| ARTIST |
SONG |
ALBUM |
| Henry Brown |
Stomp Em' Down To The Bricks |
Down on the Levee |
| Henry Brown |
Deep Morgan Blues |
Down on the Levee |
| Henry Brown |
Henry Brown Blues |
Twenty First. St. Stomp |
| Mary Johnson |
Those Blackman Blues |
Down on the Levee |
| Henry Brown |
Eastern Chimes Blues |
Down on the Levee |
| Walter Davis |
Think You Need A Shot |
Walter Davis Vol. 2 (1935-1937) |
| Walter Davis |
Sloppy Drunk Again |
Walter Davis Vol. 1 (1933 - 1935) |
| James "Stump" Johnson |
Bound To Be A Monkey |
Twenty First. St. Stomp |
| James "Stump" Johnson |
Don't Give My Lard Away |
Twenty First. St. Stomp |
| Barrel House Buck |
Mercy Mercy Blues |
Piano Blues Vol. 2 1927 - 1956 |
| James "Bat" Robinson |
Humming Blues |
Down In Black Bottom |
| Joe Dean |
I’m So Glad I’m Twenty... |
Shake Your wicked Knees |
| Sylvester Palmer |
Mean Blues |
Down In Black Bottom |
| Wesley Wallace |
Fanny Lee Blues |
Down on the Levee |
| Wesley Wallace |
No. 29 |
Down on the Levee |
| Speckled Red |
Early In The Morning |
Speckled Red 1929-1938 |
| Speckled Red |
Wilkins Street Stomp |
Mama Don't Allow No Easy Riders |
| Sparks Brothers |
Down On The Levee |
Down on the Levee |
| Sparks Brothers |
East Chicago Blues |
Twenty First. St. Stomp |
| Aaron Sparks |
Tell Her About Me |
Down On The Levee |
| Lee Green |
Death Bell Blues |
The Way I Feel |
| Lee Green |
Memphis Fives |
The Way I Feel |
| Roosevelt Sykes |
44 Blues |
The Way I Feel |
| Roosevelt Sykes |
All My Money Gone |
The Way I Feel |
| Roosevelt Sykes |
Devil's Island Gin Blues |
Roosevelt Sykes Vol. 3 1931-1933 |
| Eddie Miller |
Freight Train Blues |
Twenty First. St. Stomp |
| Specks Pertum |
Harvest Moon Blues |
Twenty First. St. Stomp |
| Jabo Williams |
Fat Mama Blues |
Juke Joint Saturday Night |
| Jabo Williams |
Pratt City Blues |
Juke Joint Saturday Night |
| Peetie Wheatstraw |
Ice And Snow Blues |
Twenty First. St. Stomp |
| Peetie Wheatstraw |
Six Weeks Old Blues |
Peetie Wheatstraw Vol. 1930-1932 |
Show Notes:
St. Louis was an early center for ragtime around the turn of the century. With its ragtime background St. Louis was a Mecca for blues pianists like Speckled Red and Henry Brown, Sylvester Palmer, Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw, Barrelhouse Buck McFarland and Wesley Wallace among others. According to Peter J. Silvester, who wrote A Left Hand Like God: A History of Boogie-Woogie: “The St. Louis style of
boogie-woogie s generally economical in its treble phrasing and is played with sparse chorded basses, two distinct features which can be heard in the work of Walter Davis, James “Stump” Johnson, Henry Brown and others.” Many of the St. Louis pianists came from elsewhere and eventually wound up playing piano in the brothels and gambling joints on Morgan Street. Known as “Deep Morgan” it was a rough place populated by gamblers, pimps, prostitutes and bootleggers.
Henry Brown learned to play the piano from the “professors” of the notorious Deep Morgan section of St. Louis. One of them went by the name of “Blackmouth,” another was named Joe (or Tom) Cross. As Brown remembered him, “he was a real old time blues player and he’d stomp ‘em down to the bricks.” “Deep Morgan Blues” was one of his signature pieces. Brown worked clubs such as the Blue Flame Club, the 9-0-5 Club, Jim’s Place and Katy Red’s, from the twenties into the 30’s. He recorded for Brunswick with Ike Rogers and Mary Johnson in 1929, for Paramount in ‘29 and ‘30. He served in the army in the early 40’s, then formed his own quartet to work occasional local gigs in St. Louis area from the 50’s, and worked the
Becky Thatcher riverboat in 1965. In addition to his pre-war recordings, he was recorded by Paul Oliver in 1960, by Sam Charters with Edith Johnson in 1961 and by Adelphi in 1969.
Stump Johnson told Paul Oliver in 1960: “I had learned to play the blues by just hangin’ roun’ the pool room where they have an ole piano, just pickin’ it up for myself.” Arthur Satherly, a talent scout for QRS, discovered Stump playing at his brother Jesse’s music store on Market St. In 1929. “The Duck’s Yas Yas” on QRS became a hit, James recorded three more versions of it, and it was covered in ‘29 by Tampa Red, and several others. His last pre-war recordings were made in Chicago in 1933 for Bluebird, in the company of Dorathea Trowbridge, J.D. Short and Aaron Sparks.
Singer/pianist Walter Davis was among the most prolific blues performers to emerge from the pre-war St. Louis scene, cutting over 150 sides between 1930 and 1952. Davis hit big right out of the gate as he related to Paul Oliver: “My first recording was “M and O Blues” and “My Baby’s Gone” and a few months later why it came out and it was a success, it was a great hit. I had my picture put in the Chicago Defender, The Pittsburgh Courier and other local papers and naturally I became pretty famous.” He first attracted attention upon relocating to St. Louis during the mid-1920s, and soon made the first of his many recordings for the Victor label. Despite its abundance, his work - much of it recorded in conjunction with guitarist Henry Townsend - was solid but unspectacular, eclipsed by the likes of associates including Roosevelt Sykes and Peetie Wheatstraw; still, he enjoyed a fair amount of success before a stroke prompted him to move from music to the ministry during the early 1950’s. Davis was still preaching at the time of his death on October 22, 1963.
Aaron and Marion (he changed his name to Milton in 1929) were twins born to Ruth and Sullie Gant in Tupelo, Mississippi. The brothers cut four sessions, the first for Victor and the other three for Bluebird, between 1932 and 1935. Milton cut two songs for Decca in 1934 under the name Flyin’ Lindberg. Aaron backed a number of St. Louis artists at their second session: Elisabeth Washington, Tecumseh McDowell, Dorotha Trowbridge, James “Stump” Johnson and Charlie McFadden. They were the first to record versions of “Everyday I Have The Blues” and “61 Highway.”
Pianist Speckled Red (born Rufus Perryman) was born in Monroe, LA, but he made his reputation as part of the St. Louis and Memphis blues scenes of the ’20s and ’30s. In 1929, he cut his first recording sessions. One song from these sessions, “The Dirty Dozens,” was released on Brunswick and became a hit. After Red’s second set of sessions failed to sell, the pianist spent the next few years without a contract — he simply played local Memphis clubs. In 1938, he cut a few sides for Bluebird. In the early ’40s, Red moved to St. Louis, where he played local clubs and bars for the next decade and a half. In 1954, he was rediscovered by a number of blues aficionados and record label owners. By 1956, he had recorded several songs for the Tone record label and began a tour of America and Europe. In 1956-57 recorded for Delmark and in 1960 made some recordings for Folkways. By this time, Red’s increasing age was causing him to cut back the number of concerts he gave. For the rest of the ’60s, he only performed occasionally. He died in 1973.
Nicknamed “Porkchop”, Green was one of the finest St. Louis stylists, and the admitted greatest single influence on Roosevelt Sykes. “Train No. 44″ recorded with Sykes was a personal variant of the “Vicksburg Blues” theme, Green’s version of “44 Blues” earned him Little Brother Montgomery’s undying bitterness for recording it first. Brother, who helped develop the theme and taught it to Green, speaks of him as “that tailor” (Green’s profession in Vicksburg) rather than as a musician.”
Sykes began playing while growing up in Helena. At age 15, he hit the road, developing his rowdy barrelhouse style around the blues-fertile St. Louis area. Sykes began recording in 1929 for OKeh and was signed to four different labels the next year under four different names (he was variously billed as Dobby Bragg, Willie Kelly, and Easy Papa Johnson)! Sykes joined Decca Records in 1935, where his popularity blossomed.
 |
| Paramount Reissue Program 1946 |
In 1929, Peetie Wheatstraw arrived in East St. Louis. Wheatstraw soon became a popular performer in East St. Louis and his fame quickly spread to Chicago. Wheatstraw began his recording career singing vocal duets with the unknown “Neckbones” (possibly J.D. Short) for ARC on September 13, 1930 and continued recording on his own into the early part of 1931. After an isolated session for Bluebird in September 1931, Wheatstraw returned to ARC, and then moved to Decca in 1934, where the bulk of his best recordings were made. Wheatstraw recorded in every year of the 1930s save 1933, ultimately producing 175 sides in all. He also backed Kokomo Arnold, Bumble Bee Slim and others. He died just short of his 39th birthday in 1941 after a train struck his car. If not for having the good fortune of being “rediscovered” in the late 50’s and subsequently making a few comeback recordings, Barrelhouse Buck McFarland would be just a brief footnote in the vast catalogue of pre-war blues artists. McFarland cut his final session for Smithsonian Folkways and an unissued session that was issued a few years back on Delmark. He died shortly afterwards. McFarland was born in Alton, Illinois in 1903 in the same area as two other exceptional piano players, Wesley Wallace and Jabbo Williams, all three of which made names for themselves on the bustling St. Louis blues scene. McFarland got his shot in the recording studio waxing ten sides; two for Paramount in 1929, two for Decca in 1934 and four more for Decca in 1935, which were not issued.
If not for having the good fortune of being “rediscovered” in the late 50’s and subsequently making a few comeback recordings, Barrelhouse Buck McFarland would be just a brief footnote in the vast catalogue of pre-war blues artists. McFarland cut his final session for Smithsonian Folkways and an unissued session that was issued a few years back on Delmark. He died shortly afterwards. McFarland was born in Alton, Illinois in 1903 in the same area as two other exceptional piano players, Wesley Wallace and Jabbo Williams, all three of which made names for themselves on the bustling St. Louis blues scene. McFarland got his shot in the recording studio waxing ten sides; two for Paramount in 1929, two for Decca in 1934 and four more for Decca in 1935, which were not issued.
James “Bat The Humming-Bird” Robinson moved to Memphis where he was raised, learned piano and drums from his father as a youth, moved to Chicago about 1922, frequently worked with Bertha “Chippie” Hill, Eppie Moan, Elzadie Robinson and others in local club dates. He worked with Louis Armstrong, moving to St. Louis about 1930. He recorded for the Champion label in 1931. He cut a couple of sides before he passed in 1957.
Joe Dean was one of the few artists actually born in St. Louis, born in the city April 25, 1908. He recorded one 78 for Vocalion, “I’m So Glad I’m Twenty-One Years Old Today” b/w “Mexico Bound Blues”, in 1930. He remained musically active on a part-time basis into the 1960’s. He eventually became the Rev. Joe Dean and died on June 24 1981. He was interviewed by Mike Rowe for Blues Unlimited magazine.
Sylvester Palmer was, according to Don Kent, “One of the most eccentric of all St. Louis pianists before his untimely death. He is one of the few pianists whose left-hand work can be directly attributed to the influence of Wesley Wallace…The fluidity of his irregular timing is quite amazing.” (1) On Document 529 it is suggested that Palmer may have been a pseudonym for Wallace himself. He cut 4 sides for Columbia in 1929. Wesley Wallace cut one 78 for Paramount in 1929 and backed St. Louis singer Bessie Mae Smith on record.
Jabo Williams hailed from Birmingham, Al here he was likely discovered by Paramount in 1932. He also spent time in St. Louis. He cut 8 sides during the depths of the depression all of which are exceedingly rare. Little is known about his background.
Eddie Miller cut 5 songs for Brunswick and ARC between 1929 and 1936. He also backed a number of artists including Ma Rainey, Charlie McFadden, Merline Johnson among others.