Al Smith & His Orchestra - In Session 1952-1958 Fooling Around Slowly [CD]

Cat. no: JASMCD3234
Format: CD
Barcode: 604988323429
Release Date: 05 May 2023
Genre: Blues

Jasmine's ongoing "In Session" series turns its attention to Al Smith.The frst six titles in October 1952, were the start of his recording career 

They were for Art Sheridan's Chance label, the frst of which, under Smith's own name, was the ghostly "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". Big Bertha Henderson rocks her way through "Rock, Daddy, Rock" before Bobby Prince fnished out the session and has another couple before Sheridan closed Chance into VeeJay giving Al Smith even more artists to contend with.His early VeeJay sessions produced The El Dorado's "Annie's Answer" an answer to Hank Ballard's "Annie Had a Baby" but this time explaining that "Annie Ain't Had no Baby". The instrumental "Living With Vivian" seems to be a reference to Vivian Carter, VeeJay' owner. Poor old Dizzy Dizon dreams he's stuck on a soup line & his money troubles getting there. Moving to a VeeJay subsidiary Falcon The Dells murmur their way "One, Two, Cha Cha Cha" which incorporates the famous Bo Diddley penned riff from "Love is Strange".

Such was Smith's reputation that Duke Records from Houston, Texas sent Little Junior Parker to Chicago to record with Al Smith's Orchestra the result of which was "Peaches" & "Pretty Little Doll", both present here.

DooWop enters the frame with sessions with The Lyrics who become The Falcons, but not to be confused with the famous Detroit group of the same name. Larry Birdsong name drops his way down in "Fannie's Place" before we end with three more Smith instrumentals including a latin favoured "Left Field".

This collection gives a slightly different view of the Chicago music scene away from the blues and R&B of Chess records but showed it had just as much talent especially with the Al Smith Combo and Orchestra.

Tracks: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Al Smith And His Orchestra Featuring Red Holloway / Slow Mood - Al Smith And His Orchestra Featuring Red Holloway / Rock, Daddy, Rock - Big Bertha Henderson With Al Smith Orchestra / Tears In My Eyes - Big Bertha Henderson With Al Smith Orchestra / Tell Me Why, Why, Why - Bobby Prince With Al Smith's Orchestra / I Want To Hold You - Bobby Prince With Al Smith's Orchestra / Better Think It Over - Bobby Prince With Al Smith's Orchestra / If You Only Knew - Bobby Prince With Al Smith's Orchestra / Fooling Around Slowly - Al Smiths Combo / Annie's Answer - Al Smiths Combo / Living With Vivian - Al Smiths Combo / Soup Line - Dizzy Dixon With Al Smith's Combo / One, Two, Cha Cha Cha - Al Smith / Get Up And Go - Al Smith / Road House - Al Smith / A Distant Love - The Dells With Al Smith's Orchestra / Peaches - Little Junior Parker With Al Smith Orchestra / Pretty Little Doll - Little Junior Parker With Al Smith Orchestra / Jammin' For Diggy - Lucius Washington Quintet / Quarter Party - Al Smith / Come On Home - The Lyrics / Why Don't You Stop - The Lyrics / My Only Love - The Falcons With Al Smith's Orchestra / Now That It's Over - The Falcons With Al Smith's Orchestra / Fannie's Place - Larry Birdsong With Al Smith's Orchestra / Goodbye Goodbye - Larry Birdsong With Al Smith's Orchestra / Christopher Columbus - Al Smith / Wabash Blues - Al Smith / Left Field - Al Smith 

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