NYC Blues Rare and
unreleased audio tracks
"Sit Right Here" by Rosco Gordon.
"I Wanna Get High " by Rosco Gordon.
Recorded at the home of Larry Simon • Recording © L. Simon.
Ultra rare recordings of Rosco Gordon with Roland Alphonso and Lester Stirling of The Skatalites. With Larry Simon-gtr, A.J. Johnson-drums, and John Errico-Bass
Rosco is acknowledged to be a primary influence on the development of Ska. This recording (and others in my archives with Stirling and Alphonso) represent a major historical collaboration. A year or so later Rosco came out with his album "Let's Get it on" (Studio One) produced by legendary Jamaician producer Sir Coxsone Dodd-I play rhythm guitar on this recording but was inadvertently left off the credits.
Note: Later this year Ace Records (London) will be releasing a compilation to go along with my book, "New York city Blues". The track "I wanna Get High" from this session will be included on the release.
Ultra rare recordings of Rosco Gordon with Roland Alphonso and Lester Stirling of The Skatalites. With Larry Simon-gtr, A.J. Johnson-drums, and John Errico-Bass
Rosco is acknowledged to be a primary influence on the development of Ska. This recording (and others in my archives with Stirling and Alphonso) represent a major historical collaboration. A year or so later Rosco came out with his album "Let's Get it on" (Studio One) produced by legendary Jamaician producer Sir Coxsone Dodd-I play rhythm guitar on this recording but was inadvertently left off the credits.
Note: Later this year Ace Records (London) will be releasing a compilation to go along with my book, "New York city Blues". The track "I wanna Get High" from this session will be included on the release.
Below are photos that just come to light from this very rare 1994 session recorded at my home studio in Brooklyn Heights. The images are by photographer/film maker Richard Shpuntoff. Over the years I had forgotten there was a photographer present. These images just came to my attention through Hugh Gilmore, who was also at the session filming a documentary on Rosco that was never completed.
L. Simon and Rosco Gordon. Photo-Richard Shpuntoff
Roland Alphonso and Lester Sterling Photo-Richard Shpuntoff
Lester Sterling, Ken Gerber, Hugh Gilmore, Larry Simon. Photo-Richard Shpuntoff
Larry Simon and Rosco Gordon. Photo-Richard Shpuntoff
A. J. Johnson, Roland Alphonso, and Lester Sterling. Photo-Richard Shpuntoff
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L.to R. -Roland Alphonso, Rosco Gordon, Lester Stirling at The House of Blues-Boston.1994
Photos- R. Schaffer
Photos- R. Schaffer
Another very Special Rosco Gordon track. In October of 1993 I went to Memphis with Rosco and film makers Hugh Gilmore and Ken Gerber. They were making a documentary on Rosco that was never completed. As part of the film we visited many people and places that were a crucial part of Rosco's history and had musical sessions with some amazing people. The recording below was an unexpected, impromptu duet, engineered by the great Roland Janes, former guitarist with Jerry Lee Lewis, who became a recording engineer at Phillips (Sam Phillips) Studio. Rosco is singing and playing organ. I'm on guitar.
"It Takes a Lot of Loving" © Rosco Gordon • Recording © Larry Simon
"It Takes a Lot of Loving" © Rosco Gordon • Recording © Larry Simon
Jam Session in Memphis, Oct 1993 (maybe the Rum Boogie Club). L. to R. Larry Simon, Fred Ford (legendary Memphis sax player who worked with B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rufus Thomas, Johnny Hodges and countless others), Rosco Gordon, Unidentified drummer, and Robert McGhee (Memphis bass player who worked with Elvis)
A.J. Johnson, Larry Dale, Photo by © Bob Schaffer
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Killing Floor, NYC. L.-R. Larry Simon, Brian Jost, A.J. Johnson
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Below is a live track of Larry Dale (circa late 1980's) with my band Killing Floor, NYC (L. Simon- Gtr, Brian Jost-Bass, A.J. Johnson- Drums. The tune is "Please Come Back to Me)
Larry Dale released a single of "New York Blues" on the Juke Blues label. Below is another version, never released, a low-fi duo version with guitarist Jimmy Spruill, recorded in Spruill's home on his 4-track recorder.
Jimmy Spruill at home in the Bronx Photo by © Bob Schaffer
The following three, very rare, never released tracks are all recorded by Jimmy Spruill, playing all parts, overdubbed on his home 4-track studio. They reflect his very original take on country, blues, gospel, and his own genre all-together.
Jimmy gave me these recordings when I visited him at his home sometime in the late 80's or early 90's. All the music is © Jimmy Spruill and should not be downloaded.
Jimmy gave me these recordings when I visited him at his home sometime in the late 80's or early 90's. All the music is © Jimmy Spruill and should not be downloaded.
"Will the Circle be Unbroken" arranged and played by Jimmy Spruill
"Blues Experiment" written and played by Jimmy Spruill
"Spruill's Country, Gospel waltz" written and played by Jimmy Spruill
Bob Gaddy by © Bob Schaffer
The following two tracks are Bob Gaddy playing solo at, La Cave, a french soul food restaurant that was open briefly in 1993 on
1125-1st Ave, at 62nd ST, NYC. It was a real treat to hear Bob playing solo.
I made these recordings on my Sony Walkman Pro WM-D6C cassette recorder, a machine consider pretty decent at the time. There was actually a professional recording made of Bob from this venue by harmonica player Paul Oscher. Paul went onsight and made a digital, cassette only live recording of Bob called "Alone with the Blues". If you go to his site Paul may still have some left for purchase.
The first track below is a slow blues, over 12 minutes long, so sit back and enjoy.
1125-1st Ave, at 62nd ST, NYC. It was a real treat to hear Bob playing solo.
I made these recordings on my Sony Walkman Pro WM-D6C cassette recorder, a machine consider pretty decent at the time. There was actually a professional recording made of Bob from this venue by harmonica player Paul Oscher. Paul went onsight and made a digital, cassette only live recording of Bob called "Alone with the Blues". If you go to his site Paul may still have some left for purchase.
The first track below is a slow blues, over 12 minutes long, so sit back and enjoy.
"Early One Morning" Bob Gaddy-vocals/piano • Recording owned by
© Larry Simon
© Larry Simon
"694" Bob Gaddy-vocals/piano • Recording owned by © Larry Simon