|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZHARLEM HAMFATSA studio band, formed by black talent scout Mayo 'Ink' Williams in 1936 at first to back jazz and blues singers such as Johnny Temple and Frankie 'Half-Pint' Jaxon on USA Decca, which sold a lot of records to juke box operators and was more willing than most to record black and hillbilly music. Their territorial disparity (nothing to do with Harlem) helped them to combine blues and Swing Era jazz; trumpeter and vocalist Herb Morand (1905-52) was from New Orleans; guitarists Joe (1905-50) and Charlie McCoy (1909-50) were bluesmen from Mississippi (Joe also sang, Charlie also played mandolin); and Ransom Knowling (1912-67, also from New Orleans) played bass on a great many blues records (see Arthur Crudup); others taking part were pianist Horace Malcolm, bassist John Lindsay, drummers Pearlis Williams and Freddie Flynn, all from Chicago; Rosetta Howard, Alberta Smith and Lil Allen sang on some sides. They made nearly 60 titles of their own '36-8, switched to Vocalion for 16 more '39; the best-known remained the first: 'Oh! Red'. All the sides were made in Chicago except for two NYC dates '38 (on one of which Buster Bailey replaced Rand). A hamfat may have been a lazy or indifferent musician, or a hick from the sticks who used ham fat to grease the valves on his horn (seems unlikely). Jazz critics were not impressed but fans had a good time. Their style and lyrical content ('Let's Get Drunk And Truck') certainly influenced Louis Jordan and the R&B to come. |