Blind Dog Radio

Honkers & Bar Walkers, Vol. 2 by Various Artists

Label: Delmark Records.
Release Date: 1992.
Recording Time: 58 minutes.
Releases: September 18, 1993 (Delmark).
Release Info: Instrumental Studio Recording.
Recording Date: May 29, 1950 - November 26, 1956.

Styles: Jump Blues, Early R&B, East Coast Blues, Regional Blues, Soul Jazz, Jazz Instrument, Saxophone Jazz.

Founded in 1944, New York-based Apollo Records was home for a time to an impressive roster of artists, including saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Arnett Cobb, and Illinois Jacquet. Honkers & Bar Walkers, Vol. 2, a compilation of meat-and-potatoes blues, blues-based swing, R&B, and some early rock & roll, is one of a series of reissues by Delmark of material from the Apollo archives. This volume focuses on some of Apollo's other sax players and sax-based bands and combos. Sequenced chronologically, the set presents rare and previously unreleased sides from eight sessions recorded between 1950 and 1956, opening with Willis Jackson's "Call of the Gators" and concluding with King Curtis' "Dynamite at Midnite." The riffing and bumptious beats here can blur into an indistinct haze over the course of its 22 tracks, but taken individually, there are a number of fine performances. Highlights include an astonishing artistic and technical display from alto master Hilton Jefferson on the ballad "Darkness on the Delta" -- one of four tracks from drummer and bandleader Panama Francis; the unidentified baritone sax player with Bobby Smith on "That's for Sure"; and the prototypical yakety sax of King Curtis' "Rush Hour." There are also some interesting vocal choruses, notably the lugubrious moaning behind the unidentified bluesy tenor sax on "Hard Times" from Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra. The hopelessly politically incorrect stereotyping on "Gitchie Gitchie Goomba," one of two tracks from Morris Lane & His Orchestra, is the only lame moment. The compilation's documentation is helpful: Bob Porter's useful liner notes provide context and attempt to identify as many of the key performers as possible, and the track listings include session dates, master numbers, and take numbers. The remastering is also very good, bringing to life sounds that current players might be able to approximate but never replicate. - Review by Jim Todd.

A collection of saxophone players recorded 1950-1956 for the Apollo label.
This is part of Delmark's Apollo series.

Down Beat - 7/92, p.47: 3 Stars - Good.

Living Blues - Sept.-Oct./92, p.75: "..a stellar lineup of sax wailers...Sound quality is superb throughout...Although there's a jazz lineage to many of these tracks, the emphasis is on blistering sax.."

Personnel: Bonita (vocals); Mickey Baker (guitar); Hilton Jefferson, Bobby Smith (alto saxophone); Count Red Hastings, Charles Ferguson, King Curtis, Willis "Gator" Jackson, Bill Harvey, Morris Lane (tenor saxophone); George James, Reuben Phillips (baritone saxophone); Bobby Rae Williams, Andrew "Fats" Ford, Andrew Ford, Shad Collins, Bobby Williams (trumpet); Michael Booty Wood, Booty Wood (trombone); Arnold James, Ernie Hayes, Dave Rivera (piano); Panama Francis (drums).

Credits: Mickey Baker - guitar; Dave Bartholomew - composer; Bonita - vocals; Gary Borremans - artwork, cover art, cover design; Al Brandtner - design; Gus Cannon - composer; Ray Charles - composer; Shad Collins - trumpet; Fats Domino - composer; Frank Driggs - photography; Duke Ellington - composer; Charles Ferguson - performer, primary artist, sax (tenor); Andrew Ford - trumpet; Andrew "Fats" Ford - trumpet; Panama Francis - drums, performer, primary artist; Bill Harvey - performer, primary artist, sax (tenor); Count Red Hastings - sax (tenor); Ernie Hayes - piano; Milt Hinton - bass; Willis "Gator" Jackson - composer, performer, primary artist, sax (tenor); Arnold James - piano; George James - sax (baritone); Hilton Jefferson - sax (alto); King Curtis - performer, primary artist, sax (tenor); Robert G. Koester - producer; Jonah Koslen - composer; Morris Lane - performer, primary artist, sax (tenor); Jerry Levinson - composer; Al J. Neiburg - composer; Reuben Phillips - sax (baritone); Bob Porter - liner notes; Dave Rivera - piano; Bobby Smith - performer, primary artist, sax (alto); Chuck Stewart - photography; Leonard Heavy Swain - bass; Marty Symes - composer; Lloyd Trotman - bass; Steve Wagner - producer; Paul Francis Webster - composer; Bobby Williams - trumpet; Bobby Rae Williams - trumpet; Booty Wood - trombone; Michael Booty Wood - trombone; Hosea Woods - composer.

Recording dates: 1) May 29, 1950; 2-5) March 13, 1951; 6-9) January 25, 1952; 10-11) Probably February 1952; 12-15) March 12, 1953; 16) September 9, 1952; 17-20) April 1, 1954; 21-22) November 26, 1956.

Tracks: 1) Pee Wee (Call Of The Gators) - Willis Jackson; 2) Return Of B.O. Plenty - Morris Lane & His Orchestra; 3) Gitchie Gitchie-Goomba - Morris Lane & His Orchestra; 4) Joe's Beat - Morris Lane & His Orchestra; 5) Blue Jeans - Morris Lane & His Orchestra; 6) Benson Bounce - Panama Francis; 7) Darkness Of The Delta - Panama Francis; 8) Bess's Blues - Panama Francis; 9) 12:00 Jump - Panama Francis; 10) I Love Her - Bill Harvey & His Orchestra; 11) Walk Right In - Bill Harvey & His Orchestra; 12) Doll Baby - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 13) Bean Head - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 14) Hard Times - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 15) Big G - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 16) That's For Sure - Bobby Smith; 17) That's It - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 18) Low Lights - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 19) Hi Beam - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 20) I Got It Bad - Charlie Ferguson & His Orchestra; 21) Rush Hour - King Curtis; 22) Dynamite At Midnite - King Curtis.