Mike Vernon's Blues Super Session at Baton Rouge
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Mike Vernon's Blues Super Session At Baton Rouge Top producer Mike Vernon, head of Blue Horizon records and a leading authority on the blues, returned recent/y from Baton Rouge. Louisiana. While there Vernon made some exciting discoveries and recorded some of the finest blues artists still active in the Southern State. Mike Vernon brings the story of his travels exclusively to SOUNDS, and will be writing about the blues in his own column every month in SOUNDS. AS LONG as I live I will remember the four days just spent in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During my short stay I heard and was lucky enough to record, some of the finest blues performers still active in this Southern State. Many of you will be all too familiar with the fine recordings made a decade and more ago by Jay Miller, which were subsequently released on the U.S. Excello label. Artists with the romantic sounding names of Lightnin' Slim, Lonesome Sundown, Lazy Lester and in later years, Slim Harpo. There were others too — Silas Hogan, Whispering Smith, Blue Charlie. But lately Miller has been all too inactive and with the exception of Harpo (James Moore, recently deceased), none of these aforementioned musicians have recorded again, until this year. The rediscovery of these artists should be mainly credited to a team of dedicated blues enthusiasts living in nearby New Orleans. Neal Paterson, James La Rocca and Terry Pattison followed leads and finally tracked down Moses Smith. Silas Hogan, Arthur Kelley, Clarence Edwards, Henry Gray (and others) to Baton Rouge and a northern suburb, Scotlandville. Mike Leadbitter, of Blues Unlimited fame, along with John Broven made a visit earlier this year and subsequent detailed accounts of their travels and discussions have appeared recently in B.U. But it is unlikely that anyone of these collectors were lucky enough to witness, at that time, the musical events which took place twelfth through fifteenth August. Terry Pattison, soon to be drafted, met me at New Orleans Airport and we travelled the seventy-five miles to Baton Rouge along the famous Highway 59. We arrived at the Deep South Studios on Government Street and I was immediately introduced to pianist Henry Gray. For those not familiar with his name, listen to any of Howlin Wolf s early Chess recordings. Gray had long been thought either dead or just lost to the music world. I can assure all that his is neither We talked for a little while about Wolf and the plans that Henry had for the future—visiting Europe for a start. Silas Hogan also had arrived at about the same time and was seated on the steps of the fruit packing plant next door to the studios, tuning his ancient red stratocaster. He was accompanied by a whole host of friends amongst whom was his son, Samuel, who was to play drums on the sessions. We were delayed for some three hours due to technical hitches but finally we got under way. Sadly, only three numbers were cut that evening—one each apiece, featuring Whispering Smith, Silas and Arthur "Guitar" Kelley. Arthur, I had neither met nor heard of before. A small, slightly built man of ageing years, Arthur delivered his songs in a truly downhome manner: he has a deep yet soft voice, not unlike Lightnin' Slim (Otis Hicks). He said that he makes up his lyrics as he goes along. (It later transpired from further conversation that Slim had been of great musical influence in this area and that his tradition was being carried on by Kelley and the others present at these sessions). We made a more active start the second day. Still using Sammy Hogan, Clarence Prophet (bass) and Roy Lee Sheppard (rhythm guitar), we initially worked with Moses, cutting three superb tracks — ''Deep South Mose'', ''Coal Black Mare'' and his own variation of Memphis Minnie's . ''Looking The World Over''. Moses is now only thirty-eight and has the potential to be a major blues recording artist, once again. He too has a rich, deep-toned voice and a crispness in his harp solos which is a delight to witness. Clarence Edwards, by far the most polished of the guitarists present, cut two sides, one of which was Buddy Guy's ''Let Me Love You", the other, his own "Lonesome Bedroom Blues''. Henry Gray worked very hard and with great effect backing up all the performers — excepting Kelley who worked with just drums and harp. In the past, Gray had always recorded as a back-up musician, but now had the opportunity to show that he too, has a really fine blues voice. His "Times Are Hard'' was nice but his debt to Wolf was obvious when he ran-through his ''Can't Last Too Long'' — a variant of "Ten Long Years", the tune of which was recurrent in many of Wolf's releases. A11 the sparkle and classic drive associated with Gray's work with the master was again evident. Further cuts were made with Silas Hogan and Kelley. Continuing well past the midnight, hour we finally called a halt at one thirty. Thirteen titles had been cut in some eight hours and we were all well pleased. The third day saw us overdubbing lead guitar parts and some minor percussion pieces. Gregg Schaefer had flown in from Los Angeles to play lead. At only fifteen years, ''Little Guitar'' must be one of the finest white blues guitarists around. (Readers will have the chance to hear him when he tours in November with Bacon Fat and George Smith). To close the sessions I had asked the five musicians involved in the previous days recordings to cut two titles each, unaccompanied. Both Terry and Neal had told me that their styles changed when playing in this manner and that they also knew many old blues numbers and would perform them, if pressed to do so. Gray made three without any trouble: an impressive boogie. a free version of Big Maceo's "Worried Life Blues'', one of his own favourites and an interesting item called "Showers Of Rain'' which he probably learned from the old Snooky Pryor and Moody Jones record (made in Chicago). Moses also cut three items including a most fine variation on the ''Baby. Please Don't Go'' theme. But without any doubt, this day was to belong to the other three. I just asked Clarence what he was thinking of recording. "Oh, I think I'll go way back and do an old number of Charlie Patton''. And that's just what he did. Droning guitar chords, insistent beat, feet tapping and five minutes of ''Cooling Board" ("I got a kid on a kidman"). By now we were all beside ourselves with amazement and as if this was not enough, Silas Hogan attempted a beautiful version of "Honey Bee Blues" originally known as "Bumble Bee Blues". He then switched to electric and made over Lightnin' Slim's "Hoo Doo Blues''. Finally, Kelley took up Silas' electric and stunned us all with an uptempo blues that even he couldn’t believe on the playback. ''I Don't Know Why" may well have been inspired by some tune once performed by Sam Hopkins: at least it was unlike any other number that Kelley had ever performed and it .s unlikely he will ever repeat the performance. In any event the catching of this item on tape made a fitting end to a magnificent four days' recording. This has really been but a precis of those events that took place. The sessions were financed by Nashboro/Excello Records of Nashville (headed by Bud Howell) and most of the material will be released shortly in the U.S. on a double-album. entitled 'Swamp Blues" (and in the U.K. by Blue Horizon in similar format). In November, when the set is issued here, you will be able to judge the music for yourselves. .