Thursday 23 July 2020

Champion Jack Dupree born 23 July 1909


William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer.

Dupree was a New Orleans blues and boogie-woogie pianist, a barrel-house "professor". His father was from the Belgian Congo and his mother was part African American and Cherokee. His birth date has been given as July 4, July 10, and July 23, 1908, 1909, or 

1910; the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc give July 4, 1910. He was orphaned at the age of eight and was sent to the Colored Waifs Home in New Orleans, an institution for orphaned or delinquent boys (about the same time, Louis Armstrong was also sent there as a child, after being arrested as a "dangerous and suspicious character"). Dupree taught himself to play the piano there and later apprenticed with Tuts Washington and Willie Hall, whom he called his father and from whom he learned "Junker's Blues". He was also a "spy boy" for the Yellow Pocahontas tribe of the Mardi Gras Indians. He soon began playing in barrel-houses and other drinking establishments.

He began a life of travelling, living in Chicago, where he worked with Georgia Tom, and in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he met Scrapper Blackwell and Leroy Carr. He also worked as a cook. In Detroit, after Joe Louis encouraged him to become a boxer, he fought 107 bouts, winning Golden Gloves and other championships and picking up the nickname Champion Jack, which he used the rest of his life.

In 1940, Dupree made his recording debut for Chicago A&R man extraordinaire Lester Melrose and OKeh Records.
Many of Dupree's songs were later credited to Melrose as composer, and Melrose claimed publishing rights to them.
Dupree's 1940-1941 output for the Columbia subsidiary exhibited 
a strong New Orleans tinge despite the Chicago surroundings; his driving "Junker's Blues" was later cleaned up as Fats Domino's 1949 debut, "The Fat Man." Dupree's career was interrupted by military service in World War II. He was a cook in the United States Navy and was held by the Japanese for two years as a prisoner of war. Following Franklin D. Roosevelt's death in office, Dupree composed the "F.D.R. Blues".

After World War II Dupree decided tickling the 88s beat pugilism any old day. He spent most of his time in New York and quickly became a prolific recording artist, cutting for Continental, Joe Davis, Alert, Apollo, and Red Robin (where he cut a blasting "Shim Sham Shimmy" in 1953), often in the company of Brownie McGhee. King Records corralled Dupree in 1953 and held onto him through 1955 (the year he enjoyed his only R&B chart hit, the relaxed "Walking the Blues.") Dupree's King output rates with his very best; the romping "Mail Order Woman," "Let the Doorbell Ring," and "Big Leg Emma's" contrasting with the rural "Me and My Mule". Contracts meant little; Dupree masqueraded as Brother Blues on Abbey, Lightnin' Jr. on Empire, and the truly imaginative Meat Head Johnson for Gotham and Apex.


                                  

His biggest commercial success was "Walkin' the Blues", which he recorded as a duet with Teddy McRae. This led to several national tours and eventually a European tour. In 1959, he played an unofficial (and unpaid) duo gig with Alexis Korner at the London School of Economics.

Dupree moved to Europe in 1960, settling first in Switzerland and then Denmark (in the anarchist-occupied Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen), England, Sweden and, finally, Germany.On June 17, 1971, he played at the Montreux Jazz Festival, in the Casino Kursaal, with King Curtis, backed by Cornell Dupree on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass and Oliver Jackson on drums. The recording of the concert was released in 1973 as the album King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree: Blues at Montreux on the Atlantic label.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he lived at Ovenden in Halifax, England, after marrying a Halifax native, Shirley Ann Harrison, whom he met in London. A piano he used was later discovered at Calderdale College in Halifax. He continued to record in Europe with the Kenn Lending Band, Louisiana Red and Axel Zwingenberger and made many live appearances. He also worked again as a cook, specializing in New Orleans cuisine. He returned to the United States from time to time and performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

He divorced Shirley in 1976 and moved to Copenhagen, where he lived in the Freetown Christiania. This period of his life was the subject of the 1975 film Barrel-house Blues - Feelings and Situations by the artists Laurie Grundtand Eva Acking which includes several filmed performances, including one where Dupree plays drum set. He later moved to Zurich and finally settled in Hanover, Germany

Perhaps sensing his own mortality, Dupree returned to New Orleans in 1990 for his first visit in 36 years. While there, he played the Jazz & Heritage Festival and laid down a zesty album for Bullseye Blues, Back Home in New Orleans.


Two more albums of new material were captured by the company the next year prior to the pianist's death from cancer in Hanover, Germany on January 21.  (Edited from Wikipedia & AllMusic)

10 comments:

boppinbob said...

Today’s birthday celebrity was suggested by egroj.

For ”Champion Jack Dupree’s Old Time R&B – 28 Rocking Piano Blues Classics 1951-1957” go here:

https://www.upload.ee/files/12046666/CJD-Old_Time_R_B.rar.html

1. THE WOMAN I LOVE
2. STUMBLING BLOCK BLUES
3. NUMBER NINE BLUES
4. HIGHWAY BLUES
5. SHAKE BABY SHAKE (1953 Version)
6. DRUNK AGAIN
7. SHIM SHAM SHIMMY
8. THE BLUES GOT ME ROCKIN'
9. TONGUE TIED BLUES
10. RAGGED AND HUNGRY - LIGHTNING JUNIOR & THE EMPIRES
11. SOMEBODY CHANGED THE LOCK - LIGHTNING JUNIOR & THE EMPIRES
12. PLEASE TELL ME BABY
13. WALKIN' UPSIDE YOUR HEAD
14. RUB A LITTLE BOOGIE
15. CAMILLE
16. TWO BELOW ZERO
17. BLUES FOR EVERYBODY
18. LET THE DOORBELL RING
19. WALKING THE BLUES
20. SHE COOKS ME CABBAGE
21. ME AND MY MULE
22. LONELY ROAD BLUES
23. WHEN I GOT MARRIED
24. DIRTY WOMAN
25. JUST LIKE A WOMAN
26. OLD TIME ROCK AND ROLL
27. SHAKE BABY SHAKE (1957 Version)
28. LOLLIPOP BABY


Champion Jack Dupree was one of the most popular, authentic blues artists to tour the UK and Europe on a regular basis beginning in the late 1950s. In fact he became so regular he moved to Halifax and then later lived in Germany and Scandinavia. As you would expect this Jasmine CD is chock full of superb blues piano and of course contains Champion Jack Dupree's hit, 'Walking the Blues'.

This brief look at his career concentrates on a period when he was at a commercial peak in the R&B market in the United States. It is a body of work that never seems to date and no matter how many times you hear it there is always something new to enjoy.

boppinbob said...

Below is a selected discography taken from just a few music blogs. There is so much more out there to discover. A big thank you to all credited up-loaders for active links.

(1) bluesever @ theblues – thatjazz
(2) egroj @ egroj world (PASSWORD: egroj)
(3) Chris @ yousayblues blog (NB long wait if multiple downloading)
(4) Marcelo @ Willie Said blog
(5) Johnny F @ lagrimapsicodelica5 blog


1940/41 – Champion Jack Dupree - Early Cuts 1940-1953 (4CD’s) (5)

https://ulozto.net/file/XInlY9qlUgCR/2009-early-cuts-1940-53-zip

1940/50 – Champion Jack Dupree – Best Of Blues (3)

https://1fichier.com/?0ixqexmcn2

1940/50 – Champion jack Dupree Singles from the 40’s & 50’s (3)

https://1fichier.com/?otmitr83g3

1955 – Champion jack Dupree – Blues For Everybody (3)

https://1fichier.com/?h7c0p23v16

1956/57 – Champion Jack Dupree – Shake Baby Shake – Complete Vik Recordings (3)

https://1fichier.com/?qvjr9getw0uiidsyaas5

1958 - Champion Jack Dupree - Blues from the Gutter (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/K6m9w0L2PqRoe

1959 - Champion Jack Dupree - Natural & Soulful Blues (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/MkHf80MiKhhQ7

1961 – Champion jack Dupree – Low Down Blues (3)

https://1fichier.com/?uwzkxzpfbwd77jl99clv

1961 – Champion Jack Dupree – Sings The Blues (3)

https://1fichier.com/?m3rqe6k30xzqxu9nbxov

1962 - Champion Jack Dupree - The Women Blues (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/ZuNSaXQMbcXw9

1962 – Champion Jack Dupree & Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband (3)

https://1fichier.com/?of0ys3jfrp

1962 – Champion Jack Dupree – I’m Growing Older Every day (5)

https://www67.zippyshare.com/v/oTuUXC8c/file.html

1962 – Champion Jack Dupree - Trouble Trouble (3)

https://1fichier.com/?hoetcuon33

1966/67Champion Jack Dupree - From New Orleans To Chicago / Champion Jack Dupree And His Blues Band (2CD) (4)

https://www.mediafire.com/file/kgi4luj54qaur78/ChampJaDuNewOrle1.zip/file

https://www.mediafire.com/file/0bb9ielaehbe95e/ChampJaDuNewOrle2.zip/file

1968 – Champion Jack Dupree – Tricks (3)

https://1fichier.com/?t665ip0okq

1968/69 - Champion Jack Dupree - Complete Blue Horizon Sessions (2CD) (2005) (8)

http://www.mediafire.com/file/h2g6g2lshf30ou0/DupreHori1.zip/file

http://www.mediafire.com/file/7dajpzpusbp1eos/DupreHori2.zip/file

artwork: http://www.mediafire.com/file/ixz5h70iu45cazd/DupreHoriAr.zip/file

1971 – Champion Jack Dupree – The Death Of Louis (3)

https://1fichier.com/?j3cnp1caxe

1973 – King Curtis & Champion jack Dupree – Blues at Montreal (5)

https://www68.zippyshare.com/v/QsGOTmK4/file.html

1980/88 – Champion Jack Dupree – The Legendary (3)

https://1fichier.com/?4jzb1jflof

1992 - Champion Jack Dupree • Forever And Ever (2)

https://ulozto.net/file/LoIBFqwb9DVn/champion-jack-dupree-forever-and-ever-rar

1992 - Champion Jack Dupree - St Claude And Dumaine (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/3f2p-_6YuiOgTw

1996 – Champion Jack Dupree - Home (1)

https://www.4shared.com/zip/cPYzqPLU/MDB32-CJD--tBtJ--1996.html

jamerson said...

Thank you so much for this blog, it as given me the chance to listen to music i never would have got the chance to hear. It must take an awful amount of your time to research and compile, you sir a diamond thank you

egroj.jazz said...

Great!

egroj.jazz said...

Hi Bob, on August:
Dorothy Ashby 6
Oscar Peterson 15
Jimmy Rowles 19
;)

egroj.jazz said...

and
Buddy Collette on 6
Bill Evans 16
Ike Quebec 17
Jimmy Raney 20
Jimmy Rushing 26
Lester Young 27
Kenny Dorham 30

;)

RFelis said...

Please, can you reactivate dead links? any thanks.

RFelis said...

I only need new life for:

1951-1957 28 Rockin' Piano
1962 - I'm Growing Older Everyday
1973 - King Curtis, Montreal

Many thanks

boppinbob said...

Hi RF, I Couldn't find Champion Jacks file anywhere. But I managed to find all three albums on the web. The Rocking Piano Classics playlist is reconstructed using digital mp3's, but the other two albums are originals.

Rocking Piano Classics

https://www.imagenetz.de/iV2qv

Growing Older

https://www.imagenetz.de/fVb5M

King Curtis Montreaux

https://www.imagenetz.de/buBDo

RFelis said...

Excellent work, as always, very very very grateful