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Various Artists
- Knock Out Blues: Early R&B Vol. II 1940-1952
  - Knockout Blues - Tiny Parker & Daddy Merritt Time: 2:17
  - My Daddy Loves It - Tiny Parker & Daddy Merritt Time: 2:30
  - Do Me A Favor - Otis Ducker Time: 2:10
  - Talkative Baby - Otis Ducker Time: 1:59
  - Boogie Woogie Camp Meeting - Franz Jackson Time: 2:11
  - Pete Turner Blues - Pete Turner Time: 2:21
  - Little Man Blues - Pete Turner Time: 2:13
  - Banks of the River - Richard King Time: 2:13
  - Ride, Daddy, Ride - Richard King Time: 2:16
  - I Believe I'll Go Back Home - Lil Palmore Time: 2:04
  - Lil's Caldonia Boogie - Lil Palmore Time: 1:43
  - Poor Boy - Ulysses James Time: 2:37
  - I'm Lonesome - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:17
  - This is the Boogie, The Boogie, The Boogie - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:04
  - The Old Blues - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:21
  - Bronzeville Jump - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:06
  - I Used to Work in Chicago - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:30
  - That's the Boogie - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:33
  - Yas Yas Yas - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:13
  - I'll Be True - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:21
  - Root Beer Sizzle Sazzle Sizzle - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:32
  - The Man That Comes to My House - Three Bits of Rhythm Time: 2:04

The evolution of rhythm and blues developed a rich variety of sounds through its regional influences. It can be regarded as a melding of urban and rural blues styles, but it was also under the sway of the Texas and Kansas City style swing bands, the New Orleans piano style pioneered by Champion Jack Dupree and Professor Longhair, as well as the smooth vocal styling of Californians such as Charles Brown. For this CD volume we have chosen a number of obscure artists that recorded extensively for independent labels, called the "indies".

The disc kicks off with a tough little combo formed around pianist/drummer Melvin "Daddy" Merritt who recorded with Jack Dupree, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. The incredible tenor sax on the session is played probably by Al King, who made fine recordings in the jump blues genre under his own name.

Bandleader Franz Jackson waxed the storming "Boogie Woogie Camp Meeting" for Decca in 1940, featuring the rocking and rolling Kenny Kersey on piano and this little gem shows how rhythm and blues had its roots in the golden age of the swing bands. Jackson emerged from orchestras like Jimmie Noone, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines and Cootie Williams. Franz Jackson (named after Franz Schubert by his mother, as he told me) is still musically active today.

Charles Brown's classic "Drifting Blues"(a very influential record) must clearly have inspired guitarist/singer Ulysses James on his own "Poor Boy".

The Three Bits of Rhythm offered a large variety of styles, as it was expected by an audience at that time of a club combo: syrupy ballads, jive songs, blues and of course boogie woogies. In the late 1940s the group was led by bassist Ted Rudolph, who doubled on vibraharp. This slick little band consisted of versatile musicians - as one can hear - they must have often switched instruments during their sessions.

Unfortunately, no information is available on the other artists on this disc. May the music speak for itself. Have fun!

Frank Saturn, February 1994

DISCOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

OTIS DUCKER

A) Vcl-l/as with Helen Marina, vcl-2; unk. tpt; ts; pno; sbs; dms.

New York City, 5 April 1950

76147 Do Me A Favor-1
76148 Talkative Baby-2

FRANZ JACKSON

B) Franz Jackson and his Jacksonians: Bobby Williams, tpt; Eli Robinson, tb; Joe Eldridge, as; Franz Jackson, clt/ts/ldr; Kenny Kersey, pno; Ted Sturgis, sbs; Panama Francis, dms.

New York City, 2 March 1940

67293-A Boogie Woogie Camp Meeting

note: the three other titles of this session are out of the scope of this CD.

ULYSSES JAMES

C) Vcl/gtr with prob. William Staples, ts; Roy Hawkins, pno; Floyd Montgomery, sbs; Madison Little, dms.

Oakland Ca., 1948

133 Poor Boy

RICHARD KING

D) Vcl with unk. as; pno; sbs;dms; ensemble vcl-1.
Lake Charles, La ., 1951

KH-800A Banks Of The River
KH-800B Ride, Daddy, Ride -1

TINY PARKER & DADDY MERRITT

E) Tiny Parker, vcl with Melvin Merritt, pno; prob. Al King, ts; unk. gtr; sbs; dms.

New York City, 1950
Knockout Blues My Daddy Loves It note: the fadeout on "Knockout Blues" is on the original 78!

RST-91578-2

LIL PALMORE

F) Vcl/pno with unk. gtr; prob. Willie Dixon, sbs. Chicago, 1948

C-104 I Believe I'll Go Back Home
C-107 Lil's Caldonia Boogie

THREE BITS OF RHYTHM

G) unk. pno; prob. Hurley Ramey,gtr; unk. steel gtr-1; prob. Bill Oldham, sbs; own vcl.

Chicago, 13 March 1941

93592-A             I'm Lonesome -1
93593-A             This Is The Boogie The Woogie The Boogie -1
93594-A             The Old Blues-1
93595-A             Bronzeville Jump

H) Tommy Askew, pno; Bruce Williams, gtr; unk. 2^nd gtr; Ted Rudolph, sbs/vib; unk.
dms; own vcl.

Recorded prob. at three different sessions in Los Angeles, 1945-48

MM-118A             I Used To Work In Chicago
MM-118B             That's The Boogie
MM-209-3             Yas Yas Yas
MM-213-3             I'll Be True
MM-575             Root Beer Sizzle Sazzle Sizzle
MM-577             The Man That Comes To My House

PETE TURNER

I) Vcl with unk. tpt; ts; pno; sbs; dms. New York City, 1947

H-1943 Pete Turner Blues
H-1944 Little Man Blues