A few years ago Melbourne DJ Mohair Slim treated the Diddy Wah massive to a few rare Prince Buster sides and shared his musical incites. It's my absolute pleasure to welcome him back to enlighten us further with some recent discoveries he's made. Please make him feel warmly welcome.
Kansas City Jimmy - Mama
Kansas City Jimmy - Saturday Night
Kansas City Jimmy - Cheatin Woman
Having recently discovered a treasure trove of jump blues 78s, I now realise that my perception of the early days of rhythm and blues, learned via LP and CD compilations (and the writings of people who have acquired their knowledge by the same means) might be somewhat warped. I looked through 200 or so records and bought 37. There were Amos Milburns, Floyd Dixons, Rosco Gordons (Joy!), Johnny Otissssss and other feted names, but, they were far outweighed by releases by unknowns like The Beale Street Gang, Jesse Allen, Rose Mitchell and the Rolling Crew.
When I said I wanted some stompers for a club night, my trove guide said “I think you should hear this guy. He’s not the organ Jimmy Smith, he’s another one. He also used the name ‘Kansas City Jimmy’. No one really knows who he is. They don’t even know who was in the band, but, they’re very good.” He then handed me two records with the famous burgundy Savoy label featuring “Kansas City Jimmy” and “Jimmy Smith” respectively.
They aren’t credited on the record itself, but the Savoy session notes reveal that Jimmy’s backing band were named “The Sepians” - at least for the purposes on their March 1949 Los Angeles session. A “Jimmy Smith & His Sepians” recorded one jazz 78 (“Big Chump Blues”) for Decca eight years earlier. The Decca session notes show the participants to be:
Kenneth Roane (t)
Jimmy Smith (ts)
Sammy Price (p)
Ham Jackson (g)
William “Smitty” Smith (db)
Unknown (d)
Nora Lee King (v)
The theory that Jimmy Smith is the band-leader and tenor saxophonist is an appealing one when you listen to the arrangements (listen to “Mama”) and how the tenor hogs the solos on all sides. It was not uncommon for jump band leaders to take full credit ahead of their featured vocalists, indeed that’s exactly what Smith did on his Decca release (singer was actually femme guitarist Nora Lee King). But, if that’s right, who is the handy uncredited shouter? It certainly isn’t Jimmy Witherspoon as one website proffered. The Savoy session notes provide the answer, they show “Jimmy Smith “(vo)”. I think the full explanation is that the Jimmy Smith that recorded with Savoy is the same one that laid down the Decca sides and in the intervening years, Jimmy taught decided to have a bash at singing himself (a la other vocalising horn-players of the era Louis Jordan, Cleanhead Vinson, Bullmoose Jackson etc.). This would explain why you don’t hear any crossover between the vocals and the lead tenor on any of the songs and why the saxophone stops abruptly and the singer seems to rush the start of “Saturday Night”.
But from where does the band hail? New York? (where the Decca session took place), Los Angeles?, KC? or somewhere else? Oh well, dig the proto-rock’n’roll big beat of Jimmy and the boys. Me, I’m going back to the man and ask if he has that Acorn disc.
Jimmy Smith aka Kansas City Jimmy discographyJimmy Smith & His Sepians, “Big Chump Blues” / “I Ain't Got Nobody To Love” (Decca) 1941
Kansas City Jimmy – “Cheatin' Women” / “Saturday Night” (Savoy 691) 1949
Jimmy Smith – “Mama” / “Talking Boogie” (Savoy 709) 1949
Kansas City Jimmy – “Jimmie's Idea” / “Rock That Boogie” (Acorn 301) 1949
Jimmy Smith And His Sepians
Jimmy Smith (vo)
Los Angeles, CA, March 26, 1949
SLA520-3 : Fat Mama : Savoy 709
SLA521 : Baby Dear : Unissued
SLA522 : Jam Session : -
SLA523 : Talking Boogie : Savoy 709
Kansas City Jimmy
Kansas City Jimmy (vo) and others
Los Angeles, CA, March 8, 1949
SLA516-3 : Cheatin' Women : Savoy 691
SLA517 : Jimmie's Idea : Acorn 301
SLA518: Jump For Joy : Savoy unissued
SLA519-4 : Saturday Night : Savoy 691
Kansas City Jimmy
Kansas City Jimmy (vo) and others
Los Angeles, CA, August 22, 1949
SLA4426 : I Love You Baby : Savoy unissued
SLA4427 : Wine Headed Women : -
SLA4428 : Central Avenue Mood : -
SLA4429 : Rock That Boogie : Acorn 301
Blue Juice radio show on PBS FMLabels: blues, guest post, jazz, rhythm and blues