20 FAVE INSTRUMENTAL RECORDS
TODAY........FROM 1954
1. JAM UP – TOMMY RIDGLEY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kA-zGXU9o4
Great insistent blues instrumental on Atlantic from the normally vocal
New Orleans born artist. Popular enough to get an overdubbed reissue
in the big "twist year" 1962 as--what else? ---“Jam Up Twist”
2. OKIE DOKIE STOMP – CLARENCE “GATEMOUTH” BROWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMsqdJUTUgU
R&b guitars didn’t come much better as Clarence weaves some punchy
guitar licks over.a rockin’ horn section. Signed to Don Robey’s Peacock label in Houston Tx. The record was popular enough to get a reissue in
1959
3. ROCKER – LITTLE WALTER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_-cpJhqfcw
One of the very best harps in the business over a rockin’ backing comes
up with “Rocker” on Checker released April 1954 as the flipside to his
#8 BBr&b charting “Oh Baby”
4. SPACE GUITAR – YOUNG JOHN WATSON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhaLEx7QEts
The future Johnny “Guitar” Watson on a decent guitar rocker released
March
1954 on Federal. If you’re looking for a copy be aware that a 45RPM copy
(not mint) sold in 2021 on eBay for $1582!!!
5. BLUES BLASTERS BOOGIE – JIMMY McCRACKLIN & HIS BLUES BLASTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc1dsni3gr0
Recorded in Oakland Ca a tight rocker featuring McCracklin (pno) Johnny
Parker (alto sax) Lafayette Thomas (gtr) + ten sax,bass + dms. Recorded
for the Modern label and released in April 1954
6. ALL NIGHT LONG – JOE HOUSTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7eNoCjtxws
One of the best saxes (and certainly one of the most prolific) in the
business on a hot number recorded for the Money label in Hollywood
operated at that time (released in October 1954) by John Dolphin
7. BOOGIE IN THE DARK – JIMMY REED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxRC_l7aP8o
The instrumental flip of his BBr&b #5 hit “You Don’t Have To Go” featuring Jimmy (hca gtr) Eddie Taylor (gtr) Morris Wilkerson (dms).
Recorded in Chicago December 30 1953 released on Vee Jay (also from this session comes the great “Rockin’ With Reed” not released until much later—see the earlier 1956 entry in this series of posts)
8. CANTON MISSISSIPPI BREAKDOWN – ELMORE JAMES (UNRELEASED)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_3zmCaaF0E
Recorded in 1954 but not released until 1969 on the LP “Anthology Of The Blues : The Legend Of Elmore James”. Recorded at Universal Studios Chicago.Featuring Elmore James (gtr) Raymond Hill (ten sax) Johnny Jones
(pno) Ike Turner (gtr) Odie Payne (dms)
9.MULE MILK – BIG JAY McNEELY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hprS8_omIb0
Recorded in Cincinnati January 8 1954 this was Big Jay’s first release
of the year a month later (b/w “Ice Water) and marked his fifth single released on Federal.
10. BIG HEAVY – COZY EGGLESTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQNCx_Raqp8
Hot on the States label comes “Big Heavy” by champ tenor saxman Cozy Eggleston who began his career in the 40’s---then finding his way to the States label where “Big Heavy” was his showcase release in 1954 catching the attention of Alan Freed who used it as a theme a time or two (tho I
don’t recall him ever using it in his Radio Luxembourg show)
11. JIMMIE’S BOOGIE – JIMMY REED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG62qLNzZj8
The instrumental “A” side of Jimmy’s second single on Vee Jay from January 1953. As was the norm the December 29 1953 session (his first!!) included Jimmy (hca gtr) Eddie Taylor (bs gtr) Morris Wilkerson (dms) .
Very good but I like his “Boogie In The Dark” from his next session (the following day) better
12. GO JOE GO – JOE HOUSTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kEumMT2bCM
Joe’s hot rockin’ tenor sax graces his one and only release on the Lucky label and a goodie it is too! One of his very best,the Lucky label based
in Hollywood was yet another venture of---yes you guessed it---the irrepressible Mr John Dolphin.
13. HARMONICA JAM – HOT SHOT LOVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6_mUD4CNDo
Recorded January 8 1954 at Sun Studios 706 Union Av Memphis. Personnel :
Coy “Hot Shot” Love (hca) Pat Hare (gtr) Kenneth Banks (bs) Houston
Stokes (dms) Mose Vinson (pno). Solid down home blues instrumental
almost impossible to find today,Popsike lists a 45rpm of this selling
for over $7,000
14. SAX-ONY BOOGIE – SAX MAN BROWN W. ELMO JAMES BROOMDUSTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH8nYPSwumE
Recorded back in November 1952 in Chicago but only released on Meteor
label in September 1954.Personnel : J.T (Big Boy) Brown (ts) Johnny
Jones (pno) Elmore James (gtr) Ransom Knowling (bs) Odie Payne (dms)
15. PLAYBOY HOP – THE ROCKING BROTHERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO4arYfw-Uo
My favorite side of a brilliant double sided instrumental gem on Savoy
label from 1954 (first issued by the tiny Elko label over on the West
Coast and picked up by Grandpa Herman for national distribution) -see
#17 entry---“The Grinder” flipside below,a very good side also. Also included in the 1956 “Rock ‘N’
Roll” instrumentals LP on Regent (and 10” LP on London in UK) mentioned
on here recently
16. BUS STATION BLUES – LOUIS BROOKS & HIS PINE TOPPERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm_GgYCJgxE
Take no notice of the credits on the YT video (the 1959 reissue posted
by some n’eer do well unsavoury guy) the original 1954 yellow label
Excello 45 has the artist credit as shown above.Fine instrumental
workout by the team that will deliver the famous “It’s Love Baby (24
Hours A Day”) in 1955
17. THE GRINDER – THE ROCKING BROTHERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcejSNBhEUU
Jason & Wilbur are back in action here on another instrumental
workout,the other side of “Playboy Hop” at #15 above. Originally on Elko and picked up later by Savoy. Like the other side this was included in
the Regent label “Rock ‘N’ Roll” LP (see #15 above for details)
18. CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE – PEREZ PRADO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOFrvgfOhxA
HUGE ultra catchy pop hit on RCA here (it was the theme to the then
current hit Jane Russell movie “Underwater”) by Cuban bandleader Damasco Perez Prado.#1 BBpop (for 10 weeks) it didn’t figure on the r&b chart
(tho 3 years later Prado’s “Patricia” made #1 on BOTH charts). At last
we have an entry here
that not only got UK release on HMV but also made #1 on UK chart (even
more noteworthy when remembered that UK trumpeter Eddie Calvert of “Oh
Mein Papa” fame also made UK #1 with his cover of “Cherry Pink…”)
19. NO DICE – BUDDY LUCAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g58Os6PUtw0
At this time working his way thru a contract with RCA’s Groove label subsidiary bandleader Buddy Lucas came up with one of my favorites by
him ---“High Low Jack” sadly a vocal so not able to feature here---but
the instrumental “No Dice” flip is fine---so here ‘tis
20. JUKE BOX BOOGIE – DOCTOR ROSS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMl7DVOqs6s
On an unknown date in July 1954 Isiah Ross returned to Sun Studio in
Memphis to cut his famous “The Boogie Disease”. The session musicians included Dr Ross (vcl,hca) Tom Troy (gtr) Bobby Parker (dms). Also
recorded was the instrumental “Juke Box Boogie” (that became the
flipside of “The Boogie Disease” single on Sun 212) and “Memphis Boogie”
that went unissued for many years.
BUBBLING UNDER
21. UBANGI STOMP – EARL BOSTIC
22. PIG EARS AND RICE – NOBLE WATTS QUINTET
23. BOURBON STREET JUMP – RAYMOND HILL
24. TEXAS HOP – DAVE BARTHOLOMEW
25. SLOW FREIGHT BACK HOME – JIMMY NOLEN
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