The great blues shouter Wynonie Harris(1915-69) would have been 100 today(24/8/2015).
Here's his version of 'Bloodshot Eyes':
Here's his version of 'Bloodshot Eyes':
-
-
Whenever I see that name, I imagine a C&W singer.
That starting point of R&B - still so uplifting, to this day eh? -
The Wynonie Harris track was terrific. There is almost a parallel universe in the late 1940's when the big bands seemed to give rise to either be-bop or this kind of r n' b. It is really strange how the r n'b stuff seems to be totally overlooked and forgotten. About ten years ago I used to often buy the Proper Box sets of big bands for presents for my Dad and it was staggering just how many bands seemed to follow the r n, b format, whether it was Lionel Hampton, Lucky Millinder or even Jay McShann. Some of the music by Gene Ammons and Dizzy Gillespie also follows this format. I find it to be a bit of an anti-climax to the brilliance of many big bands in the 30's and 40's whilst recognising that the more popular "black" acts from this period knock spots of the kind of singers white audiences were checking out at the time.
A lot of the music does get a bit samey after a while but Harris is something of a mystery to me. I was originally familiar with him via the recordings he made with Lucky Millinder's big band which churned out a lot of material like this albeit rarely as good. I get a bit despondent about Millinder's recorded output because this kind of material dominates the repertoire whereas the instrumental charts they produced as generally so much better. In fact, Millinder's output was considered a poor representation of the band's live performances at the time even if the vocals by Harris and the even better Sister Rosetta Tharpe are amongst the superior efforts. Another stalwart of millinder's band was Bullmoose Jackson who also worked in the same vein and even had Tadd Dameron playing piano for him at one point. Jackson always seems to get name-checked but you rarely hear his music. Here is an example, obviously a favourite of Finbar Saunders from "Viz" comic:-
I can listen to this music and enjoy it is small doses as it is really good fun. However, whenever I hear music like this I keep thinking about the scene in "Bird" when the r n'b saxophonist throws his horn in to the river after hearing Parker perform. To my ears, someone like Jamie Cullum seems to fulfil this role in jazz at the moment. You can't really object to it yet it isn't quite good enough to rave about.Comment
-
Enjoyed Bull Moose! Another blues shouter in the Wynonie Harris mould is H-Bomb Ferguson(1929-2006):Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View PostThe Wynonie Harris track was terrific. There is almost a parallel universe in the late 1940's when the big bands seemed to give rise to either be-bop or this kind of r n' b. It is really strange how the r n'b stuff seems to be totally overlooked and forgotten. About ten years ago I used to often buy the Proper Box sets of big bands for presents for my Dad and it was staggering just how many bands seemed to follow the r n, b format, whether it was Lionel Hampton, Lucky Millinder or even Jay McShann. Some of the music by Gene Ammons and Dizzy Gillespie also follows this format. I find it to be a bit of an anti-climax to the brilliance of many big bands in the 30's and 40's whilst recognising that the more popular "black" acts from this period knock spots of the kind of singers white audiences were checking out at the time.
A lot of the music does get a bit samey after a while but Harris is something of a mystery to me. I was originally familiar with him via the recordings he made with Lucky Millinder's big band which churned out a lot of material like this albeit rarely as good. I get a bit despondent about Millinder's recorded output because this kind of material dominates the repertoire whereas the instrumental charts they produced as generally so much better. In fact, Millinder's output was considered a poor representation of the band's live performances at the time even if the vocals by Harris and the even better Sister Rosetta Tharpe are amongst the superior efforts. Another stalwart of millinder's band was Bullmoose Jackson who also worked in the same vein and even had Tadd Dameron playing piano for him at one point. Jackson always seems to get name-checked but you rarely hear his music. Here is an example, obviously a favourite of Finbar Saunders from "Viz" comic:-
I can listen to this music and enjoy it is small doses as it is really good fun. However, whenever I hear music like this I keep thinking about the scene in "Bird" when the r n'b saxophonist throws his horn in to the river after hearing Parker perform. To my ears, someone like Jamie Cullum seems to fulfil this role in jazz at the moment. You can't really object to it yet it isn't quite good enough to rave about.
Last edited by Jazzrook; 25-08-15, 09:21.Comment
-
Ace Records has recently found the original King studio tapes of Wynooooooooonie Harrez and remastered the sound as never before. I think there's an initial two volume set just out including all the takes of the Good Rocking Tonight session. "Weeeeeell I heard the news...." Or, as Jimmy Witherspoon sang it, "Everybody be jivin' even JC Heard".
BN.
One of the first EPs I bought was Wynonie's Loving Machine/Bloodshot Eyes etc. on French Vogue. Worth €13.5M euros now to a discerning collector. No scratches. Signed by Elvis.Comment
-
Can't find it on youtube but a 1949 version of Roy Brown's 'Good Rockin' Tonight'('Jump Children') by Jimmy Witherspoon with Buddy Floyd's Orchestra goes:Originally posted by BLUESNIK'S REVOX View Post
"You'll hear Dizzy Gillespie, you'll also hear the Bird
Everybody'll be swingin' even J.C. Heard
You'll hear all the cats even old Sonny Criss
If you don't come down you don't know what you'll miss."Comment
-
Why did Wutherspoon have a dig at the drummer J C Heard? He is a name who often crops up amongst some of the better jazz musicians around in the 30's / 40's and it seems a bit unfair to have single him out. Was there some kind of "in joke" associated with Heard.
Wicki link here:-
I've always thought of him alongside "Kansas" Fields insofar that he was another drummer from that era who cropped up on numerous celebrated sessions and seems similarly obscure.Comment
Comment