Big Road Blues

Show Notes:

Cross my fingers, this is the first mix show in some time that I'm not featuring somebody who just passed away. Lots of interesting records on tap today including a set revolving around the Memphis Jug Band, twin spins of Eli Green, Cousin Joe, several tracks featuring New York artists Larry Johnson and Nat Riddles, some  fine latter day Chicago blues and some exceptional pre-war blues.  We spotlight several out-of-print records including a pair on the Flyright label and an obscure one featuring the great Pee Wee Crayton.

Features the only tracks by McDowell's mentor, Eli Green. Reissued on CD as You Got To Move

A month ago we did an in-depth feature on the Memphis Jug Band. Today we open up with an addendum of sorts with two tracks by singer Madeyln James and one by the Holy Ghost Sanctified Singers. There's speculation that the Memphis Jug Band was the group who recorded in Memphis on a February 21, 1930 date resulting in four gospel and two secular sides. As the the Holy Ghost Sanctified Singers on "Thou Carest Lord, For Me", "Jesus Throwed Up A Highway For Me", "Sinner I'd Make A Change", "When I Get Inside The Gate" and backing singer Madelyn James on "Stinging Snake Blues" and "Long Time Blues."

Eli Green was a mentor to Mississippi Fred McDowell and also Junior Kimbrough. With McDowell's help, Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie records, located Green in Holly Springs, Mississippi in 1965. He recorded him on the two songs, "Brooks Run Into The Ocean" and "Bulldog Blues", with backing by McDowell. These are the only recordings Green ever cut and are available on the Arhoolie CD, You Got To Move.

Born December 20, 1907 in Wallace, Louisiana, Cousin Joe made a name for himself on the Crescent City nightclub circuit of the mid-1930s before relocating to New York City in 1942; there he recorded prolifically through the 40's. He returned to New Orleans in 1947, recording material for the Deluxe and Imperial labels before signing a five-year pact with Decca; however, he entered the studio only rarely in the years to follow. After a long hiatus, he recorded and released an impromptu 1971 session under the title Bad Luck Blues, followed in 1973 by Cousin Joe from New Orleans where today's tracks come from. His activities were again curtailed in the years to follow, although he cut a final album in 1983 and in 1987 he published an autobiography, Cousin Joe: Blues from New Orleans. He died October 2, 1989.

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Nat Riddles played an important role in the New York blues scene during the late 1970's to mid 1980's. He became known in New York blues circles for his street performances with guitarist Charlie Hilbert and as well as performing with Larry Johnson. He also performed regularly at Dan Lynch's in NYC  a blues hotbed that that saw the emergence of recording artists like The Holmes Brother and Bobby Radcliff. Almost Riddles' recordings are out of print: he has scattered sides on various albums for the Spivey label (appears on several volumes of New York Really Has The "Blues Stars") plus a whole album on the label (The Art Of Nat Riddles). Riddles also appears on a fine recording with Larry Johnson for the L + R label, Johnson! Where Did You Get That Sound?, and a posthumous album of live recordings with Charlie Hilbert that came out in 2007. Riddles died of leukemia in August 1991 at the age of 39.

After a stint in the Navy from 1955 to 1959, Larry Johnson moved to New York and befriended Brownie and Sticks McGhee and began playing on records by Big Joe Williams, Harry Atkins, and Alec Seward. It was Seward who introduced Johnson to his future mentor, Rev. Gary Davis. He released his first single, "Catfish Blues"/"So Sweet," in 1962 and appeared on numerous live dates with Davis. By 1970, Johnson began releasing albums on small labels. Although never prolific, he cut consistently fine albums including Fast and Funky from 1971 and where our featured track, "Four Women Blues" comes from, the out-of-print Basin Free with Nat Riddles on the Spivey label and the marvelous Blues For Harlem issued in 1999.

We spin some terrific latter day Chicago blues from the under recorded Kansas City drummer/singer Kansas City Red and pianist Lovie Lee. By the early 1940's Red was hanging round with Robert Nighthawk. One night the band’s drummer took ill right before a gig and he offered to fill in despite never having played drums before. He ended up playing drums for Nighthawk until around 1946. After his split with Nighthawk he briefly hooked up with Honeyboy Edwards. He had an uncanny knack for hustling gigs and began singing by this period. In the 1950s he formed a band with Earl Hooker and pianist Ernest Lane. He moved to Chicago in the 1950's, occasionally sitting in with Muddy Waters. He formed a group with Walter Horton that included Johnny Young and Johnny Shines. During this period he played with Robert Lockwood Jr., Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Reed, Floyd Jones, Blind John Davis, Elmore James, and others. Starting with the Club Reno, he managed a number of Chicago bars and owned a couple as well. Through the 1970's and 1980's he held down stints at a number of Chicago clubs. His recorded legacy is slim with a handful of sessions for Barrelhouse, JSP, and Earwig. His last major engagement was at the 1991 Chicago Blues Festival. He died of cancer on his sixty-fifth birthday on May 7, 1991. Today's cut comes from a hard-hitting record issued on the JSP label and the Japanese P-Vine label, Original Chicago Blues, that also features Big John Wrencher and Eddie Taylor.

Lovie Lee grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, and was self taught piano player. He found part time employment playing with the Swinging Cats in the early 1950's. The outfit included Carey Bell, who Lee took under his fatherly protection, and they jointly relocated to Chicago in September 1956. Lee worked during the day in a woodworking factory, and for many years played in the evening in numerous Chicago blues nightclubs. After he retired from full-time day work, Lee joined Muddy Waters band in 1979, replacing Pinetop Perkins. Lee made some private recordings in both 1984 and 1989, and this work plus later contemporary tracks, were released as the album Good Candy in 1992.

As always we spotlight a few long out-of-print records including two companion albums issued on the Flyright label in 1973: Blues Come To Chapel Hill and Carolina Country Blues. These were recorded in March 1973 live at the Chapel Hill Festival at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill by Pete Lowry. Most of the artists were recorded by Lowry for his Trix label including Frank Edwards, Roy Dunn, Tarheel Slim, Henry Johnson, Peg Leg Sam, Willie Trice and Guitar Shorty. Elester Anderson and Tommy Lee Russell were recorded extensively by Lowry but nothing was issued commercially.

The generically titled and plain looking album, Sunset Blues Band: Funky Blues, was released on the Sunset budget label and recorded for the United Artists/Liberty group in 1969 featuring Pee Wee Crayton with a session group. Pee Wee's name is not credited on the LP and Pee Wee admitted he did not know what happened to this material after he recorded it. This has been re-released years ago on Charly records.