Various Early Memphis - Golden Era Of Memphis Rock & Roll (LP)

(Music Shack) 10 tracks - rare US album of early recordings, engineered Ray Harris, Stan Kesler, Welton Jetton and Scotty Moore!

It is the concensus of most musical historians that the era of early Memphis was from the end of World War II to approximately 1960. This was the time when the musicians of the Missis-sippi Delta and eastern Arkansas were migrating to Memphis to participate in and play the transitional music of the area. We now call this music 'folk jazz,' 'rockabilly' and -rock 'n roll.' Sam Phillips was experimenting with 'Howlin' Wolf,' Rufus Thornas and others, and was cutting the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Instrumentalist Bill Justis while Jim Stewart was still recording in his garage, and Bill Tanner was selling patent medicine. This was the time when Stan Kesler. a former member of the Sun Studio Rhythm Section and a songwriter of five of Elvis- onginal early songs, who hit it big with Sam the Sham's 'Wooly Bully,' was lust beginning to engineer at Echo and Sonic Studios; Ray Harris was experimenting at High, and B.B. Cunningham, Sr. was cutting at 'Pepper'. The product of their experimentation has been recently discovered in the vaults of various Memphis recording studios, and has been packaged by Music Shack, Inc., to give a delightful selection and potpourri of this early Memphis sound.

This alburn is broken down into 'Sea Fever,'a slow instrumental with strings, which sounds something like 'Sleepwalk' by Santo and Johnny, and a slow black vocal ,'Sea and Sand', which showcases a group called the Triangles. On the other hand, 'Ain't That A Dilly' Is pure rockabilly engineered by Ray Harris. Fast, slow, intermediate, this early  sound is titillating, delightful, and will bring back memories of a generation ago.

There is 'Lonely,' which is a fast white vocal hard-driving rock, which was a transitional song frorn rockabilly to R&B. 'Ivory Marbles', an upbeat instrumental carries the Jerry Lee Lewis sound. -Summer School Blues', a fast R&B black vocal sounds somewhat like the Coasters. 'Scratchin' - fast guitar instrumental, has a Bill Justis raunchy sound without the sax. -Catwalk' - fast instrumental white upbeat rock 'n roll.  'Razzle Dazzle'. - fast R&B black vocal, sounds like the Coasters. 'Bring It On Home' - good old-fashioned R&B black vocal, sounds like the Coasters again.

This album is a dazzling display of the talents of the young musicians and vocalists of early Memphis - Jerry Atwood, B.B Cunningham... (who later was a member of the smash hit group, The Hombres), Tiny Fuller, The Triangles, The SweetTones, Marlon Grisharn, Bobby McDowell. It makes you wonder why these cuts have waited for twenty-five years to be presented. Remember, this was the time of experimentation and the era of developing sound. Some of these sides were lost; some of these cuts were forgotten and have been in the can all this time. We feel that this rnusic of early Memphis is as much a part of today as it was a part of yesterday. and will be appreciated by the general public as well as music historians. Music Shack, Inc. has done a good job in packaging this album and is extremely lucky to have two of the original participants, Jerry Atwood and B.B. Cunningham, Jr as co-producers and packagers. A rare chance to listen to the musicians and vocalists who helped to develop the 'Memphis Sound'. By Harold C. Streibich July 24. 1986