The JOB Label

Revision note.We have added a recently discovered JOB LP (!) from 1958. Featuring singer-pianist Nelda Dupuy, it is the only known result of a planned partnership between Joe Brown of JOB and Leonard Allen, the former proprietor of United and States.

The JOB label was founded in August 1949 by Joe Brown (1897 or 1904 - 1976) and James Burke Oden (aka St. Louis Jimmy, 1903 - 1977). Reportedly the name of the label transposed the bluesman's initials. JOB followed a venture called Opera, which flared briefly in 1947 and 1948. JOB would hold on until 1974, but its main period of sustained activity ran from late 1950 through the middle of 1954. The company's one chart hit, "Five Long Years" by Eddie Boyd, was released in July 1952. Always a "mom and pop" scale business with erratic publicity and distribution, after 1954 JOB became more of a hobby for its owner than a serious business venture. Brown tried to establish a subsidiary label called Fury in 1955; he invested in the Abco label in 1956 and the Ruler label in 1958; he took over the Oriole label in 1958-1959; meanwhile his interest in JOB came and went.

JOB, then, was not a single coordinated enterprise. It is best understood as a series of startups that happened to be run by the same person, under cover of the same logo.

In the very beginning there were two singles. One of them featured co-owner St. Louis Jimmy as leader, and the other spotlighted a song he had written. The single by Mildred Richards went absolutely nowhere, and acute marketing insufficiency quickly induced JOB to peddle the St. Louis Jimmy session to Apollo, along with other material by bluesmen Sunnyland Slim, Willie Mabon, and Jimmy Rogers.

JOB1. St. Louis Jimmy / Sunnyland Slim^ / Willie Mabon -2/ Jimmy Rogers -3

James Burke "St. Louis Jimmy" Oden (voc -1); Sunnyland Slim [Albert Luandrew] (p, voc except -2); Willie Mabon (hca -4; p, voc -2); Sam Casimir (eg except -3); Jimmy Rogers (eg, voc -3); Andrew Harris (b).

United Broadcasting Studios, Chicago, August 26, 1949

According to Leadbitter and Slaven, who provided the recording date, this session initially contained matrix numbers UB9-1032 and 1033. After the sale to Apollo, new numbers were applied to all of the items; only in the case of "Mother's Day" do we happen to know the original UB number. Meanwhile "Jack L. Cooper" (written to butter up a prominent Chicago DJ didn't particularly interest an East Coast outfit like Apollo, and wasn't included in the sale. Apollo 420 therefore replaced "Jack L. Cooper" with a new B side and retitled "Mother's Day" as "Sad Old Sunday."

After Delmark acquired many of the Apollo holdings in the 1990s, all of the St. Louis Jimmy material from the session except "Jack L. Cooper" appeared on Delmark DD-655, a CD released in 1992 under the title Sunnyland Slim: House Rent Party. "Jack L. Cooper" was, however, included in the Document CD, St. Louis Jimmy Oden Vol. 2: 1944-1955, which was released in 1994. The track was dubbed from a rare 78 in the collection of George Paulus.

The August 26 session was quite extensive, producing additional items without St. Louis Jimmy. Six sides by Sunnyland Slim and His Trio (reassigned matrix numbers R-1383 through R-1386, plus two alternate takes) were sold to Apollo. Two were issued on Apollo 416; all four have appeared on Delmark DD-655, Sunnyland Slim: House Rent Party, and on Classics 5035, Sunnyland Slim 1949-1951, issued in 2001. The Classics reissue incorrectly places Robert Jr. Lockwood (eg) and Ernest "Big" Crawford (b) in the trio instead of Casimir and Harris. In addition, Fancourt and McGrath list UB9-1034, "Sunnyland Blues" and UB9-1035 "My Life Is an Open Book" as unissued JOB sides from this session. We haven't included these in our table because they may have been retitled by Apollo (and later Delmark).

As though the St. Louis Jimmy and Sunnyland Slim sides weren't a sufficient contribution, the session concluded with two sides featuring Willie Mabon (who netted a single on Apollo) and two by Jimmy Rogers (who, as had become unfortunately usual for him) saw his sides left in the can. Mabon was billed as Big Willie on his Apollo release.

JOB2. Mildred Richards and Her Red Hots

Mildred Richards (voc); Baby Face Leroy Foster (eg); other musicians unidentified.

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, early 1950

Discographies have placed this session in 1949; some also misrender the singer's name as "Richardson." The label identifies the source as Modern Recording Studio. MRS 22491 and 22492 are legal matrix numbers in that series, but they would have to date from early 1950. Is "Mother's Day" the same song that was on the St. Louis Jimmy session? His involvement as composer says yes.

Only two copies of the Mildred Richards single are still known to exist--and one of them is broken.

We very much doubt that St. Louis Jimmy kept his stake in the company after his session was unloaded to Apollo. He never recorded another session for JOB, though he shared composer credits for the Mildred Richards sides. These facts lead us to question his continued participation in the venture (he kept on recording periodically for other labels through the early 1960s). On the other hand, Sunnyland Slim was a regular participant in JOB sessions from 1949 through 1954, and some suspected that he held a share of the ownership.

In fact, what seems to have happened after the first JOB startup collapsed was an exodus of talent to Monroe Passis' Parkway operation. In January 1950, Jimmy Rogers and Sunnyland Slim were recording for the new label, on a session led by Memphis Minnie. Baby Face Leroy Foster was recording as a leader and actually releasing sides on the new label. In March 1950, Monroe Passis of Parkway announced that he and J. Mayo Wiliams were managing Memphis Minnie, Sunnyland Slim, St. Louis Jimmy, and others. While St. Louis Jimmy did not record for Parkway as far as we know, he never returned to JOB--in fact, he didn't make another recording until 1953, for Duke. After Parkway failed in the middle of 1950, Sunnyland Slim tried to start his own Sunny label. He would not return to JOB until the J. B. Lenoir session at the end of the year.

Startup number 2 looks to have taken place around the middle of 1950. Discographies have treated the Baby Facy Leroy and Snooky Pryor sessions as separate, but given the apparently identical personnel and the fact that it took two of these events to generate the usual quota of four sides, we are pretty sure that all were done on the same occasion. Pretty obviously, Leroy Foster returned to JOB after Parkway failed in the middle of 1950 (he had quit Muddy Waters' band after recording for Parkway, in the mistaken belief that his Parkway releases would establish him as a bandleader).

Again, the first single out from this second effort was branded JOB 100 and the second was JOB 101--got that? By October or November of 1950, Joe Brown had dealt JOB 100 to the Chess brothers, who rebranded it as Chess 1447. If the second JOB 101 was offered to Chess, the company never did anything with it. (There was a second JOB 100 as well, but it was on a different label altogether--see the discussion of the Shreveport, Louisiana-based JOB label at the end of this page).

Joe Brown's next effort introduced two significant bluesmen to the label. Bluesman Baby Face Leroy Foster was born on 12 February 1923, in Algoma, Mississippi. He was one of the pioneers of the post-World War II southern blues resurgence in Chicago, coming to the city in 1945 in the company of Little Walter and pianist Johnny Jones. His insinuating vocals, drumming, and guitar picking can be found on some of the greatest Chicago bar-band blues. He worked with Sunnyland Slim and John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, before joining Muddy Waters' band. He first recorded with Lee Brown (for Chicago and Harlem, 1945, and King, 1946) and James Clark (Columbia, 1946). After a possible appearance on guitar with Sunnyland Slim for Opera, he definitely played guitar on some of the legendary Tempo-Tones, done in May 1949 alongside Floyd Jones, Little Walter, Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Rogers, and Elga Edmonds; in fact, he sang on two Tempo-Tone sides that apparently went unreleased. He played rhythm guitar on Muddy Waters' October or November 1948 Aristocrat session, and guitar and drums on Muddy's session of September 1949. Foster also made his debut as a leader on the 1948 outing, singing on two sides of his own. The last time he would record with Waters was on an extraordinary Parkway session in January 1950, along with Little Walter. Foster was credited as the leader on four sides, two of them making up a remarkable performance of "Rollin' and Tumblin'."

Not long after the Parkway session, Foster parted company with Waters. He was hoping that Parkway would establish him as a solo artist, but the new company blew up almost immediately. So Foster moved on and cut this JOB session, his first of three for the company. He recorded two slow numbers--"My Head Can't Rest Anymore" and "Take a Walk with Me." Both were so strongly flavored with Snooky Pryor's accompaniment that reissue compilers in the early 1990s put them on a harmonica collection.

James Edward "Snooky" Pryor was born on September 15, 1921, in Lambert, Mississippi. His style on the harmonica was derived in roughly equal parts from John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson and Aleck Miller (aka Sonny Boy Williamson #2). He got the idea of amplifying his harmonica while serving in the military during World War II, and in 1945 began performing at the Maxwell Street market with portable PA system he purchased at a store at 504 South State. As the first to amplify a harmonica, Pryor should rightly be recognized as a blues pioneer. His first recordings were made around November 1948 for Chester Scales' tiny Marvel and Planet operation; two of the six sides ("Telephone Blues" b/w "Boogie") featured him as the leader. They gained a little more currency when reissued on Old Swing-Master in 1949. This JOB session appears to have been Pryor's next recording opportunity.

JOB3. Baby Face / Snooky Pryor*

"Baby Face" Leroy Foster (eg, voc); Snooky Pryor (hca, voc); Alfred Elkins (b).

unidentified studio, Chicago, early 1950

100a	My Head Can't Rest Anymore (Foster-"Brown")		JOB 100, Chess 1447, Flyright FLYCD 11, Paula PCD-7
100b	Take a Little Walk with Me (Foster-"Brown")		JOB 100, Chess 1447, Flyright FLYCD 11, Paula PCD-7
JB-101A	Boogy Fool (Pryor-"Brown")*		JOB 101, Flyright FLYCD 11, Paula PCD-7, Westside WESA 869 [CD], Westside WESD 233 [CD]
JB-101B	Raisin Sand [sic] (Pryor-"Brown")*		JOB 101, Flyright FLYCD 11, Paula PCD-7, Westside WESA 869 [CD], Westside WESD 233 [CD]

Conventionally, the second JOB 101 is said to be from a different session ("1949 or 1950") and the bassist is said to be Moody Jones (a JOB regular) or Alfred Elkins (also a JOB regular). But the lineups are otherwise identical, as is the rather subdued sound of the ensemble.

Anyhow, JOB 100 and 101 were both released in 1950. Flyright FLYCD 11, Chicago Blues Harmonicas, was issued in 1989. Its American counterpart, Paula PCD-7, was issued in 1991. These collect harmonica-oriented blues from the JOB and Cobra archives. Westside WESA 869, Snooky Pryor & Friends: Pitch a Boogie Woogie If It Takes Me All Night Long: Seminal Post-War Chicago Blues, is a British CD released in 2001.

The third launch took place around the end of 1950. Joe Brown dealt the Baby Face Leroy single from startup #2 to the Chess brothers. He now had a firm relationship with Modern Recording Studio at 55 West Wacker Drive. One session that he cut there around December 1950 (matrix numbers 31641 through 31644) consisted of four tunes by J. B. Lenoir--his first as a leader. Lenoir's electric guitar and vocals were backed by JOB regulars Sunnyland Slim (piano), Baby Face Leroy Foster (guitar), and Alfred Wallace (drums). All four sides were sold outright to Chess, which put them out on Chess 1449 and 1463; none would appear on JOB.

The JOB-Chess relationship was not to last, however. By the end of 1951 it is doubtful that Joe Brown and Leonard Chess were on speaking terms.

JOB5. Sunnyland Slim and His Trio / The Fat Man and the Sunnyland Slim Trio*

Sunnyland Slim (p, voc); Robert Lockwood Jr. (eg); Moody Jones (b); Alfred "Fat Man" Wallace (d, voc).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, February 1, 1951

JB 32781 MRS	You've Gotta Stop This Mess (Wallace) [AW voc]*		JOB 103-A, Nashboro 516 A, Flyright FLYCD 10, Paula PCD-14, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5035 [CD]
JB 32782 MRS	Glad I Don't Worry No More (Wallace) [AW voc]*		JOB 103-B, Nashboro 516 B, Flyright FLYCD 10, Paula PCD-14, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5035 [CD]
JB 32783 MRS	Down Home Child (Luandrew) [SS voc]		JOB 102-A, Flyright FLYCD 10, Paula PCD-14, Opal OCD 110, Westside WESA 910 [CD], Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5035 [CD]
JB 32784 MRS	Sunnyland Special ("Luan Drew") [SS voc]		JOB 102-B, Opal OCD 110, Flyright FLYCD 10, Paula PCD-14, Westside WESA 910 [CD], Classics 5035 [CD]

JOB 102 and 103 were released in 1951. JOB 103 was picked up by Nashboro, a company in Nashville that released mostly gospel material, and reissued on a single not long afterward. Flyright FLYCD 10 and Paula PCD-14, Johnny Shines and Robert Lockwood, were identical releases from 1989 and 1990. Opal OCD 110, Sunnyland Slim: Patriarch of the Blues 1947-1952, was released in 1995. Westside WESA 910, Sunnyland Slim & Friends: Sunnyland Special: The Cobra & JOB Recordings 1949-1956, is a British CD released in 2001. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5035, Sunnyland Slim 1949-1951, was also released in 1951.

JOB6. Vocal and Guitar, Floyd Jones | Sunnyland Slim and His Boys

Floyd Jones (eg, voc); Billy Howell (tp -1); Sunnyland Slim (p); Moody Jones (b); Alfred "Fat Man" Wallace (d).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, March 22, 1951

JOB 1001 was released in 1951 with a blue label (why the new series?). There are two versions of JOB 1001. The first credits Sunnyland Slim and His Boys on the label; the second doesn't. The first carries the 5-digit matrix numbers in the wax along with the JB numbers; the second carries only the JB numbers, though the MRS suffix is still present. Clearly the second version was issued later, probably after the Chess remakes appeared. (Further credence is lent to this hypothesis by the #2 after JB-1001-A and JB-1001-B on Big Joe Louis' copy of the 78). Billy Howell is credited on both editions with playing trumpet on "Big World." His presence lends the number a 1920s jazz feel otherwise unknown in Floyd Jones' output.

Flyright FLYCD 31 and Paula PCD-15 were released in 1990 and 1991 under the title Chicago Piano 1951-1958 from Cobra and JOB. Flyright FLYCD 28, Blues Is Killin' Me, is a various-artists compilation (all JOB material) issued in 1990, with an American counterpart on Paula PCD-19 from 1991; its Flyright LP predecessors date from 1981. Westside WESA 910, Sunnyland Slim & Friends: Sunnyland Special: The Cobra & JOB Recordings 1949-1956, is a British CD released in 2001. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5130, Floyd Jones 1948-1953, is a CD released in 2005. The subtitle is off, becuase the last session on the CD was actually done (for Vee-Jay) in 1954.

This is not the same coupling that Chess put out on Chess 1498. Thanks to Les Fancourt for alerting us to this fact and pointing out the personnel on JOB 1001. Chess remade "Dark Road" and "Big World" on December 29, 1951, with backing by members of the Muddy Waters band, including Jimmy Rogers on guitar and Little Walter on harmonica. The matrix numbers were deliberately obcured (put in the F1000 series used for purchased material instead of the U7000 series that was used for the other sides recorded at the same session) when the sides were released on Chess 1498. Whether Joe Brown and Leonard Chess had a falling out before the Floyd Jones remakes we don't know. After the remakes took place, though, relations between the companies were poisonous.

"Dark Road" was considered a hit, though its sales were not high enough to make Billboard's R&B charts. Before "Dark Road," JOB was hardly ever mentioned in the trade press; afterwards not every release was cited but coverage did markedly improve.

JOB7. Sunnyland Trio / Robert Lockwood* / Vocal by Baby Face | Sunnyland Trio^

Sunnyland Slim (p, voc); Billy Howell (tp on -2); Robert Lockwood Jr. (eg, voc); Baby Face Leroy Foster (eg, voc); Alfred "Fat Man" Wallace (d).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, March 22, 1951

JOB 1002 and 1003 were issued in 1952. Clearly, Joe Brown saw commercial potential in Sunnyland Slim and Leroy Foster. Billy Howell's presence on trumpet (he can be heard on "Mary Lee") confirms the common origin of these tracks and the Floyd Jones items listed above.

Meanwhile, Brown passed on the Robert Jr. Lockwood numbers, which had to wait for the first wave of reissue LPs. (We got the first issue credits from The Blues Discography 1943-1970, by Les Fancourt and Bob McGrath.) Interestingly, Lockwood recorded his version of "Dust My Broom" a few months before Elmore James (James cut it as his only vocal on what was otherwise a Sonny Boy Williamson session for Trumpet, in Jackson, Mississippi on August 5, 1951). But having the pianist play the "Dust My Broom" riff (as Sunnyland does on this session) was not a procedure that others chose to copy...

Lockwood's next sesssion as a leader was for Mercury, later in 1951. Again he was accompanied by Sunnyland Slim and Alfred Wallace. He would return to JOB, however.

Leroy Foster in his second session for JOB did a workmanlike job on two slow deep blues--"Pet Rabbit" and "Louella"—that appeal to a reissue audience on account of their Southern rural feel but apparently did not sell much in the early 1950s.

Flyright FLYCD 10 and Paula PCD-14, Johnny Shines and Robert Lockwood, were issued in 1989 and 1990. Flyright FLYCD 31 and Paula PCD-15 were released in 1990 and 1991, respectively, under the title Chicago Piano 1951-1958 from Cobra and JOB. Flyright FLYCD 28, Blues Is Killin' Me, is a various-artists compilation (all JOB material) issued in 1990, and matched by an American release on Paula PCD-19 from 1991; its Flyright LP predecessors date from 1981. Westside WESA 910, Sunnyland Slim & Friends: Sunnyland Special: The Cobra & JOB Recordings 1949-1956, is a British CD released in 2001. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5035, Sunnyland Slim 1949-1951, was also released in 2001.

JOB8. Roy Sneed

Roy Sneed (voc); other musicians unidentified.

Chicago, 1951

We'd really like to find something out about this session. Has anyone seen a copy of JOB 1004?

We previously put the mysterious Sneed session in 1952, but the release's place in the JOB 1000 series makes a recording date in 1951 more likely. JOB 1001 through 1003 were recorded on March 22, 1951. JOB 1005, by Eddie Boyd, and JOB 1006, by Henry Palmer, were recorded on May 30 of the same year.

"Roy Sneed" might be the same singer and dancer who recorded in Chicago (as Ray Snead) for Mercury in May and September 1951. On the September 1951 date he cut "I'm a Good Rocking Daddy" with a strong studio ensemble that included Eddie Chamblee on tenor sax and Johnny Pate on bass; Leo Parker, who was in and out of Chicago in 1951, was the featured soloist on baritone sax. Around 1959 he was discovered by singer Dinah Washington and included in her tours for a time.

However, Dave Penny (email communication, June 7, 2006) has put forward a different and more likely candidate: a Roy Sneed who was born on August 1, 1924. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Sneed was a country guitarist who played and recorded with The Carlisles (on Mercury). He put out a release on his own named on Valley 111 ("I'll Be So Blue Tomorrow" b/w "Turn Around Boy") in 1954, and was responsible for a couple of other singles and an LP, winding up his recording career in the 1970s

Penny notes as well that "Don't Make Me Go to Bed (And I'll Be Good)," composed by Hugh Cross, was a well-known country tune by 1952, having been recorded by Bill Cox in 1937, and by Roy Acuff in 1942 (and several times thereafter).

Whether the Roy Sneed release might have had something to do with a short-lived country label called Folk Music Center is an ultraspeculative subject at present; see the entry on FMC at the end of this page, just above our paragraph on sources.

JOB9. The Eddy Boyd Trio | Sung by Eddy Boyd [sic]

Eddie Boyd (p, voc); poss. L. C. McKinley (eg); Alfred Elkins (b)

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, before June 30, 1951

Eddie Boyd, whose impact on the label's fortunes proved to be momentous, came to JOB in 1951. He made a demo of two of his songs at Modern Recording Studio and brought it to Joe Brown. The story in Bill Dahl's liner notes to Delmark DE-717, about Eddie Boyd cutting two sides himself at "Morris Webb's studio" and delivering the masters to Joe Brown, seems to pertain to this demo. Edwin M. Webb was the proprietor of Modern Recording Studio.

Edward Riley Boyd was born in Stovall, Mississippi, on November 25, 1914. His first instrument was the guitar, which he began playing in public in 1931. He later took up the piano, and by 1937 was working in Memphis in a band that also included alto saxophonist Alex Atkins. Putting the South behind him, he arrived in Chicago around 1941. He worked with Johnny Shines, Muddy Waters, Memphis Slim, and John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, and began to pick up studio work when Melrose combine resumed its operations at the end of World War II. He played on a Sonny Boy Williamson session for Victor in 1945, and deputized for Big Maceo on the pianist's last session for Victor in early 1947. Thereafter, he cut a session under his own name (although he did not play piano on it), accompanied Jazz Gillum and Sonny Boy Williamson on one session each, and finally got two outings as a leader for Victor in the fall of 1947 (see our Sax Mallard page for details on these). He cut another session shortly after the second recording ban was formally concluded, in December 1948. But the Melrose operation was in steep decline, and the majors were shedding their blues artists; nothing from his Boyd's last session for Victor (which took place in June 1949) was released at the time. In 1950, after cutting a rather disorganized session for Regal, he took a job in a steel mill and saved his earnings so he could produce his own sides.

Brown was duly impressed by the demo and paid for two recording sessions. Boyd's first formal session took place on June 30, 1951, when four tracks were laid down. Boyd's first release, on JOB 1005, didn't sell much, but Brown persevered. He booked second session, on May 30, 1952, at which two tracks were laid. Promptly released on JOB 1007, "Five Long Years" was a huge hit. In consequence, Joe Brown quickly called Ernest Cotton into the studio to overdub his tenor sax on three of the tracks recorded in 1951, and a few months later reissued overdubbed versions of both sides of JOB 1005 on JOB 1009.

Our biographical source on Eddie Boyd is Jean Buzelin's extensive notes to Eddie Boyd: The Complete Recordings 1947-1950, released in France on EPM 160002 in 2001. Buzelin, however, repeats the usual story that "Five Long Years" was on the demo that Boyd recorded.

The demo version of "Blue Coat Man" is slower in tempo than the version from the June 30, 1951 session that was eventually released on Delmark, and it includes only piano, guitar, and bass--no drums. What's more, the guitarist may not be L. C. McKinley, who appeared on both of the formal studio sessions. Another possibility is Ellis Hunter, who worked with Boyd off and on during the 1950s and appeared on his unreleased October 1951 session for Chess (which, probably not coincidentally, was also made by a trio without drums). On both sides the guitarist and bassist make shouts of encouragement not heard on the formal sessions. (We would like to be able to date it more exactly, but the lacquer carries the Modern Recording Studio label but no matrix numbers.)

Also included on the lacquer is a trio rendition of "Woman, Your Head's So Hard." The same tune, with some changes to the words, was recorded at the June 30, 1951 session.

Our thanks to Dave Sax for his comments on Boyd's demo disk from MRS.

JOB10. Eddie Boyd / Eddie Boyd Trio^

Eddie Boyd (p, voc); Ernest Cotton (ts -1); L. C. McKinley (eg); Alfred Elkins (b); Percy Walker (d).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, June 30, 1951 (tenor sax parts overdubbed on June 19, 1952)

MRS 39141	Hard Headed Woman -1		Juke Joint LP 1501, Flyright [Br] FLY 585, Flyright [Br] FLYCD 31, Paula PCD-15
MRS 39142? (incorrectly identified as 50182-1)	Blue Coat Man		P-Vine [J] PLP 9040, Delmark DE-717
MRS 39143	Blue Coat Man		unissued?
1005A	It's Miserable to Be Alone (Boyd-"Brown")^		JOB 1005
1005B	I'm Pleading (Boyd)^		JOB 1005
1005AA	It's Miserable to Be Alone (Boyd-"Brown")-1		JOB 1009, Flyright FLYCD 31, Paula PCD-15
1005BB	I'm Pleading (Boyd) -1		JOB 1009

At the session of June 30, 1951, Eddie Boyd cut four sides with a quartet, including Percy Walker at the drums. One of these, "Blue Coat Man," was apparently done in two takes. Walker's work on this session is relatively light, focused on the hi-hat. Two of the sides were released on JOB 1005.

The other two tracks were not released on JOB.

"Hard Headed Woman" was provided with an overdubbed tenor sax part in 1952, but Brown left it in the can nonetheless.

"Blue Coat Man" was remade at the session of May 30, 1952, and the remake was the one that Joe Brown chose to release (on JOB 1007). A take of "Blue Coat Man" from the June 30, 1951 session--no overdubbing done later--has been issued on a P-Vine LP and a Delmark CD; the Delmark release gave the date correctly as June 30, 1951, but supplied the matrix number of the new version from May 30, 1952. The Delmark "Blue Coat Man" didn't really carry the matrix number 50181; we don't know which of the takes from the June 30, 1951 session it was. But we have placed it as the first take here.

The only matrix numbers on JOB 1005 (which is known as a 78-rpm release with a blue label) are 1005A and 1005B plus the M.R.S. suffix in the wax. The artist designation is "Eddie Boyd Trio." Its blue label confirms that JOB 1005 was released before 1007. JOB 1005 has never been reissued in any form.

After the big sales for JOB 1007 (which were promptly followed by Eddie Boyd's decision not to continue with the company), JOB 1005 was replaced by JOB 1009. Released the week of March 14, 1953, 1009 was a yellow-label 45-rpm and 78-rpm release with matrix numbers 1009-A and 1009-B on the label. There is no MRS in the wax--JOB was no longer using that studio by the time that the records were being pressed--but the matrix numbers in the wax have been altered to 1005AA and 1005BB.

Flyright FLYCD 31 and Paula PCD-15 appeared under the title Chicago Piano 1951-1958 from Cobra and JOB. They were released in 1990 and 1991 or 1992, respectively. They employed the overdubbed (JOB 1009) version of "It's Miserable to Be Alone."

Our thanks to Dave Sax for obtaining some of the original matrix numbers from this session, and for sorting it out clearly from Eddie Boyd's second session of May 30, 1952.

Eddie Boyd was able to tour with a large group on the strength of "Five Long Years". But he was not satisfied with the lack of royalties coming his way from JOB. By August 1952, he was already recording for Al Benson, who sold the session to Chess, and by October he was in the studio making his next hit, "24 Hours, for the Chess brothers.

JOB11. Henry Palmer and His Boys | Mitzi Mars, Vocalist

Mitzi Mars (voc); Henry Palmer (p, ldr); unidentified (tp); unidentified (as); unidentified (d).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, June 30, 1951

MRS-39144; JB-1007-A	Scrunch (Palmer)		JOB 1006
MRS-39145; JB-1007-B	Jump Boy (Palmer)		JOB 1006

According to the death files kept at the Chicago Federation of Musicians, Henry Palmer was a pianist, born in Georgia on September 28, 1898. There is no mention of Palmer in histories of Chicago jazz during the 1920s. But we know he was in Chicago in the late 1930s, because his Social Security number was issued there. He was elected to membership in Local 208 on April 1, 1941, but this may have been a renewal, not the date that he initially joined. What little we know about his activity as a leader indicates that he was booked into White clubs, not South Side establishments. Palmer filed an "indefinite" contract with Frasik's Cocktail Lounge on June 18, 1942 (see Local 208 Board minutes for that date; he had previously played Frasik's for a time in 1941). He posted a contract with a joint called the Key, on January 7, 1943, and a contract with the Whirlaway Lounge on April 20, 1944. On July 20, 1944, he posted a contract for 2 weeks with options at the Elbow Room. He showed up again on June 7, 1945, with a contract for 1 week with options at the Character Club. After that he dropped out sight for nearly 5 years. Henry Palmer was called in front of the Musicians Union Local 208 Board on April 20, 1950, because of unpaid loans dating from 1948. He told the Board he had "suffered from arthritis in the arms, and [had] not been able to play music for eight years." After closer to 5 1/2 years of inactivity, Henry Palmer posted an indefinite contract with Mills' Inn on December 7, 1950.

To put Henry Palmer in perspective, he was born the same year as Jimmy Yancey, and the year after Fletcher Henderson. From the evidence of these recordings (the only ones he is known to have made), he was basically a Stride pianist. Because of Palmer's strong left hand, Joe Brown didn't hesitate to record him with drums and no bass (a lineup that was common in Chicago clubs, though not on recording sessions, during the 1930s and 1940s). Unfortunately, the songs that Palmer chose to feature are two Swing dance numbers with lyrics unusually silly for an already lightheaded genre. (And where was the market for such things in 1952? No wonder JOB 1006 is such a rare record.) The band, which there is no reason to doubt is Palmer's working ensemble from Mills' Inn, is a little rough and ready (both sides end less than crisply). On the plus side are the good alto saxophonist (sounding a little like Wille Randall) who solos on both sides, and Palmer's rock-solid accompaniment (his left hand really does make a string bass unnecessary). Mitzi Mars, who by this time had enjoyed several runs at the Club DeLisa, tries to inject some excitement (the upward glissando on "hunch," for instance) but is ultimately brought down by dopey words that sacrifice everything else to a compulsion to rhyme. The other musicians are a Swing trumpet player (muted on "Scrunch," open on "Jump Boy," no solos) and a rather heavy drummer. Listening to a dub of Dr. Robert Stallworth's copy has allowed us to give the correct instrumental lineup for the first time.

Discographies give June 30, 1951 as the recording date, which makes eminent sense as long as the matrix numbers were39144 and 39145, not the 31944 and 31945 that have been previously listed. JOB 1006 was issued in January 1952.

Henry Palmer remained on the scene after this recording date, but his appearances on the Local 208 contract list were infrequent and we wonder how much time he was spending out of music. He did not reappear as a leader until September 15, 1955, when his contract with the Jet Lounge was accepted and filed. On June 7, 1956, he posted an indefinite contract with Club Capri, and on August 1, 1957, he posted an indefinite contract with the Shoreline Club. He would file at least one more contract before the 1966 merger of Local 208 with the old White Local 10: the list for January 7, 1965 includes his contract for 2 weeks at the Touch of Olde. We don't know whether he continued to play engagements after the merger. Henry Palmer died in Chicago on March 20, 1984.

Meanwhile, Mitzi Mars went on to enjoy some success in Chicago clubs during the first half of the 1950s. She gravitated toward R&B, which much improved her commercial prospects. Her second recording opportunity, in March 1953, yielded a much higher-profile record for Checker with the Sax Mallard combo.

Guitarist John Brim was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on April 10, 1922. He moved to Indianapolis in 1941 and Chicago in 1945; in the early 1950s he lived in Gary, Indiana. Along with his wife Grace (on harmonica and drums), Brim made recordings for Detroit-based Fortune (1950) and St. Louis-based Random (1951), before hooking up with JOB.

JOB12. John Brim Trio

John Brim (humming on ^; eg, voc); Sunnyland Slim (humming^; p); Moody Jones (b).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, September 27, 1951

JOB 110 was released in the last quarter of 1951. We previously estimated the recording date as August 1951; according to Mark Humphrey's notes to the KC release, the correct date is September 27.

In discographies, the matrix number for "Trouble in the Morning" is given as JB-41533 but on the label of JOB 110 (reproduced on the cover of KC CD 03) it shows up as JB 41534. "Humming Blues" is listed as 41534 in the discographies but the label reads 41535.

KC CD 03 and Paula PCD-22 were various-artists collections titled Trouble in the Morning: 1950s Chicago Blues from JOB/Cobra. The Paula was issued in 1991 and the KC, purportedly made in Czechoslovakia, is dated 1992. The KC appears to have originated from the Flyright label. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5086, John Brim 1950-1953, is a 2004 release.

JOB13. J. B. Lenoir and His Combo^ / J. B. Lenore and His Combo

J. B. Lenoir (eg, voc); Sunnyland Slim (p); Alfred Wallace (d).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, October 22, 1951

J-42341; 2707	Play a Little While (Lenoir)		JOB 1102, Delmark DL-648, Delmark DD-648 [CD], Flyright FLYCD 04, Paula PCD-4, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5128 [CD]
J-42342; 2706	Louise (Lenoir)		JOB 1102, Delmark DL-648, Delmark DD-648 [CD], Flyright FLYCD 04, Paula PCD-4, Classics 5128 [CD]
JOB 42343-2	Let's Roll (Lenoir)^		JOB 112, Flyright FLYCD 04, Paula PCD-4, Classics 5128 [CD]
JOB 42343 [alt.]	Let's Roll		Flyright FLYCD 04, Paula PCD-4
JOB 42344	People Are Meddling (In Our Affairs) (Lenoir)^		JOB 112, Delmark DL-648, Delmark DD-648 [CD], Flyright FLYCD 04, Paula PCD-4, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5128 [CD]

The first two items have sometimes been dated late 1953 or early 1954 in discographies. This dating practice reflects the release date of JOB 1102, not when the items were recorded. JOB 112 was first mentioned in Billboard during the week of August 2, 1952, and the 78 label is the old blue and silver; JOB 1102 was probably released in April 1954 and was advertised in Cash Box on May 22, 1954. The U series numbers that were attached to JOB 1102 indicate mastering around January 1954.

Delmark DL-648, The Blues World of Little Walter, was an LP released in 1983. Besides three tracks from this session it included 2 by Sunnyland Slim that had been recorded for Regal and 8 tracks recorded for Parkway in 1950 by Baby Face Leroy Foster with Little Walter and Muddy Waters. Delmark DD-648 is a CD reissue of the same package. Flyright FLYCD 04 and Paula PCD-4, J. B. Lenoir 1951-1954: His JOB Recordings, were released in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5128, J. B. Lenoir 1951-1954, was released in 2005.

After working for barnstorming tenor saxophonist J. T. Brown from January through September 1951, veteran trumpeter King Kolax (1912 - 1991) was able to return to leading a combo around the beginning of October 1951; his contract with the Rose Bowl was accepted and filed by Local 208 on October 4. Kolax was able to recruit an outstanding tenor saxophonist in Dick Davis (1917 - 1954), who had led his own bands and previously recorded as a leader, and judging from the sound of the released sides from this session, he had pianist Prentice McCarey (1909 - 1992) on board as well. The bassist and drummer we aren't so sure about, but we're assuming they were the same musicians that Kolax used in the summer of 1952 when he recorded behind singer Joe Williams for Al Benson; two of those sides were issued on Checker.

JOB14. King Kolax

King Kolax (tp -1, voc); Dick Davis (ts); prob. Prentice McCarey (p); prob. Cowboy Martin (b); prob. Kansas Fields (d).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, October 22, 1951

Jørgen Jepsen's discography mentions only the first two sides, and gives a date of 1949, which is way too early for this session. The first King K release was JOB 114, possibly in the summer of 1952 (wouldn't it be nice to find contemporary advertisements). But JOB reused the number for JOB 114 by blues harmonica player John Lee (Henley), recorded in 1952 but not released until 1958. (Duplicated release numbers were no biggie at JOB, which was also the site of dueling releases on JOB 101 and JOB 1111.) Lord adds JOB 7005 (titling one side "Why Didn't You Tell Me So?"), and gives the date as late 1951 or early 1952. The complete session is listed by Leadbitter and Slaven, Blues Records 1943 to 1970 A-K(1987).

The original matrix numbers for this session--JB42345 through JB42348--immediately follow a JOB session by J. B. Lenoir, which took up JB42341 through JB42344. The five-digit matrix series derives from Modern Recording Studio, at 55 West Wacker Drive, an outfit that JOB used regularly from 1950 through the end of 1952. In the wax on JOB 7005, the name EDDIE FLICK appears after JOB 7005A on Side A.

A tape copy of JOB 114, courtesy of Daniel Gugolz, reveals King K's vocals on both sides, limited exposure for his trumpet (none on "Lonesome Man," a role in the "mop-mop" ensemble that opens "Why Didn't" and a short solo at the end of that piece). There are tenor sax solos by Dick Davis on both sides. The pianist is a serious blues player.

A tape copy of JOB 7005, courtesy of Tom Kelly, shows King K as a vocalist on "She's Funny That Way." He must have listened to Hot Lips Page a lot. There is also a lyrical tenor sax solo by Dick Davis (whose playing throughout this session is outstanding). On "Side Man" King K does (finally) feature himself on trumpet; there is also a strongly delineated tenor sax solo, and the pianist takes the bridge of the theme. The drummer is quite boisterous on this selection.

Allan Roberts describes "Side Man" as follows: "[Kolax's] style was quite idiosyncratic--lots of smears and glisses--I always believed that he was taking the 'Sweets' Edison style to its logical, if somewhat extreme, conclusion." The "extreme" elements are some high-note excursions (rather like Al Killian, but less wheezy sounding, and well integrated into the solo); King K also uses several bebop phrases. JOB 7005 is known only on 45s. Some accounts say it was released in the early 1970s (not long before Joe Brown finally closed down his label and sold the masters to Jewel Records). Whenever the release was done, Joe Brown was no longer sticking to his original matrix number scheme when he got around to 7005.

JOB15. Snooky Pryor / Johnny Shines* / Moody Jones^

On 48880, 48881, and 48884: Snooky Pryor (hca); Sunnyland Slim (p); Moody Jones (eg); Alfred Elkins (b); Alfred "Fat Man" Wallace (d).
On 48882 and 48883: Moody Jones (eg, voc); Snooky Pryor (hca except -1); probably Johnny Shines (eg); prob. Alfred Wallace (d).
On 48885 through 48888: Johnny Shines (eg, voc); prob. Moody Jones (eg -1); prob. Al Smith (b).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, April 28, 1952

JB-48880	Fine Boogie		Flyright LP 565, Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
JB48881	I'm Getting Tired (Pryor)		JOB 115, Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
	Harp Instrumental		Flyright LP 566, Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
JB-48882 [track 9]	Rough Treatment^		Flyright LP 565, Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
JB-48882 [track 14]	Rough Treatment^		Flyright LP 565, Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
JB-48883	Why Should I Worry^		Flyright LP 565, Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD], Westside WESD 233 [CD]
	Why Should I Worry^ -1		KC CD 03, Paula PCD-22
	Please Somebody^		Flyright LP 565, Juke Joint LP 1501, Paula PCD-15, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
JB48884	Going Back on the Road (Pryor)		JOB 115, Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
	Hold Me in Your Arms		Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
	(Real) Fine Boogie		Flyright FLYCD 20, Paula PCD-11, Westside WESA 869 [CD]
JOB 48885	Rambling (Shines)*		JOB 116, Blues Classics BC 6, Paula CD 14, Flyright FLYCD 10
JOB 48886	Fish Tail*		Paula CD 14, Flyright FLYCD 10
JOB 48887	Cool Driver (Shines) -1*		JOB 116, Paula CD 14, Flyright FLYCD 10, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
JOB 48888	Ain't Doin' No Good -1*		Paula CD 14, Flyright FLYCD 10

Mike Leadbitter and Neal Slaven, Blues Records 1943-1966 give the lineup for the Johnny Shines numbers as Johnny Shines and Al Smith only. But they also mention just the first three matrix numbers, and give no title besides "Rambling." By the time Flyright CD 10 was issued in 1989, discographical research had progressed: all four titles and their matrix numbers were included. The matrix numbers appeared to come from a big session on April 28, 1952 with Snooky Pryor, Moody Jones, Sunnyland Slim, and Alfred Elkins. However, Moody Jones denied recording with Shines, and discographers were sorely tempted to attribute this session to a different date. We can be sure about the date, though. The matrix series is from Modern Recording Studios at 55 West Wacker Drive; JOB used Modern regularly from 1950 through the end of 1952.

Flyright FLYCD 20 and Paula PCD-11 were issued in 1990 and 1991, respectively, under the title Snooky Pryor; they also include earlier recordings derived from the Marvel and Planet labels via Old Swing-Master. In the notes to Paula PCD-11, "Hold Me in Your Arms" and "Real Fine Boogie" are said to have been done at a different session in the "mid-1950s"; yet the listed personnel is identical to what we have here! KC CD 03 and Paula PCD-22 were various-artists collections titled Trouble in the Morning: 1950s Chicago Blues from JOB/Cobra. The version of "Why Should I Worry" that is included on KC CD 03 has no harmonica on it. Paula PCD-22 was issued in 1991 and the KC, purportedly made in Czechoslovakia, is dated 1992. The KC appears to have originated from the Flyright label. Westside WESA 869, Snooky Pryor & Friends: Pitch a Boogie Woogie If It Takes Me All Night Long: Seminal Post-War Chicago Blues, is a British CD released in 2001. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001.

Flyright FLYCD 10 and Paula PCD-14, Johnny Shines and Robert Lockwood,were released in 1989 and 1990 respectively. There are definitely two guitars on "Rough Treatment"; the overall guitar sound is very similar to what can be heard on "Cool Driver" by Johnny Shines.

The 1989 notes claim that Moody Jones, if he was there, switched from bass to guitar for "Ain't Doin' No Good." Problem is, the bass is present on all four Johnny Shines cuts! (It's hardest to hear on "Ain't Doin' No Good," where the second guitar part is fuller.) Besides, there is a second guitar on "Cool Driver," too. The string bass is thuddy and poorly recorded--none of which exactly rules Al Smith out. The only thing that might go against Al is the occasional hint of slap bass. Did he have that in his repertoire?

Meanwhile, the Moody Jones sides are conventionally said to have included a bass player, but on "Why Should I Worry" (the version without harmonica) there are just guitars and drums.

JOB 116 was mentioned in Billboard on August 16, 1952. Many of the known copies have the release number written in by hand, although copies with a printed "116" also exist. JOB 115 was probably released around the same time as 116. Paula PCD-15 was released around 1990 under the title Chicago Piano 1951-1958 from Cobra and JOB.

JOB hit its commercial high point with the session of May 30, 1952, in which Eddie Boyd remade "Blue Coat Man" with a quintet featuring the tenor saxophone of Ernest Cotton, and the band also cut a new tune titled "Five Long Years."

JOB16. Eddie Boyd

Eddie Boyd (p, voc); Ernest Cotton (ts); L. C. McKinley (eg); Alfred Elkins (b); Percy Walker (d).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, May 30, 1952

JOB 1007 was released during the week of July 26, 1952. The copies we know of all have a yellow label. "Five Long Years" was by far the biggest recording commercially for Joe Brown--nothing less than an number one R&B hit. The take number for "Blue Coat Man" is marked in the wax on the JOB 78s but not the 45s.

Flyright FLYCD 31 and Paula PCD-15 appeared under the title Chicago Piano 1951-1958 from Cobra and JOB. They were released in 1990 and 1991 or 1992, respectively. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001.

The version of "Blue Coat Man" included on Delmark DE-717 is actually from Boyd's previous session of June 30, 1951. There is no tenor sax on it and Walker's drumming is a good deal lighter on it than on the sides from May 30, 1952.

When Eddie Boyd produced a session in November 1959 and sold it to Chess, he threw in the master to "Five Long Years" from this session. As preserved in the Chess vaults, under the new number 9836, it was the May 30, 1952 master minus a few notes at the beginning of Boyd's piano intro. It may well have dawned on the Chess brothers where the side came from; in any event, they did not reissue "Five Long Years." It finally surfaced in 1997 on Chess CHD2-9385, Chess Blues Piano Greats: Eddie Boyd, Lafayette Leake, Willie Mabon, Otis Spann, wrongly attributed to the November 1959 session.

Our thanks to Dave Sax for his hard work sorting out this session from the previous Eddie Boyd session, and for catching Eddie Boyd's bit of subterfuge in 1959.

After not seeing the kind of royalty income he thought was due from "Five Long Years," Eddie Boyd signed with Al Benson, who in turn transferred his contract to the Chess brothers; Eddie Boyd would remain with Chess until 1957, and then return to the company for a brief spell in 1959.

JOB17. Joiner's Five Trumpets

Lee Sims; James Cochrane; George Dowell; Walter Ford; Larry Bride (voc).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, June 19, 1952

50-183-1	Just Tell My Jesus		Delmark DE-760
JOB 50-184-1 JB-50184 M.R.S. 210	This Changing World (R. Yancey)		JOB 121, P-Vine Special [J] PLP-9035, Delmark DE-760
50-185-1	Freedom after Awhile (J. James)		P-Vine Special [J] PLP-9035, Delmark DE-760
JOB 50-186-2, JB-50186 M.R.S. 210	Where Can I Go (M. Jackson)		JOB 121, P-Vine Special [J] PLP-9035, Delmark DE-760

Details of this session (except the personnel) come from Hayes and Laughton's gospel discography. It is possible, given the matrix numbers, that the session actually took place on May 30, 1952, immediately after the two Eddie Boyd sides were laid down.

JOB 121 was released in July 1952. Some copies have the release number handwritten in as shown in our illustrations; others have a printed release number centered at the bottom of the label. P-Vine Special PLP-9035 was titled Golden Bells of Gospel and issued in Japan in 1981. Delmark DE-760, On the Battlefield... Great Gospel Quartets, is a CD compilation released in 2002; the other gospel groups on the CD recorded for United and States.

Delmark DE-760 uses the title "Just Tell Me Jesus" for 50-183-1, but the Five Trumpets clearly sing "Just tell my Jesus."

Joiner's Five Trumpets was a veteran Gary, Indiana-based outfit. When future soul singer Roscoe Robinson joined the Trumpets around 1942 members were Walter Ford (lead), John Ford (bass), Lonnie B. Ford (tenor), George Anthony (baritone), as well as Roscoe Robinson (lead). The group's manager was Milton Joiner, who did a bit of singing with the group as well. Robinson was long gone from the group when these sides were made (he departed in 1945). In the Five Trumpets' recordings for the Gary-based label Hi-Hat (made in 1953) only Walter Ford remained from the original group. According to Opal Louis Nations, the five singers we have listed above were "mainstays of Joiner's Five Trumpets during the 1950s." The Trumpets also recorded on Staff and Inspirational.

Sources used: Ray Funk's unpublished interview with Roscoe Robinson, May 13, 1983; Cedric Hayes and Robert Laughton, Gospel Records 1943-1969 (London: Record Information Services, 1992); Opal Louis Nations, liner notes to Delmark DE-760.

John Brim married Grace Millard in 1947, when she was 23. She had been singing and playing harmonica, but she was encouraged by John to take up drums, and received lessons from Odie Payne. Grace sang and played harmonica on the 1950 Fortune session and sang on the 1951 Random session. This marked the first session on which she played drums; it produced the first release to give her top billing as Grace Brim (Random had put her on the label--as "Mrs. John Brim").

JOB18. Grace Brim | Queen of the Harmonica / John Brim and His Trio*

Grace Brim (hca -1; voc -1, 2; d); John Brim (voc -3, eg); prob. Eddie Taylor (eg); Sunnyland Slim (p).

Modern Recording Studio, Chicago, August 22, 1952

JB-51921 M.R.S.	Hospitality Blues (Grace Brim) [GB voc] -2		JOB 117, KC CD 03, Paula PCD-22, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5086 [CD]
JB-51922 M.R.S.	Man around My Door (Grace Brim) [GB voc] -1, 2		JOB 117, KC CD 03, Paula PCD-22, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5086 [CD]
51923-1	Hard Pill to Swallow [JB voc]* -3		Juke Joint LP 1501, Flyright LP 568, KC CD 03, Paula PCD-22, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5086 [CD]
51923-2	Hard Pill to Swallow [JB voc]* -3		Flyright LP 568
S1924 [sic]	Drinking Woman (Brim) [JB voc]* -3		JOB 1011, KC CD 03, Paula PCD-22, Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5086 [CD]

This looks like the last session that JOB cut at Modern Recording Studio. We had previously estimated the recording date as July 1952; Mark Humphrey's notes to the KC reissue give August 22 as the date.

Yellow-label JOB 117 probably came out in 1952. Although Grace Brim is billed as "Queen of the Harmonica" on JOB 117 she plays it only on "Man around My Door," a remake of "Strange Man" from the Brims' 1950 session for Fortune. Most likely she played the harmonica while working the bass drum and the high hat with her feet. On "Hospitality Blues," a variant of "Catfish Blues," she sticks to the pedals.

Existing discographies have put Eddie Taylor's guitar only on the numbers that John Brim sang, when careful listening reveals two guitars on all four sides. Meanwhile, an unidentified string bass player has been placed on the date when no such instrument is audible.

JOB 1011, which also has a yellow label, looks like a 1953 release. On the label of JOB 1011, the matrix number of "Drinking Woman" (51924) has been distorted into S1924.

KC CD 03 and Paula PCD-22 were various-artists collections titled Trouble in the Morning: 1950s Chicago Blues from JOB/Cobra. The Paula was issued in 1991 and the KC, purportedly made in Czechoslovakia, is dated 1992. The KC appears to have originated from the Flyright label. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5086, John Brim: 1950-1953, was released in 2004. It's worth noting that Brim's sesssion for Parrot, which concludes the CD, was probably done in March 1954.

JOB19. John Lee

John Lee Henley (hca, voc); Robert Jr. Lockwood (eg); Johnny Holloway (eg); Moody Jones (b); Zona Sago [Allan Williams] (d).

probably Hall Recording Company, Chicago, 1952

U-4911	Rythm [sic] Rockin' Boogie [JH, ens voc]		JOB 114-A, Flyright FLYCD 11, Paula PCD-7, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
U-4912	Knockin' on Lula Mae's Door (John Lee)		JOB 114-B, Flyright FLYCD 11, Paula PCD-7, Westside WESD 233 [CD]

A recording date of 1958(?) is given in previous discographies, but this is derived from the release date. The only release announcement we know of comes from the week of May 12, 1958. (We have no idea why Brown would sit on these two great blues performances for so long. Did he plan and then abandon an earlier release?)

Helge Thygesen has argued for an earlier recording date on stylistic grounds--the sound is too down-home and "Knockin'" has too much of a lope to it for 1958. Indeed, Moody Jones, who recorded regularly for JOB between 1950 and 1953, retired from playing blues shortly after his last session for the label. Zona Sago first recorded under his own name for Joe Brown in October 1953 (although he would also cut a single for Abco in 1956). The label is yellow and the release series is an old one, too; if it weren't for some differences in the type style used, these features would suffice to point to a 1952 or 1953 release. The matrix series doesn't help us because we don't know anything else in the U-4900s.

Apparently clinching the matter is the appendix to Bob Koester's listing of "The United/States Masters," p. 22, which mentions six "masters from JOB" that were in Leonard Allen's holdings when Koester purchased them. Four were gospel tracks by unidentified groups, all recorded at Hall Recording Company. The other two were the John Lee Henleys.

Both sides carry 141M in the wax. Flyright FLYCD 11 and its American Doppelgäganger Paula PCD-7 were an anthology of material derived from JOB and Cobra, titled Chicago Blues Harmonicas. The CDs were released in 1989 and 1991. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001.

John Lee Henley (born in Canton, Mississippi, on February 13, 1919) recorded as John Lee, and should not be confused with the John Lee who recorded for Federal. "Rythm Rockin' Boogie" is a rough driving number that captures the spirit of the Chicago style bar band blues. On "Knockin' on Lula Mae's Door" Henley sings and blows with a highly appealing gentle lope. But his voice and harmonica aren't very distinctive sonically. Mike Rowe's only mention of Henley has him working for a time in Big Boy Spires' band, the Rocket Four.

John Lee Henley recorded on three unissued sessions with guitarist Honeyboy Edwards during 1965 and 1966, so the JOB release is the full extent of his issued discography.

Sources used: Mike Rowe, Chicago Breakdown (London: Eddison Press, 1973); Mike Leadbitter, Leslie Fancourt, and Paul Pelletier, Blues Records 1943-1970, Volume Two L to Z (London: Record Information Services, 1994); Bob Koester, "The United/States Masters," Blues Unlimited no. 123, Jan.-Feb. 1977.

JOB20. unidentified gospel groups

personnel unidentified

prob. Hall Recording Company, Chicago, 1952

	Gotta Straighten Up		JOB unissued
	Big World of Peace		--
	Nellie		--
	Holy Moses		--

These highly obscure gospel items are mentioned only in Bob Koester's discography of the United/States labels. They were on the same JOB-derived tape in Leonard Allen's holdings as the two John Lee Henley sides. The entire tape carries a Work Order number MP-2674 from Hall Recording Company (a small studio that existed in Chicago during the 1950s). Koester listed the artists on the first two numbers as though they were a different group from the artists on the last two, but he may have done so simply because the two John Lee numbers were inserted in between.

JOB21. J. B. Lenore [sic] and His Combo

J. B. Lenoir (eg, voc); Sunnyland Slim (p); unidentified (b); Alfred Wallace (d).

Universal Recording, Chicago, c. October 1952

These appear to be from a new U-1000 series at Universal Recording. The unobtrusive bassist could be any of a number of people. JOB 1008, with a yellow label, was advertised in November 1952; JOB 1016 was issued in October 1953. Some 45-rpm copies of JOB 1016 were pressed on red vinyl.

Flyright LP 564 (details to be filled in) was the first release of "I Have Married." Flyright FLYCD 04, J. B. Lenoir 1951-1954: His JOB Recordings, was released in 1989; its American counterpart on Paula PCD-4 followed in 1990. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5128, J. B. Lenoir 1951-1954, was released in 2005. The Classics notes identify the take of "I'll Die Tryin'" that's been in circulation as take 1.

JOB22. Sunnyland Slim and His Boys / Baby Face Leroy^ / Ernest Cotton* / John Brim % / unidentified artist #

On 1009A: Sunnyland Slim (p, voc); unidentified (eg); Ernest "Big" Crawford (maracas); Alfred "Fat Man" Wallace (perc); unidentified female (voc).
On 1012 and 1013: Baby Face Leroy Foster (eg, voc); Sunnyland Slim (p); Robert Jr. Lockwood (eg); Ernest "Big" Crawford (b); Alfred Wallace (d).
On "Where Have You Been So Long": unidentified (voc); Sunnyland Slim (p); poss. Pete Franklin (eg, voc); poss. Moody Jones (b); Alfred Wallace (d)
On 1014 and 1015: John Brim (eg, voc); Ernest Cotton (ts); Sunnyland Slim (p); Pete Franklin (eg); Ernest "Big" Crawford (b); Alfred Wallace (d)
On 1016 and 1017: Sunnyland Slim (p, voc); John Brim (eg); Ernest Cotton (ts); Pete Franklin (eg); Ernest "Big" Crawford (b); Alfred Wallace (d)
On 1018 and 1019: Ernest Cotton (ts, voc); Sunnyland Slim (p, shouts); Robert Jr. Lockwood (eg); Ernest "Big" Crawford (b); Alfred Wallace (d).

prob. Universal Recording, Chicago, prob. October 1952

The variety of leaders and lineups on this session has generated considerable confusion over the years. Even Joe Brown got confused: he incorrectly attributed a Sunnyland Slim number to John Brim on the first release from the session. (He may have intended to issue one of John Brim's contributions, but if so he was not successful.) During the lifetime of JOB, the total yield consisted of two Sunnyland Slim sides (one misidentified on its first release, then correctly attributed on the second) and four Ernest Cotton sides, which were held from release for 7 or more years. The Leroy Foster and John Brim sides were passed over entirely, as was the striking rendition of "Where Have You Been So Long?"

At this point, we can identify nearly all of the players, except on the still-enigmatic "Where Have You Been So Long?"?

Two of the three Sunnyland Slim items were selected for release at the time. U-1016 first appeared in 1953 on JOB 1011, where it was incorrectly attributed to John Brim and His Trio and spelled "Over Nite"; the flip was (indeed) by John Brim. When reissued on JOB 1105, during the week of August 7, 1954, it was now correctly credited to Sunnyland Slim. Apparently the ads gave the title as "Overnite," but on the label of JOB 1105 the title was now the originally intended "Woman Trouble." It showed up as "Over Night" on Flyright FLYCD 31 and Paula PCD-15, Chicago Piano 1951-1958 from Cobra and JOB. (These were released in 1990 and 1991 respectively. ) "Woman Trouble" ended up being used on Opal OCD 110, Sunnyland Slim: Patriarch of the Blues in 1995 and on the Westside release from 2001. The matrix number for this title appears to be in the same U-1000 series as the preceding session by J. B. Lenoir. The vocals on U-1017 have been attributed by some to Ernest Cotton, but one listen makes it obvious that this is Sunnyland Slim (the song, whose title actually refers to a train, is a variant on his signature number "Sunnyland Train").

1009A, which was first released on JOB 1105, appears to be more of the same Sunnyland Slim material (the A would distinguish it from 1009 by Lenoir). However, on 1009A Big Crawford is restricted to maracas, the drummer does hand percussion only, the guitarist (not Junior Lockwood, and not J. B. Lenoir) is hard to hear, and an uncredited female vocalist responds to Sunnyland's pleas. The recording quality even suggests that the side was made somewhere besides Universal Recording. Westside WESA 910, Sunnyland Slim & Friends: Sunnyland Special: The Cobra & JOB Recordings 1949-1956, is a British CD released in 2001. Classics 5171, Sunnyland Slim 1952-1955, was relased on CD in 2006.

Some sources have attributed the vocals on 1014 and 1015 to Ernest Cotton. On KC CD 03, Trouble in the Morning: Chicago Blues of the Fifties (obviously of Flyright origin, but supposedly issued in Czechoslovakia in 1992), and on its American counterpart from 1991, Paula PCD-22, they are credited to John Brim, which sounds right. Just to mix us up further, Mark Humphrey's notes to KC CD 03 assert that the two tracks were cut for the Random label, a short-lived venture run by Monroe Passis, but never released there. Yet the sides sound as though they came from this session... John and Grace Brim recorded for Random in 1951, with pianist Roosevelt Sykes.

Meanwhile, existing discographies put the sides that Ernest Cotton really did sing on in 1952. Judging from dubs of JOB 1120 provided by Dr. Robert Stallworth, the year is correct. "Going Back to Memphis" features Cotton's smooth baritone vocals, along with a tenor sax solo. "Uh'm Beautiful" is an instrumental slow blues, basically consisting of Sunnyland's piano solo, Robert Jr. Lockwood's guitar solo, and Cotton's two-chorus tenor sax solo, pensive for 12 bars and harsh for another 12. Lockwood's presence on both sides is unmistakable. Cotton's sides would wait several years for release: JOB 1120 in 1959 (the label style is consistent with that year, anyway), and JOB 1125 in 1963. It would be nice to inspect the matrix numbers on JOB 1125, if there are any. Inquiring minds want to know.

Finally, Flyright FLYCD 28, a 1990 various-artists release titled Blues Is Killin' Me, with American representation from 1991 on Paula PCD-19, gives "Where Have You Been So Long" as the work of an "unknown artist." The number has been associated with John Brim in some past discographies. But according to Steve Franz, neither the vocals nor the Elmore James-style slide guitar belong to Brim. To rlc, the guitarist sounds like a well amplified Robert Nighthawk. Lamont "Guitar Pete" Franklin, a colleague of Brim's from his days in Indianapolis, played with a slide on St. Louis Jimmy's 1947 side "One Doggone Reason," recorded for Hy-Tone but released on Joe Brown's first label, Opera. Could he have assimilated the Elmore James style by this time? According to Mike Rowe in his notes to Flyright FLYCD 28, Sunnyland Slim, Moody Jones, and Alfred Wallace do seem to have been on board. The vocalist could indeed be Ernest Cotton (assuming he was too busy with singing to pick up his sax on the number) but this remains to be verified.

The Baby Face Leroy items went unreleased until years later, when they showed up on P-Vine Special (the P-Vine release was a 3-LP set). They were subsequently issued on Flyright FLYCD 28 Blues Is Killin' Me (1990) and its American counterpart on Paula PCD-19 (1991). Maybe the sides went unreleased because both numbers--"Late Hours at Midnight" and "Blues Is Killing Me"—were slow brooding blues, and Joe Brown was looking for some more rocking material, which he had not been not getting out of Foster. Nonetheless, Foster's insinuating vocals are especially effective, and they both benefit enormously from Sunnyland Slim’s superb accompaniment. His last recording apparently prescient, Foster never recorded again. Dissipating his career in chronic alcoholism, he died in Chicago on 26 May 1958.

The genuine John Brim sides from this session, which was to be his swan song for JOB, remained unissued for decades. The backing is somewhat uncharacteristic--note Ernest Cotton's tenor sax solos on "Don't Leave Me" and "Moonlight Blues"--as though Brim is merely making a guest appearance with Sunnyland's combo. Both sides can be heard on Classics 5086, John Brim 1950-1953, a 2004 release.

Maybe he realized this was going to happen, for less than 3 months later, Brim was recording for Checker. "Rattlesnake," made at the tail end of a session by Little Walter's Jukes in January 1953, brought together Brim's laid-back vocals and Walter's blazing harp work. Quickly withdrawn from circulation because the song was an obvious knockoff of "Hound Dog" and Duke Records was behaving litigiously, it is now recognized as a Chicago blues classic. Brim's second session for Checker, in May 1953, went unreleased at the time. It would give him a delayed payoff many years later when the hard rock group Van Halen covered "Ice Cream Man." In 1954, Brim recorded "Tough Times," for Al Benson's Parrot imprint, and gave the label one of its few hits. He did two more sessions for Checker, in 1955 and 1956, but then for the next fifteen years he was out of the recording studio. Brim continued to work in the clubs, however. He resumed recording in 1971 with a single on his own label, and then recorded for Wolf (1989), Tone Cool (1994), and Anna Bea (1999). Grace Brim died in 1999, and John died on October 1, 2003.

Several tracks from this session are now assembled on Westside WESD 233, a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs. Titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001.

Joe Brown's New Year's resolutions for 1953 included forging an alliance with another larger independent. This time he struck up a deal with Chance, run by Art Sheridan (whose pressing company, Armour Plastics, probably pressed most JOB product anyway). Some of the JOB masters recorded in 1953 actually appeared on the Chance label, while new JOB releases were marketed and distributed by Sheridan (Sheridan's ads in the trade papers often mixed Chance and JOB releases). Four top-flight blues sessions in January 1953 are the lasting results of this alliance.

JOB23. J. B. Lenore [sic] and His Combo / Johnny Shines with Sunnyland Slim^ / Sunnyland Slim*

On 2319-2322: J. B. Lenoir (eg, voc); J. T. Brown (ts); Sunnyland Slim (p); Alfred Wallace (d)
On 2323-2325: Sunnyland Slim (p, voc); J. T. Brown (ts); J. B. Lenoir (eg); unidentified (b); Alfred Wallace (d)
On 2326-2327: add Johnny Shines (eg, voc) to the previous lineup.

Universal Recording, January 12, 1953

JOB 1012 was issued in May 1953 with a yellow label; JOB 1016, also with a yellow label, was released in October of that year (some 45-rpm copies of 1016 were pressed on red vinyl). These were JOB's first coproductions with Chance. While Brown was reasonably prompt in releasing the J. B. Lenoir sides, the Sunnyland Slims were never issued on JOB during the lifetime of the label. They had to wait until 1964, when Art Sheridan and Ewart Abner put them out on Constellation LP CS-6. Brown also passed over the two sides with vocals by Johnny Shines in favor of his work on the January 23 session.

Flyright FLYCD 04 and Paula PCD-4, J. B. Lenoir 1951-1954: His JOB Recordings, came out in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Westside WESA 910, Sunnyland Slim & Friends: Sunnyland Special: The Cobra & JOB Recordings 1949-1956, is a British CD released in 2001. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5128, J. B. Lenoir 1951-1954, is a CD released in 2005; Classics 5171, Sunnyland Slim 1952-1955, is a 2006 release. The two sides sung by Johnny Shines ("Livin' in the White House" and "Please Don't") are included on the Sunnyland Slim Classics CD because he led the session.

The second session on January 17, featuring Big Boy Spires and Johnny Williams, led to Chance releases only, so it isn't reproduced here. On January 23, James Williamson (who recorded his signature number "Homesick" at this session) and Johnny Shines recorded back to back. The Shines material went to JOB and the Homesick James to Chance. We have included just the Johnny Shines tracks in our next listing.

JOB24. Johnny Shines

Johnny Shines (eg, voc); Walter Horton (hca); Al Smith (b).

Universal Recording, Chicago, January 23, 1953

JOB 1010 was probably released in March 1953. Flyright FLYCD 10 and Paula PCD-14, Johnny Shines and Robert Lockwood, came out in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001.

Steve Franz points out that "Gonna Call the Angel" has been mistitled, courtesy of Shines' occasionally strange modes of pronunciation. The first line of the song appears to go "I'm gonna call the county jail," not "I'm gonna call the angel" or (closer, but still no cigar) "I'm gonna call on account of the angel."

The final JOB/Chance sessions took place on January 31. Both Little Hudson and Floyd Jones saw their releases come out on JOB.

JOB25. Little Hudson and His Red Devil Trio

Little Hudson Shower (eg, voc); Lazy Bill Lucas (p); James Bannister (d).

Universal Recording, Chicago, January 31, 1953

U-2359	Rough Treatment ("Showers"and "Brown")		JOB 1015, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
U-2360	I'm Looking for a Woman ("Showers" and "Brown")		JOB 1015, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
U-2361-1	Things Going So Tough with Me		Flyright LP 568
U-2361-4	Things Going So Tough with Me [alt.]		Flyright LP 568, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
U-2362	Don't Hang Around		Flyright LP 568, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
U-2363	Shake It Baby		Flyright LP 568

Another co-production with Chance. JOB 1015, which carried a yellow label, was a single released in October 1953. The single was reissued during the week of March 2, 1957; the lettering on the 1957 label is similar to the lettering found on the 1958 John Lee single on JOB 114. Also, the 1957 edition carries the notation 141M in the wax on both sides. Flyright FLYCD 28 and its American cognate Paula PCD-19 were issued in 1990 and 1991 and titled Blues Is Killin' Me. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001.

Blues singer/guitarist Hudson Shower (Blues Who's Who says the commonly used form "Showers" is incorrect) was born September 6, 1919, in Aguilla, Mississippi, but was raised in Louise, Mississippi from age 11 on. At age 12 he took up guitar. In 1939 Shower came to Chicago, but it was not until 1946 that he entered the city's burgeoning deep blues scene, despite having played guitar for 15 years. He first followed some of the older musicians, such as Big Bill Broonzy, Big Maceo, and Tampa Red, before forming his own group, the Red Devil Trio, in 1950. Or so it has been said--Hudson "Showers" first showed up on the Local 208 list on October 20, 1949, when he posted a contract for 4 weeks at the Plantation Tap.

The first edition of the trio consisted of Hudson on vocals and guitar, Henry Gray on piano, and "Al" on drums. They were advertised in the Defender as playing at the Joy Box (3810 South State) in August 1950 (a 2-month contract by Hudson "Showers" with the Joy Box was accepted and filed by Musicians Union Local 208 on August 3). "Al" was soon replaced by James Bannister, and then Gray was replaced by Lazy Bill Lucas.

Little Hudson and the Red Devil Trio worked the Club Alibi, Du Drop Lounge, Cotton Club, Club Evergreen, Laura's 819 Lounge, and Vi's Lounge. A most interesting venue where Hudson and his group played in 1954 was the Gayspot (2711 Wentworth), owned by Tiny Davis and Ruby Lucas, who created a comfortable place for lesbians to be free to be themselves in a public setting.

Shower complained to Mike Rowe that JOB failed to release his most popular number, the jump blues, "Shake It Baby." Indeed, during his 1955 gigs at the 830 Mambo Club (850 East 43rd) and the Hob-Nob Lounge (5200 Wentworth), the clubs billed his band as "Little Hudson & His 'Shake It Baby' Red Devil Trio."

Shower was also unhappy with the way"Rough Treatment" turned out, bemoaning the sparseness of the music in the recording, "too many open spaces." He voiced no complaint to Rowe about the hard driving "I'm Looking for a Woman," which is truly the stronger side.

Rowe in his liners points out that "Things Going So Tough with Me," with its infectious riff, is a version of Big Maceo's "Tuff Luck Blues" sung to the "'44' Blues" theme. "Don't Hang Around" is another solid number that allows Shower to wail. Based on the quality of the output, it is surprising and disappointing to realize that this JOB session remains the only evidence we have of Shower on wax, except for St. George LP 1003, which has the group on a 1958 radio commercial for a recording store, "No Money Down."

Shower said he continued to play the clubs regularly into the early 1960s, but appearing in a North Side club, the Fickle Pickle, in 1963, could have meant that he no longer had a strong base in the black community. In 1964 he retired from the music business.

Sources Used: Henry Gray, interview by Hiroshi Takahasi, Blues Market Magazine, November/December 1998, Japan (http://blueslim.m78.com/henryinterview.html); Sheldon Harris, Blues Who's Who (New York: Da Capo, 1989); Mike Rowe, notes to "Blues Is Killin' Me" (Paula Records, PCD-19); and a variety of Chicago Defender clips.

JOB26. Floyd Jones and His Trio

Floyd Jones (eg, voc); Sunnyland Slim (p); Moody Jones (b); unidentified (d).

Universal Recording, Chicago, January 31, 1953

U-2364	I Lost a Good Woman		Flyright LP 584, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESA 910 [CD], Classics 5130 [CD]
U-2365	Skinny Mama (Jones)		JOB 1013, Boogie Disease LP 101/2, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESA 910 [CD], Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5130 [CD]
U-2366	Rising Wind		Flyright LP 584, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESA 910 [CD], Classics 5130 [CD]
U-2367	On the Road Again (Jones)		JOB 1013, Muskadine LP 1, Muskadine LP 100, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Westside WESA 910 [CD], Westside WESD 233 [CD], Classics 5130 [CD]

JOB 1013, a 78 and 45-rpm single, was released in the summer of 1953. Flyright FLYCD 28 and its American cognate Paula PCD-19, Blues Is Killin' Me, were released in 1990 and 1991, respectively. Westside WESA 910, Sunnyland Slim & Friends: Sunnyland Special: The Cobra & JOB Recordings 1949-1956, is a British CD released in 2001. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001. Classics 5130, Floyd Jones 1948-1953, was released in 2005.

Leadbitter and Slaven 1987 report an unissued track from this session: "I'm Gonna Buy a Big Knife." However, Steve Franz points out that in "I Lost a Good Woman," Floyd Jones sings, "I'm gonna go down to the pawnshop and buy myself a great big knife." Our conclusion: this is probably the known take of U-2364--if not, it's an unissued alternate take.

JOB27. Norfleet Bros. | J. Norfleet, Soloist

Joseph Norfleet, Junious Norfleet, Arthur Norfleet, Peter Norfleet, Nathaniel Norfleet, George Norfleet [George Taylor] (vocals); unidentified (p, g).

Chicago, c. July 1953

NBC 100		Jesus Is All the World to Me		JOB 1115, C. H. Brewer 100
NBC 101		None but the Righteous		JOB 1115, C. H. Brewer 100

Our session information is from Hayes and Laughton. The matrix numbers look as though they are from a radio recording or transcription. They aren't. It turns out that there was a short-lived N.B.C. label (the initials stood for Northern Brightrecord Corporation). N. B. C. and its sister label C. H. Brewer, both housed at PO Box 560, Chicago 90 Illinois, specialized in gospel. In fact N.B.C. 2003 by the Pilgrim Jubilee (Singers) carried matrix numbers N-B-C 104 and 105. Our thanks to Bo Sandell for pointing these labels out to us. To seal the deal, Robert Javors reports that he once had in his collection a copy of Norfleet Brothers single on C. H. Brewer 100--with the C. H. Brewer label pasted right over the JOB label! Obviously, then, there was some business connection between Joe Brown and the N.B.C./C. H. Brewer operation, which may have had some further dealings with Chance. Here we're getting into the shadowy recesses of independent record company operations...

If JOB 1115 was released "on schedule" it didn't appear until 1958.

The Norfleet Brothers sang in the traditional "jubilee" style that made their warm quiet sound most distinctive during the 1950s, a period known for more impassioned gospel quartet singing. The group's repertoire was filled with old spirituals and traditional hymns, such as "Shadrack," "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," and "How Great Thou Art."

The brothers, who were reared by a minister, formally organized themselves into a jubilee group in 1946, in their hometown of Newbern, Alabama. The original members were Arthur (baritone), Joseph (second tenor), Junious (first/second tenor), Peter (first tenor), and Nathaniel (first tenor). The group moved up to Chicago in 1948, and soon added bass singer George Taylor and guitarist Robert Bonner. Hayes and Laughton's book doesn't recognize that George Taylor took the "Norfleet" name to become a sixth "brother." In a 1963 item, the Norfleets said they made their first recordings in 1954, but they could have been off by a year.

Other releases by the group included singles on Divine Grace, Von-Trice, Rush, and Emase, plus one LP on the Checker label, Shadrack (1964). Of these, possibly only the Divine Grace release predates the 1960s. The Norfleets made only a handful of records, but they throve as a popular group in the churches and on local radio and television. By 1963, they were broadcasting on three weekly radio programs (including their own show) and were appearing on the newly launched "Jubilee Showcase," the legendary show produced by gospel impresario Sid Ordower. The Norfleet Brothers were Ordower's favorites and he featured them regularly on "Jubilee Showcase" for decades afterwards. Arthur, Joseph, and Junious were still carrying on the legacy of the group in the 1990s.

Our sources are "Norfleets, Stars of 'Showcase,' Rank High as Gospel Singers," Chicago Defender,, March 30, 1963; Earl Calloway, "Norfleet Bros. Are Still Actively Singing Traditional Spirituals," Chicago Defender, February 10, 1979; and David Whiteis, "Critic's Choice: Norfleet Brothers," Chicago Reader, October 12, 1990.

We don't know whether the Chance deal was still on when Joe Brown convoked two more sessions at Universal in October.

JOB28. Zono Sago | Drums & Vocal

Zona Sago [Allan Williams] (d, voc); et al.

Universal Recording, Chicago, October 5, 1953

JOB 2602	Me Da Kum from Africa ("A. William")		JOB 1100
JOB 2603	Mama Mia ("A. William")		JOB 1100

JOB 1100 has received little attention because it was a calypso release. The single has the same orange label as JOB 1101. Matrix numbers (in the wax, 2603 is incorrectly displayed on both sides of the record) immediately precede the Memphis Minnie session, which we figure was done the same day.

The artist's marquee name is spelled Zona in other sources. His real name was Allan Williams; the composer credits go to "A. Williams" on his 1956 single on Abco. Thanks to Scott Dirks for unearthing Sago's real name; the inspiration behind the artist's marquee name is still unknown.

JOB29. Memphis Minnie and Her Combo / Little Son Joe / Little Brother Montgomery

Memphis Minnie [Lizzie Douglas] (eg, voc); Ernest "Little Son Joe" Lawlars (eg, voc); Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery (p, voc); Zona Sago (d).

Universal Recording, Chicago, October 5, 1953

2606 [tk. 3]	Kissing in the Dark (Lawlars) [MM voc]		unissued
2606 [tk. 4]	Kissing in the Dark (Lawlars) [MM voc]		JOB 1101, Flyright LP 585, Boogie Disease LP 101/102, P-Vine Special [J] PLP 9022, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Wolf WBCD 010, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
2607 [tk. 1]	World of Trouble (Lawlars) [MM voc]		JOB 1101, Flyright LP 585, Boogie Disease LP 101/102, Juke Joint LP 1501, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Wolf WBCD 010, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
2608	In Love Again [MM voc]		Flyright LP 585, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Wolf WBCD 010
2609-1	What a Night [MM voc]		Flyright LP 585, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Wolf WBCD 010
2610	Keep Drinkin' [LBM voc]		Flyright LP 577, P-Vine Special [J] PLP 9022, Flyright FLYCD 31, Paula PCD-15, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
2611	Boogie [LBM voc]		Flyright LP 577, Flyright FLYCD 31, Paula PCD-15, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
2612	Ethel Bea [LSJ voc]		Flyright LP 585, Juke Joint LP 1501, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Wolf WBCD 010, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
2613	A Little Too Late [LSJ voc]		Flyright LP 585, Flyright FLYCD 28, Paula PCD-19, Wolf WBCD 010, Westside WESD 233 [CD]
	I'd Write a Letter [LSJ voc]		P-Vine Special [J] PLP 9022, Wolf WBCD 010

Meticulously documented details of Memphis Minnie's last commercial recording session are available in Paul and Beth Garon, Woman with Guitar: Memphis Minnie's Blues (New York: Da Capo, 1992). This strongly recommended book is the source on Memphis Minnie. Previous sources list the drummer as unidentified. But it's a reasonable guess that Zona Sago (who drummed on other blues sessions) was still in the building.

JOB 1101, which carries an orange label, was advertised in Cash Box on May 22, 1954. It appears to have been released in November 1953, however. Flyright FLYCD 28 and its American Doppelgänger Paula PCD-19 were released in 1990 and 1991 as Blues Is Killin' Me. Flyright FLYCD 31 and Paula PCD-15, Chicago Piano 1951-1958 from Cobra & JOB, were also released in 1990 and 1991. Wolf WBCD 010, Memphis Minnie Volume 3: 1949-1953, was released in 1991. Westside WESD 233 is a compilation of 54 JOB blues tracks on 2 CDs; titled Rough Treatment: The J.O.B. Records Story, it was released in Britain in 2001.

JOB was definitely on its own when it cut the next session, by tenor saxophonist J. T. Brown.

JOB30. J. T. Brown, Vocal | and Accompanist

J. T. Brown (ts, voc); unidentified (eg); unidentified (d).

Universal Recording, Chicago, c. January 1954

U-2739	Boogie Baby (Brown) [Use That Spot*]		JOB 1103, Delmark DE-714*
U-2740	One More Chance (Brown)		JOB 1103, Delmark DE-714
	Cheatin' and Lyin'		Delmark DE-714
	Blues for JOB		Delmark DE-714

JOB 1103 was released during the week of July 31, 1954. In 1998, this entire session was included in J. T. Brown: Windy City Boogie on Delmark DE-714, a CD that also included J.T.'s work for United and Atomic-H. The Delmark CD does not specify the JOB matrix numbers and retitles "Boogie Baby" (substituting the title that was used for the same tune when J. T. Brown recorded it for United in 1956). Contrary to the Delmark liner notes and to other discographies, no string bass is audible on the session; however, there appear to be more than two male voices in the background on "Boogie Baby." Fancourt and McGrath, in the 2006 version of The Blues Discography 1943-1970, claim that Eddie Clark and the Eagle-Aires were the vocal group, which could be the case if their session immediately followed Brown's as suggested by the matric numbers. The recording quality is somewhat rougher than was previously the norm at JOB, though noticeably better than the label achieved in the early 1960s.

J. T. Brown had moved some 78s while recording for United (in June 1951 and January 1952), but his relationship with Lew Simpkins' label came to an abrupt end after Brown used a non-Union alto saxophonist on his January 1952 date, falsely representing him as a member of the Pittsburgh local of the Musicians Union. For over a year, Brown was a member of Elmore James' touring band, recording with him in November 1952 (for Meteor), January 1953 (for Checker), and April and August 1953 (Flair). The November 1952 session for Meteor also produced four sides that cited the saxophonist as the leader--variously as Bep Brown, Sax Man Brown, and J. T. (Big Boy) Brown. Also in August 1953, Brown made a session for Parrot that Al Benson decided not to release. This obscure outing for JOB was his next opportunity to record as a leader.

The matrix numbers are in the same series used by Chance and other companies at Universal Recording; U2680 was recorded by Chance in December 1953.

JOB31. Robert Dunbar, Vocal | Eagle-Aires of Chicago / Eddie Clark, Vocal | Eagle-Aires of Chicago

The Eagle-Aires: Robert Dunbar (voc); Eddie Clark (voc); ... Jones (voc); ... Brent (voc); Red Holloway (ts, ldr); Louis Carpenter (p); prob. Lefty Bates (eg); Hawk Lee (b); Robert "Hendu" Henderson (d).

Universal Recording, Chicago, c. January 1954

2745, HF-1014A	Number 1 Baby (Dunbar) [RD voc]		Ebony 1014A, JOB 1104
2746, HF-1014B	Cloudy Weather (Clark) [EC voc]		Ebony 1014B, JOB 1104

These two items appear to have been cut at Universal Recording, probably on the same day as the preceding session. The alternative numbers derive from the initial, extremely rare release on the Ebony label, which conspicuously displayed the words "High Fidelity." We learned of the Ebony release from John Tefteller's December 2005 auction catalogue. Note the variant titles on the Ebony, and the credit to "Red Hollaways [sic] Buttermilk Bottom Band."

From a dub provided by Dr. Robert Stallworth, we are able to identify these sides as JOB's first foray into doowop. "Number 1 Baby" features Robert Dunbar's rather thin high tenor lead. There is space on this jump for Red Holloway's tenor sax solo, easily identifiable as his work even without the clues provided by the original Ebony release. The piano accompaniment appears to be by Louis Carpenter, Red's regular pianist during this period, so we infer that his regular bassist and drummer are also present. (The same combo accompanied three vocal group sessions on Chance; see the Appendix to our first Al Smith page for session details). A guitarist was added for the session; Lefty Bates is most likely.

"Cloudy Weather" is a slow blues with a gospel-flavored baritone lead by Eddie Clark. The guitar is much more prominent on this side, and Red Holloway does not solo. The Eagle-Aires are relaxed, sometimes to the point of slackness, and their pitch is occasionally just approximate.

J. Mayo Williams, the proprietor of Ebony, had little more experience with doowop than Joe Brown did. Although vocal group and combo are clearly recorded, the balance between them is less than ideal, particularly on "Number 1 Baby."

According to the same Tefteller catalogue, the Eagle-Aires made a second single for Ebony that was apparently not picked up by JOB. The titles on the extremely rare Ebony 1015 were "Honey-Hush" (the Joe Turner hit) and "Money Honey." The group was unaccompanied on "Honey-Hush," at least if we believe the label, and its personnel was listed as "Dunbar-Clarke-Jones-Brent." Since we know of no other recording activity by the Eagle-Aires, it's a reasonable conclusion that these two further items were cut at the same session.

JOB release 1104 was advertised in Cash Box on May 22, 1954. The advert in Cash Box mentions the Eagle Aires while a Billboard item from June mentions Robert Dunbar.

We formerly included two more Eddie Clark items tha