Biography

For more information, contact:
Michael Frank, CEO
Earwig Music Company, Inc.
2054 W. Farwell Ave.
Chicago, IL 60645
mfrank@earwigmusic.com
office phone 773-262-0278
Click here to go to Earwig Music Company

born April 18, 1906 - died September 6, 1985

A notable influence to the likes of Sunnyland Slim and Otis Spann, pianist "Little Brother" Montgomery's lengthy career spanned both the earliest years of blues history and the electrified Chicago scene of the 1950s.

By age 11, Montgomery had given up on attending school to instead play in Louisiana juke joints. He came to Chicago as early as 1926 and made his first 78s in 1930 for Paramount (the booty that day in Grafton, Wisconsin, included two of Montgomery's enduring signature items, "Vicksburg Blues" and "No Special Rider"). Bluebird recorded Montgomery more prolifically in 1935-36 in New Orleans.

In 1942, Little Brother Montgomery settled down to a life of steady club gigs in Chicago, his repertoire alternating between blues and traditional jazz (he played Carnegie Hall with Kid Ory's Dixieland band in 1949). Otis Rush benefited from his sensitive accompaniment on several of his 1957-58 Cobra dates, while Buddy Guy recruited him for similar duties when he nailed Montgomery's "First Time I Met the Blues" in a supercharged revival for Chess in 1960. That same year, Montgomery cut a fine album for Bluesville with guitarist Lafayette "Thing" Thomas that remains one of his most satisfying sets.

With his second wife, Janet Floberg, Montgomery formed his own little record company, FM, in 1969. The first 45 on the logo, fittingly enough, was a reprise of "Vicksburg Blues," with a vocal by Chicago chanteuse Jeanne Carroll (her daughter Karen is following in her footsteps around the Windy City).

After Little Brother's death, his widow Jan licensed many of their tracks to Earwig Music Company, which released Little Brother Montgomery At Home in 1990. Little Brother died September 6, 1985, in Chicago.

He left behind his widow Jan and his Chicago proteges Ervin Helfer and "Barrelhouse Chuck" Goering, who carry on his classic traditional blues and jazz style.

-Written by Bill Dahl, updated by Michael Frank

-------------------------------------------------------

Little Brother Montgomery
At Home EWR-4918

1.The Rocks 1:31
2.Louisiana Blues 4:04
3.Brother Red's Boogie 3:17
4.Without You Sweetheart 3:55
5.Suitcase Blues 4:07
6.Jan 4:40
7.Pinetop's Boogie Woogie 3:19
8.Hard Oh Lord 4:04
9.I'm Gonna Build My Bed On the Bottom Of the Deep Blue Sea 2:56
10.Yankee Doodle Blues 3:14
11.I'm Going Back To Old Tennessee 2:42
12.No Special Rider Boogie 2:18
13.Mini Skirt Blues 3:53
14.Do You Know What It Means To MIss New Orleans 4:47

Release Date: May 24, 1995

These recordings were produced by Eurreal “Little Brother” Montgomery and his wife Jan Montgomery, often by bringing a recording engineer to their apartment. Most remained unissued, until Little Brother’s protégé “Barrelhouse Chuck” Goering introduced the Montgomerys to Earwig CEO Michael Frank, who licensed the tracks from the couple. The album ably spotlights the pianist’s outstanding playing of traditional blues and traditional jazz, showing why he was so significant to the early development of both genres

“Little Brother was one of the finest of the first generation of blues pianists who came out of the barrelhouse and back rooms of the rural South in the early 1900s. This fine collection is mostly unissued cuts recorded from the late 60s to the early 80s. Excellent for collectors, and great old piano stylings as well.” – Pittsburgh Press

Album Credits
Musicians

Little Brother Montgomery - piano and vocals
Charles "Truck" Parham - upright bass
James Herndon - drums
Tollie "Duke" Montgomery - piano
Theodore "Red" Saunders - drums
Charles "Truck" Parham - bass
Roy Slaughter - drums
Edith Wilson - vocal
Jan Montgomery - vocal

Produced by Michael Robert Frank and Janet A. Montgomery

Leon Kelert - Lakco Record Company, engineer

Paul Smith - Acme Audio and Recording Company, remixing and CD mastering

Clark Dean - Photography & Graphic Design