Roosevelt Sykes
Next time someone voices the opinion that blues music is simply too depressing to embrace, expose them to a heady dose of Roosevelt Sykes. There was absolutely nothing downbeat about this effervescent pianist, whose lengthy career spanned the pre-war and postwar eras. Sykes' romping boogies and hilariously risqué lyrics on songs like "Dirty Mother for You," "Ice Cream Freezer," and "Peeping Tom" characterize his monumental contributions to the blues idiom. He was a pioneering piano pounder responsible for the seminal pieces "44 Blues," "Driving Wheel," and "Night Time Is the Right Time."
Sykes began playing while growing up in Helena. At age 15 he hit the road, developing his rowdy barrelhouse style around the blues-fertile St. Louis area. He began recording in 1929 for OKeh and was signed to four different labels the next year under four different names (he was variously billed as Dobby Bragg, Willie Kelly, and Easy Papa Johnson). Sykes signed to Decca Records in 1935, where his popularity blossomed. After relocating to Chicago, Sykes inked a pact with Bluebird in 1943 and recorded prolifically for the RCA subsidiary with his combo the Honeydrippers, scoring a pair of R&B hits in 1945 (covers of Cecil Gant's "I Wonder" and Joe Liggins' "The Honeydripper"). The following year, he scored one more national chart item for the Victor logo, the lowdown blues "Sunny Road." He also often toured and recorded with singer St. Louis Jimmy Oden, the originator of the classic "Going Down Slow."
In 1951, Sykes joined Chicago's United Records, cutting more fine sides over the next couple of years. A pair of Dave Bartholomew-produced 1955 dates for Imperial in New Orleans included a rollicking version of "Sweet Home Chicago" that presaged all the covers that would surface later on. A slew of albums for Bluesville, Folkways, Crown, and Delmark kept Sykes on the shelves during the '60s (a time when European tours began to take up quite a bit of the pianist's itinerary). He settled in New Orleans during the late '60s, where he remained a local treasure until his death. Precious few pianists could boast the thundering boogie prowess of Roosevelt Sykes.
© Bill Dahl /TiVo
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Open Stage
Blues - Released by open reeez regarde on Mar. 15, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Roosevelt Sykes Selected Favorites
Blues - Released by Charly Records on Mar. 21, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Roosevelt Sykes (Hd Remastered Edition)
Jazz - Released by Resurfaced Records on Jan. 31, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
"44" Blues (Hq Remastered 2023)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on Dec. 4, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Flapping Wings
Blues - Released by Wings in Hell on Dec. 25, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Guitar Town Music
Blues - Released by GTM restart rec. on Jun. 14, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Rooftop Storys
Blues - Released by golden times on Jul. 12, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
That's Why The Moon Was Smiling
Blues - Released by The Moon Was Smiling on May 29, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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In The Wild West
Blues - Released by Belle Wood on Aug. 15, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In That Golden Summer Time
Blues - Released by golden times on Jul. 20, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gaudy Colours
Blues - Released by cappo digital on Apr. 26, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Bouquet Of Hits
Blues - Released by cappo digital on Feb. 23, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Id Like To Hear That Song Again
Blues - Released by wonderful music on Oct. 31, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo