As I work my way through the subjects/albums/artists I intend to here on my little blog, Delmark will be showing up repeatedly (from a blues history/essential albums perspective, how could they not?)...though I will refrain from posting any DL links to their material, as I will happily do for any copyright holder who contacts me, I will be posting direct links where these albums can be purchased. If we presume to call ourselves blues fans, it is essential that we support this industry.
A cool thing that did come out of my exchanges with Mr. Johnson and Mr. Koester is that both gave me a head's-up on their next release...and it looks like a honey...
Jimmy Dawkins Presents
The Leric Story
Delmark DE 808
Blues artist Jimmy Dawkins had his own record label in the 1980s, Leric Records, with 45s issued by Tail Dragger, Queen Sylvia Embry, Little Johnny Christian and Nora Jean Wallace. Delmark is re-issuing these recordings now on CD for the first time with the addition of unissued sides by Vance Kelly and Big Mojo Elem. 15 songs, 60 minutes with various sidemen including Jimmy Dawkins, Johnny B. Moore, Lafayette Leake, Willie Kent, Eddie "Jewtown" Burks, Michael Coleman and Chico Banks.
I had been aware that Chicago blues legend Jimmy Dawkins had had his own small record label in the 1980's, I don't know as I've heard any of that material, which amps up my anticipation for this release that much more. The artists represented look to be an interesting mix of names unfamiliar to me (e.g. Vance Kelly) and those with whom I'm decidedly more familiar (Willie Kent, Leake, etc.)
And Dawkins. Jimmy Dawkins. Out in front or on the side, that man's a deserved legend when it come to Chicago blues guitar.
So yeah, I'm waiting on this one...
Link
Peace, Mudcatz
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Here in Chicagoland, it was possible occasionally to find some of these 45s in used record shops and secondhand stores back in the 1990s. I scored a couple by Tail Dragger, but unfortunately they were too trashed to play.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Dawkins is a real cool cat. I had a chance to see him play at the late lamented Blind Pig club in Champaign, Illinois during my college days at the University of Illinois. I had a nice 30-minute chat with him before the show, and he told me some interesting stories about the Japanese tour that he, Otis Rush, and other Delmark artists went on in 1975 or so.
My good friend Steve "Plastic Crimewave" Krakow did a feature on Dawkins last year as part of his "Secret History of Chicago Music" series in the "Chicago Reader." Check it out here:
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/jimmy-dawkins/Content?oid=936012
Dawkins also appeared on the radio version of "The Secret History of Chicago Music," which Krakow does most Sunday nights on Nick Digilio's show on WGN radio 720 AM.
It's unfortunate that Bob Koester and Kevin Johnson took issue with your post of "Hoodoo Man Blues." Personally, since that album has been available in one form or another for 45 years, I think that they've made plenty of money from it. Still, at least they were cool enough not to try to shut your blog down.
Anyway, you're continuing to do a fantastic job here. Keep it up!
Your blues buddy,
RF
Thanks so much, RF. Kind words indeed.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too ruffled over the Delmark objections, because like I said they were so cool about things (Koester's note was actually a thank-you). ...Besides, as you & I both know any chimpanzee with a keyboard and a search engine can find a DL-able link within seconds.
Getting rid of the link wasn't a problem, but I did have to take some time to decide if I'd still be writing about Delmark albums if I wouldn't be running links with those particular posts--and I decided I would be. One of the main inspirations for me in starting this blog was a "I'm getting into the blues, where should I start?" conversation someone approached me with over at Deadhook. Alongside the obscurities and live bootlegs here, I'm hoping to sort of build a ready-made guide of essential blues albums. ...and since what I end up posting is whatever I feel like writing about or listening to at the moment, some of these posts will end up with purchase links only. I agree, it's a small price to pay for survival.
That's so cool that you got to spend that time with Dawkins. He always struck me as such a class act--and probably one of the most literate of the bluesmen. I'm really hoping to catch him at least once before I die. I got a chance to meet Otis Rush backstage a few years back--and that was one of those "high water moments" for me. I'm still grinning.
Thanks again, Mudcatz