Helen Humes - 1927-1945 {The Chronological Classics, 892}

When she was just 13 and 14 years old, Helen Humes made her recording debut, cutting ten risque, double entendre-filled blues, naughty tunes that she later claimed to understand at the time. Until the release of this Classics CD in 1996, those numbers (which have backup in various settings by either De Loise Searcy or J.C. Johnson on piano, and Lonnie Johnson or the guitar duo team of Sylvester Weaver and Walter Beasley) had never been reissued on the same set before. Humes sounds fairly mature on the enjoyable blues sides. Her next session as a leader would not take place until 15 years later, when she was 28 and a veteran of Count Basie's Orchestra. The singer is heard here with groups in 1942 and 1944-1945, performing three numbers with altoist Pete Brown's sextet (a band including trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, who unfortunately does not solo), Leonard Feather's Hiptet (which has some rare solos from trumpeter Bobby Stark), and Bill Doggett's spirited octet. The latter date is highlighted by classic renditions of "He May Be Your Man" and "Be-Baba-Leba." Highly recommended.


Tracks:

01. Black Cat Blues
02. A Worried Woman's Blues
03. If Papa Has Outside Lovin'
04. Do What You Did Last Night
05. Everybody Does It Now
06. Cross-Eyed Blues
07. Garlic Blues
08. Alligator Blues
09. Nappy Headed Blues
10. Race Horse Blues
11. Mound Bayou
12. Unlucky Woman
13. Gonna Buy Me A Telephone
14. I Would If I Could
15. Keep Your Mind On Me
16. Fortune Tellin' Man
17. Suspicious Blues
18. Unlucky Woman
19. Every Now And Then
20. He May Be Your Man
21. Blue Prelude
22. Be-Baba-Leba