Go, the Golden Bear and the Filmore Auditorium
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abiding forms of music are finding a permanent place in albums, "Wild About My Loving" is a pop version of the ever increasing record libraries of the public. some old Jim Jackson lyrics, and their "Sporting Life" The Vanguard Recording Society, which has,ac- sounds too much like B. B. King's interpretation of Willie cording to Maynard Solomon, "run the gamut" of old Nelson's "Night Life" to be coincidental. blues artists, finds the current LP releases of Skip James On the other side of the coin, the guitar work of (20- and Mississippi John Hurt maintaining a consistent,re- year -old, white) Mike Bloomfield of the Butterfield Blues spectable level of sales for a generally longer period of Band was used to back up Eddie Vinson on a recently time than the volatile hit albums. The last recordingses- recorded album of the latter. sion of Mississippi John Hurt will be released onan LP "It seems to be a phenomenon of natural evolution," by that company in mid August and will undoubtedly draw said Bob Thiele, a&r man on BluesWay, "thatwe now additional sales of a sentimental level. get back to original blues." By the same token, ABC in organizing BluesWay John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed headlined the felt that its blues artists should not be forced to compete American Festival of Music, sponsored by the Boston as such with teen oriented recordings, more advanced Herald -Traveler on April 21, t 2 and 23.Itissignifi- jazz, novelty and other types of material. canttonotethatJohn Leehas,inthepastfew British rock groups responsible for the proliferation of months, been booked at such places as Whiskey Au Go- burgeoning American groups admit to being influenced Go,the Golden Bear andtheFilmore Auditorium. and indeed inspired by Negro blues artists. The Rolling Hooker, now well into his '50's, is reportedly better booked Stones gleaned their name from a Muddy Waterssong and and earning more money than at any point in hiscareer. are quoted as saying they go out of their way to listen to Tom Carroll and Frank Sands of SAC agree that here is him. John Coltrane was the inspiration for theByrds, con- an essentially ethnic market expanding. Old bluesmen, far sidered by many to be the inaugurators of folk-rock. from being out of the commercial picture, have recently "I love my baby by the lovin' spoonful" isa line from been further promoted by ABC's efforts toexpose and a song popularized by Mississippi John Hurt and the der- market the authentic blues via BluesWay,a new label ivation of that group's name. A band fromone of their from that company announced late in 1966. The author of some 40 blues tunes, Walker's voice is derful thing when a man brought me one. It was kind rich and strong, his fingering on guitar quick and supple, of hard getting used to because I couldn't adjustit.It his piano playing adroit. had an echo sound.. .I would hit a string and hear the Walker says his blues tunes have always been written note behind me." for his own pleasure. Yet Lou Rawls, Nancy Wilson and Walker also feels he may have pioneered in another several other singers have recorded the tune, "Stormy area. In 1933 he joined the Count Biloski Band in Fort Monday" which was Walker's first hit recording. "People Worth, Tex., and for six weeks played guitar and sang callit 'Stormy Monday' but 'Tuesday's Just as Bad' is with theall -white band. His pay was around $30 a the actual title," Walker said. week. With aficionados of vintage blues performers, Walk- His first taste of "big money" occurred around 1936 er's name rings true. He has recorded for several small or 1937, when after having moved to Los Angeles and labels during his mobile career, his most recent affilia- started working at a small club, the Little Harlem in tion being with Jet Stream in Houston. (Walker said in Watts, a patron got him a booking on the Sunset Strip. February he had a contract from ABC Records in his "I was the first man to put the blues on the Strip," suitcase and hoped to join that label.) he said. The pay was $450 a week as leader of a blues Walker's original compositions are reflections of how bandatthe Trocadero Club. On thebillwere Billy people bounce off his mind's eye. He has written "I Got Daniels and Ethel Waters. Walker sang "In the Eve- a Break Baby," "This Is a Mean Old World," "Hard, Hard ning When the Sun Goes Down," "Mean Old World," Way to Go," "I'm in Love With a Woman," "Woman "The T -Bone Blues" and "Careless Love" for the cafe You Must Be Crazy," "West Side Baby" and "Bobby society audience. "The reaction of the people to the Sox Baby." blues was just beautiful," said T -Bone. From this Strip "People in the South where I used to live, live the club, Walker joined the Les Hite band for one year as life of the lyrics," he said. "It was a big thing to play the a sideman -vocalist. His first recordings were cut in 1940 blues. If you couldn't play the blues you were nothin'. for the Black and White label and numbered some 40 Especially in alittle town like Linder, Tex., whereI sides. grew up." For five years starting in 1946 Walker barnstormed Things really haven't changed that much since Walker the South with his own nine -piece band and was in and started playing with his family's string band when he out of the band business in the succeeding years. was around six years old. "People today are still living the Although he confesses to enthusiasm for the modern life of the blues. I've seen people cry when you sing the generation, Walker doesn't feel inclined to create blues blues. Something must have happened to them to put based on current happenings. "I'm more interestedin them in that mood. Then I've seen people jump and people and the life they lead. The last song I wrote was shout." 'I Used to Be Your Fool'. but that was long ago, Walker feels he was the first blues singer to use an now I'm wise to you baby, I'm not your fool no more." electric guitar. He pegs his start in 1935, before Charlie On stage, Walker's blues come in two varieties, fast Christian joined the famed Benny Goodman Sextet. Walk- and hot and slow and simmering. "Playing the blues er explains he chose theelectric guitar because with fast takes the soul away," he charges. "Play it slow and an unamplified model he was always being covered over it'snice to listento. This is what we call sweet blues when he played in big bands. "I thought it was a won- because it allows you to hear the sweet harmonies." Billboard World of Soul 59.