DORA CARR
Dora Carr recorded Cow Cow Davenport's Cow Cow Blues in New York in October 1925 for OKEH, labeled 8250A, accompanied on piano by Charles "Cow Cow" Davenport, the composer. This is an early example of the beginning of Boogie Woogie music. Cow Cow had learned piano from his mother who was organist at his father's church. He was going to be a minister but the professors at the Alabama Theological Seminary had little sense of humor and kicked him out of the Seminary for playing a ragtime at a church function in 1911. He toured TOBA with an act known as Davenport and Co. with his vocalist Dora Carr. They recorded in 1925 and 26 and this 78 was among those works. The act broke up in 1926 when Carr married. He briefly teamed with Ivy Smith in 1928 and in July '28 cut an instrumental version of Cow Cow Blues for Vocalion in Chicago. In the late 20s and early 30s he was a talent scout for Vocalion while also continuing on the TOBA circuit. Davenport was unable to play in the 40s after having a stroke and died in 1955.
In 1942, Freddie Slack revived Cow Cow Blues with a 17 year old Ella Mae Morse which was a huge hit and sparked a second boogie woogie craze and renewed interest in Davenport's compositions.
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Dora Carr was an American musician, best known for her work in the early and mid-1920s with pianist and arranger Cow Cow Davenport. Carr is best remembered for the song "Cow Cow Blues" and playing boogie-woogie. Dora Carr was also a vocalist who went on tour in the 1920s performing at venues.
According to Harlem Renaissance Lives (edited by Henry Louis Gates and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham), Davenport and Carr met in 1922 and toured the Theater Owners Bookers Association as "Davenport and Company". Eight songs were released by Vocalion Records in the vaudevillian duet style. The band broke up when Dora left Davenport for another man, whom she later married.
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