Showing posts with label Henry Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Henry Brown. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Henry Brown - Henry Brown Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:14
Size: 124.2 MB
Styles: Acoustic blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:32] 1. Henry Brown Blues
[6:08] 2. Got It & Cain't Quit It
[2:28] 3. Bottled In Bond
[5:44] 4. Blues For Charlie O'Brien
[3:54] 5. Deep Morgan Is Delmar Now
[2:51] 6. Henry Brown Boogie
[2:57] 7. O'fallon Blues
[5:29] 8. My Blues Is In The Bottle
[2:45] 9. Papa Slick Head
[4:12] 10. Handyman Blues
[4:25] 11. Scufflin' Boogie
[8:44] 12. Henry Brown's Talking Blues

Originally recorded by Paul Oliver in 1960 and issued on the 77 Label and reissued on Southland. The last track, not on the LP, is nearly nine minutes of Brown's off-the-cuff reminiscing on the St. Louis scene of his youth underpinned by some superb playing. Notes are identical to the LP with an additional photo of Brown playing at Pinkey Boxx's Beauty Parlor in St. Louis. ~Jeff H.

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 and cut ten sides for Paramount in '29 under his own name with various accompanists. 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 an cut a few tracks for 1965 for Storyville and Adelphi in 1969.

Henry Brown Blues mc
Henry Brown Blues zippy

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Various - Biddle Street Barrelhousin'

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 2000
Styles: Blues
Time: 73:07
Size: 169,3 MB
Covers: Full

(2:30) 1. Speckled Red - Oh, Red!
(4:47) 2. Speckled Red - Dad's Piece
(3:24) 3. Speckled Red - Goin' Down Slow
(4:14) 4. Henry Brown - 21st Street Stomp
(5:01) 5. James Crutchfield - Levee Blues
(4:26) 6. James Crutchfield - Blow North Wind
(4:32) 7. James Crutchfield - How Long Blues
(4:11) 8. Speckled Red - Mike Cow Blues
(4:07) 9. Speckled Red - Black Gal
(4:54) 10. James Crutchfield - Black Gal
(4:21) 11. James Crutchfield - Ora-Nelle Blues
(4:58) 12. James Crutchfield - Pearly May Blues
(1:47) 13. James Stomp Johnson - Snitcher's Blues
(2:30) 14. James Stomp Johnson - Blues For Lindy
(4:01) 15. Lawrence Henry - St. Louis Blues
(2:35) 16. Lawrence Henry - Memphis Blues
(3:57) 17. Henry Brown - Goin' Down to Becky Thatcher
(3:00) 18. Speckled Red - All on Account of You
(3:43) 19. Speckled Red - Wilkins Street Stomp

The majority of these recordings from St. Louis-based blues pianists have never been issued. They represent a fading slice of American music that was barely documented, so this is more of an historical issue. Speckled Red, Henry Brown, James Crutchfield, James "Stump" Johnson, and Lawrence Henry are the participants, and each has his own style. Speckled Red gets the most play on seven of the 19 tracks, bookending and appearing in the middle of the program. Red is perhaps the most talented of the lot, but also is clearly undisciplined. He's sloppy and rushed, tossing extra measures on "Oh Red"; he also talks about a man in Detroit who taught him "Dad's Blues," echoes a Roosevelt Sykes vocal style during "Goin' Down Slow," gets raspy on "Milk Cow Blues," is gruffly outrageous on "Black Gal," goes wack on "All on Account of You," and is more controlled for the boogie instrumental "Wilkins Street Stomp." Crutchfield is the star of this set, with six tracks. He uses a slow tempo with frantic improv and serene, soulful singing on "Levee Blues," scats lightly in bebop fashion with a drummer on brushes for "Blow North Wind," does a classic take of the classic "How Long Blues," and sings "that's alright, I'm wondering who's lovin' my baby tonight" during "Ora-Nellie Blues." Crutchfield is a softie at heart, represented on the tender and delicate "Black Gal," and can be deliberate with intense chords for the slow, carefree, dee-dee-dee vocalized "Pearly Mae Blues." Brown gets two shots: the straight 12-bar, half-instrumental/half-talking "21st Street Stomp," and the talkin' trash boogie blues "Goin' Down to Becky Thatcher." Brown does the classics "St. Louis" and "Memphis Blues" -- the former a rousing barrelhouse take with original lyrics about his women and the Red Sox and Cardinals baseball teams, and the latter a ragtime blues with chiming chords. "Stump" is the anomalous key here, one who never really wanted to record. He does a short instrumental titled "Snitcher's Blues" (would have loved to hear a lyric on this one) and a patient "Blues for Lindy." The recording quality is acceptable, not great, and the information about recording dates and back-up musicians is nonexistent; regardless, this is a potent reminder that this tradition has roots other than New Orleans, Chicago, or in the deep South. St. Louis was a hotbed, and here's the proof. -- Allmusic.

Biddle Street Barrelhousin'