Billy Larkin & the Delegates

[Man with the Golden Arm]

I'd heard the cut "The Pygmy" and had to find out more.

I find that the speaker of the house who casts a vote for re-issues is The Magnificent Goldberg - and he will expound upon this most eloquently ?

Sure there's some convention here and the well worn popular covers that might chalk 'em up to just juke-box one offs and the doggetty sound that at times gets hockey rinky but this here party's Zamboni runs on grease.

Seeing that nothing much exists in print one can get a primary education here.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Man with the Golden Arm

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I like Billy Larkin & the Delegates a lot. I suggest no one buys "I got the feelin'", his last album, which was without the Delegates and has stiff big band arrangements by I don't know.

I think the band's best albums were the first two: "Pygmy" and "Blue lights", both originally issued on Aura, and reissued on a twofer CD by Fresh Sound. You can get it at Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Larkin-Delegat...0623&sr=8-1

I know Amazon sez "Billy Larkin & the Delegates featuring Clifford Brown" but it's actually the totally wonderful Clifford Scott, so don't be put off

My only complaint about this CD is that they've mixed up the running order, and you get a track from each LP alternately. What a crappy idea!

Iif you haven't any Larkin, you should get the Fresh Sound issue. Then look for LPs. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the British edition of "Hold on" was to some extent a compilation - I'm sure I remember "Charade" from that LP (don't have that copy any more), but it's from "Blue lights" - so watch out for track listings or stick to World Pacific originals.

The next LP, "Hole in the wall" didn't have a tenor player on it, but Larkin hired Arthur "Fats" Theus, after that. Theus is pretty good - goes back a long way - he worked with Oscar McLollie & his Honey Jumpers in the fifties - and with Jimmy McGriff in the late sixties and early seventies and made one of the first CTI albums. I quite like Theus.

The last LP with the Delegates - "Dr Feelgood" - has a different tenor player, who's also OK, Dan Mason, and also Wilton Felder - though I don't think he solos. It also has a singer - Ralph Black - on a few tracks. Black is a pretty good singer in the Lou Rawls vein.

The interesting thing about Richard Bock is that he doesn't seem to have known how to make records that don't swing.

MG

[danasgoodstuff]

I've got what I think is a complete Billy Larkin & the delegates on vinyl:

1) Billy Larkin & the Delegates (Aura 3002) 196? Featuring their hit "Pygmy", later covered by the MGs. If you've never heard them think somewhere between the MGs and the Three Sounds. Just a trio at this point with local (Portland, OR) hero Mel Brown on drums.

2) Blue Lights (Aura AR 83003) "featuring Clifford Scott" added to the above trio, Blue Hour it ain't, but nice.

3) Hole In the Wall (World Pacific WPS 21837) Half with the original trio, half new guys. Title tune is the Packers hit (Packy Axton plus MGs moonlighting).

4) Ain't That a Groove (WP 1843) Title James Brown cover could be added to Lou's "Say It Loud" and various Grant Green tracks for a Blue/Brown tribute.

With Fats Theus.

5) Hold On! (WP 1850) Fats is back and they do Dylan, Sam & Dave, George & Ira, more James, and the Standells' "Dirty Water". And Duke Pearson's "Jenne" (sic).

6) Don't Stop (WP 1863) Group grows to 6, more hits of the day plus a few standards, pretty dancing colored girl on the cover.

7) Dr. Feelgood (WPS-21874) as described above.

Didn't have too much trouble tracking them down locally, enjoy but would consider selling/trading as a batch.

[Dan Gould]

I agree with MG, Pygmy and Blue Lights are the best of the lot.