Thirty from the archives of Walter 'Dootsie' Williams
Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 04/26/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The founder of BLUE and DOOTO Records, Walter 'Dootsie' Williams was a horn player and songwriter who was affiliated for a while with the MGM label. In 1949, Dootsie founded BLUE Records and issued 45s from a trio headed by violinist John Creach. Two decades later, this fiddler made records with Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship as 'Papa' John Creach.
When Williams reorganized BLUE as DOOTONE in 1951 he concentrated on doo-wop artists and with a later name change to DOOTO, switched to risque comedy LPs by Rozelle Hale, Hattie Noel and Redd Foxx.
If many of the thirty tracks on ACE's BLUES FOR DOOTSIE collection seem merely variations on a theme, perhaps it's because most were composed by Williams himself. The songs work far better taken individually as part of a radio mix or as a juke joint selection, but when heard one after the other they lose freshness. Recommended for avid R&Bers but not the casual listener.
PROGRAM--
[2:54] West Coast Baby (D. Williams) - Johnny Taylor & His Mellow 5
[2:27] I Got a Country Gal (D. Williams) - Bobby Nunn & his Hot Five
[2:33] Bring Your Lovin' Back to Me (D. Williams) - Bobby Nunn & his Hot Five
[2:58] Rocky Mountain Blues (D. Williams) - Johnny Taylor & his Mellow 5
[2:31] Everybody's Jumpin' Tonight (D. Williams) - Dootsie Williams & Rhythm Kings w/Joe Turner
[2:30] I'm Clappin' and Shoutin' (D. Williams, J.M. Robinson) - Bumps Myers & his Frantic Five (v. Bobby Nunn)
[2:23] I'm Tellin' You Baby (D. Williams) - Bumps Myers & His Frantic Five
[2:55] Gamblin' Blues (D. Williams) - Dootsie Williams & Rhythm Kings w/Joe Turner
[2:40] Mr. Monkey Man (D. Williams) - Johnny Taylor
[2:14] Back Alley Blues (D. Williams, J. Taylor) - Johnny Taylor
[2:13] You'd Better Come Home Baby Harold Jones, Dootsie Williams Violet Hall
[2:22] He's an Ivory Beating Baby (On the Baby Grand) (H. Jones, D. Williams) - Violet Hall
[2:47] Roll It Boogie (D. Williams) Cleo Brown
[2:18] The Hole in the Wall (H. Jones, Dootsie Williams) - Cleo Brown
[2:22] Baby, Let's Make Some Love (D. Williams) - Cleo Brown
[3:07] Blues Boogie (D. Williams) - Cleo Brown
[2:27] Anticipating Blues (D. Williams) - Bobby Nunn
[2:38] I Love Ya, I Love Ya, I Love Ya (Low Down Dog) (I. Turner, D.Williams) - Joe Turner w/Dootsie Williams & orchestra
[2:40] Hard Luck, Women and Strife (D.Williams) - Ella Tate w/Pete Johnson All-Stars
[2:43] Richmond Blues - Betty Hall Jones
[2:29] Automatic Daddy - Ressie Mae Jones & her combo
[2:38] The Jitterbug - Stormy Herman's Midnight Ramblers
[1:45] Rent Day - Stormy Herman
[2:03] Cadillac Fever - Stormy Herman
[2:30] Bad Luck - Stormy Herman's Midnight Ramblers
[2:09] Katy Lee (F. Gaines) - Fats Gaines
[2:53] You're with Me, Baby (N. Henry) - Fats Gaines
[2:45] My Man Is Gone (F. Gaines) Fats Gaines
[2:09] Are You Ready to Go Steady? (V. Green, D. Williams) - Paul Monday
[2:34] My Mistake (B. Willis) - Paul Monday
TOTAL TIME: 75:37"
Track Listings (30) - Disc #1