INSIDE: Holiday music • Jazz & Blues on DVD ... - Delmark Records

OTIS RUSH
All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live at The Wise Fools Pub, Chicago
CALL OR WRITE FOR A FREE CATALOG OF JAZZ AND BLUES: DELMARK RECORDS WWW.DELMARK.COM
When Cold Day In Hell (Delmark 638) was released in 1976 it was the first full album Otis Rush had out
in quite some time. Later that year a live show at The Wise Fools was recorded and now this CD represents
the first complete document of Otis Rush live in Chicago. Otis is in peak form on all 12 songs: All Your
Love, You’re Breaking My Heart, Please Love Me, High Society, Woke Up This Morning, Will My Woman Be
Home Tonight, Mean Old World, Gambler’s <strong>Blues</strong>, It Takes Time, Sweet Little Angel, Motoring Along, Feel So
Bad. DELMARK DE 781 (CD) --- Also available: So Many Roads, Live In Japan (Delmark 643).
ZORA YOUNG
Tore Up From The Floor Up
Of her first Delmark CD Learned My Lesson (Delmark 748) Living <strong>Blues</strong> magazine said “Her rough-edged
croon can raise welts or love bumps. She has the versatility to strut comfortably from back-alley funk to
uptown jump sophistication.” Tore Up From The Floor Up features five original compositions, some choice
covers and an interview. Guitarist Pete Allen provides most of the <strong>music</strong>al direction while The Chicago
Horns provide support on “Til The Fat Lady Sings” and “Ace Of Spades.” DELMARK DE 784 (CD)
TAIL DRAGGER
My Head Is Bald: Live at Vern’s Friendly Lounge, Chicago
FEATURING BILLY BRANCH, LURRIE BELL & JIMMY DAWKINS
A wonderfully dramatic showman Tail Dragger also possesses one of the most authentic and distinct
Chicago <strong>Blues</strong> voices ever. In 1998 his American People (Delmark 728) CD, was described as “tour de
force Chicago <strong>Blues</strong>” by Art Tipaldi in <strong>Blues</strong> Revue. Those who have seen Tail Dragger perform know that a
studio CD cannot fully capture the excitement of a live show. My Head Is Bald remedies that by presenting
a live recording done on Chicago’s west side, where Tail Dragger currently performs every Sunday. The DVD
is highly enjoyable because it takes you right there—you can follow Tail Dragger as he moves around Vern’s
interacting with the appreciative crowd. DVD is in high resolution stereo, DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround
Sound. With Bob Stroger and Kenny Smith. “One day this boy will take my place” —Howlin’ Wolf
DELMARK DE 782 (CD); DVD 1782
MISSISSIPPI HEAT
One Eye Open: Live at Rosa’s Lounge, Chicago
$14.99
$14.99
$14.99 / CD <strong>•</strong> $24.99 / DVD
FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST LURRIE BELL
As bandleader and composer, Pierre Lacocque’s vision has never wavered since he founded Mississippi
Heat in 1991. “Mississippi Heat not only breathes new life into the classic sounds of Chicago <strong>Blues</strong> but
they also uplift with joy and dedication everything they play. Pierre Lacocque is that rare younger generation
harpist who’s absorbed the lessons of subtlety, silence and solo construction from the masters.” —David
Whiteis, Chicago Reader. Mississippi Heat’s lineup for this live recording is Inetta Visor, vocals; Lurrie Bell,
vocal/guitar; Max Valldeneu, guitar; Chris “Hambone” Cameron, organ/piano; Spurling Banks, bass;
Kenny Smith, drums. DVD contains high resolution stereo, DTS & Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.
DELMARK DE 783 (CD); DVD 1783
$14.99 / CD <strong>•</strong> $24.99 / DVD
Albert Nicholas, continued
(Since the Kirby group was frequently tapped by Decca to back up artists
in their blues catalog, it's too bad we miss a chance to hear Albert behind
Roosevelt Sykes, Frankie "Half Pint" Jackson, Trixie Smith or Peetie
Wheatstraw.)
Albert was reunited with Jelly Roll Morton in 1940 for Bluebird and 1941
for General/Commodore. Old friend Sidney Bechet was on the first date.
Albert is one of the few reed players who could fit in with Bechet, whose
imaginative and overbearing, almost bullying dominance just didn't leave
much room. I believe that Jelly wrote out, certainly influenced, some or
all of Albert's solos on the 1929 Victor sessions -- removing some of
Albert's uniqueness in the process -- but Albert was less inhibited on
these later sides. He takes the first solo on clarinet over the ensemble,
followed by Bechet, with a more timid ensemble. Then Nick closes it out.
A jukebox movie appeared in 1942 by Cee Pee
Johnson (the drummer in the lindy-hop scene from
Olsen & Johnson's HELLZAPOPPIN') Which seems
to be the Luis Russell band again being fronted. Luis
is visible as is Nicholas who is heard cutting through
the ensembles,. Albert left <strong>music</strong> in late '41, after
a trio job with Zutty Singleton at the Village
Vanguard. He worked awhile as a subway guard,
then for the U.S. government in Washington, DC.
He was obviously well rested when he returned to
New York in '45. He recorded with Art Hodes and
Sidney Bechet for Blue Note. The band was rounded
out with Pops Foster,b; Danny Alvin,dms.
Nick also played a few nights with the Bunk Johnson
band, subbing for George Lewis when he had some
severe dental work done.
Rudi Blesch's book, SHINING TRUMPETS led him to start Circle
Records. For his first session he recorded, in January of '46, a trio:
Nicholas,cl; Don Ewell,p; Baby Dodds,dms. Dodds also cut his first drum
solos that January day. It's one of my favorite Nick dates.
January was a vintage month for Albert. There was also a Commodore
session led by Condon but issued under Wild Bill Davison (doubtless
because of Condon's contract with Decca). Brunis is on trombone and
Dave Tough on drums.
In Feb., 1946 Albert went to California and joined Kid Ory who had
exquisite taste in clarinetists: Omer Simeon, Barney Bigard, Darnell
Howard, Jimmie Noone, etc. but the only Ory recording with Albert was a
V-Disc session made for servicemen. Fortunately they were 12" 78's with
room to stretch out. Recorded May, 1946 with Mutt Carey,tp, etc.
Nicholas was back in New York in September of '46, at Jimmy Ryan's.
Through much of 1947, Rudi Blesh promoted, wrote and narrated a
series of radio programs, THIS IS JAZZ, which found Albert working on
the March 1, '47 program, with Mugsy Spanier,tp; George Brunies,tb;
James P. Johnson,p; Danny Barker,g; Pops Foster,b; Baby Dodds,dms.
The whole series of 13 programs was released on CD in toto by
<strong>Jazz</strong>ology Records not long ago. .
Rudi Blesch also did an album of Nicholas singing and playing four creole
songs for Circle with Jammes P.Johjnson, Danny Barker and Pops
Foster. He recorded this tune, June 12, 1947, before Bechet, who had a
European hit with it, Les Onions:
By '48 he was with the Ralph Sutton Trio which included a successful gig
at the Barrel on Delmar Blvd, in St.Louis - prob. c.50 - it was still the topic
of much discussion when I went to St.Louis in '51. (By which time Miles
Davis was at the Barrel. The Barrel and other jazz clubs in the 5600 Block
of Delmar named my label.)
I must credit John Chilton's excellent WHO'S WHO IN JAZZ for the basis
of this whole discussion. He mentions that Nick led "his own groups in
and around Los Angeles from '49 to '53".
The California jazz scene had heated up during WW2, with veterans of
the big bands settling in Los Angeles to find work in film studio bands.
This was accompanied by a tremendous population expansion due to the
defense and aero industries and black migration from Texas, Louisiana,
etc. Lu Watters had started a movement reviving the sound of the Oliver
band. It's the San Francisco band of trumpeter Bob Scobey, formerly with
the Watters band. Here they are with Jack Buck,tb; Burt Bales,p; Squire
Girsback,b; Fred Higuera,dms. and Albert.
After a six-week job in Boston with Rex Stewart, Albert moved to France,
probably influenced by Rex and Bechet (who had spent a lot of time
there) and his fond memories from his 20's tour, as evidenced in his
interview with Roger Richard.
The move to Europe was permanent except for a few brief visits back to
the states. He recorded extensively for French and Norwegian Phillips,
Danish Storyville, Polish Nigrania, and French Columbia with Andre
Reweliotty, Claude Luter, Claude Bolling, Adrian Bentzon, the Big Chief
Swing Group, as well as numerous sessions under his own name, usually
with the best French but sometimes Danish, Dutch, Polish, Swiss or
Italian <strong>music</strong>ians or American expatriates such as Kansas Fields, Joe
Turner -- Albert got around. None of these albums were issued in our
country or bulk-imorted, sad to say.
I learned that one of our regular customers at <strong>Jazz</strong>
Record Mart was Albert's brother, whom I wish I could
have talked with for this discussion. Albert told me this
motivated Nick in 1959 when fellow clarinetist and
<strong>Jazz</strong> Ltd.owner Bill Reinhardt brought him to Chicago
as a replacement while he took a vacation. I did two
albums during that time organized by Art Hodes, who,
of course had done the Blue Note date. We warmed
things up with a quartet session using Art's regular
bassist of the time, Earl Murphy, as well as <strong>Jazz</strong> Ltd's
drummer, New Orleansian Freddy Kohlman. It had
been some time since Nick had recorded with rhythm
and he met the challenge well.
We then cut another album with a full seven-piece
band. On a visit to the Red Arrow to see a Lil
Armstrong group, Nick asked us to use tubaist Mike Walbridge (later for
decades with the Salty Dogs) on this session. I wanted guitarist Marty
Grosz so that made for an unusual rhythm section sound. Nap Trottier
on cornet and Floyd O'Brien on trombone were Art's sidemen whenever
he worked a full band. Freddy Kohlman filled out the rhythm section. It
was great to hear Floyd O'Brian in person! He had played with Danny
Alvin but I arrived in Chicago too late to have heard him more than once
or twice. (Alvin passed on shortly after my arrival in '58.)
While in Chicago, Albert also did two LP's with a Doc Evans unit with
Knocky Parker for the Audiophile label. I believe some of the sides
credited to him were actually by another clarinetist temporarily in grief
with the union - or was it the other way around. Anyway, I believe it might
have been Omer Simeon.
Of course there were more tours and more recordings when Albert
returned to Europe where he eventually resided in Geneva. Here he got
married and eventually returned to Chicago in 1970.
The Albert I recorded in 1959 could be described as "grumpy" and may
explain the brevity of many of his gigs. But his new love seemed to have
brought about a wonderful mellowness. He sat in at the new <strong>Jazz</strong>,Ltd, at
Sloppy Joe's where the Salty Dogs held forth, and at Basin Street on
Rush where George Brunis had the band. George introduced Albert to
the crowd and noted that he could not play on the stand with him in New
Orleans because of the segregation laws of that time. (A respected jazz
activist had once said George was a racist, which may have been a factor
when we picked Floyd O'Brien for the Delmark album.)
While visiting other relatives in New Orleans, Albert participated in a TV
show in New Orleans w. Zutty Singleton, Danny Barker, Kid Thomas, Kid
Sheik. Albert returned to Switzerland, did a few more records and gigs
before he died there in Basle September 3, 1973.
Albert's clarinet style was not successfully copied as far as I know. I
always thought the six Bluebird sides by Three's A Crown were by him but
the discography lists Paul Ricci so I guess I better pay him more
attention. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
A.N. JAZZ INFO 9-20-40 (Herman Rosenberg & Gene Williams)
Very extensive coverage of early N.O. gigs, 1st
world tour thru Zutty gig (not long before retirement.
A.N. Storyville #57 (FEB-MAR'75), Roger Richard Talks To A.N.
and a great many other books by Leonard Feather
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