Topic: Help needed findin texas alexander and frank stokes recordings (if they exist)

[JohnLeePimp]

Hey good people, a while ago I was using the ever reliable internet for research on great bluesmen and one thing that caught my eye was that both Stokes and Alexander had supposedly been recorded in the early 1950s, but since I've had no luck finding them, I would like confirmation and maybe a suggestion of where I could get em.

Here's where I read the one on Tex, stating that he made an audition recording with Lightnin' hopkins

http://www.redhotjazz.com/talexander.html

I can't find the one about stokes again but it definately said he recorded in the 50s and accompanied by the harpist big walter horton, there's no mention of such a thing in the more usual (but not more credible) websites... so I dunno

Thanks in advance

[Slack]

Google is your friend:  Tex Alexander last recording is in 1950.

Alger "Texas" Alexander:Bottom Blues 1927-1930, 1950
http://www.amazon.com/1930-1950-3-Texas-Alexander/dp/B000005ZL5/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1295476236&sr=8-2-fkmr0

Dunno about Stokes.

[uncle bud]

There are two Texas Alexander recordings from 1950 on Document Vol 3, made with Benton's Busy Bees. Don't know anything about a Lightnin' session in '47 - news to me. Perhaps some of those more familiar with Lightnin' will chime in.

Frank Stokes being recorded in the 50s is also news to me. Wouldn't that be something.

[Slack]

The last two cuts(Bottoms blues and Cross Blues) are from 1950. Both are on the Juke, available for request.

[JohnLeePimp]

Google is your friend:  Tex Alexander last recording is in 1950.

No it's not "instant" is siezure enducing, besides I typed in discography and texas alexander and hopkins and didn't get this

....I will be getting this though so thanks a bunch, I guess i'll have to google what "juke" is

[Slack]

the Juke is our Country Blues radio station, here:

http://weeniecampbell.com/juke

Instructions for listening are here:

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=5338.0

[JohnLeePimp]

the Juke is our Country Blues radio station, here:

http://weeniecampbell.com/juke

Instructions for listening are here:

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=5338.0

Well... that's completely awsome

[Bunker Hill]

For what it's worth, the guitarist on the Freedom recording, Buster Benton, was interviewed by Mack McCormick in the 60s. This has never been published. What's more annoying is that Benton didn't die until 11 October 1992 (83) and nobody thought to track him down under the assumption he had passed in the 70s. hey ho.

[Cambio]

I read in a Bukka White biography that he used to play with Frank Stokes in Memphis in the 50's.  That would have been interesting.

[JohnLeePimp]

I read in a Bukka White biography that he used to play with Frank Stokes in Memphis in the 50's.  That would have been interesting.

I looked through a bunch of interviews with Bukka but from what I could decifer he doesn't make mention of Stokes... were there any other Memphis musicians or Bluesmen that knew Stokes who were part of the revival scene?

[Cambio]

The biography was written by F.Jack Hurley and David Evans, published in 1981 by University of TN Press.  It says that Stokes had a blacksmith shop and that he would shoe the feet of racehorses and get hired to play at parties for wealthy whites.  He'd bring Bukka along to the gigs.  This would have been in the 1940's.

As Bukka recalled:

"I got with Frank Stokes, and him and me got to playing for rich white folks' parties.  And we wouldn't just play;  they would have us stopping and talking and just carrying on for them.  Man say, "Hell!  Y'all ain't got to work yourself to death for a hundred dollars here.  Rest some.  Eat some.  Drink some."  It'd be like that;  and lots of times I'd come home with a hundred and Frank would have a hundred.  Did I like Memphis?  Man, I made a lot of money.  I had to like it."

[jostber]

The biography was written by F.Jack Hurley and David Evans, published in 1981 by University of TN Press.  It says that Stokes had a blacksmith shop and that he would shoe the feet of racehorses and get hired to play at parties for wealthy whites.  He'd bring Bukka along to the gigs.  This would have been in the 1940's.

As Bukka recalled:

"I got with Frank Stokes, and him and me got to playing for rich white folks' parties.  And we wouldn't just play;  they would have us stopping and talking and just carrying on for them.  Man say, "Hell!  Y'all ain't got to work yourself to death for a hundred dollars here.  Rest some.  Eat some.  Drink some."  It'd be like that;  and lots of times I'd come home with a hundred and Frank would have a hundred.  Did I like Memphis?  Man, I made a lot of money.  I had to like it."

That is quite cool! No wonder they would play a guitar when getting this revenue.