Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Cousin Joe Pleasant - Gospel Wailing etc.

Few blues legends have the presence of mind to write autobiographies. Fortunately, Pleasant Joseph did, spinning fascinating tales of a career in his 1987 tome Cousin Joe: Blues from New Orleans that spanned more than half a century.
Growing up in New Orleans, Pleasant began singing in church before crossing over to the blues. Guitar and ukulele were his first axes. He eventually prioritized the piano instead, playing Crescent City clubs and riverboats. He moved to New York in 1942, gaining entry into the city's thriving jazz scene (where he played with Dizzy Gillespie, Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, and a host of other luminaries).
He recorded for King, Gotham, Philo (in 1945), Savoy, and Decca along the way, doing well on the latter logo with "Box Car Shorty and Peter Blue" in 1947. After returning to New Orleans in 1948, he recorded for DeLuxe and cut a two-part "ABCs" for Imperial in 1954 as Smilin' Joe under Dave Bartholomew's supervision. But by then, his recording career had faded.
The pianist was booked on a 1964 Blues and Gospel Train tour of England, sharing stages with Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe and appearing on BBC-TV with the all-star troupe. He cut a 1971 album for the French Black & Blue label, Bad Luck Blues, that paired him with guitarists Gatemouth Brown and Jimmy Dawkins and a Chicago rhythm section -- hardly the ideal situation, but still a reasonably effective showcase for the ebullient entertainer.
This album was recorded in 1974 in the UK while touring with the American Blues Legends. Al I remember from seeing the tour was that Big John Wrencher impressed me and Cousin Joe was very enjoyable .. more than likely that's why I bought this lp at the time.
Complete title of the lp is; "gospel-wailing jazz playing rock'nrolling soul-shouting tap dancing bluesman from New Orleans" .. and that says it in a nutshell.

Post: http://www23.zippyshare.com/v/j0opjkWy/file.html

track 1 side 2 jumps in 1 place. Some idiot, not me, has used the lp to write on. Looking at it the light I can see the writing over half the lp.

2 comments:

Alan Balfour said...

In 1973 Jim Simpson of Big Bear asked me to "chaperone" Cousin Joe to the BBC TV recording of a program called The Old Grey Whistle Test at the BBC's Shepherd's Bush studio and immediately after to the 100 Club in Oxford Street for a 9pm appearance. This we made by the skin of our teeth. Joe's main concern seemed to be to meet the "whispering man" (Bob Harris show presenter). I had to explain that Harris would be recording his links at some later stage in conjunction with the edited video. This confused him no end, bless him!

Anonymous said...

Xyros, Here's a replacement for the jumping Cousin Joe track:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x8s32nmcenlw0yg/B1-Railroad%20Avenue.mp3

Rob F