Tuesday 24 March 2020

Gus Jenkins born 24 March 1931


Augustus D. "Gus" Jenkins (March 24, 1931 – December 22, 1985) was an American blues and R&B pianist, vocalist and bandleader. Like many of his generation, Jenkins drew his influences from 40s blues and spent much of his mature career adapting to the demands of rock ‘n’ roll and R&B.

Walter Davis
 Born in Birmingham (Alabama), Augustus D. "Gus" Jenkins learned to play piano at an early age under the tutelage of his keyboard mother and the strong influence of Walter Davis' records. He started to play in local clubs before joining, still a teenager, several itinerant Shows, namely Atlanta's Sammy Green's Hot Harlem Review who also featured his fellow Alabamian Big Mama Thornton.

Big Walter Horton
At the end of the 1940's, Gus came to Chicago to try his luck, played in several clubs and even got a Chess recording session in 1953, backed by Big Walter Horton. His recordings, including "Eight Ball", were not released for some years.

But feeling (rightly) that his own style was more suitable to West Coast ears, he ended in Los Angeles where he found many opportunities in clubs, lounges and recording sessions for several Californian labels (Specialty, Combo, Cash, Flash).

Mamie Perry
Seeking the success, he recorded several blues or R&B sides, mostly in a Charles Brown's style but also as a credible Howlin' Wolf impersonator under the "Young Wolf" moniker as well as Little Temple or Piano Bo! He also backed his wife Mamie Reed/ Mamie Perry on some excellent records.

He also accompanied David "Honeyboy" Edwards on some of his recordings at Chess. Later in 1953 he recorded "Cold Love" and other tracks as Little Temple for the Specialty label in Los Angeles, with Jimmy Liggins (harmonica), Ted Brinson (bass), and an unknown drummer.


                              

He remained in Los Angeles for the rest of his career, and learned woodworking while continuing to perform, with Johnny Otis' band and others, and record. He recorded "I Miss My Baby" for Jake Porter's Combo label in 1955 before recording "Tricky" in 1956 for the Flash label owned by Charlie Reynolds. The single reached no.2 on the R&B chart and no.79 on the Billboard pop chart in late 1956. Henceforth, alongside with blues and ballads, he waxed many instrumental of this kind, playing either piano or organ (Spark plug, Payday shuffle) but without succeeding commercially.

In 1959, Gus Jenkins founded his own Pioneer label, recording several excellent obscure L.A. bluesmen as well as many tracks of his own. He later recorded for the General Artist label, but without further commercial success. However, his single "Chittlins" was released by Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol, in 1964. It became another last hit for Gus.

By 1970, Jenkins had converted to Islam, and used the name Jaarone Pharoah. He continued to perform around Los Angeles, until his death in 1985 at the age of 54 in Inglewood. California.

Largely unknown, outside a small number of blues buffs around the world, he leaves us a diverse and mostly very good works.
(Edited from Wikipedia and mainly from an article by Gerard Herzhaft) (As you can see there seems tp be only one photograph of Gus, so I placed in a few other relevent pics.) 

3 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “Gus Jenkins - Too Tough - West Coast Blues & R&B, 1953-1962” go here:

https://mega.nz/#!4pZRASoA!3ECMPwZ2Im5NfeozmJE6qIw-9h0ltNxTw7am8ieiCwM

Disc 1

1. COLD LOVE - LITTLE TEMPLE AND HIS '88'
2. I ATE THE WRONG PART - LITTLE TEMPLE AND HIS '88'
3. I MISS MY BABY - GUSS JENKINS
4. I BEEN WORKING - GUSS JENKINS
5. WORRIES AND TROUBLES - THE YOUNG WOOLF
6. I TRIED - THE YOUNG WOOLF
7. YOU LIED - MAMIE REE with THE GUS JENKINS BAND
8. CAUGHT - MAMIE REE & YOUNG WOLF with THE GUS JENKINS BAND
9. YOU TOLD ME - GUS JINKINS & ORCHESTRA
10. TRICKY - GUS JINKINS & ORCHESTRA
GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
11. REMEMBER LAST XMAS
12. SO WHAT
13. SPARK PLUG
14. PAY DAY SHUFFLE - Pt. 1
15. PAY DAY SHUFFLE - Pt. 2
16. HAMBONE - MAMIE JENKINS
17. JUMP WITH ME BABY - MAMIE JENKINS
18. STAND BY ME
19. COPPER TAN
20. HIT THE ROAD
21. ROAD RUNNER
22. MY BABY WAITED TOO LONG - MAMIE PERRY
23. I'M HURTED - MAMIE PERRY
24. SLOW DOWN
25. DRIFT ON

Disc 2

1. SPANKY
2. GONNA TAKE TIME
3. LAMENT - MAMIE PERRY w/ GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
4. LOST LOVE -- MAMIE PERRY w/ GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHETRA
5. SIGNING IN - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
6. CUTTING OUT - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
7. LEISHA - ALBERT AND CHARLES w/ GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
8. WEIRD - ALBERT AND CHARLES w/GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
9. YOU MADE ME - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
10. VINE ST. SHUFFLE - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
11. TELL THE TRUTH BABY - BLUES SLIM & HIS BAND
12. LET'S TALK IT OVER - BLUES SLIM & HIS BAND
13. JEALOUS OF YOU BABY - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
14. OFF THE ROAD - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
15. THE NEW TRICKY - GUS JENKINS BAND
16. TUBA TWIST - GUS JENKINS BAND
17. TOO TOUGH - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
18. RIGHT MESSY - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
19. CELEBRATE (Part 1) - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
20. CELEBRATE (Part. 2) - GUS JENKINS & HIS ORCHESTRA
21. RED RIVER SHUFFLE - HAZE HART w/ Gus Jenkins & His Orchestra
22. LAST TIME - HAZE HART w/ Gus Jenkins & His Orchestra

Here are a massive 47 recordings on 2CDs from the amazing and prolific blues singer and producer, Gus Jenkins. He enjoyed only one major hit in his lengthy career, the instrumental 'Tricky' which peaked at No 2 on the Billboard R&B charts and even made No 79 on the pop charts. This is the most comprehensive package of his work to be released in the CD era.He owned his own record labels and here Jasmine have featured recordings from his wife and other artists in the set.His wife Mamie Perry who also recorded as Mamie Jenkins has for some years enjoyed a notable Northern Soul recording, 'Lament' which is featured on CD 2.

A huge thank you to Dani Roxi California for the active link.

Bob Mac said...

Thank you very much for this one.

egroj.jazz said...

many thanks!