[78-L] Sun Ra & Steve the Greek (what 78s are SR on?)

[Julian Vein]

buster wrote:
Nope, Steve's had an unfortunate fire in the 80s, which took out the 
whole building and the other businesses in it - as well as the mural on 
Steve's wall that featured a tribute to Pat and Tricky Dick.  Fire was 
later found to be intentional...and I remember that Steve was fingered 
as having done it for the insurance.  As you passed by on the sidewalk 
outside he would always yell out in his thick accent: "Free today! de 
best, number one!" and shove a piece of lamb in your mouth through the 
window if you were within arm's reach.  He'd give you some free baklava 
if you got a souvlaki.

But imagine Sonny Blount in full cosmic uniform walking down Telegraph 
and into that joint, sitting and eating under the painted smiles of Mr 
and Mrs Dick Nixon while pining for his home planet, Saturn.  Makes me 
smile.

78 validation, according to a quick look at wikipedia:  He made his 
recording debut on two 1946 Wynonie Harris singles, "Dig This 
Boogie/Lightning Struck the Poorhouse" and "My Baby's 
Barrelhouse"/"Drinking By Myself;" "Dig This Boogie" was also Blount's 
first recorded piano solo, and you can hear it online here: 
http://www.7digital.com/artists/wynonie-harris/dig-this-boogie/ by 
clicking on the preview button next to the entry for that song.
==================

The session has been reissued a few items, although Lord doesn't list Sonny.

Wynonie Harris
[H2601-10]
Wynonie Harris (vcl) acc by : Jackie Allen (tp) unknown as, p, g, b and d .
Nashville, March, 1946
     Dig this boogie    Bullet 251, Krazy Kat KK783
     Lightning struck the poorhouse          -              -
     Drinkin' by myself           252, Route 66 KIX-3
     My baby's barrelhouse          -              -    , KIX-20
Note: All above titles also on Classics (F)1013 [CD].

Incidentally, I may have been the first to draw attention to Sonny's 
presence on this session. He had mentioned, in interview, that his first 
recordings were made with Harris, but no-one seemed to have followed it 
up. He also wrote "Chocolate Avenue", recorded by Clarence Williams, but 
which showed no composer credit on the label!

      Julian Vein


__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4717 (20091226) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com