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Honkers & Bar Walkers – Volume One
Delmark DD 438 [United Series]
Compact Disc (1992)

“the sound of the R&B tenor saxophone, moaning, shaking, quivering and groaning…dance music, made for Saturday nights”

New York Times –Peter Watrous

Featuring Jimmy Forrest, Teddy Brannon, Cozy Eggleston, Tab Smith, Jimmy Coe, Doc Sausage, Fred Jackson, Chris Woods

1 Jimmy Forrest– Night Train
2 Teddy Brannon– Everybody Get Together
3 Teddy Brannon– Mixin' With Dixon
4 Cozy Eggleston– Cozy's Beat
5 Cozy Eggleston– Big Heavy (Blue Lights Boogie)
6 Tab Smith– Because Of You
7 Tab Smith– Ace High
8 Jimmy Coe– After Hours Joint
9 Jimmy Coe– Fast Blues
10 Doc Sausage– Sausage Rock
11 Fred Jackson– Sentimental Blues
12 Fred Jackson– Duck Fever
13 Chris Woods– Cool One-Groove Two



1 Jimmy Forrest– Night Train

Bass – Johnny Mixon
Congas – Percy James
Drums – Oscar Oldham
Piano – Bunky Parker
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Forrest
2:58
Chicago, November 27, 1951

2 Teddy Brannon Featuring Ray Abrams– Everybody Get Together

Bass – Aaron Bell
Drums – Denzil Best
Guitar, Vocals– Dickie Thompson
Piano – Teddy Brannon
Tenor Saxophone – Ray Abrams
2:25
Linden, NJ, October 1949

3 Teddy Brannon Featuring Ray Abrams– Mixin' With Dixon

Bass – Aaron Bell
Drums – Denzil Best
Guitar, Vocals – Dickie Thompson
Piano – Teddy Brannon
Tenor Saxophone – Ray Abrams
3:15
Linden, NJ, October 1949

4 Cozy Eggleston– Cozy's Beat

Alto Saxophone – Marie Eggleston
Bass – Curtis Ferguson
Drums – Chuck Williams
Guitar – Ellis Hunter
Piano – Jimmy Boyd
Tenor Saxophone – Cozy Eggleston
2:38
Chicago, August 23, 1952

5 Cozy Eggleston– Big Heavy (Blue Lites Boogie)

Alto Saxophone – Marie Eggleston
Bass – Curtis Ferguson
Drums – Chuck Williams
Guitar – Ellis Hunter
Piano – Jimmy Boyd
Tenor Saxophone – Cozy Eggleston
2:48
Chicago, August 23, 1952

6 TAB SMITH - Because Of You
His Fabulous Alto and Orchestra
United Records - 1951

Alto Saxophone – Tab Smith
Bass – Wilfred Middlebrooks
Drums – Walter Johnson
Organ – Sam Malone
Piano – Laverne Dillon or Teddy Brannon
Tenor Saxophone – Leon Washington
Trumpet – Sammy Cohn

Chicago, August 28, 1951

7 Tab Smith - Ace High

His Fabulous Alto and Orchestra
United Records - 1951

Alto Saxophone – Tab Smith
Bass – Vernon King or Wilfred Middlebrook
Drums – Walter Johnson
Organ – Sam Malone
Piano – Laverne Dillon or Teddy Brannon
Tenor Saxophone – Charlie Wright
Trumpet – Irving Woods
September 15, 1952

8 Jimmy Coe– After Hours Joint

Jimmy Coe and His Gay Cats of Rhythm

Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Coe
Bass – John Wittcliff
Drums, Rap – Earl "Fox" Walker
Piano – James Palmer

3:00
Chicago, February 1, 1953

9 Jimmy Coe– Fast Blues (aka "The Jet")

Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Coe
Bass – John Wittcliff
Drums – Earl "Fox" Walker
Organ – James Palmer
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Coe
2:29
Chicago, February 1, 1953

10 Doc Sausage With Earl Johnson – Sausage Rock

Drums – Doc Sausage (Lucius Tyson)
Guitar – Charlie Jackson
Piano – Charles Harris
Tenor Saxophone – Earl Johnson
2:35
Linden, NJ, January 2, 1950

11 Fred Jackson– Sentimental Blues
Other [Remainder Unknown] – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Fred Jackson
2:39
WGST, Atlanta, GA, Late 50's

12 Fred Jackson– Duck Fever
Other [Remainder Unknown] – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Fred Jackson
2:26
WGST, Atlanta, GA, Late 50's


13 Chris Woods - "Cool One-Groove Two"

United Label, Chicago, November 19, 1952

Alto Saxophone – Chris Woods
Bass – Eugene Thomas
Drums – Nathanial "Pee Wee" Jernigan
Piano – Charles Fox
Trombone – Arthur "Pete" Redford


CD Liner notes, Bob Porter- from the late, great journalist and radio DJ, formerly of WBGO- Newark, NJ

One story is that jazz began in New Orleans and moved up the river before spreading throughout the United States (and later, the world). Another is that the music was evolving spontaneously throughout America and that the New Orleans style was merely the most prominent of many regional styles in early jazz.

Similarly the evolution of Rhythm & Blues developed various flavors through its regional influences. If we wish to consider Rhythm & Blues as a melding of both city and country blues styles we must still acknowledge the Southwestern influence of Texas and Kansas City style swing bands, the New Orleans piano style pioneered by Champion Jack Dupree and Professor Longhair with the smooth vocal stylings of Californians such as Charles Brown and Cecil Gant.

Yet when one talks about the tenor saxophone and its relationship with Rhythm and Blues, we start with Jean Battiste Illinois Jacquet. Jacquet was born near New Orleans, raised in Texas, and came to prominence in California (thus having absorbed influences from all key contributing territories.)

There is myth about Illinois Jacquet - that his FLYING HOME solo with Lionel Hampton (for Decca in 1942) showed the way for the future of R&B saxophone. The solo, which is without question a tenor masterpiece, owes much to Jacquet's idol, Hershal Evans, but is clearly in the swing tenor idiom.

Jacquet's own FLYING HOME solos for Aladdin (1945) shows the new style in more bold relief. Airchecks of Jacquet with Cab Calloway in 1943 demonstrate that his above-the-staff screaming was already part of his style but 1945 was really the year when the new tenor style came into vogue.

It can be argued with considerable historical precedent that Jacquet was the first to demonstrate the potential and that King Curtis was the last of the great tenor stylists of that era. By the time of Curtis' death in 1971, the "roll" had long since disappeared from Rock and Roll and the saxophone was no longer prominent in whatever was left of the Rhythm and Blues of the 40's and 50's.

In the wake of the tenor explosion came many players who worked in the style. They came from all over and the styles ranged from reed-biting squealers to honkers just slightly less creative than, say, Lester Young. Stagecraft played a very large part in the presentation. Whether the player was jamming his knee into the bell of the horn (in order to go for a quarter-tone lower), peeling off his jacket and shirt and ultimately lying on his back with feet in the air blowing his brains out, or walking the bar while playing, the showmanship was as important as the playing as far as the audience was concerned.

Guys like Big Jay McNeely, Hal "Cornbread" Singer, Sam "The Man" Taylor, "Big" Al Sears, Rusty Bryant, Willis "Gatortail" Jackson, Sil Austin, Lee Allen, and many others were the stars of the idiom. Other players such as those represented here achieved less fame but still contributed mightily to the musical legacy of the idiom. The style, while not prominent today, is still heard occasionally in the neighborhood bars of black inner city areas.

The record companies that documented this music were, in the vast majority of cases, the small independent labels of the era. Two such organizations are represented here. The UNITED/STATES combine presided over by Leonard Allen and his producer Lew Simpkins and the Linden, NJ REGAL label of Fred Mendelsohn.

Mendelsohn started first, recording by late 1948. It was a unique operation because all Regal masters were recorded on tape in an era when many major labels were still going strong direct to disc. Regal didn't last long, but they managed to record not only in their own area, but also in New Orleans and Atlanta, both hotbeds of R&B talent.

Simpkins arrived on the scene with shortlived Miracle and Premium and then produced for Leonard Allen from 1951 until his death a few years later when Allen took over. They were among the first black entrepreneurs in the business ad one of their biggest successes was the classic recording of NIGHT TRAIN by St. Louis tenor artist Jimmy Forrest who distilled this and countless other great tenor performances from his years with the big bands of Andy Kirk, Jay McShann, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie.

Regal's New Jersey sessions brought us the sides by drummer-vocalist Doc Sausage and pianist Teddy Brannon. Many of the musicians here doubled in jazz. Bassist Jimmy Butts (still active) had worked with Tiny Grimes among many others, Herbert J. "Teddy" Brannon, born 9-27-16 in Moultrie, LA, had moved to Linden, NJ by 1925 where he took up piano, according to Australian historian Bob Eagle, who also informs us he is Babs Gonzales' cousin. He had played with Don Byas and turns up on at least one Blue Note LP as a sideman. He lived in the greater New York area as recently as 1974. The known accompanists were all prominent jazz players although guitarist Dickie Thompson had recorded for Signature, etc. as a bluesman. However, EVERYBODY GET TOGETHER may have a lead vocal by the legendary Sam "Spo-De-O-Dee" Theard but Mendelsohn isn't certain. What is certain is that Ray Abrams has a stickout tenor solo much in the manner of Hal Singer. Abrams has resurfaced in recent years leading a big band in Brooklyn. The guitar has been suggested as Everett Barksdale. The other players were identified by Paul Gayten who was present at the date. MIXIN WITH DIXON was a dedication to Philadelphia DJ Randy Dixon, who used it as his theme. Bassist Aaron Bell now teaches at Essex Community College in Newark, NJ, and plays piano frequently in small group Ellington projects.

Tenorman Cozy Eggleston remained active around the south side of Chicago, cut an LP on his own Co-Eg label in the 70's. Of his sidemen, Jimmy Boyd later played with James Moody and Chuck Williams was long associated with Gene Ammons. The easy rolling FISH TAIL has strong tenor and nice piano while BIG HEAVY was used a theme by Alan Freed at WINS in New York.

Tab Smith was born in North Carolina January 11, 1909. In 1931, he joined the band of Eddie Johnson in St. Louis. Work in St. Louis with Dewey Jackson and Fate Marable followed, but it wasn't until 1936 when he joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band (fronted by Lucky Millinder) that he came to national attention. He would rejoin Millinder in 1942, but during 1940-42 Tab was an important part of the Count Basie reed section. He did some writing for the band (Blow Top and Harvard Blues) and contributed several memorable solos with the band. His first United session included his masterpiece, BECAUSE OF YOU, which features Tab's strong full tome and ability to phrase a melody in his own way.

Jimmy Coe replaced Jimmy Forrest in the Jay McShann band and was active in Indianapolis, where he now is an executive in the school system, and still works occasionally in music. AFTER HOURS JOINT is exactly what it sounds like with some spoken jive, piano in a Todd Rhodes groove (Eugene Fox appears to have recorded Sly Fox for Chess with Ike Turner's band) and some Eddie Chamblee-style tenor from Coe. FAST BLUES has some organ backing and swinging tenor. The organist is very much like Milt Buckner while Coe here sounds like Red Prysock (remember his solo on Tiny Bradshaw's Soft?).

The lively jive of SAUSAGE ROCK was a typical dance number of the era. Little more is known of tenorist Earl Johnson than the fact that he later worked with the Jive Bombers on Savoy Records. The guitarist contributes to the general good time as does Charles Harris at the piano (and the whoops and hollers from the guests in the studio).

Fred Jackson would come to prominence on Blue Note records in the early 60's as a jazz player, but in these years he was a part of the Chuck Willis band. Though his sidemen are not known, they are likely from the Atlanta clique that backed singers Billy Wright and Willis during this period. SENTIMENTAL BLUES is slow and spotlights a nice trumpet player. BUCK FEVER is from Big Jay McNeely's Deacon's Hop prior to the entrance of the band and some boo-wa Basie riffs. This session was recorded at radio station WGST, the home of Zenas Sears, the black music disc jockey in Atlanta.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee in the thirties, Chris Woods was gigging on Beale Street before he was out of high school. In the early fifties, the saxophonist migrated to St. Louis and quickly established himself in that city's talented jazz scene. Chris moved to New York in the 60's. There he played or recorded with Ted Curson, Clark Terry, Buddy Rich, Duke Pearson, Howard McGhee, Ernie Wilkins, Dizzy Gillespie and others, as well as occasionally gigging with his own quartet. Later, in the early 80's, he was featured with the Count Basie Orchestra.

In all this is a mellow album with solid playing by all concerned which manages, at one time or another, to touch most of the stylistic tendencies of the R&B tenor of the time. In order to enjoy it, you needn't walk to the bar but it wouldn't hurt at all to pour yourself a beer while listening.

- Bob Porter, WBGO-FM, Newark

Thanks to Michael Cuscuna for background info on Chris Woods.