JULIA LEE — Party Time (Bear Family) 10-inch LP The classic R&B era was marked by the existence of a fun subgenre known as the party record, essential-ly the same jacked-up, hard-swingin' rhythms married to lyrics about... well, the very natural act from whence rock 'n' roll got its name. The records essentially had to be sold under the counter to adults only, ala the old Tijuana Bibles smutty comic books and porn mags prior to the advent of Playboy. Once in awhile, a party record would break free and become a hit, ala Hank Ballard & the Midnghters' "Work With Me, Annie," Dorothy Ellis' "Drill Daddy Drill," or The Toppers' "Baby, Let Me Bang Your Box." For the most part, howev-er, this stuff was a brand of raunch so blue, they were intended to be filed behind your Redd Foxx LPs. Going by this limited edition reproduction of a 1950 collection aimed by Capitol Records at the New Zealand market, part of Bear Fam-ily's Vinyl Club 10-inch series, Kan-sas City singer/pianist Julia Lee made nothing but party records. Compared to even the handful of records men-tioned above, her take on this sound is rather genteel. Lee sprang from the same '40s Kansas City scene which birthed world class jazzers like Red
small combo R&B mostly intended as accompaniment, with not a lot of hot soloing. Indeed, Lee is clearly a I solid box-banger in her own right, capable of some driving boogie woo-gie when she permits herself a rare solo. The heavy-lifting seems to be done by her saxman, but everything is done in service to her clear, sassy vocals. But, oh, what that throat is singing.... "Oh, daddy daddy! How come you passed me by last night? / I left my front door open, but my back was locked up tight!" ("Tell Me Daddy") "I've stocked-up, 'cuz I got wise/ Now I've got enough for two-dozen guys!" ("I Didn't Like It the First Time [The Spinach Song]") "Guns that are idle soon lose their power/Remember—sweet cream quickly turns sour!" ("Don't Save It Too Long") You kiss your mama with that mouth, Ms Lee? All in all, Party Time is a fine cu-rio, filled with solid grooves and wit-ty, salty word play. Baby, you really should let Julia Lee bang your box. (Tim Stegall)
