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The latest instalment of Jasmine's blues and R&B musicians 'In Session' presents the great Chicago saxophonist Oett 'Sax' Mallard. Of the hundreds of recordings he made just 26 have been chosen covering an 8 year period from 1946. As a session man he played with some of RCA Victor's top blues singers. We start with a few of them, playing alto sax with Roosevelt Sykes and Tampa Red from 1946 then a year later clarinet with Washboard Sam, each memorable performances.
A move to the Chess Brothers' Aristocrat label saw sessions under his own name including the instrumental 'The Mojo' and Artie Shaw's 'Summit Ridge Drive'. The Aristocrat label became Chess in 1950 and another release by Mallard this time with Andrew Tibbs as vocalist. Two tracks from United with Roosevelt Sykes Honey Drippers then a session with Mercury, first with Big Bill Broonzy and on his own with 'The Bunny Hop'. Another Mercury session produced two more instrumentals including 'Accent on Youth' where his overdubbed alto & tenor creating what has been described as 'an impossible sonic perspective'.
Back to Chess for two instrumentals with his own orchestra and a couple with the popular Chicago club singer Mitzi Mars. Then with one of the many Chess doo wop groups The Coronets. For the final track he joined Guitar Slim's New Orleans road band for a session that produced 'Later for You Baby' and was released on the Los Angeles label Specialty.
These 26 tracks just scratch the surface of his Chicago recording career but give an insight to what a great artist he was as a session man or in his own right.
Tracklist
ROOSEVELT SYKES AND HIS ORIGINAL HONEYDRIPPERS
1. FLAMES OF JIVE
2. BOP DE BIP
TAMPA RED
3. YOU MAY BE DOWN SOMEDAY
4. SHE'S A SOLID KILLER DILLER
WASHBOARD SAM AND HIS WASHBOARD BAND
5. FACING LIFE
6. LOVE ME OR LET ME BE
SAX MALLARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
7. ROLLING TEARS
SAX MALLARD & ORCH.
8. THE MOJO
SAX MALLARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
9. SUMMIT RIDGE DRIVE
SAX MALLARD AND HIS SEXTET
10. YOU CAN'T WIN
11. ACHING HEART
SAX MALLARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
12. SLOW CABOOSE
ROOSEVELT SYKES AND HIS HONEY DRIPPERS
13. FINE AND BROWN
14. HEAVY HEART
BIG BILL BROONZY
15. LEAVIN' DAY
16. TOMORROW
SAX MALLARD WITH ORCHESTRA
17. THE BUNNY HOP
SAX MALLARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
18. ACCENT ON YOUTH
19. LEAP YEAR BLUES
SAX MALLARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
20. I'M YOURS
21. TEEN TOWN STRUT!
MITZI MARS WITH SAX MALLARD AND ORCHESTRA
22. I'M GLAD
23. ROLL 'EM
THE CORONETS WITH SAX MALLARD AND COMBO
24. SHOULD I
25. BABY'S COMING HOME
GUITAR SLIM AND HIS BAND
26. LATER FOR YOU BABY