Dr. Steven Dolins’ The Sirens Records label is to be highly lauded for “…its mission is to preserve authentic Chicago blues, boogie woogie, gospel, and jazz piano music.”  The distinguished imprint has released stellar collections by many of the most renowned blues pianists including my dear departed friend Barrelhouse Chuck, the living patriarch of Chicago piano Erwin Helfer, Muddy Waters Band alum Pinetop Perkins, the scampish Detroit Junior, along with legendary names of yesteryear such as Chicago blues piano titan Sunnyland Slim, Willie Mabon (“I Don’t Know”), the greatly revered Blind John Davis, and Speckled Red, he of “The Dirty Dozens” fame.  And that’s just the blues piano roster of artists of The Sirens Records.  The label’s roll of gospel and jazz giants too significantly impresses.

The other evening, I was enjoying Primitive Piano (The Sirens Records SR5005), a tremendous assemblage that includes superb 1950s era blues offerings from Billie Pierce, James Robinson, Doug Suggs, and Speckled Red.  As I sat and reveled in the distinctively remarkable CD selections, each cut a gem, yet again I was enamored by Speckled Red’s forays.  Since I’ve not before provided a brief overview of his life and career, now seems the ideal time to do so.

He came into the world as Rufus Perryman in late October, 1892 in Monroe, Louisiana, a town in, and the parish seat of, Ouachita Parish, a region in the state’s north central area.  Red (as we shall call him going forward) was one of eight children in his family.  Without going into too much about this fact here, Red was the older brother sibling to Willie Lee Perryman, the noted barrelhouse piano man known as both Piano Red and Dr. Feelgood.  There was a 19-year age gap between the two, and it is noteworthy that the two siblings never recorded collectively.  But his story will be told another time.

Red’s family eventually established a home in Hampton, Georgia, a town in the state’s mid-section, where as a youth he self-taught himself playing keyboards on the organ of his family’s church.  Research indicates that there wasn’t much, if any, musical aptitude in his family.  As an aside, his brother was also a self-taught piano player.

At some point in Red’s teen years, his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia.  By this time, Red’s proficiencies on the piano were sufficiently developed as to find him plying his trade at various social events including picnics and house parties, and in the area’s juke joint establishments. 

As the 1920s rolled around, Red made a major move northward to Detroit, Michigan where he became a familiar face on the big city’s bustling music scene, playing the various nightspots, the party circuit, and even the brothels.  Red continued to hone his savory style of piano, particularly favoring boogie woogie, in Detroit, but after a few years in the metropolis he made a move southward to Memphis, Tennessee.  However, just before Red departed for Memphis, he was spotted by a rapt Brunswick Records talent scout who became captivated by his playing and singing.

In Memphis, in late September, 1929 at the famed Peabody Hotel, Red first recorded his music.  He laid-down two tracks, “The Dirty Dozens” and “Wilkins Street Stomp” (Brunswick 7116).  It can certainly be argued that Red’s raucous boogie woogie piano playing first got him noticed by Brunswick, but the “off color” nature and the success of “The Dirty Dozens” found him quick notice.  With its spoken words and saucy lyrics such as “…I want all you women to fall in line”/”And shake yo shimmy like I’m shakin’ mine” led to much notoriety for Red.  And this is not to in any way suggest that “Wilkins Street Stomp” was anything but also a resounding success; it was, as well, with the record buying public.

Red was in demand as a “live” performer, and he continued to play the clubs and events to appreciative and enthusiastic crowds.  In 1930, he again entered the studio and recorded eight more songs for Brunswick (Brunswick 7164, 1428, 7137, and 7151), including a follow-up to “The Dirty Dozens” entitled simply “The Dirty Dozens No. 2.”  Unfortunately, the second incarnation of the ribald “The Dirty Dozens” failed to be a smash with the public, and Red found himself void of a record deal.  As such, he was relegated to continuing to play the Memphis clubs.

It wasn’t until late December, 1938 that Red was signed to the Bluebird label (a subsidiary of the larger RCA-Victor family) where he cut four selections in Aurora, Illinois that included Robert Nighthawk on guitar, Sonney Boy Williamson I on harmonica, and Willie Hatcher on mandolin on certain of the cuts.  However, the records languished, selling poorly, and once again he was without a record contract.

At some point in the early 1940, Red moved the 285 miles northward to St. Louis, Missouri to ply his raucous, rowdy brand of blues and boogie woogie in the city’s nightclubs.  For roughly 15 years, Red’s loud, confident singing and rhythmic approach to piano playing lit-up the city’s nightlife circle.  One thing about Red’s approach to piano playing was that though his chord progressions may not always have been on-point (he meandered a bit), there was no doubt about his vigorous enthusiasm for the music and presenting it to the people.

But as fate would deal it, in 1954, Red was found by various blues devotees.  And not only blues and boogie woogie fans, but record label types, too.  Finally in 1956, Red returned to the recording studio, this time for the Tone imprint, a venture that revitalized his career and led to a tour with dates not only in America, but overseas, as well. 

This revival came during a time when Red’s musical talents were still significant and, when he wasn’t touring, he continued to play the St. Louis scene, including a stint as the break piano player at shows by The Dixie Stompers (a jazz outfit) at various jazz venues, and in general, wherever his formidable musical skill set was demanded.

 The 1960-1961 period saw Red cut LPs for Bob Koester’s fledgling Delmar (later Delmark) label (his first blues artist on the label), and the Storyville and Folkways imprints.  1961 also saw Red travel north to Chicago to play the heralded University Of Chicago Folk Festival.

Yet, just as the folk and blues revival got started in the early 1960s, the years began to catch up with Red, and he only sporadically performed through the rest of the decade.  Red remained in St. Louis for the rest of his life, succumbing to the ravages of cancer in early January, 1973.

Red’s unique blend of blues and boogie woogie, bawdy and enthusiastic delivery, and earnest musical joy should be enjoyed and appreciated by all blues fans.  Below are a number of collections that should highlight Red’s broad talents to the curious blues admirer.  All are highly recommended.

• Primitive Piano – The Sirens Records SR5005
• The Barrel-House Blues Of Speckled Red – Folkways Records FG 3555 (LP)
• The Dirty Dozens – Delmark Records DE-601
• Speckled Red – Complete Recorded Works 1929-1938 – In Chronological Order + Bonus Tracks -Document Records DOCD-5205