LISTEN TO ONE: Hocus Pocus
Tru-Sound, Bob Weinstock's "modern rhythm and blues" label, was not one of his more successful ventures, although it did hang on until 1963, when Weinstock folded most of his subsidiary labels (Bluesville and New Jazz hung around another year). But there weren't that many releases, and most of them--certainly the most successful--were by King Curtis. Buddy Lucas was one of the last artists to sign with the label, and if Weinstock was looking for a genuine rhythm and blues professional, he had come to the right man. Lucas had been recording R&B since joining Wynonie Harris in 1950, and had started recording with his own combo for Jubilee Records in 1951. An early two-sided hit for Jubilee set the pattern for his 78
RPM singles: a ballad on one side and an uptempo, honking blues on the other. That he was prized for both can be demonstrated by two of the biggest hits he played on: Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" and Little Anthony and the Imperials' "Tears on My Pillow." He was one of the most in-demand session men for rhythm and blues and rock and roll throughout the decade, and into the 1960s. Around the same time that he recorded this album for Tru-Sound, he played one of his best-known tenor sax solos, on Dion's "The Wanderer."
The 1960s also saw him getting calls for jazz recordings, with Clark Terry, Seldon Powell, Illinois Jacquet, Jack McDuff and others, one of the most unusual being free jazz pioneer Albert Ayler, on New Grass, an album Ayler made for Impulse! to show that he had a more poppish, commercial side, not entirely successfully. Unusually for a saxophone player, Lucas also doubled on the harmonica. He recorded on that instrument with King Curtis, Lou Donaldson, Thad Jones (also jaw harp), Yusef Lateef, Johnny Hodges, George Benson and many others. A number of female singers used his harmonica sound, including Laura Nyro, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, and, most notably, Nina Simone on her recording of "Since I Fell For You." He was even called in to overdub a harmonica part on a posthumous Jimi Hendrix recording.
Lucas recorded his Tru-Sound albums over two Englewood Cliffs sessions in March and April. He
surrounded himself with good players for his first dates as a leader with a jazz label that had prestige in more than just its name, and some remarkable singers. Wally Richardson, Bob Bushnell and Herbie Lovelle were Prestige veterans. Al Williams (piano for the March 31 session) had been playing professionally since the 1930s; his resume included Henry "Red" Allen, Buck Clayton and Johnny Hodges. Robert "Bobby" Banks's career stretched from 1950s to the 1980s; during the period of this recording and through much of the decade he worked with Solomon Burke. He replaced Williams on piano for the the April 22 session. Carl Lynch was one of New York's most sought-after session guitarists from the 1940s through the 1970s. one of the mainstays of Phil Spector's sound, and featured on such anthemic recordings as James Brown's "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" and Nina Simone's "Young, Gifted and Black."
Both sessions were logged in as Buddy Lucas and the Shouters, but the Shouters, Lucas's vocal trio, were only there for the April 22 date. They were three girl singers better known in those days as members of Cissy Houston's vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations. One of them, Sylvia Shemwell, remained with the Inspirations as they backed up Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, among others. The other went on to solo careers. They were a pair of sisters named Warwick -- DeeDee and Dionne.
The Tru-Sound release was titled Down Home Turn Around. It was also released on Prestige's budget label, Status, as That's the Blues Man. Two 45 RPM singles came from the session, "Hocus Pokus" / "Show Down" and "Down Home Turnaround" / "April Showers."
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