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West Coast Jive
Delmark DD 657 (1992) [Apollo Series]

Featuring: Wynonie Harris, Al “Stomp” Russell Trio, Duke Henderson, Frank Haywood, Cee Pee Johnson

Jive, blues and jazz worked hand in hand and enjoyed considerable popularity well into the ’40s. This was Central Avenue’s heyday when club after club opened during the tremendous buildup of wartime industry in California. This recording is an entertaining and always musically viable picture of West Coast Jive during its creative peak.

1 Cee Pee Johnson– The "G" Man Got The "I" Man 3:08
2 Duke Henderson With Lucky Thompson– H.D. Blues 2:46
3 Al "Stomp" Russell Trio– Let's Go Down The Road 2:43
4 Wynonie Harris With Jack McVea– Somebody Changed The Lock On My Door 2:45
5 Cee Pee Johnson– Without You 3:05
6 Frank Haywood– You Gotta Give It Up 2:45
7 Wynonie Harris– Playful Baby 2:38
8 Cee Pee Johnson– When You're Alone 2:33
9 Duke Henderson– Get Your Kicks 2:50
10 Al "Stomp" Russell Trio– Let's Get Together 2:35
11 Wynonie Harris With Illinois Jacquet– Wynonie's Blues 2:45
12 Cee Pee Johnson– I'm So Lonesome 3:14
13 Al "Stomp" Russell Trio– Give Me My Money Back 3:06
14 Duke Henderson With Lucky Thompson– Not Worth A Dime 2:51
15 Cee Pee Johnson– Hour After Hour 3:16
16 Frank Haywood– Now Or Never 2:44
17 Duke Henderson– Don't Slam The Door 2:34
18 Cee Pee Johnson– Miss Jiveola Brown 3:11

Recordings from 1945-46

WYNONIE HARRIS
11) 8/2/45 w/ Illinois Jacquet All-Stars w/Bill Doggett (p) and Charles Mingus (bass) Illinois Jacquet (tenor sax)
4) Aug'45 with Jack McVea's All-Stars w/Gene Phillips (gtr) and Ted Buckner (trumpet) Jack McVea (alto sax)
7) Dec '45 with Johnnie Alston (tenor sax) and his All-Stars w/ Herman Mitchell (gtr) King Fleming (piano)

DUKE HENDERSON
2, 14) 11/28/45 with Lucky Thompson (tenor sax) All-Stars possibly Charles Mingus (bass)
9, 17) 12/4/45 with Shifty Henry (bass)'s All-Stars w/ Wild Bill Moore (tenor sax)

CEE PEE JOHNSON
1,5,8,12,15,18) 11/2/45 w/ Cee Pee (Vocal, drums) Teddy Buckner on trumpet

AL "STOMP" RUSSELL TRIO
3,10,13) Feb or or March 1946, Al Russell (piano) Joel Cowan (gtr) prob Doc Basso (voc, bass)

FRANK HAYWOOD
6,16) 2/27/46 Frank Haywood (voc) Monroe Tucker (piano) Chuck Norris (guitar) Earl Sims, Sam Allens (alto saxes) E. Montgomery (tenor sax) J. Moorman (trumpet), C. Jones (bass) G. Hart (drums)


"The situation: In the 1940s there was a "zone" wherein blues, big band swing, small band jazz, and the beginnings of rhythm & blues OVERLAPPED. The "jive" referenced in the title: Songs that are intentionally fun, funny, silly, irreverent, etc., songs about romantic frustration (or getting "weighed"), partying/getting loaded, etc. Many of these songs are blues with strong jazz overtones, and there's some early work herein by CHARLES MINGUS, LUCKY THOMPSON, and a few others that went on to bigger things. Except for WYNONNIE HARRIS, most of the performers here on not that well known (except to scholars of pre-1950s West Coast jazz and blues). The point, if I have one: This stuff is great fun, music to put on while you dress for your Saturday night on the town." - Amazon review