JABO WILLIAMS

El pianista JABO WILLIAMS es uno de los que aparecen en  The Greatest Boogie-Woogie songs of All Time - part one- que podéis escuchar en ntro. post de 16/2/13, nuestra intención era ampliar mas datos sobre el artista sin embargo encontramos muy poca información , pocas imágenes por no decir ninguna., y poca discografía ( suponemos que no dejó mucho material grabado ) como podréis comprobar los datos que aparecen en su biografía son igualmente confusos pues se desconoce casi todo, incluso su fecha de nacimiento.De todas formas su estilo nos parece digno de ser tenido en cuenta. 

                             

                            

Jabo Williams:Piano Solo

Recorded in Grafton, WI. c. May, 1932

Originally issued on the 1932 single (Paramount 13141) (78 RPM)

This recording taken from the 2003 4-CD set "The Paramount Masters" (U.K.)

Jabo Williams was an African American boogie-woogie and blues pianist and songwriter His total recorded output was a mere eight sides, which included his two best-known "stunningly primitive"offerings, "Pratt City Blues" and Jab's Blues" (1932)   Details of his life outside of music are scanty.

It is generally supposed that Williams was born in Pratt City, Birmingham, Alabama, United States. However, this is based purely on references to that location, in his self-penned recording of "Pratt City Blues" What is certain is that he relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, and was recommended to Paramount Records, by a local record store owner and scout Jesse Johnson.In May 1932, Williams recorded eight tracks in a recording studio in Grafton, Wisconsin, for the Paramount label. The timing was not fortuitous, as Paramount stopped recording that year, and went out of business in 1935. Consequently, Williams's output was limited in both national distribution and the number of issued records. His "Kokomo Blues," followed previous recordings of a similar style with the same refrain, but included the counting line;

One and two is three, four and five and six

This partly paved the way towards the better known song, "Sweet Home Chicago".

By the late 1940s and early 1950s, some of Williams tracks were re-issued on the American Music record label, amongst others. His playing style was somewhat unique, but such belated recognition failed to unearth Williams, whose life details remain a mystery.

He was recalled briefly by Henry Townsend, who stated "I knew him from down on Biddle Street and I played guitar behind him around town". He added that Williams was "an average guy and he was very entertaining... he disappeared from St. Louis and went down in Arkansas some place. I never knew what the hell happened to him."