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Honkers & Bar Walkers – Volume 2

Delmark DD 452 (1992) [Apollo Series]


The second installment in Delmark’s Honkers & Bar Walkers series of saxophone-oriented R&B from Apollo Records; featuring Willis Jackson, Morris Lane, Panama Francis, Bill Harvey, Charlie Ferguson, Bobby Smith, and King Curtis.

1 Willis Jackson– Pee Wee (Call Of The Gators) 3:05
2 Morris Lane & His Orchestra*– Return Of B.O. Plenty 2:53
3 Morris Lane & His Orchestra*– Gitchie Gitchie-Goomba 2:09
4 Morris Lane & His Orchestra*– Joe's Beat 2:33
5 Morris Lane & His Orchestra*– Blue Jeans 2:17
6 Panama Francis– Benson Bounce 2:30
7 Panama Francis– Darnkness Of The Delta 3:08
8 Panama Francis– Bess's Blues 3:08
9 Panama Francis– 12:00 Jump 2:44
10 Bill Harvey & His Orchestra*– I Love Her 3:05
11 Bill Harvey & His Orchestra*– Walk Right In 2:50
12 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– Doll Baby 2:14
13 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– Bean Head 2:47
14 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– Hard Times 2:54
15 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– Big G 2:26
16 Bobby Smith (3)– That's For Sure 2:13
17 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– That's It 2:42
18 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– Low Light 2:47
19 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– Hi Beam 2:37
20 Charlie Ferguson And This Orchestra*– I Got It Bad 2:29
21 King Curtis– Rush Hour 2:05
22 King Curtis– Dynamite At Midnite

recording dates from 1950 - 1956

AllMusic Review by Jim Todd [-]

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.