiki

Ted Taylor - Ever Wonderful; Okeh Uptown Soul 1962-1966 & Complete Ronn/Jewel Singles

"Austin Taylor, better known as Ted Taylor (February 16, 1934 – October 2, 1987) was an American soul musician.

Born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United States, Taylor sang with The Cadets/The Jacks in the 1950s. He sang lead vocals on The Cadets' "Do You Wanna Dance (Hey Little Girl)" and "I Cry" and also on The Jacks' "Away" and "My Darling." He did not appear on The Cadets' biggest hit "Stranded In The Jungle" in 1955. For that session, he was replaced by singer Prentice Moreland. Taylor left The Cadets/The Jacks to begin a solo career which began with two singles on Melatone Records in 1957. He would later release singles on Ebb Records and Duke Records from 1957 to 1959; in the 1960s he recorded for Ronn Records and Okeh Records in blues and soul styles. In the 1970s he recorded disco for TK Records."

"Once heard, the exciting tenor voice of Ted Taylor can never be forgotten or mistaken for any other. With his elaborate pompadour hairstyle and pencil-line moustache, he looked a lot like Little Richard, his label-mate at Okeh Records for a spell (although Ted was far from little). Onstage he wore flamboyant pink suits, his manicured fingers heavy with ornate rings. This and his androgynous singing voice led many to conclude that Ted was gay, but appearances can be misleading: when out of the spotlight, he was a quietly-spoken family man.

He started out as a member of the Glory Bound Travelers gospel group. By 1955 he was singing with the Santa Monica Soul Seekers, soon to morph into dual identity secular combo the Cadets/Jacks. Turning solo in 1957, he notched up releases on the Ebb, Dena, Duke, Top Rank, Laurie, Top Rank, Warwick, Apt, Gold Eagle, United Artists and Soncraft labels. He then landed contract with Okeh, where he remained from 1962 to 1965, before joining Atlantic Record’s Atco subsidiary for a few singles. That brings us to the fantastic music on this CD, which stems from Ted’s lengthy tenure at Stan Lewis’ Ronn imprint out of Shreveport, Louisiana."

Jimmy Liggins - Specialty Records

Part two of this important pair from Guitar Gus.

wiki "Jimmy Liggins (October 14, 1922 – July 18, 1983) was an American R&B guitarist and bandleader. Liggins was born in Newby, Oklahoma, United States. He started out as a professional boxer at age 18 under the name of Kid Zulu, then he quit boxing and took up driving his brother Joe's outfit around on tour. Following the success of his brother, Jimmy Liggins started his own recording career as a singer, guitarist, and leader of the 'Drops of Joy', on Art Rupe's Specialty label in 1947. One of his early releases, "Cadillac Boogie" was a direct forerunner of "Rocket 88", itself often called the first rock and roll record.

Recordings such as "Tear Drop Blues" (1948) and, later, "I Ain't Drunk" (1953), featuring leading saxophone players such as Maxwell Davis, made him one of the most successful bandleaders in the jump blues period of the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Liggins left Specialty in 1954, recording "I Ain't Drunk" (1954), later covered by Albert Collins, at Aladdin, before fading from the scene. His wild stage presence and manic delivery also had a direct and lasting impact on Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.

Liggins died in July 1983, at the age of 60, in Durham, North Carolina."

Joe Liggins - Specialty Records

The first of a pair from Guitar Gus, let's go back to the early days of R&B with a look at the Liggins brothers; first up is older brother Joe.


wiki "Joe Liggins (July 9, 1915 – July 26, 1987) was an American R&B, jazz and blues pianist, who was the frontman in the 1940s and 1950s with the band, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers.

His band was often a staple on the US Billboard R&B chart in those years, with their biggest hit being "The Honeydripper", released in 1945. That single topped the R&B chart, then called the race chart, for 18 weeks. More than 60 years later, "The Honeydripper" remains tied with Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" for the longest-ever stay at the top of that chart. It logged a reported two million sales.

Liggins was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, United States, and moved to San Diego, California in 1932. By the time he moved again, to Los Angeles in 1939, he began playing with various groups, including Sammy Franklin's California Rhythm Rascals. When Liggins asked him to record his song "The Honeydripper", Franklin declined, prompting Liggins to start his own band, which created many more hits in the next years, including "Got a Right to Cry" and the widely covered songs, "Tanya" and "Roll 'Em". Earl Hooker is noted for his cover of "Tanya". The original Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers recordings were issued on the Exclusive Records imprint of brothers Leon and Otis Rene. Joe Liggins' Honeydrippers was formed in the basement of the Los Angeles home of the saxophonist Little Willie Jackson, who co-founded the group and who, at the time of his death in 2000, was the last original surviving member of the Honeydrippers.

In March 1954, the band took part in a benefit show held at the Club 5-4 in Los Angeles for the wife of Stan Getz.

Joe joined his brother Jimmy at Specialty Records in 1950, where he gained more hits including: "Rag Mop", "Boom-Chick-A-Boogie", "Pink Champagne", and "Little Joe's Boogie". His songs were mostly a blend of jump blues and basic R&B. With Roy Milton, he was an architect of the small-band jump blues of the first post-war decade. Liggins often toured with such acts as Jimmy Witherspoon, Amos Milburn and the jump blues shouter H-Bomb Ferguson. His 1950 releases, "Pink Champagne" and "I Gotta Right to Cry," both sold over one million copies and were awarded gold discs.

Although Liggins' success stopped in the late 1950s, he led a big band until his death following a stroke, in Lynwood, California, at the age of 72."

Lowell Fulson - The Complete Chess Masters

Lowell Fulson's career is so long that it needs digesting in segments. In his own analysis the 40's were his Swing Time years, the 50's were his Chess years, the 60's his Kent years, the 70's were Jewell, the 80's he "laid low" and in his final decade he made some nice albums on the Bullseye imprint of Rounder.

The 50's long-distance marriage of Fulson and Chess is an uneasy one from the start. Fulson needed a new label, Chess was signing every major Blues artist they could get their hands on so the initial hookup is easy to get, although Aladdin would seem a more natural fit in hindsight. The problem was that Lowell was based in Oakland and L.A., had his own West Coast club blues style that he was developing, and he had a tight, well rehearsed band that he was unwilling to art with. Guys like Ray Charles, Stanley Turrentine, Maxwell Davis, David Newman, Dexter Gordon and Lloyd Glenn passed through that band!

When discussions of Fulson's first Chess session began, the tension between Lowell and Leonard Chess began. Chess assumed that Lowell would come to Chicago and record in his studio using Willie Dixon and the gang but Fulson was having none of leaving his band behind and instinctively knew he didn't want Chess contriving his sound. After some invective laced tirades from Chess melted a few phone lines, the agreement was made that Fulson would be record the first time in Dallas and the results would be mailed to Chess. Chess warned the record had better hit or else. It did.

Reconsider Baby was Fulson's biggest single ever, the opening walking bass/piano line is punctuated by Lowell's biting guitar then soon adds his plaintive vocal and the marvelously swinging but understated horns that are just perfect. The track makes it to #3 on the R&B charts and you would think that Fulson had proven his point. Leonard Chess still obstinately insisted that the next session take place in Chicago, in January no less! One can imagine that Fulson was less than thrilled at the prospect.

The first Chicago session is by all accounts excruciating for all concerned. Dixon, Spann and the Chess horns sound leaden and primitive compared to Fulson's L.A. band and Lowell fights with Chess and Dixon the whole way. The first track, Lonely Hours is suitable for a boat anchor, so heavy and plodding it is hard to believe it is Fulson. Check Yourself recovers some of the Fulson swagger as does Do Me Right but the session is far from successful and Fulson flees home to California.

Lowell's next session is done in L.A. with a return to his bounce and swagger but a year later Chess once again drags him to Chicago in the dead of winter with entirely similar results. The resulting 5 tracks are mostly leaden and forgettable with the possible exception of Smokey Room. This time Fulson flees Chess studio never to return and for the rest of his tenure everything is done in L.A. and finished product is mailed to Chess with instructions to not mess with it. This in large part accounts for why Fulson's records sound like nothing else at Chess.

Lowell Fulson - My First Recordings

World famous Oklahoma born bluesman Lowell Fulson has been making hit records since his discharge from the Navy after World War II. This set features the early sides Lowell made for the legendary producer, Bob Geddins between 1946 and the early 50s. Many of these early hits showcase Lowell's fine blues vocals and his distinctive guitar accompanied by a small rhythm section as well as selections featuring just Lowell's singing and guitar accompanied only by his brother Martin on second guitar. Today, about 50 years since these performances were recorded, Lowell is still one of the active, leading blues singers of his generation.

1. Western Union Blues
2. Lazy Woman Blues
3. River Blues Pt.1
4. River Blues Pt.2
5. I Walked All Night
6. Between Midnight And Day
7. The Blues Is Killing Me
8. Did You Ever Feel Lucky
9. I'm Wild About You
10. Three O'clock Blues
11. Crying Blues (Street Walking Woman)
12. You're Gonna Miss Me
13. Miss Katy Lee Blues
14. Rambling Blues
15. Fulson Blues
16. San Francisco Blues
17. I Want To See My Baby
18. Trouble Blues
19. Don't Be So Evil
20. Black Widow Spider Blues
21. I'm Prison Bound
22. My Baby Left Me
23. Blues With A Feeling
24. Why Can't You Cry For Me
25. There Is A Time For Everything
26. Lowell Jumps One (Cash Box Boogie)

 tracks 1-10 likely recorded in June 1946 but released in 1948, 11-16 also June 1946. 17-20 late 46 or 47, 21-24 are some time in 1948, 25-26 are likely June 1952 (Bob Geddins did not keep accurate dates)

“They are all beautifully crafted country blues, recorded in San Francisco between 1946 and 1951, with basic guitar far removed from Fulson's later pyrotechnics, and with either Lowell's brother Martin on basic but effective rhythm guitar or a small combo with the great Lloyd Glenn on sparkling piano.... This really is a superb collection of an under-rated giant in his formative years, but with no sense of the beginner... If you know only Fulson's soul sides (available on a fine Ace CD) this gritty down-home material will be a revelation.”

-David Harrison, Folk Roots

Lowell Fulson - The Complete Kent Recordings vols 3 & 4

As promised!

Volume Three

Volume Four

Lowell Fulson - Kent Recordings 1 & 2

The more knowledgeable of followers here will likely be scratching their heads about now and wondering why I would start Lowell with THESE recordings. Well the truth is - mostly by mistake - but since I have these uploaded and they are totally killer, lets just say I am using this material to whet your taste for the earlier Chess material. Also I'll let you all know now that I don't have the JSP set that covers 1946 to 1953 so that would make a killer contribution. (Hint, Hint)

I approached this four disc set with full intentions of paring it down; the only problem is that I REALLY like Lowell Fulson and there just wasn't anything I could bring myself to exclude! These first two volumes give you 51 tracks that are the Meat of his Kent output. Volumes 3 & 4 have the collectors stuff but they will follow shortly as they are too good to leave out.

" Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921 – March 7, 1999) was a big-voiced blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, Fulson was the most important figure in West Coast blues in the 1940s and 1950s.

According to some sources, Fulson was born on a Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma. Fulson stated that he was of Cherokee ancestry through his father, but he also claimed Choctaw ancestry. At the age of eighteen, he moved to Ada, Oklahoma, and joined Alger "Texas" Alexander for a few months in 1940, but later moved to California, forming a band which soon included a young Ray Charles and tenor saxophone player, Stanley Turrentine. He recorded for Swing Time Records in the 1940s, Chess Records (on the Checker label) in the 1950s, Kent Records in the 1960s, and Rounder Records (Bullseye) in the 1970s.

Fulson was drafted in 1943, but left the United States Navy in 1945. His most memorable and influential recordings included: "Three O'Clock Blues" (now a blues standard); the Memphis Slim-penned "Everyday I Have the Blues"; "Lonesome Christmas"; "Reconsider Baby" recorded in 1960 by Elvis Presley and in 1994 by Eric Clapton for his From the Cradle album as well as by Joe Bonamassa); and "Tramp" (co-written with Jimmy McCracklin and later covered by Otis Redding with Carla Thomas, ZZ Top (on 2003's Mescalero), Alex Chilton, and Tav Falco.

"Reconsider Baby" came from a long term contract agreed with Chess Records in 1954. It was recorded in Dallas under Stan Lewis' supervision with a saxophone section that included David "Fathead" Newman on tenor and Leroy Cooper on baritone.

Jackie Brenston played in Fulson's band between 1952 and 1954. (remember Jackie from Ike Turner?)

Fulson stayed with the Checker label into 1962, when he moved to the Los Angeles-based Kent Records. 1965's "Black Nights" became his first hit in a decade, and "Tramp," did even better, restoring the guitarist to R&B stardom.

In 1993 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California a show entitled "California Blues - Swingtime Tribute" opened with Fulson plus Johnny Otis, Charles Brown, Jay McShann, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy McCracklin and Earl Brown. Fulson's last recording was a duet of "Every Day I Have the Blues" with Jimmy Rogers on the latter's 1999 Atlantic Records release, "The Jimmy Rogers All-Stars: Blues, Blues, Blues."

A resident of Los Angeles, Fulson died in Long Beach, California, in March 1999, at the age of 77. His companion Tina Mayfield stated that the causes of death were complications from kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. He was the father of four and grandfather of thirteen