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Author Topic: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings  (Read 6389 times)

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Offline Johnm

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Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« on: November 10, 2006, 12:29:59 AM »
Hi all,
I have been listening a lot lately to Bobby Leecan & Robert Cooksey lately.  Their complete recordings, done from September 1926 to October 1927, have been collected on two Document CDs, Volume 1 is DOCD-5279, and Volume 2 is DOCD-5280.  They were enormously skilled musicians working in a very Jazzy style of Blues, with lots of Ragtime influence.  Robert Cooksey was a remarkable harmonica player, equally comfortable playing straight or cross harp, and a lovely bird-like tone in his upper register.  Bobby Leecan worked primarily as an accompanist, using a flat-pick to great effect.  His harmonic sophistication puts him in the class of Papa Charlie Jackson, or perhaps even beyond him, and that is really saying something.  A lot of Leecan's playing is startlingly modern sounding. 
Despite being popular enough to record close to fifty sides either under their own names or backing a variety of singers, evidently almost next to nothing is known about Leecan & Cooksey in the biographical sense--not even where they came from, though some people have hypothesized Philadelphia or New York.  Anyone have the time and inclination to do some digging through birth/death records in those cities?
I am omitting the first four songs from the Document Volume 1 disc in this listing because Leecan was not included in the sessions, and he is such an integral part of the combo's sound that these four cuts really seemed as though they came from somewhere else.  I should say that I am dubious of some of the personnel listings on these recordings.  On several tracks Leecan is shown playing tenor banjo, with Alfred Martin on guitar, yet Martin played mandolin, which is tuned to the same intervals as tenor banjo on several tracks, and his supposed guitar-playing sounds just like Leecan, even to the extent of using some of Leecan's pet (and very difficult) licks.  Here goes:

Vol. 1
SONG TITLE                        SESSION DATE       KEY/POSITION

Black Cat Bone Blues              9/27/26                G standard

Dirty Guitar Blues                   9/27/26                C standard

When My Wants Run Out          10/18/26             Verse: F, C and G, Chorus:  Bflat

Talk 'Bout Somethin' That's         10/18/26               Bflat standard
Gwine To Happen

Need More Blues, Take 1          11/22/26               F standard

Need More Blues, Take 2              "                           "

Whiskey and Gin Blues, Take 1       "                    D standard

Whiskey and Gin Blues, Take 2       "                         "

Big Four                                      "                     D minor/F standard

South Street Stomp, Take 1           "                     F standard, B flat standard

South Street Stomp, Take 2           "                            "

I Wants A Real Man               12/26--1/27              A minor/C standard

Scrubbin' Blues                            "                      G standard

Good Woman Blues                  2/14/27                  C standard

Second Handed Blues                   "                               "

Dead Drunk Blues                        "                        G standard

Dollar Blues                            3/22/27                   C Standard

Maxwell And Peoria Blues             "                         G Standard

South Street Blues                      "                          C Standard

Hock My Shoes                           "                          G Standard

A few notes on the music:
   * The next time I see Steve James, I  will have to ask him if he was influenced by Robert Cooksey's singing.  Cooksey sounds more like Steve, even to the extent of similar pronunciations, than any singer I have ever heard.
   * "When My Wants Run Out" and "Talk 'Bout Somethin' That's Gwine To Happen" are duets pairing the vocalists Elizabeth Smith and Sidney Easton, operating in a bantering manner somewhat akin to Sally Dotson with Smoky Babe, though much less "country".
   * The multiple take tunes from the 11/22/26 session are all sensational, with "South Street Stomp" perhaps taking the honors.  The session was recorded in Camden, New Jersey, right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, where South Street is a famous street.  Maybe Leecan & Cooksey were close to home there.
   * The personnel listed for the 3/22/27 session shows Robert Cooksey paired with Alfred Martin on guitar, and apparently the sides were issued under the name "Martin and Robert".  If that was Alfred Martin on those sessions, he sure sounded like Bobby Leecan, though he might not be as clean in his playing and touch as Leecan. 

I will list the keys for Vol. 2 on the next post.

All best,
Johnm           
« Last Edit: November 10, 2006, 09:18:03 PM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2006, 12:59:46 AM »
Hi all,
Here are the keys/positions for Leecan & Cooksey's Vol. 2 CD on Document

TUNE TITLE                             DATE RECORDED                KEY/POSITION

Wash-board Cut Out                       4/5/27                           C Standard

Shortnin' Bread                               "                                      "

Midnight Susie                                "                                G Standard

Apaloosa Blues                               "                                 C Standard

Ain't She Sweet, Take 1                5/24/27                           B Flat Standard

Ain't She Sweet, Take 2                   "                                        "

Don't Let Your Head Hang Down        "                                  C Standard

Royal Palm Special                         "                                         "

Blue Harmonica                              "                                  A Minor/C Standard

Macon Georgia Cut Out                 6/27                                E Minor/G Standard

Nobody Knows You When You're       "                                   C Standard
Down And Out

Memphis Shake                          7/27                                        "

My Old Daddy's Got A Brand            "                                          "
New Way To Love

Kansas City Shuffle                        "                                          "

Black Cat Bone                              "                                     G Standard

Mean Old Bedbug Blues, Take 1    10/27/27                                   "

Mean Old Bedbug Blues, Take 2         "                                         "

Cold Morning Shout                         "                                    A Minor/C Standard

Suitcase Breakdown                        "                                     C Standard

Dallas Blues, Take 1                        "                                            "

Dallas Blues, Take 2                        "                                            "

El Watson's Fox Chase                   5/7/28                                 F# Standard

A couple of points about these tunes:
   * Leecan does not play on "El Watson's Fox Chase".  It is a harmonica duet between Robert Cooksey and El Watson
   * For the tunes recorded at the 10/27/27 session, Leecan is shown as playing tenor banjo and Alfred Martin is listed as the guitarist.  It's possible, but I don't know about that.
   * The key of B flat held no fears for Bobby Leecan.  On the two takes of "Ain't She Sweet" he is jaw-droppingly adroit.  I wonder if the choice to record so many tunes in G and C standard was driven by the desire to keep Cooksey from having to spend too much money loading up on harmonicas in different keys?
   * I am not familiar with the term "Cut Out" as used in the two tune titles on this disc.  Is anyone familiar with its meaning in the slang of the period?

I hope you all get a chance to hear and enjoy the music of these great musicians.

All best,
Johnm

Leecan

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2006, 10:20:21 PM »
I'm looking for biographical information on Bobby Leecan too. If you get any leads please contact me. I'm somehow related to Bobby Leecan (I think he is a great, great uncle). My name is William Leecan and I was born in Philadelphia.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2006, 02:29:36 PM »
Hello, William Leecan, and welcome to Weenie Campbell!  If Bobby Leecan was your great-great uncle, you can certainly be proud of him, because he was a wonderful guitarist.  If you have any information on him from your folks or grandparents, information on where he came from, or where he was living at the time he recorded, or where and when he passed away, many Blues researchers would be interested to learn anything of that type.  It sounds like you are trying to find out as much as you can about him, too.  If I find out anything about him or post any messages relating to his guitar-playing, I will let you know.
All best,
Johnm 

Leecan

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2006, 08:59:47 PM »
Thanks for the quick response. I did find a little bit more about him yesterday. In the book Red River Blues, He is mentioned. The writer also credits him as Blind Bobby Baker from Georgia. Funny thing is I'm currently living in Georgia and now I'm going to do some research on Bobby Baker too to see if that was Bobby Leecan too. My grandparents are dead but I was able to get a little bit of family history from my great Aunt before she passed years ago. She mentioned a Robert Leecan in our family tree. I'm guessing this was Bobby Leecan. I'll keep you posted as soon as I get more facts. I'm trying to do a documentary on him. This has been an off and on project for more than eight years.

Offline Flatd7

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2008, 06:56:02 AM »
Someone who has the Document Vol 2 . . . .  Could you tell me which tracks are attributed, if any, to the South Street Trio? I'm fairly sure that Cold Morning Shout is, but the Document site only lists tracks 12-15 as the Dixie Jazzers Washboard Band. I'm particularly interested in tracks that Alfred Martin plays the Banjolin although as discussed before he's sometimes accredited to guitar with Leecan on Banjo.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2008, 07:46:27 AM »
Hi Jon,
On Volume 2, The South Street Trio is credited with the two takes of "Mean Old Bedbug Blues", "Cold Morning Shout", "Suitcase Breakdown" and two takes of "Dallas Blues".  Personnel for all those tracks list Cooksey on harmonica and vocals, Leecan on banjo, and Martin on guitar, though I think the credits for the last two musicians are mistakenly reversed.  Earlier in the program, though, Alfred Martin is featured on mandolin with Bobby Leecan's Need-More Band, which also includes Leecan on guitar and kazoo, Cooksey on harmonica, an unknown cellist and Eddie Edinborough on washboard, for the following cuts:  "Wash-board Cut Out", "Shortnin' Bread" (terrific), "Midnight Susie" and "Apaloosa Blues".
All best,
Johnm

Offline Flatd7

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2008, 09:41:55 AM »
John

Dirty Guitar Blues is a wonderfully odd number. It seems that Leecan is playing a guitar with double courses on the high strings? Seems as if he maybe the lower strings are single, although I can't tell. Am I hearing things? Especially around the 1:20 mark when he play the higher passes that are reminiscent of RGD.

Offline Lastfirstface

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2013, 09:10:37 AM »
I'm on a bit of a Leecan and Cooksey kick lately and was happy to find this Morris' Hot Babies cut with Fats Waller on organ and and a nice little solo from Leecan. Not surprisingly, he was just as slick playing in Ab:

« Last Edit: November 04, 2013, 07:30:24 AM by Lastfirstface »

Offline Pan

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2013, 04:00:26 PM »
Thanks for that, Lastfirstface!

I wasn't much aware of Bobby Leecan's career as a jazz musician. I'll have to check it out. You'll learn something new everyday, on this forum.  8)

Here are some of his jazz collaborations mentioned: http://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-works-in-chronological-order-vol-1-1924-27-mw0001025309

Cheers

Pan

Offline Lastfirstface

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2013, 07:35:06 AM »
It was the Stefan Wirz discography that put me on the trail of their work in Jazz combos. His site is such an great resource for tracking this kind of stuff down.

Offline Pan

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2013, 08:14:34 AM »
It was the Stefan Wirz discography that put me on the trail of their work in Jazz combos. His site is such an great resource for tracking this kind of stuff down.

Indeed!

Thanks again.

http://www.wirz.de/music/leecofrm.htm

Cheers

Pan

Offline Johnm

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2013, 08:40:08 AM »
Hi all,
Bobby Leecan is sounding in A flat for the Fats Waller tune, but he plays it out of G position in standard tuning, either capoed to the first fret or tuned a half-step high.  With the song's cut time progression of:

   |    II7    |    V7    |    I    |    VI7   |    II7   |    V7    |    I    |    I    |

that works out to be an A7-D7-G-E7-A7-D7-G-G progression in the capoed/re-tuned position versus an Bb7-Eb7-Ab-F7-Bb7-Eb7-Ab-Ab progression with the guitar played in standard tuning at pitch without a capo.  You can clearly hear that Bobby Leecan is playing out of a G position when he hits treble strums at the end of his solo in the I chord--he's getting a lot of open strings on the fourth, third and second strings.  Also when he walks down to the low root of his VI7 chord, you can tell by its timbre that it's an open string.

Bobby Leecan was an absolute ace, and his ability to play in flat keys is demonstrated quite often in Leecan & Cooksey's recordings, most notably on "Ain't She Sweet", but in this instance, he chose to play out of the more guitar-friendly position of G over Ab.

All best,
Johnm   
« Last Edit: November 04, 2013, 02:27:33 PM by Johnm »

Offline Pan

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #13 on: November 04, 2013, 05:59:58 PM »
For those interested, here's some more Bobby Leecan's work with cornetist Thomas Morris and Fats Waller:







A Tom Morris played cornet also on the Dixie Jazzers Washboard Band, along with Leecan. Some of their songs can be found on Spotify:

http://open.spotify.com/track/6M6l23MaKghcnVbpya1v7l

http://open.spotify.com/track/71q9DSVBCfj6pbRatrhOyK

Cheers

Pan


Offline Lastfirstface

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Re: Leecan & Cooksey--Keys/Positions for Their Recordings
« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2013, 06:20:27 AM »
Hi all,
Bobby Leecan is sounding in A flat for the Fats Waller tune, but he plays it out of G position in standard tuning, either capoed to the first fret or tuned a half-step high. 

Thanks for the analysis John, I hadn't given his solo a very close listen. I've been working on his version of "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out", and I really enjoy his choices of interesting bass notes under his first position chords. To my ear, his playing is sometimes set apart from other jazzy players by his strength in playing in the first 5 frets, rather than relying on closed positions further up the neck.

 


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