Local blues shouter Clarence Samuels recently recalled that whenever his contemporary Wynonie Harris was in town he avoided crossing his path, because, as Clarence will tell you, “Wynonie was bad news.”
Harris was indeed a wild man, and an entire book, Rock Mr. Blues (Big Nickel) was recently dedicated to his exploits. They included, among other things, buying a house in a conservative, upscale black neighborhood and promptly erecting a neon sign in his front yard proclaiming “Wynonie Harris: The World’s Greatest Blues Singer”!! Fact is, he wasn’t just bragging. It’s been said that Wynonie’s singing was measured in decibels, as was his life: his brash, loud voice was mirrored in the way he drank, dressed and lived, and when he kicked the bucket back in ’68, a smuggled bottle of Johnny Walker at his hospital bedside, Harris must’ve greeted the Lord (the devil wouldn’t have wanted the competition) with the satisfaction that he’d committed nearly every aspect of his life to wax.
Blessed with a set of pipes that in no uncertain terms demanded action, his brash slices of what was soon to be labeled rock ‘n’ roll are impressively assembled here on four CDs that represent a comprehensive rundown of every session the man cut from the very sunrise of his career through 1950.
Among the highlights you’ll find jazz legends galore, kickin’ back and blowing their brains out on some seriously swingin’ rhythm & blues. Sun Ra makes his first ever studio appearance on four tunes originally cut for Nashville’s Bullet label, the owner of which recalls “It was just a bunch of screaming as far as we were concerned.” (!) Ah, rock ‘n’ roll. Wynonie’s well-loved themes of broads, babes and bullshitting are well in evidence throughout, yet he can sweetly wrap his voice around Bing Crosby’s “I Don’t Stand A Ghost of a Chance With You” and melt the coldest heart.
Retailing for twenty dollars and boasting an expertly annotated 51-page booklet that will keep you entertained for hours, do not, under any circumstances, let this one slip through your fingers.
