T.J. Fowler & His Band - Early Detroit R&B

Album: Early Detroit R&B
Size: 97,4 MB
Time: 41:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1989
Styles: R&B, jump blues
Art: LP front & back

1. T.J. Boogie (2:51)
2. What's The Matter Now (2:24)
3. Midnight Clipper (Pt. 1) (2:42)
4. Midnight Clipper (Pt. 2) (2:35)
5. Harmony Grits (2:40)
6. Red Hot Blues (2:28)
7. Hot Sauce (2:49)
8. Blue Lullaby (2:31)
9. Night Crawler (3:03)
10. Fowler's Boogie (2:10)
11. Back Biter (2:33)
12. Wine Cooler (2:21)
13. Camel Walk (2:24)
14. Gold Rush (2:29)
15. The Queen (2:46)
16. Tell Me What's The Matter (2:55)

Detroit pianist T.J. Fowler (that was his full name, the initials didn’t stand for anything) started his jump band in 1947. They backed Paul Williams in his early Savoy sessions, then recorded on their own account from 1948 onwards, firstly for Paradise, then for National and Sensation. In 1952-53 they recorded several sessions for Savoy, before moving to States at the end of 1953.

The music on this collection is arranged in chronological order, with the first 8 tracks being from National and Sensation sessions and the remaining tracks being from Savoy and States. The music is mostly instrumental R&B, moving from jump to early rock ‘n’ roll in some of the 1952-1953 tracks.

Early Detroit R&B mc
Early Detroit R&B zippy

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T.J. Fowler - Blues & Rhythm Series 5103: The Chronological T.J. Fowler 1948-1953

Size: 187 MB
Time: 66:37
File: FLAC
Released: 2004
Styles: Blues, R&B, Jazz
Art: Full

01. Sultry Moon (3:00)
02. Mango Blues (2:37)
03. T.J. Boogie (2:54)
04. What's The Matter Now (2:28)
05. Midnight Clipper, Pt. 1 (2:46)
06. Midnight Clipper, Pt. 2 (2:39)
07. Harmony Grits (2:43)
08. Pleas For Love (2:58)
09. Red Hot Blues (2:32)
10. Hot Sauce (2:53)
11. Blue Lullaby (2:35)
12. Yes I Know (2:16)
13. Oo-La-La (2:22)
14. Night Crawler (3:10)
15. Fowler's Boogie (2:14)
16. Back Biter (2:37)
17. Wine Cooler (2:25)
18. Got Nobody To Tell My Troubles To (2:46)
19. Little Baby Child (2:34)
20. Say Baby Say (2:15)
21. Camel Walk (Hip Hop) (2:31)
22. Gold Rush (2:34)
23. The Queen (2:49)
24. Take Off (2:50)
25. Tell Me What's The Matter (2:56)

Georgia-born and Detroit-raised pianist T.J. Fowler led a series of smart, jazzy R&B bands in Detroit during the late '40s and throughout the 1950s. This fascinating Classics chronological compilation lines up all of Fowler's first recordings as a leader. It opens with a couple of mood pieces issued on the Paradise label. While "Sultry Moon" has a wistful charm similar to Earl Bostic's ballad style, Freddie Johnson's pidgin West Indian vocal only cheapens "Mango Blues," a counterfeit Caribbean lament in rhumba time. Fowler's subsequent recordings, originally issued on the National and Sensation labels, provided the spark that ignited his career and led to his tenure with Savoy Records in 1952 and 1953. Teamed with bassist Henry Ivory and drummer Clarence Stamp behind a smoky front line of trumpeter John Lawton and saxophonists Walter Cox and Lee Gross, Fowler presented hot music for dancing and the occasional slow grind. Aside from a couple of Billy Eckstine imitations committed by an unidentified crooner, the only voices heard on the National and Sensation sides are group vocals with handclapping over jump blues based in boogie-woogie and swing. Adding singer and blues guitarist Calvin Frazier to his lineup, Fowler made his first sides for Savoy in Detroit on March 28, 1952. While the singalong rockers like "Oo-La-La" and "Yes I Know" were designed and presented as crowd-pleasers, the ominous slow groove called "Night Crawler" and the broiling "Fowler's Boogie," issued back to back as Savoy 843, stand among Fowler's most enduring achievements from this time period, along with "Back Biter," "Wine Cooler," "Gold Rush," and "Camel Walk." With gutsy solos by guitarist Calvin Frazier and saxophonist Walter Cox, this is early Detroit R&B at its fundamental best. This portion of the T.J. Fowler story ends with three of the only recordings he ever made outside of the Motor City. Recorded in Chicago and issued on the States record label, these tracks feature the pianist in the company of trumpeter Dezie McCullers, alto saxophonist and singer Frank Taylor, home boy tenor Walter Cox, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Floyd "Bubbles" McVay, who switches to congas on the two groovin' instrumentals, "The Queen" and "Take Off." ~arwulf arwulf

The Chronological T.J. Fowler 1948-1953

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