Lowell Fulson (updated) : The Ol' Blues Singer (1975), One More Blues (rec. 1984, rel. 1999), Them Update Blues (1995)

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Though Lowell Fulson might be less famous than other post-war bluesmen, especially from Chicago, he was the innovative king of West Coast blues. A man with flair : in the early 1940s he spotted two promising musicians and took them in his band : a pianist named Ray Charles and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. He wrote and recorded famous classics like "3 O'Clock Blues" in 1946, which became B.B. King's first hit in 1951, the immortal "Every Day I Have the Blues" (adapted from Memphis Slim's "Nobody Loves Me"), "Reconsider Baby" in 1954, which became a blues standard, notably covered by Elvis Presley in 1960.
He also co-wrote "Tramp" with Jimmy McCracklin in 1967, a song covered only a few months later by the duet Otis Redding-Carla Thomas, or “Black Nights” with Fats Washington, a hit released in 1965. No need to pursue further to understand the man's importance in the blues landscape.

Fulson was born in 1921 on a Choctaw reservation in Atoka, Oklahoma, supposedly of Cherokee and Choctaw descent. In 1940, he started playing with Alger "Texas" Alexander who had played occasionally with Blind Lemon Jefferson, before being drafted in the US Navy in 1943. Once discharged in 1945, he settled in Oakland, California, where he recorded his first sides. His career was launched by his 1950s hit songs mentioned above. In 1960 he moved to L.A. where he died in March 1999.

In the 1960s, he had signed with Kent Records managed by fearsome businessmen, the Bihari brothers, who renamed him “Fulsom” for obscure reasons, a change that made him quite angry and he never accepted. It's only around 1971-72 when he changed label that he took back his real name.

Steve Cropper

■ “The Ol' Blues Singer”
So it's back under his true identity that he recorded “The Ol' Blues Singer” released in 1975. Always open to new musical styles, Fulson poured a good dose of funk in his West Coast soul blues on this grooving album. He hired top professionals, first of them the legendary Steve Cropper on guitar (Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, the Blues Brothers band…) and his old accomplice Al Jackson, Jr. on drums (Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett...) who was actually murdered by robbers shortly after the recording sessions which were held partly at Cropper's TMI Studios in Memphis, partly in L.A.

Fulson's backing band also includes great musicians like pianist Lloyd Glenn, organist and Presley's musical director Larry Muhoberac, who also worked on the arrangements, a five-piece horn section, and even strings (on the excellent "Name of the Game" enlightened by nice organ stretches).

The opening track "Do You Love Me ?" gives a clue about Fulson's musical evolution toward  a more funky soul, with rolling groove and Fulson's elegant lead guitar exploring new sounds (like wah-wah on the nice "Monday Morning Blues"). The voice is cool and at the same time soulful, and all the titles are signed Fulson, except "The Old Blues Singer" (a country soul song from Fred Koller), and "Monday Morning Blues" (from Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington).

Except the tracks already mentioned, there's also outstanding groovy R'n'Bs like "Walk On", the rolling "Step at a Time", the catchy "Cloudy Day", the rock'n'roll flavored "Kansas City Bound" and a return to funk on the final "Something's Wrong". Besides these tracks, all individually very good, the originality of the album resides in its atmosphere as a whole : a warm rich sound, mid to up tempo rhythms, tight horn section, female choir backing vocals on a few numbers, and of course Fulson's appealing clean and soft guitar and perfect vocals.

It might not be the most impressive or the most famous Fulson's album but it has something quite special that makes it an absolutely appealing and certainly underestimated recording. ■

■ "One More Blues"
In March 1984, Fulson was touring Europe and joined Phillip Walker and his band during a stop in France where they where offered the opportunity to record together this superb album. The original vinyl was released the same year by a small label, Blue Phoenix. Note that it was then presented as from “Lowell Fulson And The Phillip Walker Blues Band”. In 1990, it was re-issued by the French Black & Blue Records label with an extra eleventh song, and re-issued again in 1999 in the Black & Blue Blues Reference collection. This release is the one posted here.

What's great with this album is the stereo mix which divided Fulson and Walker guitar work between the right channel (Fulson) and the left one (Walker), allowing to hear exactly who's playing what. But it's far from being the most outstanding aspect of the album. What's striking is the energy behind those eleven tracks. I don't know if it's due to Fulson, Walker and the band's members appreciation of French wine, but the fact is that they are in top form and half the album is made of rather muscular numbers.

Next to the ever excellent Phillip Walker who does more than his share on the left channel, the rhythm section (future record producer Dennis Walker on bass ― no relation with Phillip ―, and renowned drummer Johnny Tucker), Art Hillary on keyboards and the excellent Mike Vannice on sax, provide Fulson an exciting and inspiring groove. Fulson himself is brilliant on guitar and vocals, and the session is filled with great moments alternating energetic jump blues and R'n'B with slower soulful numbers, enough to please all tastes.

The rhythm'n'jump style includes the impeccable opening track “Thanks A Lot For The Offer”. On “Hot Mama (Atta Ride! Atta Ride!)” illuminated by piano and sax, one can clearly hear Phillip Walker's rhythm guitar work (remember ? left channel), and Fulson's sharp sound. “I Can't Stand It” features fine organ lines by the tasty Hillary, great sax outburst from Vannice, and Walker's rocking rhythm guitar. On the swinging jazzy “Guitar Shuffle”, besides an inspired Vannice on sax, the two guitarists play an exciting call and response game. There's also the solid jump'n'swing “Your Love For Me Is Gone” and its rhythmic phrasing by Fulson, fine sax solos and guitar from Walker (remember ? left…) The extra eleventh track, appropriately titled “Jump Children”, is a rejoicing cover of legendary New Orleans musician Dave Bartholomew, leaving us in an enthusiastic mood after it ended.

Phillip Walker

On the slower soulful side of the album, but still rhythmic enough and superbly sung by Fulson, one finds the famous “Worried Life Blues” : titled “Worried About The Blues” and abusively attributed to Fulson until this 1999 release, the song, actually written by Maceo Merriweather, was at last given back its real title and author thanks to the Black & Blue people. In the same vein, “Ten More Shows To Play”, the outstanding version of the famous Mercy Dee Walton's song “One Room Country Shack”, the still energetic “Think About It” with again great sax output from Vannice. definitely a very appealing musician as he confirms on the title track “One More Blues”.

Don't be mistaken, this album, though released on a “small” (but excellent) label, is all but a minor record in Fulson's discography ! I would even say without any hesitation that it's one of his very best. ■

 ■ "Them Update Blues"

Alas! this one was Fulson's last opus before his death four years later. An album so enthralling that it will be remembered (and missed) for a very I mean really a very very long time. Almost thirty years after its release, “Them Update Blues” sounds like it was recorded last week.

It was produced by Ron Levy whose band, South Central Rhythm, is backing Fulson, and Levy himself is at the keyboard of his Hammond B-3 organ, and on rhythm guitar is a really fine musician, Terry "Big T" DeRouen, who brings a really exciting groove quite inspiring for Fulson's lead guitar.

Ron Levy

But according to Fulson's ears, the sonic atmosphere wouldn't be complete without a horn section. The choice fell on two musicians from the famous Memphis Horns : Andrew Love (sax) and Wayne Jackson (trumpet and trombone). Add Darby Hicks on piano, the talented James B. Wyatt on bass, and Craig Kimbrough on drums, and everything is set for a productive session. The quality of the output is now mainly in Fulson's hands, or precisely in his throat and his fingers.

The opening track is generally one that most radio DJs and would-be buyers listen first to get an idea of what's in the package. It has to be attractive enough. That's exactly the case of “What's The Matter Baby” : pounding drums and bass, original tuning, nice organ in the background, Memphis sound riffs from the horns, groovy pulse of the rhythm guitar and Fulson's appealing voice and the sharp sound of his guitar. He never puts out overwhelming solos but play some discreet but subtle lines of carefully chosen notes and his guitar has a superb sonic texture.

This is more or less the basic recipe used throughout the whole album except that there are tracks that sound even better than this opener. Tracks like the outstanding “Don't Lie”, my favorite particularly for the exciting groove delivered by DeRouen, the R'n'B colored riffs of the Memphis horns, and the tight work put out by the bass-drum pair.

Most of the album features solid mid-tempo material and Fulson was smart to want horns, they give a very special and welcome flavor to the whole.

On guitar, Fulson is not the show-off type, he's a rather frugal soloist, but each note he plays comes at the right time with the right attack. His guitar's got a seducing tone that might sound raw to a distracted ear but is in fact the result of a serious tuning work. His mi-range voice is both powerful and mellow, and quite soulful. And he's a good song-writer : on this album he signed nine songs and co-wrote the remaining two.

On “Think About It”, Levy is putting out a nice little rhythm on his B-3 while the horns bring their warm Memphis sound, and Fulson keeps economical but highly appealing in his final guitar solo.

Terry "Big T" DeRouen

On the faster R'n'B tracks like “Get On Down” and “Too Soon To Tell”, he is also impeccable both vocally and on guitar, and Wyatt has to be saluted for his job on bass on “Forty-Four”.

“Not A Dime” is my other favorite, in any case another stand-out, thanks again to the thrilling work of DeRouen on rhythm guitar, to Levy on his B-3 and to the two horn blowers. “L & L Special” is making quite an appealing closing track.

I can't help repeating all the good things I think of Terry "Big T" DeRouen. I had already spotted him for his work with Papa John Creach a few years earlier, and here he confirms he was really a thrilling rhythm guitarist putting out the kind of grooving stuff I much enjoy...

Fulson wass not only a superb bluesman, he'd also got a talent for choosing the right producer and excellent backing musicians. ■

Bio
● Lowell Fulson bio doc for his Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Induction, 2014 : https://youtu.be/CDXaUuRvtAo

Audio shows
● With Big Mama Thornton and J.D. Nicholson & The Soul Benders, The Cocoanut Grove, Santa Cruz, CA, 1979 : https://youtu.be/o0jj5tX8r08
● Phillip Walker (1srt set) and Lowell Fulson (2d set), Mutualité Hall. Paris, 1980 : https://youtu.be/MufY4HWjmS0
● My Place, Santa Monica, CA. 1983 : https://youtu.be/q68VhzpnIkw
● With Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown & Gate's Express, Nightstage, Cambridge, MS, 1986 : https://youtu.be/LXFdhGs6Q_M
● With Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Nightstage, Cambridge, MS, 1986 : https://youtu.be/asuIuBCWxsE
● The Banana Peel, Ruiselede (Belgium), 1989 : https://youtu.be/3TF5J1kGg1g

Matt Roe, Bob Corritore (white shirt), Bob Tate,
Emerson Carrethers, Jed Allen, Dr. Fish and
Lowell Fulson (front) © B. Corritore collection

Videos
■ Lowell Fulson
● “You're Gonna Miss Me”, 1963 : https://youtu.be/2zlpi3kLaUc
● Interview and performance, 1970s : https://youtu.be/aytphFkOJWA
● At Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party, with Percy Mayfield, 1981 : https://youtu.be/G1_3zQd6mBo?t=127
● “Reconsider Baby” 1983 : https://youtu.be/af-IoRnhFog

■ The covers (first album)
● B.B. King, “3 O'Clock Blues" : https://youtu.be/S75a5PEBihs

Otis Redding

● Otis Redding & Carla Thomas, "Tramp" (funny clip), 1967 : https://youtu.be/CAaYbHwto_M - or - https://youtu.be/P1VhBD0OVgs
● Elvis Presley, “Reconsider Baby”, 1976 : https://youtu.be/_Ft6HdjVGLE
● "Every Day I Have the Blues" :
→ B.B. King, 1983 : https://youtu.be/NZpevSkpLiI
→ Lucky Peterson, 2016 : https://youtu.be/KVQqxvcnGYE

Lloyd Glenn

■ The side men (first album)
● Lloyd Glenn, 1977 : https://youtu.be/dd34m4pcWk4
● Larry Muhoberac on piano with Ian McNamara, “Great Balls of Fire”, 1993 : https://youtu.be/kLUqqcqW6lk
● Steve Cropper with Booker T & The M.G.'s, 2008 : https://youtu.be/_vwLFLt8-Jo
● Steve Cropper, “Green Onions”, “Knock On Wood”, “Soul Man”, 2018 : https://youtu.be/Ei0H78LqbqY

Lowell Fulson, 1921-1999