Heypally's 78 RPMs

Young Jessie (With Plas Johnson) - Atco 6101 (1957)

With a musical mom who performed under the name of Plunky Harris, and who was also related to Blind Lemon Jefferson, one can understand how Obediah Jessie ended up in the music industry.

He teamed up with Richard Berry (who wrote The Kingsmen's hit, Louie Louie) and the group eventually became The Flairs, winning a recording contract with Modern Records.

He joined The Coasters for a spell in 1957 and sang harmony on Youngblood and Searchin'.

His brother DeWayne Jessie played the part of Otis Day in Animal House.

Backing Jessie on these sides is Plas Johnson (& The Sharps), the bebop tenor saxaphonist. He is probably best known for playing the unforgettable saxophone on Henry Mancini's Pink Panther Theme and also opposite Sweets Edison's trumpet on the theme to the 70s sitcom The Odd Couple.

Apparently both men are still active on the jazz scene.

Recorded in Los Angeles on October 11, 1957.

The Robins - Atco 6059 (78 RPM) / Spark 110 (45 RPM) (1954)

Recording first as The Four Bluebirds accompanied by Johnny Otis, The Robins eventually spawned the clown princes of rock & roll...The Coasters.

Both recorded in Southern California in early 1954.

Brownlee's Orchestra Of New Orleans - Okeh 40337 (1925)

Besides Buddy Bolden, there is another early New Orleans jazz musician that was never caught on wax...Emmett Hardy.

A child prodigy, Hardy grew up in Gretna, LA and it has been said that he out dueled Louis Armstrong in a cutting contest.

He played second trumpet to Paul Mares in the original lineup of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, similar to Armstrong in the King Oliver band, but never recorded with them.

He also played in Norman Brownlee's outfit, which only recorded the following 2 sides, but because of poor health, did not make the recording date. Incidentally, this was probably the catalyst for Sharkey Bonano to fill in on the date, which marked his recording debut.

Rumor has it that Hardy recorded on homemade cylinders and that one had survived into the 1950s but, unfortunately has never been located.

He passed away 5 months after these sides were recorded in 1925 at barely 22 years of age.

Here is a record that he ALMOST played on.

Sharkey Bonano c / Tom Brown tb / Harry Shields cl, bar / Hal Jordy as / ? Howard Martin ts / Norman Brownlee p / Behrman French bj / Alonzo Crombie d.

Recorded in New Orleans on January 23, 1925.

Thanks to the liner notes of the recent Jazz Oracle (No. 8066) cd release Merritt Brunies, which quoted Norman Brownlee's son, Henry, I discovered that Mr. Brownlee is buried nearby and promptly visited, paying my respects.