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Artist Profile
Billy Bizor – Obscure Texas Harmonica Player Deserving Of Much Wider Recognition
The fascinating independent 31-minute documentary portrait of the great Texas bluesman, The Blues Accordin’ To Lightnin’ Hopkins, was released in late 1970. A work produced by Les Blank, it won a Gold Hugo award at the 1970 Chicago International Film Festival for Best Documentary, chronicling the aspects of Hopkins’ life that he was best known for, regaling people with his tales and performing superb blues. The film presented its subject in the context of how it was to live as a Black musician, as conveyed via captivating interviews and Hopkins performances.
Hopkins’ revelations in the documentary are told with such conviction that the viewer, especially if they are a die-hard blues fan, can’t turn away from the screen. Two quotes from The Blues Accordin’ To Lightnin’ Hopkins have always stood out to me, as follows, in Hopkins’ exact words.
“Now, I’ll tell you about the blues down here. The blues dwells with you everyday and everywhere. You see, you can a blues about that you’re broke. You can have a blues about your girl’s that’s gone. The blues comes so many different ways until its kind of hard to explain. But, when’s ever you get a sad feeling, you tell the whole round world you got nothin’ but the blues.”
“The blues is something hard to get acquainted with.”
As someone who did not grow up in locales and under circumstances that have formed the life perspectives that yield the blues of the majority of Black blues artists, these two quotes strike as richly profound.
Regarding the performances in the documentary, some are Hopkins in a solo format, and they are exemplary on so many levels. We also get amazing footage of fellow Texas bluesman and songster Mance Lipscomb, and Hopkins is joined in a performance by Texas blues harmonica player and singer, and Hopkins’ cousin, Billy Bizor, creating a magnificent blues piece.
While both Hopkins and Lipscomb enjoyed a higher level of blues distinction than Bizor due to their voluminous recording output, Hopkins though the myriad labels he had recorded for to-date including Modern Records, Aladdin, Gold Star, Mercury, Sittin In With, RPM Records, Decca, Harlem, Jax, Arhoolie Records, and Prestige Records, among others, and Lipscomb via his production with Arhoolie Records.
But here was Bizor, a truly gifted blues harmonica artist and vocalist, yet another in the ranks of obscure bluesmen primarily known in his immediate community and through his association with Hopkins on his 1960s recorded works. Bizor’s talents are such that they warrant a brief overview of his life and career, as he is currently top-of-mind.
Billy Bizor came into the world in early September, 1963 in an area in Leon County, Texas, an expanse in the state’s mid-east section. Yet again, virtually nothing of Bizor’s early formative years is known, but what is generally recognized is that he as time progressed into the 1930s Bizor had sufficiently developed both his harmonica and vocal skill sets to the point that he was playing blues in a part-time way. But the reality for Bizor was that compared to other Texas blues artists of greater renown, and there were many, as indicated previously, he existed in great obscurity.
And this obscurity, while truly unfortunate, was even more regrettable due to Bizor’s tremendously uniquely frugal and melancholy harmonica style, and his powerful and expressively exciting singing. In many ways, Bizor’s harmonica work harkened back to the sparse downhearted style of many who came before him. In many ways, he was something of a throwback.
But Bizor did somewhat reap some great advantages of his generous skill set with the onset of the 1960s blues revival. As Hopkins built further upon his reputation as a first-tier bluesman during the blues revival, he realized a renewed interest in having his blues recorded. On many of Hopkins’ blues during this period, Bizor accompanied his cousin, plying his vast harmonica proficiencies to great effect, and also providing strong, inspiring backing vocal support.
Unfortunately, while his work with Hopkins was of great merit, it was always Hopkins’ show, and a greater awareness of Bizor’s attributes still escaped him.
However, Roy Ames, a music producer associated with Hopkins, Freddie King, Johnny “Clyde” Copeland, and Johnny Winter took notice of Bizor’s talents and made recordings of him during 1968 and 1969 sessions. On these recording sessions, Ames paired Bizor with the likes of top-shelf bluesmen such as Hopkins on guitar and vocals, guitarist Clarence Holliman, piano man Elmore Nixon, Donald “Duck” Dunn exercising his broad skills in rhythm guitar backing, and both Ben Turner and Linda Waring providing percussion duties. Bizor was obviously assisted by some of the crème de la crème of the blues music world on his sides.
But, no matter how good the recordings were (and they are indeed very good), they were not immediately released. In fact, the recordings remained unreleased for 20 years, finally seeing the light of day on the Home Cooking Records release entitled Blowing My Blues Away, a collection indicated as “Also featuring Lightning Hopkins.”
Regrettably, Bizor did not live to see the release as he passed away in early April, 1969 in Houston, Texas.
Interestingly, South Filthy, a band that counted as its main influences the music traditions of Austin, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee covered one of the superb Bizor cuts from Blowing My Blues Away, “Screwdriver,” on it’s early 2000s release entitled Crackin Up.
Bizor, once again, was one of those immensely talented blues artists who fell through the cracks of greater recognition. His work is certainly worthy of consideration by all blues fans.
Bizor’s musical competencies should ultimately be valued by all blues enthusiasts. Below are two collections that highlight Bizor’s broad talents. Both are highly recommended.
- Blowing My Blues Away – Home Cooking Records HCS-111 (LP), also available on Collectables Record Corp. COL-CD-5225 (CD)
- Lightnin Hopkins & Billy Bizer [sic} – Cousins – Blues Factory BFY 47028 (CD)
Essential Blues Recording
B.B. King – King Thrills A Rapt Chicago Audience
B.B. King – Blues Is King – MCA Records MCAD-31368
For decades, B.B. King was certainly the most visible, persuasive, and widely recognized blues musician on the planet in large part because of his unending touring schedule (many years over 300 shows annually), plus due to his enormously accepted 1970 achievement “The Thrill Is Gone,” a recorded blues benchmark that endures as eminently identifiable with The King Of The Blues, a pillar of blues perfection even these 54 years down the road. Until this blues masterpiece realized its noble record chart ranking, the blues bore a stance mainly as a musical style accepted and appreciated, on a whole, by Blacks and spheres of young White fans.
There are abundant “live” B.B. King assemblages available, including certain believed to be the pinnacle statements of a “live” King show, chiefly among them Live At The Regal, Live At Cook County Jail, and the set I still find as the best, United Recorders 1972 (Broadcasting Radio Records BRR6012CD).
However, sifting through the totality of accessible King “live” offerings, I’ve also always been heavily biased toward Blues Is King, as it gives its listeners, I believe, a most faithful picture of King at his peak in his performing element. Next to the United Recorders 1972 set, Blues Is King places a strong second place in the annals of all the “live” B.B. King recordings, in my assessment.
To have been at this performance! Originally released in the U.S. in 1967 on the BluesWay label as a 10-song collection, and then as the 12-cut outing in 1987 on MCA Records for our purposes here, King is found here as a fully-realized bluesman and entertainer, powerfully forging connections with his audience members at a Chicago venue where the overall tenor of the evening was one going to church, with King preaching his tales of life’s experiences, highs and lows, to an eager congregation, one that reveled in his blues evangelism, and in kind conveyed their depth of feelings right back at him.
King is zealous with his vocals, and cutting via his guitar. The results appeared quite liberating to his flock, and this blues document stands as a highpoint of blues drama and wonder.
No matter how much “live” B.B. King music resides within your blues collection, and without a doubt there is much to choose from, you need to find shelf space for this astounding set. Simply, this is a recording that situates itself as imperative in its prominence. It is one of those blues soundtracks that tells me yet again me why I stay thrilled by the blues.
Essential!
Recommended Blues Recording
Lamont Cranston – The Champions Of Minnesota Blues Quench The Blues Thirst
Lamont Cranston – Tiger In Your Tank – Cold Wind Records CWR 8808 (LP)
This 1988 10-cut LP collection is a joy front-to-back. This is perpetually blues with a delicious up-tempo boogie sense, a vicious, hot drive of jumping blues where spirited and enlivening sounds formulate the contagious backbones, and a robust wave of excitement that completely captivates.
Hailing from Minnesota, the upper U.S.’s Midwest counts the band’s beginnings all the way back to the late 1960s. Many in-the-know count the group as one of the originators of the Minneapolis blues landscape, one that for many years has been a hotbed of tremendous blues talent. Please note that this LP shows “Lamont Cranston” as the artist, but the group has been long known as The Lamont Cranston Band.
There is a back story to how the band got its name and the involvement of Larry Hayes and Pat Hayes as the founding members that should be left to the curious to discover. A hint: The band’s name is derived from the alter ego of The Shadow, the pulp hero. But make no mistake, the band is renowned for its considerable individual and collective skill sets, and has not only teamed with just about every major blues and soul act (including Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, and Solomon Burke) on the scene since their formation, but also with major touring rock groups such as The Rolling Stones (who they opened for on the Stone’s 1981 tour), The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Kansas, and Tower Of Power, to name but a few; the list goes on and on.
Tiger In Your Tank was the band’s ninth outing, with their recording career beginning in 1976. Pat “Lamont” Hayes leads the band with his formidable vocal, guitar, and harmonica proficiencies, and here, with its highly skilled core lineup also brimming with delicious horns, each cut delivers on quality and uniqueness, and compels repeated listenings.
This isn’t one of those reviews that will dissect each minute factor that pulls the collection into a glorious whole. No, all that needs to be said is that this is just a brilliant set of recordings that makes it a joy to be a fan of up-tempo blues, one to be spun on the turntable and undoubtedly be a delight to enjoy.
Highly recommended!
Short Take CD Reviews & Other Information
Short Take CD Reviews
Mark “Nessie” Nesmith – A Sinner’s Prayer – Self-Produced – Abundant Blues Originality
In a blues sphere where the “same old, same old” are dusted off and repeated ad nauseam, along comes an enlivening and varied 12-song collection such as A Sinner’s Prayer. Nesmith can rightfully be labeled a musical servant, as his obvious dedication to his craft and phenomenal results across the landscape of this rich and diverse melodic highway yield continuously satiating ends. Nesmith’s influences are clearly voluminous, and the opuses he offers here for scrutiny only profit from his broad backgrounds in blues, folk, rock, and country, along with other genres. But make no mistake, the works here stir the blues sensibilities with bountiful ease. Nesmith handles multi-instrumental duties including the guitar (by the way, that marvelous slide guitar is alone worth the price of admission here), the upright and electric low-end bass duties, all percussion, and harmonica efforts. His vocals insist that the listener understand he knows only too well of the subjects he sings about. Bonus vocal support is gleaned from Rainy Kimbrough. When the stars align and a true musical artisan plies their plenteous skills so much can be conveyed in songs that generally run in three minutes or less. It is a true art to do so, and Nesmith is indeed that most genuine of musical craftsmen. This one is going into my personal collection. Highly recommended! Bravo!
Dick Earl’s Electric Witness – Get Up Off The Ground – Self-Produced – Grand Utah Blues Visions
Recorded at The Tone Factory in Las Vegas, Nevada, this sophomore 11-selection outing by Dick Earl’s Electric Witness is a superlative study of the individual and collective musical proficiencies of the Earl family’s band. The extensive blues sensitivities and attributes each group constituent thoroughly provides ultimately yields a stimulating romp through wide-ranging styles, sounds, and themes that fuel not only the senses but the joyous belief that real songwriters still exist. On this wholly nourishing release, Dick Earl Ericksen plies his ample attributes on guitar, banjo, harmonica, and vocals, while Isaac Ericksen provides staunch low-end bass patters and backing vocals. Mari Ericksen lends solid percussion frameworks, whilst Alice Ericksen and Zoe Ericksen envelope the proceedings with their tasty backing vocal skill sets. The listener also finds Thomas Anderson (guitar and additional instrumental support), Matt Green (keyboards), Jimmy Carpenter (saxophone), Jason Levi (trumpet), and Jean-Francois Thbeault (trombone) is studious support of the musical concepts found here. Life itself, it’s many facets and resulting outcomes, are surveyed within this philosophic musical analysis. There is much to savor here. A wealth of talent on many levels are to be discovered and celebrated with this release. Outstanding work!
Upcoming Short Take CD Reviews
This week, a couple of CDs were received for review just before publication time. Labels, artists, and publicists, now’s the time to get CDs mailed for review as you bring new collections to the market! Remember, please, only blues CDs!
Blues Song Of The Week
“Gary Stomp” – John Brim And His Stompers – Parrot label #799 – Released in 1954
New Jasmine Records Releases
A new round of Jasmine Records CDs will be released on November 8th. Jasmine Records is to be applauded for their continuing cycle of exciting releases. Of particular interest to readers of Curt’s Blues Blog should be:
- JASMCD3298 – Memphis Minnie – The First Lady Of Country Blues, 1929-1953
- JASMCD3303 – Various – Fats Domino In Session, 1950-1957
- JASMCD2827 – Billie Holiday – Travelin’ Light – Classic Records, 1939-1951
New Delmark Records And Alligator Records Offerings
Delmark Releases
Tad Robinson is slated to release a new full-length Delmark collection with an as yet undetermined release date. Also, Live At Buddy Guy’s Legends by Willie Buck & The Delmark All Stars is now available and receiving excellent reviews. Plus, check out all the new singles by various artists on the label’s web page.
Alligator Releases
Alligator Records released Ronnie Baker Brooks’ Blues In My DNA on October 11th. It is Brooks’ first release for the label.
The label has also signed Memphis roots, blues, and soul band Southern Avenue, with a release slated for Fall, 2024.
Look for these collections!
November 29th will see a clear vinyl deluxe gatefold jacket release of Showdown!, the Grammy winning outing by Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland, and Albert Collins.
It’s too bad that both Delmark Records and Alligator Records won’t provide this blues blogger with hard copy CDs of their upcoming releases for reviews. As I’ve explained to both these labels, I do not perform reviews via electronic sound files. I guess that 10,300+ blog readers aren’t enough for the labels to send hard copy CDs!
Please visit Delmark’s and Alligator’s web sites for information on all the goings on at the labels.
DELMARK RECORDS – Blues & Jazz since 1953
Living Blues Magazine – Latest Edition
The latest edition of Living Blues Magazine is out with features on Tony Coleman, Tee Dee Youngs, Carlton Washington, and Linwood Taylor, along with their Let It Roll series that focuses on Stevie Ray Vaughan at Epic Records, and of course, the publication’s broad recording review section and additional extensive features. This writer has been a Living Blues subscriber for 36+ years, and though I may not always agree with their record reviews or their journalistic direction, I can’t stress enough how vital this magazine is to the blues. Please consider a subscription if you don’t already have one and support the magazine’s fine work, and the blues in general.
A Reminder To Support “Live” Blues And Purchase A Blues Recording
Touring blues musicians endure an arduous life of traveling city-to-city, sometimes with the distance between shows being many miles. This equates to large outlays for gasoline, food, and lodging (if not often sleeping in vehicle while traveling), so when they get to the next town, the interactions with their fans and the time spent on-stage playing to welcoming fans being their greatest joys. When these talented blues artists roll through your town, please consider parting with some of your hard-earned dollars and attending their shows. A decent-sized crowd with enthusiastic fans is cathartic to the blues artists and you, as the interactions are mutually-pleasing. Should your town enjoy places where the blues is being presented, please get out and back the music by taking in a show.
Also, with so many online platforms offering blues recordings for sale (check out the Curt’s Blues Blog “Resources” page for many of them), please think about purchasing a new blues CD or MP3 recording for your collection. It is yet another way we can all ensure that our favorite blues artists can continue to thrill us with their brilliant musicmaking and touring efforts.
CD Reviews
Once again, a reminder: If you want a CD reviewed, please contact me via the email address found on the Curt’s Blues Blog “Contact” page, and I will promptly answer with the mailing address to get the CD to me. I do not perform reviews via electronic sound files. Don’t put your promotions company sticker over the record company information on the back of the CD jacket. Please be mindful that this is a blues blog, and that providing rock, pop, hip hop, or Americana CDs for review will not find them being considered. And please, don’t mail me CDs with postage due!
Also, please let me remind record companies, their publicity folks, and the artists themselves that both my “Essential” and “Recommended” blues CD reviews remain forever archived on the Blog on the “Recording Reviews” page, whereas the Short Take CD reviews remain on the Blog for one week only so as to move through as many reviews as possible. It is a goal of mine to have as many CD reviews as possible pass through the Blog.
Thank you.