Tommy McClennan

Written by Greg Johnson Tuesday, 30 June 2009 20:49

By: Greg Johnson

Article Reprint from the April 1999 BluesNotes

    During the first half of this century, there are perhaps no location that produced more Country Blues Artists than the Mississippi Delta. Historians can argue over the true birthplace of the Blues, whether it may be the Delta, the Piedmont or Texas, but for the sheer numbers of outstanding performers, there is no comparison. The Delta has produced so many very distinguishable voices, especially in the earlier years. Among those voices are the truly frightening Howlin' Wolf and the gravelly Charley Patton (which became even more so after a botched murder attempt left him with a slit throat). Equally powerful and just as possessing was the whisky-charcoaled singing of Tommy McClennan, whose urgent and rough sound was able to hide the fact that he was not a very accomplished guitarist. Though little information was believed to exist as late as the early 1960s, McClennan was a contemporary of Big Bill Broonzy and Honeyboy Edwards, and was remembered vividly by each in their respective biographies. He was also perhaps the last of the great country performers to record for Lester Melrose and the Bluebird label.

    Tommy McClennan was born on the J.E. Sligh Farm near Yazoo City, Mississippi, on April 8, 1908. While growing up, he taught himself to play guitar influenced by Delta masters Rubin Lacy, Charley Patton, Ishman Bracey and Tommy Johnson. At a young age he began to play on the streets of Greenwood, Miss. for nickels and dimes, while working the cotton fields during the day. Later he worked in juke joints and for dance parties, playing both the guitar and the piano (an instrument that Honeyboy Edwards claims he only knew three or so numbers on, and those not too well). It was during this time that the young Honeyboy was first learning the guitar, and he began to follow McClennan and his running-partner Robert Petway every chance he could.

    McClennan was a small man, standing just 4 feet 10 and weighing somewhere around 133 pounds; a size that definitely belied the powerful voice he possessed. Petway was approximately the same size, and Honeyboy Edwards claimed that when they were together, it appeared as if two midgets were walking down the street. Honeyboy also states that Tommy was unable to find a hat that would fit him due to his size; most of which hung down over his ears. McClennan was married to a woman by the name of Ophelia and they had two children, Bubba and Carrie Mae. Throughout his life, he was also a sickly man, who may have suffered from tuberculosis, and he was definitely plagued by chronic alcoholism.

    In 1938, Lester Melrose of Bluebird Records in Chicago, working on a tip from Big Bill Broonzy, went to the Delta in search of Tommy McClennan. Despite Broonzy's warnings about plantation owners and Northerners who appeared to be seeking new employees from the fields for their factories in the big cities, Melrose made the trip on his own. When he began to ask of McClennan's whereabouts, he was run off the plantation sans his automobile. Eventually he did locate McClennan, and in 1939 they laid down the tracks of Tommy's first recording session in Chicago on November 22nd.

    This session would prove to be McClennan's most important, solely due to the inclusion of his signature piece, "Bottle It Up And Go". Though the song was most likely a common theme throughout the South before this session, it made quite a commotion among the African-American audiences of the North with its inclusion of the term "nigger". Big Bill Broonzy had attempted to heed McClennan to avoid using the word, warning him about the attitudes of the North and what was deemed acceptable. However, Tommy refused to abide the warning, declaring he would record and sing the song his own way. In one fabled story, Broonzy recalled attending a party with McClennan. The place had reached a jovial pace when Tommy decided to sing "Bottle It Up And Go". Upon hearing the lyrics, the crowd became irate and reportedly threw McClennan and Broonzy out a window. Luckily for them, they were on the first floor.

    There would be four more sessions with Bluebird over the next two years. Tommy found a great deal of success with jukeboxes in the South, scoring hits with "Cotton Patch Blues", "Cross Cut Saw Blues", "Whisky Head Woman" and "Deep Sea Blues" (a reworking of his friend Robert Petway's acclaimed "Catfish Blues"). But, musical tastes began to change and the advent of the second World War brought about restrictions on the materials used to make records. After recording 41 sides of his own, McClennan's final recording was on Petway's "Boogie Woogie Woman" on February 20, 1942. At this point, Melrose had decided to release McClennan from his services, citing his unreliability and alcoholism. McClennan seemed to disappear from the public's attention soon afterwards, with an occasional club performance here and there in Chicago. Petway's career had also reached its zenith, after only 14 recorded sides for Bluebird (but unlike McClennan, this was due more to the change in record buyers' musical tastes).

    Honeyboy Edwards would later recall in his biography running into McClennan again, in 1962. Destitute and living in a truck trailer he had converted into a makeshift house, Edwards attempted to bring McClennan back to the stage. His unskilled guitar playing was now clearly absent, but his mighty vocals remained. And McClennan's constant desire for alcohol had not diminished either; a fact that rekindled the word of his unreliability and ultimately brought forth an end to this second opportunity at fame. Edwards returned him to his life in the slums, and shortly afterwards, McClennan took sick and was hospitalized. Unable to speak at all, McClennan died there, alone and penniless in 1962.

    In retrospect McClennan's music can now be considered as some of the most compelling and important of its period, alongside the recognized legends, Son House, Robert Johnson, and Charley Patton. His classic "Bottle It Up And Go" also remains one of the true classics of Country Blues, covered many times by numerous artists. His recordings of "Cross Cut Saw Blues" proved to be an influential number for the West Memphis guitar legend Albert King, as did his "New Highway 51" for a young folk musician named Bob Dylan. All 42 recordings, including Petway's "Boogie Woogie Woman", have been remastered and are available on the excellent RCA release, "The Bluebird Recordings 1939 -1942".

Related Links:

• Tommy McClennan at the All Music Guide

• Find Tommy McClennan recordings at CD-DB

• Dogpile Mega-search for Tommy McClennan

Champion Jack Dupree

Written by Greg Johnson Tuesday, 30 June 2009 20:49

By: Greg Johnson

Article Reprint from the May 1999 BluesNotes

    When it comes to piano players, it is really hard to compare any city with New Orleans for the sheer number and talent that it has produced. During the first part of the 20th century, these musicians ruled supreme in the sporting houses of Storyville, the city's notorious and dangerous red light district. Players like Tony Jackson ("Pretty Baby") and Jelly Roll Morton ("Winin' Boy") were the local all-stars and forefathers of a long and distinguished line of pianists. They were followed by Kid Stormy Weather, Sullivan Rock, Tuts Washington, Professor Longhair, Robert Bertrand, James Booker and far too many more to mention. Perhaps one of the greatest of all the city's favorite ivory ticklers, was the incomparable Champion Jack Dupree, although he really didn't spend much of his life in the Crescent City. Seeking an escape from a racist society, Dupree left New Orleans, first to the cities of the North and then abroad to Europe, only to return to his hometown in the twilight of his life to much fanfare and acceptance.

    William Thomas Dupree was born on July 4, 1910 in New Orleans. While still an infant, his parents were killed in a house fire that had been set by the Ku Klux Klan and Dupree was sent to the city's Colored Waifs Home for Boys, the same orphanage where a young Louis Armstrong had also been raised. He left the orphanage at the age of 14 and quickly learned the ways of the street, subsidizing his living by gambling and hustling. He was also introduced to boxing during this time in a gym located on Rampart Street. But, it was at the boys house that Dupree was first exposed to the piano by an Italian priest. He expanded his learning on the instrument under the tutelage of boogie pianist Drive 'Em Down (Willie Hall) in the speakeasies and brothels. He met another young pianist during this period by the name of Roy Byrd (later known as Professor Longhair) with whom he made an agreement to teach him how to sing in exchange for further lessons on the piano.

    Although he kept several ties with New Orleans, racial tensions found Dupree moving North permanently around 1930, settling in a number of different cities over the years: Detroit, Indianapolis and Chicago. While in Detroit, he was introduced to boxing legend Joe Louis, who rekindled the young man's interest in the sport and helped Dupree work his way into the ring. During his time as a boxer, Dupree fought in 107 bouts and even won the lightweight championship in Indiana. It also earned him the nickname of Champion Jack in the process.

    By 1940, he had enough of boxing and turned back to the piano. He had been supplementing his income all along by playing part-time and his talent had earned him a reputation as a boogie master in the Midwest. Dupree had also attracted the attention of the renowned Blues producer, Lester Melrose, and began to record for the Okeh label. But, in 1942, Dupree was drafted into the service and was sent to the Pacific front where he worked as a cook in the Navy. He was eventually captured by the Japanese and spent two years as a prisoner of war.

    After the war, he moved to New York, where he once again sought a career as a musician. He found a great deal of luck there, recording for no less than 21 different labels that included, Savoy, King and Atlantic. Much like guitarist John Lee Hooker, Dupree did not care so much for contractual obligations and recorded under a number of different monikers. Among these aliases were Meat Head Johnson, Lightnin' Jr. and Brother Blues.  He even scored a hit in 1955 on a duet he made with Teddy McRae called "Walking The Blues" that spent 11 weeks on the R&B charts (his only entry onto the charts during his career). Another performer that he often found himself accompanying during this period was guitarist Brownie McGhee. In 1958, he recorded what is considered by many to be his masterpiece, "Blues From The Gutter". This album recanted tales of prostitution, drug use and the shadier side of life altogether and included classics like "T.B. Blues" and "Junker's Blues" (the latter a common theme covered by many pianists, most notably Professor Longhair, retitled as "Tipitina", Fats Domino's first hit, "The Fat Man", and even Lloyd Price's, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy").

    Still, it seemed that Dupree could not escape from the prejudice and racism anywhere he settled in the United States. Finally in late 1958, he decided to move to Europe. Over the next 32 years, he lived in a number of locales in Switzerland, France, England, Denmark and Germany. He also recorded a multitude of wonderful albums during this time for a long list of European labels. Among these is the outstanding live recording, "Blues at Montreaux" on Atco that also featured sax great, King Curtis.

    In 1990, Champion Jack Dupree was talked into returning to the United States and his hometown to make an appearance at the famed New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It was his first visit to the city since 1954 and he was simply the sensation of the event. He agreed to stay long enough to record the critically acclaimed album, "Back Home In New Orleans", backed by an all-star lineup of Crescent City greats and produced by Ron Levy. The recording showed to an American audience that even at the age of 79, Dupree still had the powerful vocals and stunning barrelhouse piano talent that so many had forgotten over the years. Dupree made an encore performance at JazzFest in 1991 and also played the Chicago Blues Festival that same year. He returned to the Studio one more time, where he laid down the tracks for what eventually became his final releases, "Forever & Ever"and "One Last Time".

    Champion Jack returned to his home in Hanover, Germany, where he died from complications of cancer on January 21, 1992. As one of the most prolific recording Bluesmen of all time, he left a large catalog of material. Champion Jack Dupree was posthumously honored by the Blues Foundation, receiving election into their Hall of Fame, along with "Blues From The Gutter" being selected as an entry as a "Classic of Blues" recording (Albums).

    Dupree was a fun-loving man despite the themes of his music and was known to occasionally get up and dance while introducing his numbers. He found success in a multitude of professions throughout his life: musician, boxer, cook and even as a painter towards the end.  Champion Jack Dupree was certainly a renaissance man for the ages.

Related Links:

• Champion Jack Dupree at the All Music Guide

• Find Champion Jack Dupree recordings at CD-DB

• Dogpile Mega-search for Champion Jack Dupree

 

Booker T. Laury

Written by Greg Johnson Tuesday, 30 June 2009 20:49

By: Greg Johnson

Article Reprint from the June 1999 BluesNotes

    Memphis, Tennessee was a cultural hotbed for African Americans seeking a new life away from the tedious work of sharecropping in the Delta during the first half of the twentieth century. As a major river port, Memphis grew from the marketing of cotton and, located midpoint between New Orleans and Chicago, became a prime stop for riverboats and the railroad. At the center of it all was Beale Street; a collection of stores, cafes, pawnshops and nightclubs that made it the Mecca of the Mid-South for the Black population. The attraction of Beale Street brought in families for special all-day outings and those seeking the good-times with its night life with gambling dens, sporting houses and music halls. On the downside, it also drew its share of undesirables: pickpockets, prostitutes and roughnecks. At one point, Memphis even had the nefarious moniker of the nation's murder capitol. But, this influx of wealth also brought in entertainers who filled the theaters, street corners and juke joints, hoping to gain their share of the easy-flowing money, while at the same time helping to develop Memphis into a musical center rarely equaled anywhere.

    It was into this booming urban center that Lawrence "Booker T" Laury was born on September 2, 1914. A lifelong friend of fellow Memphian, Peter Chatman, better known as Memphis Slim, the two grew up only blocks from one another. Laury would even at times claim the two were actually cousins. He was first introduced to keyboards at the age of six, stating that he began by assisting his mother playing the family's pump-organ. As Laury and Chatman grew older, the two developed their barrelhouse style with strong influences coming from the music of pianists, Sunnyland Slim, Speckled Red and Roosevelt Sykes, who passed through Memphis regularly. And, along with the younger Mose Vinson, these teenaged pianists began to hold their ground playing the clubs and card rooms of the city in the early 1930s with their hard-pounding boogies.

    Having an enormous hand-width, capable of stretching across ten keys with his right alone, Laury was a natural for piano playing. It is an even more amazing feat that he retained this dexterity behind the keyboards after an accident with a machine saw resulted in the loss of one finger on his left hand in the early 1950s.

    In 1935, while making one of his routine stops in the Bluff City, Roosevelt Sykes encountered Laury and Chatman. Impressed by their talent, he suggested that they travel to Chicago, where they may draw the attention of talent scouts and possibly attain a recording contract. Memphis Slim took this advice and moved North where he became one of the most-widely acclaimed pianists of his time. But, Laury remained behind and continued to play the gambling houses that he was familiar with instead. In later years as Beale Street began to deteriorate, Laury found work traveling throughout Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri playing in smaller venues.

    The friendship between Laury and Chatman did not fade despite their separation. As Memphis Slim's popularity grew and he began to perform throughout Europe and Africa, he brought his childhood mate along with him. This would be a continued event, even after Chatman had moved permanently to Paris, until his death in 1988.

    Booker T. Laury had never recorded an album of his own material until he was nearly 80 years old. Although he had made appearances on various collections of Blues artists and on an early recording of Memphis Slim's, "Nothing But The Blues" (Bullseye Blues) released in 1993, it would be his first and only release. Though the album clearly shows that Laury was not Chatman's equal in talents, it does offer the opportunity to hear the vigorous energy and raucous vocals still intact at his advanced age. The recording also allowed Laury to reminisce about his early years in Memphis, including a story of how he earned the moniker "Slop Jar" (A slop jar was used by musicians to relieve themselves without taking themselves away from the stage during their performances. He had apparently been struck by a jealous girlfriend with such a jar in the back of the head as another woman flirted with him while he played). All songs were originals by Laury and further added to the regret that such a fine artist had not been laid on tape earlier.

    Laury did find his moment of fame, though briefly, in a highly unlikely situation. In a cameo scene from the 1989 Dennis Quaid movie based on the life of Jerry Lee Lewis, "Great Balls Of Fire", a young Lewis, and his cousin Jimmy Swaggart, peek into a backwoods juke joint to witness a frenetic Laury work the keyboard. As he drove through the song, "Big Leg Woman", Laury mesmerized the young Lewis on-screen, and the theater audiences as well, with his unfaltering skills. And, it was through this attention that helped bring Laury his chance to record just a few years later.

    Under-recorded and sadly very much overlooked, Booker T. Laury passed away from the effects of cancer on September 23, 1995, in his hometown of Memphis. During his lifetime, Laury witnessed the transformation of Beale Street, changes that seemingly reflected his own career. From the splendor of youth, to abandonment when its time appeared to have passed and finally, resurrection in later years, both seemed to parallel one another closely. Unfortunately, Laury would never reap the glory from his only recording. With the exception of Mose Vinson, the great Memphis piano players are no longer with us. But, Booker T. Laury, Memphis Slim and Vinson have left a legacy that will forever be carried on by an endless number of performers influenced by their creativity.

Related Links:

• Booker T. Laury at the All Music Guide

• Find Booker T. Laury recordings at CD-DB

• Dogpile Mega-search for Booker T. Laury

Albert King

Written by Greg Johnson Tuesday, 30 June 2009 20:48

By: Greg Johnson

Article Reprint from the September 1999 BluesNotes

    If the annals are ever logged as to who the most influential guitar greats of all time were, then there would be no question regarding the inclusion of the three "Kings" of the Blues: B.B., Freddie and Albert. There is little doubt of the impact that each of these artists brought to the future sounds of Blues, Soul and Rock 'n' Roll. Albert King was a master of the single-string attack and was intrigued by Blues performers that he heard while growing up outside of Memphis. In turn, he influenced a new generation of guitar players that would include the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

    Albert King was born Albert Nelson, on April 25, 1923, in Indianola, Mississippi. This was the same location known as the birthplace of his namesake Riley (B.B.) King, and though the two were not related, Albert would sometimes claim that B.B. was his half-brother. One of 13 children, King grew up learning the life of picking cotton on the plantations near Osceola, Arkansas, where the family moved to in 1931. His first introduction to music would be singing in church and listening to his father, Will Nelson, play guitar. Another early influence came from the family's records where a young Albert would spend hours attempting to copy the sounds of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson on his homemade cigar box guitars and diddley-bows. King obtained his first real guitar in 1942. He was fascinated by the playing of the Blues musicians that frequented nearby West Memphis, Arkansas, most notably the works of Robert Nighthawk and Elmore James, and Albert decided that playing this style of music would be his desired calling.

    King was a large man, standing 6-foot-4-inches and weighing well over 250 pounds. A natural left-hander, King taught himself to play the guitar upside-down while keeping the strings strung for a right-handed player and playing with his thumb as opposed to a pick. He was a moody man and known to carry a .45 in the band of his pants. He also disliked performing live with musicians he felt were his superiors, wanting the sole command of the stage just for himself.

    During his early performing career, King worked in construction driving a bulldozer to make ends meet and made several moves to cities seeking his fortune as a musician. In the late 1940s, he first tried St. Louis and then moved to Gary, Indiana, where he had the opportunity to play alongside well-known guitarists Jimmy Reed and John Brim. Next, he spent a short period living in Chicago, where he cut his first recordings on the Parrot label. Released in 1953, the single "Bad Luck Blues" b/w "Be On Your Merry Way" found moderate regional success, but King saw little return in his pocket and he decided to move back to St. Louis in 1956.

    St. Louis had a thriving Blues scene during Albert's stay in the city. Recording for the Bobbin and King labels, he competed with the popularity of Ike Turner and Little Milton Campbell. It was also here in St. Louis that Albert took to using a Gibson Flying V model guitar which would become his lifelong trademark instrument and he would name "Lucy". In 1961, Albert released the single "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" finding national recognition as the number climbed to #14 on the R&B charts. After that, he appeared on the Coun-Tree label, owned by Jazz singer Leo Gooden, and his reputation continued to grow throughout Missouri and Chicago. But, Gooden was jealous of the attention that King was receiving, and dropped him from the label.

    King moved closer to home in 1966, arriving in Memphis and signing with the upstart Soul label, Stax. While recording for Stax, he was backed by the label's house band, Booker T & The MGs. A handful of successful singles emerged almost immediately for King, beginning with "Laundromat Blues" in 1966; and followed by an updated cover of Tommy McClennan's "Crosscut Saw" and "Born Under A Bad Sign", both released in 1967. A collection of these singles were compiled onto an LP in 1967, and it proved to be one of the most pivotal recordings in Blues history. Titled, "Born Under A Bad Sign", it brought attention to the 43-year-old King, taking him from the dark, smokey juke joints and clubs of the Mid-South to the larger Rock 'n' Roll venues around the world. A strong recording, the album also included numbers such as "As The Years Go Passing By" and "The Hunter", which would prove to be staples for Blues and Rock guitarists for years to come (Eric Clapton has admitted that the riff for "Layla" was a direct lift from "As The Years Go Passing By"). Perhaps more importantly, the album caught the attention of the white Rock 'n' Roll audiences and pointed them directly down the path of the Blues.

    On February 1, 1968, Albert King shared a bill that included John Mayall and Jimi Hendrix for opening night at a new venue in San Francisco called The Fillmore Auditorium. This popular music hall would become a second home for King, and later that same year he returned to record a live album "Live Wire / Blues Power" became one of the best-selling Live Blue! recordings ever and helped establish King's career further. Two other albums were released in the early 1990s that were taped during these same performances ("Wednesday Night In San Francisco: Recorded Live At The Fillmore Auditorium" and "Thursday Night In San Francisco..."  Though weaker than the original both serve as true testaments to the talents of Albert King's guitar.

    King continued to record with Stax, until the demise of the label in the mid-1970s. The output of this period included some strange mixtures for a Blues musician. In 1969, Albert became the first Blues performer to perform with a symphony orchestra in a concert that teamed him with the St. Louis Symphony. He recorded the album "Lovejoy "at Muscle Shoals with white Southern rockers and even released a tribute album to Elvis Presley, "Blues For Elvis: Albert King Does The King's Things". There was even an appearance on a comedy LP by Albert Brooks, "A Star Is Bought". After Stax folded, King would record for a number of labels that would include Tomato, Utopia and Fantasy, until he decided to retire in the mid-1980s. Though Albert King had given up on recording, he still managed to find time to perform. He made cameo appearances on albums by up-coming Bluesmen like Chris Cain ("Cuttin' Loose") and Gary Moore ("Still Got The Blues"). He also made frequent stops at Blues festivals around the world, continuing to influence new generations of guitarists including Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray.

    King played his final concert in Los Angeles on December 19, 1992. He died two days later at home in Memphis after suffering a sudden heart attack. After his funeral, a procession was led down Beale Street in a true New Orleans-style Jazz tradition, as the hearse bearing King's body was led by the Memphis Horns playing "When The Saints Go Marching In". King was laid to rest across the Mississippi River in the Paradise Gardens Cemetery in Edmondson, Arkansas, not far from where he spent his childhood.

    Albert King has been honored by The Blues Foundation with his induction into their Hall of Fame. Both "Born Under A Bad Sign" and "Live Wire / Blues Power" are also honored as Classics of Blues Recordings. But, the real honor for King is the love and everlasting respect that so many of his peers have given him. Stevie Ray Vaughan would call him "Daddy" and John Lee Hooker named him as one of his all-time favorite guitarists. Michael Bloomfield once said, "Albert can take four notes and write a volume. He can say more with fewer notes than anyone I've ever known."  B.B. King stated in his autobiography "He wasn't my brother in blood, but he sure was my brother in Blues."  Albert King's legend will live on.  Every time a Blues or Rock combo is on stage, in an arena or small nightclub, or just playing in their garage and grinds into "Born Under A Bad Sign" or "Crosscut Saw", his influence will be shining true.

Related Links: 

• Albert King at the All Music Guide

• Find Albert King recordings at CD-DB

• Dogpile Mega-search for Albert King