Leroy Jenkins cut quite a few side for various labels around the late 40's early 50's (Columbia, Flair & Dude) . This release on 'Talent' was his first release and was like many others he recorded were done in Dallas at Jim Beck's studio in Dallas.
At just six months old Leroy went blind and from the age of 7 was schooled in Austin Texas for the school for the blind. He was born July 28th 1921 and died Dec 18th 1990.
The A side about a wrong doing woman is mighty mighty fine and you can see why Jim Beck & Don Law got him back to record and get releases on Columbia. It's just a great record, super Steel and just perfect vocals from Mr Jenkins. The flip is good decent weepie country, played with style and competence.
Both Matrix numbers appear to be connected to the Blue Bonnet Label as BB 164/165.
Frank Hunter and his Black Mountain Boys. Rich-R-Tone Records # 1049 - 1952 Side A - Tennessee Boy. Side B - Long Time No See.
Here is a real heavy shellac killer bluegrass offering from Frank Hunter on the highly prized Rich-R-Tone label which was founded in 1946 in Johnson City, Tennessee before moving to Nashville. Tennessee boy is real nice but for me it's the flip that moves,moves,moves! just brilliant bluegrass that jumps into your very being and lifts you up up up! Long Time No See is pure magic!!
That this early bluegrass artist hailed from the tropical panhandle state is somewhat unusual for the early bluegrass crowd of the '50s, most of whom came from musical families who had lived for generations scattered around various Appalachian strongholds. This is the same area where Hunter eventually drifted to, by the early '50s, establishing the Black Mountain Boys with fiddler and vocal partner Gene Christian, a former member of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. There was some serious talent lurking in the band membership that cut sides for the Rich R Tone label in the early '50s. Banjoist Pee Wee Buttrey was a wonderful player; while Junior Husky had a brilliant career as a country sessionman, thinking in big and little terms as both a bassist and a mandolinist. Other members of the group have passed into total obscurity, not even identifiable by name anymore due to the casual nature of recording session documentation.
Rich R Tone itself was a helpful connection for Hunter and his partners, even if it was just one guy with a car. As the mountain folk had known all their lives, one fellow with wheels can distribute a great deal of merchandise, whether it is the traditional white-lightning home-brewed liquor, or a newfangled gimmick called bluegrass records. Meanwhile, the Black Mountain Boys had secured a regular radio spot on WKSR out of Pulaski, TN, coming on at 5:45 a.m., with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs waiting in the wings for the 6:00 a.m. slot. The group worked together for several years following their Rich R Tone single release, "Long Time No See," appearing on the Louisiana Hayride, in a program that included country crooner Slim Whitman and old-timers Johnny and Jack but nothing even remotely resembling bluegrass. The music form was still relatively new, being created whole cloth, chord by chord, by pioneers such as Hunter. When the Black Mountain Boys called it quits, he headed back to Florida, basing himself out of Tampa, where he played some local jobs. At one point, he recorded an obscure LP entitled The Return of Frank Hunter, although it was hard to say where he had been or what he was returning to, other than further obscurity. When Rounder assembled its ambitious History of Bluegrass series, Hunter and his buddies were one of the only historic bluegrass acts the archivists were unable to supply a photograph of.
Ramblin' Tommy Scott Bullet Records # 624 - 1947 Side A - Sweet Woman Blues. Side B - My Little Moonbeam
September 1946 WSM Radio Station Studio, 116 5th Ave. North, Nashville, TN - Ramblin' Tommy Scott (Tommy Scott [vcl/rh gt], Jimmy Vance [mandolin], ? [steel], Joel “Horsefly” Price [bass]) For 1947 this song is way ahead of it's time!!! This is a pseudo Rockabilly track for sure, a truly brilliant rural hick song, Elvis must have heard this on the radio (along with his 1951 song 'Rockin and Rollin' on the Federal label) and thought "I can do that". Hank was doing his thing and Tommy was doing his and my god this cooks.
This little beauty was pressed in 1947!! but sounds like it should be around 1951 to my ears! way ahead of its time! 2 splendid tunes by the York Bros. and is easy to see why these cats were popular with the country music buying public!
This Bullet release has two songs that are simply amazing!
The A side is a classy little ditty! slow but moving with sweet harmony vocals by George & Leslie!
'Got Blues On My Mind' has that rural country vocal harmonising & some farmyard lead guitar all kept together with that beautiful squeezebox and fiddle just bubbling under the surface! wonderful!
Chuck Harless Dixie Records # OP-113 - 4 Star Custom - 1951 Side A - Every Time They Have A War. Side B - I'm Lonely And Blue. Chuck saw this 4 Star Custom release on Dixie and also the same songs on an official 4 Star release in 1951 (this Custom OP might be a 1950 release). This is a tidy nice hick style country lament about a young boy wanting his Daddy to return from the war. A decent slice of basic country from Chuck which must have sold well for it to also get a release on 4 Star. Chuck has a pleasant voice and this is a welcome addition to my 78 collection.
Hank Drew and his Blue Valley Boys. Excellent Records # 302 - circa 1956 Side A - You Don't Love Me (Oscar Drew) Side B - Don't Torture Me (Oscar Drew) Pretty rare and mighty fine record out of Cincinnati, Ohio circa 1956 by Hank Drew. The A side is the uptempo side and really does bounce along and is just a delightful slice of hillbilly bop. The B side is the more typical country weepie and ticks all the boxes in that department. Hank and his Blue Valley boys are just great and I would go onto say they match their label name!
Roy Scott with The Country Harmony Boys Jamboree Records # 1154 - 1953 Side A - The Rest Of My Life (Hardrock Gunter) Side B - Wilted Roses (Brill, Deloy) Label based in Wheeling, West Virginia. Superb country styling by WWVA Radio star Roy Scott and the Country Harmony Boys. Both these songs were re-released on the Pennant label a short time after on 78 and 45 rpm. Two classy numbers from Roy with great country vocals and top backing.
Dan Seal and String Band Acc. Gulf Coast Records # 1012 - 1954 Side A - Don't Break My Heart Side B - You Gotta Walk That Line Dan Seal and his string band really cook up a storm on the B side of this rare little platter out of Biloxi, Mississippi in 1954. This was the first label set up and owned by Marion Carpenter and Pee Wee Maddux before they set up the 'Fine' label in the same area a short time after with Dan seeing releases on both. The A side is a real nice slowish country chugger with some real nice vocals by Dan. 'You Gotta Walk That Line' is pretty damn cool little tune and packs a real punch, starts with that typical Hank Williams intro but added with some superb vocals and chugging rhythm guitar, fiddle and Steel and then we get some fine picking on the ol' lead lead guitar ......wow! just a doozy of a record!
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