Topic: George Torey

[btasoundsradio]

Does anyone know anything about him?? I've only heard 2 songs, but Lonesome Man Blues is one of my favorite blues songs ever as of late,

-Geff





















ps. 4 days til Son House!

[Bunker Hill]

Does anyone know anything about him?? I've only heard 2 songs, but Lonesome Man Blues is one of my favorite blues songs ever as of late,

The first opportunity blues fans got to hear Torey's sole 78 was on the 1968 Yazoo compilation 10 Years In Memphis. Don Kent in his notes speculated/justified thus:

"Although it might be thought that Torey comes from the upper delta, his style has strong Memphis influences. From this evidence it is likely thatTorey was born in Mississippi, but completed most of his musical thought in the Memphis area. He is certainly a leader of the school of fast Memphis guitarists. To add to the performance he plays a steel "National" guitar which lends a distinctive sound to Torey's playing as it did for Bo Carter. Married Woman Blues is Torey's version of Crow Jane, a popular song which Memphis guitarists played in the key of A in standard tuning. Torey's guitar work is particularly interesting in that it captures much of both the ragtime style of a Dickson and the blues style of some Mississippi artists."

Anyone own Memphis Blues 1927-1938 (Document DOCD-5159) to pass on what Kip Lornell has to say in his 1993 booklet?

[Johnm]

Hi Geff,
Others around here are stronger on discographical information than I, but I believe George Torey recorded only two titles, "Married Woman Blues", a terrific 8-bar blues in E with an instrumental extension, and "Lonesome Man Blues", a sort of slide Vastapol version of "How Long".  He was a Memphis player who I believe was not remembered by other Memphis players who survived into the '60s and '70s.  He recorded late, too, for what he was doing, too, around 1938, I think.  If dj is around, he can fine-tune this information, I think.
All best,
Johnm

[Bunker Hill]

He was a Memphis player who I believe was not remembered by other Memphis players who survived into the '60s and '70s.

You are absolutely correct. Bengt Olson dropped his name with each Memphis musician and their associated friends he spoke with. None had heard of him. Torey recorded for ARC in Birmingham, Alabama April 2, 1937 and there's one unissued song listed, that's yet to surface, Delta Blues. As far as I can recall the "Memphis based" school of thought stems back to Don Kent. But I'm the least qualified of all to make judgement.

[dj]

Anyone own Memphis Blues 1927-1938 (Document DOCD-5159) to pass on what Kip Lornell has to say in his 1993 booklet?

Lornell doesn't say much.  I guess there isn't much to say.  Here's the relevant section from the notes:

"Though all of them are associated with Memphis on one way or another and most were probably born in the Mid-south around the turn of the century, little is known about most of these artists.  Stylistically, most of them sound like they belong in the same geographical region.  The two exceptions are Sam Townsend, an older sounding performer, who could have easily hailed from Macon, Georgia, as from Magnolia, Mississippi, or Cotton Plant, Arkansas, and George Torey, who recorded in Brimingham and might have been from northwestern Alabama."

[Johnm]

Hi all,
This is interesting.  It sounds like from what you say, Bunker Hill, and your information, dj, that there is no strong reason to assume George Torey was in fact from Memphis, apart from the stylistic affinity with other Memphis players that Don Kent thought he detected.  Hmmm.
All best,
Johnm

[Bunker Hill]

Lornell doesn't say much.  I guess there isn't much to say.  Here's the relevant section from the notes:
...exceptions are Sam Townsend, an older sounding performer, who could have easily hailed from Macon, Georgia, as from Magnolia, Mississippi, or Cotton Plant, Arkansas..."

Interesting that Sam Townsend is included since over time he too has been one of those whose Memphis origins have been much debated. The joint sleeve notes writers of the 1970 Yazoo compilation, Memphis Jamboree, made their stylistic case thus:

"In Lily Kimball, a twelve bar blues in standard tuning, key of G, the unknown Sam Townsend welds together many nuances of northern Mississippi and Memphis blues playing. The upper string slapping suggests Joe Calicot (cf. Yazoo L-1009); the bass runs, Dan Sane; the rhythmic interplay between thumb and forefinger (probably Townsend was a two-finger-picker), Frank Stokes. While the right hand is also evocative of Jim Jackson, the over-all effect invites comparison with John Byrd (cf. Yazoo L-1001) Townsend's relatively unusual thumb rolls and melodic runs may reflect a debt to the highly influential Blind Blake."

[Bunker Hill]

This might be germane to this discussion, Roots & Rhythm April 4, email newsletter has the following special offer:

VARIOUS Memphis Blues (1927-1938)
Document DOCD 5159   Usual Price = $15.98/Sale Price = $11.98
25 tracks, 75 min., recommended
A nice collection of relatively obscure pre-war, Memphis-associated artists. Of the 9 performers here, Hattie Hart stands out on "I'm Missing That Thing/ I Let My Daddy Do That" and 2 others cut in '34 and featuring guitar work from Willie Borum and Allen Shaw. Count both of George Torey's excellent sides, "Married Woman Blues/ Lonesome Man Blues", as highlights too, with enviable guitar work and strong vocals. Other blues practitioners include Sam Townsend, John Henry Barbee, Pearl Dickson, Ollie Rupert, Walter Rhodes, Charlie "Bozo" Nickerson, and Madelyn James. Decent sound and notes by Memphis music scholar Kip Lornell. (JC)

[uncle bud]

Not sure whether the new version of Document DOCD 5159 is remastered or not. It has a new cover, so this sale priced one would be the old cover. Same sound? ANyone know?

[dj]

I don't know what the sound is like on the version of DOCD-5159 with the new cover, but the sound on the original disk isn't bad at all.  The original recordings were all by "major" companies (Victor, Columbia, Vocalion, ARC, not Paramount or QRS), so the original sound wasn't too bad, and none of the disks used for the CD sounds as if it were played too much.  The sound levels are a little low, as they are on a lot of the original Documents.  But the price is right, there are a lot of excellent guitar players: John Henry Barbee, Willie Bee James, Allen Shaw, Willie Borum, the Harney brothers.  And where else are you going to get country blues accompanied by jews harp (the Ollie Rupert sides) and accordion (Walter Rhodes)?

Note:  I did A/B test Document's  remastered Big Joe Williams disks against the original versions, and felt that the remasters were a significant improvement, with excellent sound.  It's too bad the Document remastering program seems to be in mothballs these days.

[uncle bud]

Hi dj,

By mothballs do you mean that for the updated discs now coming out, they are simply rereleasing titles with new covers, and no remastering? I find their ways very mysterious and confusing. Some things seem to be remastered, others not. When remastering is done, it should be clearly stated, since to some of us, it would be a selling point.

I agree about the Memphis Blues DOCD-5159. Great stuff.

[dj]

By "mothballs" I meant that a few years ago Document seemed to be regularly replacing their "old" disks with remastered versions, advertised the fact that they were doing this, and hinted at more remasters to come.  They don't seem to be doing that anymore.

[Bunker Hill]

When Document 'remastered' and re-released a few of the early CD releases about 5 years ago, Gary Atkinson said that they were only doing this as and when the existing stocks sold out. However, he failed to have the booklet notes updated, but finally relented when it was pointed out by reviewers that it was not only technology that moved on apace over a ten year period, but knowledge too!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I had been doing a lot of listening to the two George Torey cuts prior to and during Port Townsend, and I noticed something in "Married Woman Blues", in particular, that makes me think that George Torey, who recorded in Birmingham, definitely was an Alabaman rather than a displaced Memphis player.
At the end of the intro to "Married Woman Blues" and in between verses, as well, George Torey goes into a time-stroke or vamp that is identical to the one that Ed Bell used on "Mamlish Blues" and some of his other tunes.  It is not a time-stoke that I have ever heard employed by a Memphis player.  I do think that Torey was an Alabama musician, and that it was very likely that Dan Pickett heard or saw him play, too.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

And John did a class at Port Townsend on Married Woman Blues.

Just thought I'd add that the Document Memphis Blues DOCD-5159 on which both George Torey cuts appear is one of the ?2.99 specials in the Document Summer Madness sale. This is a very worthwhile acquisition, IMO, with John Henry Barbee, Hattie Hart, Ollie Rupert, Sam Townsend and others.