Home Town Skiffle Paramount

PARAMOUNT 12886: Home Town Skiffle.
With Blind Blake, Charlie Spand, Papa Charlie Jackson, Will Ezell, the Hokum Boys and Georgia Tom Dorsey presiding.
Blind Lemon Jefferson was supposed to participate as well, advertised and all, but according to the story, he froze to death in his car during a blizzard around this time..
Recorded: Chicago, Oktober 1929
This record has an ugly crack, but I successfully de-clicked it for this presentation, so what you hear is the actual record that is shown! Because of the crack it hasn't been played very often I guess, that's maybe why it sounds like a good V+!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Blues
• Paramount
• 12886
• Home
• Town
• Skiffle
• Blind
• Blake
• Charlie
• Spand
• Papa
• Jackson
• Will
• Ezell
• Hokum
• Boys
• Georgia
• Tom
• Dorsey
• Lemon
• Jefferson

[KawhackitaRag]

Thank you for posting this record, but I'm 99% sure that Alex Hill and/or Alex Robinson are actually presiding over this side. I'm not even sure Mr. Dorsey is on this at all! In fact, you can hear Mr. Hill playing the fine piano at the beginning!

[Frenk160rpm]

@KawhackitaRag Thanks for listening and commenting!!

I agree that Tom Dorsey is not the piano player, which I also believe is Alex Hill, in fact, Tampa Red and Georgia Tom were at this time no part anymore of the Hokum fad at Paramount, Tampa Red had his own thing going at Vocalion, while Georgia Tom went to Gennett and Brunswick and made records with The Famous Hokum Boys, with Big Bill Broonzy amongst others for ARC a year later, after which the Hokum fad wore down.

[Frenk160rpm]

@KawhackitaRag So I believe Tom Dorsey to be present as the speaker only, no singing, no piano playing!

[Frenk160rpm]

Maybe he was waiting for his chauffeur?

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag OK I just listened to the test-pressing of this same record posted by Youtube user elpanchito421, and Robinson actually says "Come on Hill, sank that goolah"(!) Perhaps he really said "sank that cooler"? I'm not quite sure but the words seem vdistinct. I think he is basically asking Alex Hill to finish his alcoholic beverage so that he can accompany Mr. Robinson's vocals on the piano.

[KawhackitaRag]

Besides the fine playing of Alex Hill and Will Ezell, I am really impressed by Charlie Spand's contribution, as well as the fine guitar of Blind Blake and banjo of Papa Charlie Jackson! Thanks!!!

[KawhackitaRag]

You can tell FOR SURE that Alex Hill is on piano, simply because the main man (presumably Alexander Robinson, judging by the voice) says, near the beginning of side 2 (here, at 3:21) "Now, we've got the Hokum Boys here. Come on Hill, let's put this (???)"

[KawhackitaRag]

The "Hokum Boys" were not merely a consistent two-piece group (consisting of pianist/vocalist Georgia Tom Dorsey and guitarist/vocalist Tampa Red), but actually were several DIFFERENT small groups, consisting collectively of any combination of the above two men plus Alexander Robinson (who sang, talked, and played, I believe clarinet and/or guitar), and James Blythe (who played excellent piano, and occasionally talked and sang), plus several other folks.