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Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2014 9:36:15 GMT -5
Memphis Slim Singer Memphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. Wikipedia Born: September 3, 1915, Memphis, TN Died: February 24, 1988, Paris, France A tour of Europe in partnership with bassist Willie Dixon a couple of years earlier had so intrigued the pianist that he permanently moved to Paris, where recording and touring possibilities seemed limitless and the veteran pianist was treated with the respect too often denied even African-American blues stars at home back then. He remained there until his 1988 death, enjoying his stature as expatriate blues royalty. A shot from Manchester 1962 - HELEN HUMES and MEMPHIS SLIM being friendly.- From Tony Standish at www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202669881001653&set=gm.619810514762079&type=1&theater
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Post by AlanB on Mar 12, 2014 5:39:39 GMT -5
I'm really a missionary of the blues, I'm an ambassador, a self styled ambassador, mind. I'm a concert pianist. I play American classical music was how he described himself to Melody Maker's Max Jones (16 October 1971)
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Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2014 8:10:23 GMT -5
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Post by AlanB on Mar 12, 2014 8:27:43 GMT -5
The 1957 LP that started my blues fanaticism. The LP was named Blues In The Mississippi Night" and on the Pye-Nixa label. I pontificated about this in 1974 thus: OBSCURE LPs
BLUES IN THE MISSISSIPPI NIGHT Pye-Nixa NJL8Alan Balfour Back in 1962 this record was responsible for my discovering the blues. Issued in 1957, it is a documentary dialogue between three, then anonymous, bluesmen recorded 'in-the-field' by Alan Lomax in 1942[see note]. Natchez, Leroy and Sib - according to a somewhat patronising liner - remain nameless at their own requests; the innuendo strongly hinting at the 'outspoken' nature of the recording. Without wishing to sound cynical, I would venture that the anonymity is to prevent their respective record companies from finding out. Be that as it may, the bluesmen concerned are, Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim and John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson. With the aid of careful editing, together with some prompting from Lomax (not heard, but very obviously there), these three men talk about their lives. The jumping off point is - wait for it - "What gives you the blues". To Sib (Williamson) it's being rejected by parents as a suitor to their daughter: " and so they turned me down, and I just got sitting down thinking, you understand, and I thought of a song". For Natchez (Broonzy): "…a man has a companion and she turns him down…that's where I get the blues from…" Whilst for Leroy (Slim): "Blues is a kind of revenge. You know you wanna say some things…you wanna signify, that's the blues…". And so the foundations are laid by Lomax for a 'conversation with the blues'; the swapping of reminiscences and anecdotes about the 'hard times', mainly between Natchez and Leroy, with Sib occasionally joining in. Considering the nature of the subjects touched upon and the subjectiveness of those concerned, the attitudes expressed are understandable. From the humorous: "....you know the food we had to eat was really scrap food, from what other people had refused…" (reply) "Yeah, they had a name for it - la, la, lu, if you don't like it he do…". To the embittered "….we had a few Negroes down there that wasn't afraid of white peoples or talk back to them. They called those people crazy, crazy people. I wonder why they called them crazy, because they speak up for his rights?". But although the conversation is almost entirely centred around the ill-treatment of the black man and his own hatred of the whites, Natchez puts it down to the system. "…that's what makes 'em [Negroes] so techious till today, because they have been denied in so many places until if a gang is in a place and they say 'You fellas get back' or 'Don't stand there' or something like that, they figger right straight that's you - they're pointing out to the Negro see, and a lot of times they don't mean that, they really mean they don't want nobody standing in that place. But the Negro thinks they're preferring him cos he's black." To be fully appreciated this record has to be really listened to, no background music this. It is an invaluable piece of documentation, even if at times it does have elements of seeming to give the white man with the recorder what he wants to hear. It is also an indispensable record for its on-the-spot recordings of Broonzy, Williamson and Slim, the likes of which I can assure you they never laid down on 'commercial' wax, together with the unidentified field-holler "Another Man", which always manages to leave me with that empty feeling. Nothing would ever make me part with this record - not even money - so if you want it don't come to me. A better bet would be to pressurise Pye, that is if they still hold the rights. Or write to Blues-Link and we'll try to find someone who has both sense and money! (From Blues-Link 3, Jan/Feb 1974, p. 25-26)[Note: Since this was written the date discovered to be 1947]
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Post by Admin on Apr 29, 2014 12:36:57 GMT -5
Piano legends Phineas Newborn Jr. (left) and Peter "Memphis Slim" Chatman celebrate Memphis Slim's birthday at The Peabody Hotel's Mallard's Bar in 1985. (Photo Courtesy Memphis Commercial Appeal)
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Post by AlanB on May 1, 2014 3:15:51 GMT -5
A somewhat lighthearted approach to Memphis Slim. Or what was there left to say? Memphis Slim Rockin’ The Blues Charly CRB 1030SIDE ONE: Gottta Find My Baby/The Comeback/Messin Around/Sassy Mae/Lend Me Your Love/Guitar Cha Cha/Stroll On Little Girl/Rockin' The House SIDE TWO: Wish Me Well/Blue And Lonesome/My Gal Keeps Me Crying/Slim's Blues/Steppin' Out/Mother Earth/What's The Matter/This Time I'm ThroughFor someone who figures so prominently in the 60 year history of recorded blues, one could easily be forgiven for thinking Memphis Slim older than his 65 years. All the more surprising, this oft labelled 'legendary' bluesman has only been recording for less than 40 of those 60 years. To some this may seem like a mighty long time but there are still today a few active blues artists who made records in the early twenties (one who immediately comes to mind is Sippie Wallace, who first recorded in 1923). Through vast media exposure, but general unawareness of the details of his biography, Memphis Slim seems to have been around since time immemorial or at least as long as, say, Sippie Wallace! Slim, by and large, has tended to make the most of this fame. As he readily admits, "I'm really a missionary of the blues, I'm an ambassador... a self styled ambassador, mind. I'm a concert pianist, I play American classical music."* This adaptability in interpreting the blues to suit current trends or particular audiences has, over the years, alienated him from the many fans of his original barrelhouse piano style. But his adaptability has without doubt been the secret of his success. This album is a good example of Memphis Slim changing styles to suit changing musical trends. So much so that when these sides first appeared in 1958 and 1959 they were simply seen by intolerant critics as Slim's belated cash in on the rock 'n' roll boom. A couple of decades later, though, with hindsight and knowledge they can now perhaps be more correctly identified as mainstream R&B. What we have is very little lead piano, not too much lowdown vocal, plenty of guitar and a battery of upfront honking, riffing, booting saxophones. All the elements of what we now call rhythm 'n' blues. Fine rockin' music with some first rate blowing, as evinced by the title track, "My Gal Keeps Me Cryin'" and "Steppin' Out," an instrumental featuring a guitar solo that Eric Clapton built upon for his version on the Blues Breakers' album. While discussing guitarists, mention must be made of Matt Murphy's contribution to this album, especially on Slim's slower numbers as "Messin' Around" and "Lend Me Your Love," where Murphy just scintillates. And if that isn't enough, he manages to get an Elmore James broom dusting lick going (without a slide) on "Sassy Mae." At the time these sides were recorded by VeeJay they were released as by Memphis Slim and his Orchestra. I can't hear an orchestra but if this is what Memphis Slim means by American classical music this album will certainly make Aaron Copland jump around a bit. Alan Balfour, June 1981* Max Jones: “Men Who Make the Blues.” Melody Maker (1 Feb 1969, p.10)
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Post by Admin on May 1, 2014 8:19:16 GMT -5
Memphis Slim at the Skyway Lounge in the Peabody Hotel, Memphis, for his birthday party - 1985. (Photo by Dawn Likens) "Memphis Slim" Chatman celebrates his 70th birthday at The Peabody Hotel's Mallard's Bar in 1985. He was born September 3, 1915. Memphis Slim ranks with the great blues piano players. He took his name from Memphis, Tennessee, where he was born and raised. Memphis Slim got his start playing the blues at the Midway Café, at 357 Beale Street, in 1931. A tour of Europe, in partnership with bassist Willie Dixon a couple of years earlier, had so intrigued the pianist that he moved permanently to Paris in 1962 until his death in 1988. During his lifetime, he cut over 500 recordings and influenced future blues piano players for decades. (Courtesy Center For Southern Folklore) On this anniversary of Muddy Water's death, it's appropriate to listen to this collaboration.
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Post by musicman on Jul 2, 2014 10:05:55 GMT -5
Memphis Slim - Didn't We Babe - 1976
Memphis Slim here with the great drummer Michel Denis !
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Post by AlanB on Jul 2, 2014 11:16:46 GMT -5
Memphis Slim - Didn't We Babe - 1976 Memphis Slim here with the great drummer Michel Denis ! Denis enjoyed a prolific recording career with Slim between 1972 and 84. Around that time he also popped up on sessions by the like of Gatemouth Brown, Jimmy Dawkins and even Screamin' Jay Hawkins!
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Post by Admin on Jul 2, 2014 14:28:40 GMT -5
Thanks guys...Memphis Slim is definitely one of greatest influences. His "Boogie Blues" Piano captures the essence of the blues. Here is one of his great recordings with Michel Denis on drums.
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Post by AlanB on Jul 3, 2014 1:34:42 GMT -5
Thanks guys...Memphis Slim is definitely one of greatest influences. His "Boogie Blues" Piano captures the essence of the blues. Here is one of his great recordings with Michel Denis on drums. Recorded at the Caveau de la Huchette, Paris 4 Feb 1977 and first released on the Jazzmosphère label, under the title Memphis Slim & Michel Denis The Duo. Over a decade later on CD as Memphis Slim — Live At The Caveau De La Huchette (Laserlight 17-151)
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Post by Admin on Jul 3, 2014 7:30:55 GMT -5
It's interesting that if you "Google" for Memphis Slim "What Is The Blues?" you don't find anything. Even in Wikipedia discography it isn't mentioned. Thanks for shedding light on this.
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Post by AlanB on Jul 3, 2014 10:02:59 GMT -5
It's interesting that if you "Google" for Memphis Slim "What Is The Blues?" you don't find anything. Even in Wikipedia discography it isn't mentioned. Thanks for shedding light on this. So long ago can't remember. The term "unauthorised recording" comes to mind. Perhaps either MS or film maker Michel Grondy (spelling?) were miffed that the "soundtrack" of the film had appeared as vinyl/CD.
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