Calvin Boze (October 15, 1916 – June 18, 1970) was an American trumpeter and bandleader who was one of the many West Coast singers who took part in the development of the rhythm and blues scene in the late 1940s and early 1950s. His recordings are often reminiscent of Louis Jordan with their easy going swing and slyly witty lyrics.
Born in Trinity County, Texas, Calvin B. Boze, Sr., began his musical career as a trumpet player in a high school band in his native Wheatley in the 1930s. This band also featured Illinois Jacquet along with his brother Russell Jacquet and tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb. In college he played with the Prairie View Collegians, a group that included Charles Brown. In the early forties Boze branched out as a vocalist with the Southwestern territory band of Marvin Johnson. By the mid-1940s he was a member of the Milton Larkins Orchestra where he was reunited with Illinois Jacquet. Another member of this band was alto sax player and singer Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson.
After wartime service, he settled in Los Angeles and, as singer and trumpet player, took part in the development of the jump blues style, heavily influenced by Louis Jordan. He was signed by Aladdin Records in 1949 and had his first recording session on August 15, 1949. All four tracks from this session were released, first on Aladdin's Score subsidiary ("Working With My Baby"/ "Satisfied") and then the parent label ("Waitin' And Drinkin'"/"If You Ever Had the Blues").
His second session, in January 1950, would result in his only hit, "Safronia B", which went to # 9 on Billboard's R&B charts in June 1950. "Safronia B" is a classic if unsophisticated recording which, with its refrain of "I surrender! I surrender!", epitomises the sense of fun in the West Coast music scene just before the dawn of rock and roll. It was reissued on Imperial in 1962, the year in which Imperial purchased the Aladdin catalog. The song was later recorded by The Manhattan Transfer.
Starting in January 1950, Boze had formed his own band, the Calvin Boze Combo (soon rechristened The Calvin Boze All-Stars), which toured heavily, not only on the West Coast, but also in the North East (including an appearance at the Apollo Theatre in New York) and in the Midwest, with Dinah Washington. Several more Aladdin sessions followed, always with Maxwell Davis and his orchestra, but the sales figures of his later singles did not measure up to those of his earlier efforts. These later recordings include "Looped" (also recorded by Melvin Smith and Tommy Ridgley), "Shamrock", the instrumental "Fish Tail" and "Hey Laudie Miss Claudie" (which preceded Lloyd Price's Specialty recording of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by five months).
Calvin Boze did not record
after 1952, but he continued to play at jam sessions around Los Angeles, while
also developing a career as a social worker and school teacher, before his
early death, aged 53, after prolonged ill health.
He died in Los Angeles, California on the 18th June,1970.
(Edited from Wikipedia & This Is My Story)
For ”Calvin Boze – If You Ever Had The Blues, 1945-1952 (2022 Jasmine)” go here:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.imagenetz.de/iEXe3
1 Safronia Bee 3:03*
2 Just A Dream 2:48*
3 Satisfied 2:26
4 Working With My Baby 2:17
5 If You Ever Had The Blues 2:28
6 Waiting And Drinking 2:30
7 Angel City Blues 2:20
8 Safronia B 2:23
9 Baby, You're Tops With Me 2:27
10 Choo, Choo's Bringing My Baby Home 2:39
11 I've Got News For You 2:17
12 Lizzie Lou, Pt. 1 1:57
13 Lizzie Lou, Pt. 2 1:59
14 Stinkin' From Drinkin' 2:47
15 Look Out For Tomorrow Today 2:38
16 Beale Street On A Saturday Night 2:48
17 Slippin' And Slidin' 3:24
18 I Can't Stop Crying 2:32
19 I'm Gonna Steam Off The Stamp 2:32
20 Fish-Tail 2:18
21 My Friend Told Me 3:01
22 Hey Lawdy, Miss Claudie 2:47
23 Good Time Sue 2:28
24 Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business 3:04
25 Having A Time (Havin' A Ball) 2:17
26 Shamrock 1:56
27 Blow, Man, Blow 2:27
28 Looped 2:24
On the back of the 1970s R&R revival, trumpeter/singer CALVIN BOZE enjoys the reputation of having been a major figure in late 1940s Jump Blues.Yet ironically he was a one-hit wonder, with his 1950 R&B top tenner, 'Safronia B'.
A huge hit, both over the counter and through the Jukeboxes, which accounted for anything up to 30% of a hit record's sales in those days, it owes a lot to the style of Louis Jordan, who was clearly Boze's main source of inspiration, as many of the sides on this set confirm. Indeed, when his 'Working With My Baby' was played by a New York Disc jockey as a 'mystery record', 90% of the listeners identified it as being Jordan. This compilation includes everything that Boze recorded from 1945 to 1952, which includes his debut with Marvin Johnson & His Orchestra, an early version of 'Safronia Bee', on which he was billed as 'Calvin Boaz'. (Jasmine notes)
The above is a reconstructed playlist using all the mp3’s from the digital album “The Complete Aladdin Singles”
I could only find tracks 1 & 2 @ 192 but the rest are 320, thanks to Dennis who suggested today’s birthday bandleader and trumpeter and for also supplying the tracks from the digital album which can be found on most of the streamers.
Many Thanks! I'had (a long time ago), an old LP (33T) of Calvin Boze, on official album (??) i think!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks. Amazing compilation
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