Harmonica Slim

Travis Leonard Blaylock (December 21, 1934 – June 16, 1984), better known as Harmonica Slim, was an American blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter.[2][3] He had some commercial success in the 1950s; recordings of two songs he wrote, "Mary Helen" and "You Better Believe It" (both 1956), were modest hits. He released a total of six singles and toured alongside Percy Mayfield, Harmonica Fats, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton and Ray Charles. His debut album was released in 1969. By the late 1970s, he had stopped playing the blues.

Harmonica Slim
Birth nameTravis Leonard Blaylock
Born(1934-12-21)December 21, 1934
Texarkana, Texas, United States
DiedJune 16, 1984(1984-06-16) (aged 49)
Texarkana, Texas, United States
GenresTexas blues, country blues[1]
Occupation(s)Harmonicist, singer, songwriter
InstrumentsHarmonica, vocals
Years activeMid-1940s – late 1970s

He is not to be confused with (as he has been in some sources) two other similarly named artists, James Isaac Moore (better known as Slim Harpo)[4] and Richard Riley Riggins (1921–2003).[3][5]

Biography

Blaylock was born in Texarkana, Texas.[2] With encouragement from his neighbors, and by listening to records by Sonny Boy Williamson I, he became competent playing the harmonica by the age of twelve. He joined a gospel group, the Sunny South Gospel Singers, in the mid-1940s, and they performed on a local radio station, KCMC.[1][3] In 1949, Harmonica Slim moved to Los Angeles, California, where he started to perform with several local blues groups.[6] Through this work, gaining experience and local connections, he began playing in package shows including working part-time with the pianist Lloyd Glenn in Lowell Fulson's band.[3]

Harmonica Slim also worked as a session musician in the early to mid-1950s, playing in recording sessions for various record labels, including Aladdin, Spry, and Vita.[1] Eventually he formed his own band, which reunited him with Lloyd Glenn, and between 1954 and 1960 Harmonica Slim recorded six singles. His style combined Texas blues, country blues and R&B. "Mary Helen"[7] and "You Better Believe It" (both 1956) became modest local hits. The success of these records had two effects. First, Harmonica Slim was given the opportunity to join R&B tour packages that travelled across the United States in the 1950s, in which he performed in the company of Percy Mayfield, Harmonica Fats, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton and Ray Charles.[3][6] Second, another "Harmonica Slim" on the blues circuit changed his working name to Slim Harpo. Around this time, through Slim's working association with the more rotund Harvey Blackston, the latter changed his stage name to Harmonica Fats.[8]

In the 1960s, Harmonica Slim found that regular work as a musician was scarce, and he took a job in a factory. However, in 1969, T-Bone Walker introduced him to the record producer Bob Thiele, who used a company of jazz and R&B musicians, including the saxophonist Plas Johnson, to work with him on his debut album,[3] The Return of Harmonica Slim, released by Bluestime Records.[1] In a strange twist of fate, Thiele found Harmonica Slim's harmonica style too rural and primitive for his purpose. He replaced Slim's parts by the more jazz-flavoured stylings of George "Harmonica" Smith, whom Thiele had previously recorded several times.[3]

By 1971, after the death of his father, Harmonica Slim returned home to Texarkana to care for his ailing mother. He worked in a gas station. He also joined a local band, including the guitar player Nelson Carson, and recorded an album's worth of material in 1976, but these recordings have never been issued. After the death of his mother, Harmonica Slim stopped playing altogether. He returned to his religious roots and became a minister at his local Baptist church.[3]

Harmonica Slim died on June 16, 1984, in Texarkana, aged 49.[3]

Discography

All released tracks

Album
Year of release Album title Record label
1969 The Return of Harmonica Slim Bluestime Records

[15]

See also

References
  1. Koda, Cub (1934-12-21). "Harmonica Slim: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  2. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 300. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  3. McClure, Darin R. "Harmonica Slim "Complete Harmonica Slim" (Travis Blaylock)". Darinrmcclure.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  4. Komara, Edward, ed. (2005). The Blues Encyclopedia. p. 410. ISBN 978-0415926997.
  5. Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2003 January to June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  6. "Harmonica Slim Biography". Oldies.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  7. "Harmonica Slim, 'Mary Helen' / 'Lonely Hours'". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  8. Rainsford, Mick. "Harmonica Fats" (PDF). Bluesandrhythm.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  9. "Harmonica Slim And Orch.* - Thought I Didn't Love You / Going Back Home (Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  10. "Harmonica Slim - Mary Helen / Lonely Hours (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  11. "Harmonica Slim & Orchestra* - My Girl Won't Quit Me / You Better Believe It (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  12. "Harmonica Slim And Orchestra - Drop Anchor / Do What You Want To Do - Vita - USA - 45-V-146". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  13. "Blue eye: HARMONICA SLIM (Travis Blaylock), le bluesman de Texarkana". Jukegh.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  14. Gerard Herzhaft. "Blue Eye: Harmonica Slim: Two Missing Tracks". Jukegh.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  15. "Harmonica Slim - The Return Of Harmonica Slim (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. 2015-11-03. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  16. "HARMONICA SLIM "Complete Harmonica Slim" (Travis Blaylock) | Content Curated By Darin R. McClure & a few photos". Darinrmcclure.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.