Cyril Davies... British Blues Harp PioneerBlues From The Roundhouse #1
“The legendary Huddie Ledbetter (January 29, 1885 - December 6, 1949); the larger than life black American folk singer; expert twelve string guitar player, with a claimed repertoire of some 500 songs; onetime companion of bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson; a long-time inmate of Southern penitentiaries; and later darling of the East coast white liberal establishment. Raconteur, womanizer, brawler, braggart and in latter days Leadbelly a devotee of left-wing causes. ‘The number one man on the number one gang, on the number one farm in the state’ - Pete Seeger” [cycad.com]. Leadbelly’s performances radiated an overwhelming intensity that few artists have ever matched. His recordings were instrumental in the creation of Britain's Skiffle movement. What [Cyril] he really wanted to do was to play country blues. He was absolutely fixated with Leadbelly and although the sparce and poorly recorded surviving records really don’t do him justice, his rendition of Leadbelly songs was spine-chilling - Harry Shapiro. John Ross Twiston (R.T.) Davies [1927 – 2004] was a jazz multi-instrumentalist and discographer. John R.T. Davies’ name became familiar to jazz fans as that of one of the leading transfer engineers. His work restoring old 78s for CD reissues is still the best there is, on various small labels all over the world. While in school, he had played drums and during army service, guitar. Davies worked with George Melly, Mick Mulligan and others, taking up trombone '49, alto sax '54. In 1952, John recorded a couple of sessions of the Steve Lane band, which he was in at the time (with Cyril?). I recorded a lot of other bands that I wasn't in, mainly at the behest of Doug Dobell, the owner of the famous Dobell's jazz record shop in London, a meeting place for jazz aficionados and record collectors. Doug marketed these records from his shop, under the "77" label (77 Charing Cross Road being the shop's address). They didn't appear for sale anywhere else. We were faced with a big problem because of purchase tax, which stipulated that you could produce a hundred copies and not pay any purchase tax but if you produced a hundred and one you'd have to pay tax on the lot. So many of those records only ran to a hundred copies, but this was usually enough to satisfy the immediate demand. On February 13, 1957, Cyril and Alexis (with fellow musicians, Terry Plant & Mike Collins) made their tentative debut as partners on "Blues From The Roundhouse"; recorded by John R.T. Davies and produced by Brian Harvey, this recording was done under the supervision of Doug Dobell and issued on his tiny "77" label. The following passage(s) are from the LP's liner notes by Charles Fox. However commonplace it has become to hear jazz drifting up from crowded Soho cellars and skiffle-music jangling out of every coffee-bar, there is still only one place in Central London where blues are sung regularly and looked upon as an end in themselves. The London Blues Club meets on the first floor of a purple-brick Victorian public-house – The Roundhouse—at the corner of Brewer and Wardour Streets. Every Thursday evening, in a room decorated with stags’ antlers and sentimental oleographs, Negro blues and spirituals soar above the cigarette-smoke… The artists on this record form the regular group at the Roundhouse, led by two of the very few British guitarists who have learned to play Negro blues not merely with competence but also with sympathy and understanding. Fox continues, A man of many interests, with a particular passion for vintage motor cars, Alexis Korner also finds time to write about jazz and blues as well as singing and playing the guitar. When I asked the Producer, Brian Harvey, about these sessions in September 2004, he replied, it is so long ago, that I remember very little about that period. I recall wanting to record Alexis, but mainly for his superb guitar picking and I was considerably put out that when it came time to record he insisted on singing – badly - well to my ears at least" B. Colyer B. Harvey D. Dobell Also recorded by the group at the Februry 13, 1957 session was another version of the Cripple Clarence Lofton tune, 'Streamline Train'. Alexis had recorded a version of the same song in 1955 with Ken Colyer. This song, with Cyril on guitar & harmonica, would go unreleased until 1984. It finally saw the light of day on the Krazy Kat compilation 'Alexis 1957'. The next group release was recorded on July 22, 1957 under the auspicious group name "Alexis Korner Skiffle Group" on Tempo Records. Tempo Records was a jazz subsidiary of British Decca. In the late 'forties and early 'fifties musicians working in the revivalist idiom recorded for the marque. From about 1955, modernists such as Jimmy Deuchar, Tubby Hayes and Dizzy Reece were recorded. Alexis authored several press articles between '56 - '58, distancing himself from the Skiffle movement. “Blues From The Roundhouse Volume 1” (EXA76)
The group now featured Alexis (vocals/acoustic guitar), Cyril (acoustic guitar/harmonica/vocals), Chris Capon (string bass), Mike Collins (washboard) and Dave Stevens (piano). Dave recently recalled (2006) his initial meeting of Alexis Korner..."It might have been when we played together in Chris Barber's first band, the one with two trumpets". Dave and Alexis had played half hour sets of 'race blues' earlier in the '50's with Chris Barber (bass)and Brian Laws (drums). Dicky Hawdon (trumpet), Alexis (guitar), Colin Thompson (clarinet & soprano), Denny Coffey (bass) & Dave Stevens on piano cut a demo [‘Sportin’ Life’ / ‘Monday Date’] disc at a Denmark Street studio in order to get a broadcast on Jazz Club. Alexis & Dave with Hawdon Band (1951) from 'The Biography' - H. Shapiro (Credit George Harrison) Dave also had played piano in a couple of incarnations of Beryl's Backroom Boys. Dave - " You probably know I played with "Beryl's Backroom Boys". The trumpeter was Allan Wickham, and Owen Maddock was on tuba. Beryl was a lovely person and a great entertainer. She sang a lot of blues and Billie Holiday songs and played washboard. But skiffle...I don't even know what it is!". The liner notes were again written by Charles Fox, "Asked for his favourite guitarists, Alexis picks Scrapper Blackwell and Charlie Christian; the singers he likes the best are Sleepy John Estes, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Brownie McGhee and Joe Turner. Not many British guitarists have succeeded in playing blues with sympathy and understanding. One who has is Alexis Korner, another Cyril Davies. Cyril’s style of singing and the fact that he had a 12-string guitar specially built for him should be evidence enough of his regard for Leadbelly’s work. Yet although he employs many of Leadbelly’s phrases, Cyril always tries to use them in a personal manner. On two tracks of the EP they are joined by Dave Stevens. A chartered accountant by profession, Dave has been active as a pianist over the past eleven years, playing both jazz and blues with a variety of groups. His favourite pianists are Earl Hines and the late Cripple Clarence Lofton. Although 'Kid Man' and 'Country Jail' were originally recorded in 1944 by Big Maceo Merriweather, Dave Stevens’ piano playing on these tracks is entirely different from Maceo’s, just as Alexis Korner’s guitar work differs completely from Tampa Red’s...When Big Bill Broonzy and Jimmy Rushing visited the London Blues Club they not only sang but expressed their delight at hearing genuine blues in the heart of London. Their tributes were appreciated by these young musicians, who take the blues seriously but not themselves. With humility and sympathy they re-creat these songs, striving always for authenticity of feeling, hoping to use the idiom in a personal way". Of interesting note is this EP, Muddy Waters (with Little Walter), 'Mississippi Blues' [UK VOGUE Records Tri-centre EPV 1046 (1955)] features not only the same cover art(!) as 'Alexis Korner Skiffle Group' but also liner notes by Alexis. Disques Vogue was founded in France in 1947. They originally specialized in jazz recordings, featuring such artists as Sidney Bechet, Django Reinhardt, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, and Errol Garner. In the late 1950s Vogue expanded into pop music, recording Petula Clark and other popular singers of the era. The label's United Kingdom sister label was Pye Nixa Records. As evidenced above, Muddy Waters was definitely on the British musical radar. While (during 1957 and '58) Cyril remained true to his total identification with the acoustic Leadbelly, the music of Muddy Waters (and the harmonica stylings of Little Walter and James Cotton of Muddy's group) would eventually lead Cyril in a personal pursuit of that tough 'Chicago Style' electric blues. This blues mission needed only a catalyst to bring these forces together...this catalyst was the iconic...Chris Barber!
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