roots of rock and roll

musicology #0607

Blues’N’Rhythm #2

Joe Turner & Pete Johnson – Roll ‘Em Pete

As important as Sam Cooke was to Soul, Big Joe took Jump, Boogie Woogie, Blues and Rhythm rolled them all up into a package and fathered Rock & Roll. Of course there were others who contributed, (Louis Jordan, Count Basie, Amos Milburn, Wynonnie Harris to name but 4), and as with all ‘Popular’ music no one person was responsible but as Doc Pomus is quoted to have said “Rock & Roll would never have happened without him…and as previously mentioned on themusicologist the dynamic duo’s late 40’s cut ‘Rocket 88 Boogie’ was the ‘inspiration’ behind Ike Turner’s seminal ‘Rocket 88’, a tune that has long been canonised into Rock and Roll history..

Today’s cut was recorded in the Big Apple on December 30th 1938…I’ll repeat that 1938 and released on a Columbia 78, which I was planning on laying down here but in truth it’s a piece scratchy !! so instead it’s the (top quality 24 bit), remastered version that certainly does the original justice….I can only imagine what it would have been like to witness these two in action back in Kansas City in the 1930’s a musical hotbed that kicked every bit as hard as Chicago, New Orleans and New York…Roll ‘Em Pete….

musicology #288

twolegendsclash #11

(Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers – Preachin’ Blues)

“What  a weeping and a waling, when the two legends clash….”

Final cut from Sidney Bechet and what a treat…Recorded in New York during January or Febuary 1940. A precursor to the Rhythm & Blues that was to follow and in turn be reclassified as Rock & Roll. All the hallmarks are there, small line-up, Electric Guitar, Boogie Woogie Piano, honking Sax…

Before signing Bechet off, according to a piece of information on Wikipedia;

“In the 1940s, (Louis), Jordan released dozens of hit songs, including the swinging ‘Saturday Night Fish Fry’ (one of the earliest and most powerful contenders for the title of First rock and roll record),”

I’m a BIG fan of Louis Jordan and his music certainly deserves all the accolades and he was certainly at the forefront in the development of Rhythm & Blues but  the above mentioned cut was released in 1949. Whereas this one from Bechet is almost a decade earlier !!…which, as far as I can hear is as close to ‘Rock & Roll’ as it gets, Especially Brother Bechet’s playing.

As it’s the end of the Bechet road it just leaves me to thank the inspirational Cat for leaving us a recorded legacy of the HIGHEST quality…I’m sure he’s up there standing at the gate cutting the angel Gabriel to ribbons.

Blow Bechet…Blow.