Stories of artists who prematurely disappear or never receive their due recognition are legion in American music. It's particularly true of blues, soul and R&B artists from the South who never became more than regional favorites--New Orleans singers Johnny Adams and Irma Thomas, for instance.
Under-recognized American artists are the focus of this edition of On the Offbeat, a periodic column spotlighting roots, ethnic and pop music from around the world. Albums are rated on a scale one star (poor) to four stars (excellent).
* * * Sonny Boy Williamson, "Clownin' With the World," Trumpet/Alligator.
* * * William Clarke, "Serious Intentions," Alligator.
Blues harmonica players don't get much respect these days--Williamson is nowhere near as celebrated as his Chess contemporaries Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. "Clownin' With the World" unearths eight strong, previously unreleased songs by the sly harp master that, together with eight from pianist Willie Love, are a bonanza for fans of the early '50s Memphis blues sound.
Southern California blues harmonica players get even less respect, but Clarke's second Alligator album may change that attitude. The strong singing and tough playing on "Serious Intentions" adroitly complement well-crafted, varied songs that sound fully contemporary and true blue to the tradition.
* * * James Booker, "Junco Partner," Hannibal/Rykodisc.
* * * James Booker, "Spiders on the Keys," Rounder.
* * * 1/2 James Booker, "Return of the Bayou Maharajah," Rounder.
Booker, who died in 1983, blended classical pieces, pop standards, blues-R&B hits and Professor Longhair-style New Orleans piano into an audaciously unpredictable style. His reissued 1976 album "Junco Partner" opens with a blues-tinted arrangement of Chopin's "Minute Waltz" that sweeps into rollicking left-hand rhythms on "Goodnight Irene" while Booker cackles about partying on the Ponderosa with Leadbelly.
"Spiders" and "Bayou Maharajah" were compiled from live performances recorded at the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans over a five-year span. The former focuses on pop standards and the melodic embellishments Booker used to place his idiosyncratic stamp on them. The latter shows the blues-R&B side of his playing in wild 'n' woolly arrangements.
* * * Ruby Johnson, "I'll Run Your Hurt Away," Stax/Fantasy.
