Skylark//Big boy pts 1&2: is this a joke?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

We’re they requested to play this way or we’re they simply fooling around.  It’s not west coast jazz at all- it’s gutbucket blues-

Why is it bold- well I can see it better so ok…. It’s really bad.  I don’t even see a need to keep this one I don’t think - I can’t believe this is the worlds intro to the lighthouse allstars

[JSngry]

Jimmy was from Texas, you know...

[Big Beat Steve]

OOOhhhh .. Chewy ... don't be so one-track-minded ...

You NEED to see this in the context of the times. WEST COAST 'n' all ...

Of course they were just having a ball doing THEIR version of what Big Jay McNeely and others did on the Coast in the early 50s (R&B and their honkers were BIG there in the early 50s and did attract a white audience too - see the recent discussion of the 1951 photogrpah of Big Jay McNeely by Bob Willoughby on this forum), and Rumsey et al. just tried to show they had the chops to outhonk any WHITE honkers if they felt like it (there IS some gutsiness and down-to-earthness present in the black R&B originals that escapes the white bunch but I for one like what they do anyway - and what Rumsey and his gang did was not "gutbucket", BTW. "Gutbucket blues" would be more like that "blues in the gutter"). There even was a spliced remake titled "M.B.B." ("More Big Boy") by them used on other Skylark releases, and the "Lighthouse all Stars Vol. 3" LP on Contemporary 3508 has another one in the same vein recorded in July 1952: "Big Girl".

It all was a bit like what Shorty Rogers and his consorts did soon after as "Boots Brown & His Blockbusters" on RCA (coupled with a group around Al Cohn billed as "Dan Drew & His Daredevils").

[BillF]

Were they after a jukebox hit?

[Quasimado]

There was a story about this that I can't quite recall. James Harrod  will probably know ...

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

a story!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I have a 45 of this on Skylark

My mate gave it to me a good many decades ago.

I'm sure Chewy knows that Bob Scherman also owned Atlas and Tampa. A fair amount of proper R&B on those labels. He surely knew what was what.

MG

 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

no way dawg you guys are the experts, i gotta check out west coast jazz research more is that site still up-- is that the james harrod??  hes here on the board sometimes, no?  well i tell u what i did have it filed directly next to my tampa plas johnson for a long time up until my MAJOR REFILE that ended yesterday and took 25 days.  but that was wrong if your doing chronologial w/ one disc of each label: beacsue the tampa didnt come out till '58/late period....the skylark is 1951.   you want the 78 MG?  I have it on top of my fridge for you....come on over my guy!

Edited October 17, 2021 by chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez

[Big Beat Steve]

Many Skylark releases were reissued on Tampa.

BTW, Chewy, I'd love to take that Big Boy 78 rpm off your hands but am afraid shipping costs alone would be prohibitive these days.

[JSngry]

Jimmy was from Texas. Before the internet made leaving the house optional, this was how the air here sounded at all times, especially if you were listening.

 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Maybe the guy w/ the story can talk me out if it 🤔