Born in Terre Haute, from his early teenage years Benjamin Sherman Crothers (1910-1986) played drums with local groups. He began touring and by the end of his teens was heard regularly on radio and was also singing, his style earning the nickname by which was known thereafter.
His first own-name recording date came in 1944 (the first three tracks on CD1) and through this and appearances at well-known venues, including Hollywood’s Swing Club and Show Bar, he gained a following. This led to a brief spell with Slim Gaillard’s trio and a 1948 recording date for Capitol Records. This session was funded by journalist Charles Embree, who plays piano and composed the four songs (tracks 4 to 7), billing himself as Riff Charles. From this point onwards through these two CDs, Crothers is not heard on drums, concentrating on singing (with a few exceptions noted below).
Also on the Capitol date is trombonist Vic Dickenson who takes several solos. Other good instrumental soloists on CD1 include tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson on Have You Got The Gumption and Just Lookin’, guitarist Danny Barker on Do Something, tenor saxophonist Maxwell Davis on Exactly Like You, and alto saxophonist Marshal Royal on Beale Street.
On CD2, among the instrumental soloists are trumpeter Teddy Buckner, pianist Gerald Wiggins and guitarist Frank Pasley on Hot Rod Harry, Hot Rod Cowboy and Saturday Night Drag Race, tenor saxophonist Maxwell Davis on Easy Money and alto saxophonist Benny Carter on When Oh When. Most of the repertoire heard here consists of little-known songs, although three of the four songs sung on a 1953 session are very well known. These are Walkin’ My Baby Back Home, Honeysuckle Rose and On The Sunny Side Of The Street. Through his approach to these songs, Crothers pushes aside Johnny Ray’s version of the first song and even succeeds in avoiding any hint of Fats Waller on the other two.
Throughout, Crothers’ rough-hewn singing is engaging and appropriate. On three tracks he does not sing but speaks a few words: on CD1, Chattanoogie Shoe-Shine Boy (vocal by Phil Harris) and Beale Street (vocal by Calvin Boze); on CD2, It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie (vocal by Jimmy Wilson). Crothers’ version of The Death Of Emmett Till, on which he plays guitar, remains strong and moving all these years after the event.
From the early 1950s, Crothers acted in numerous television shows including Chico And The Man and in films, among them One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and The Shining (1980). This release comes with good and comprehensive liner notes by Billy Vera.
Discography
CD1: (1) Fine; Shoo Shoo Baby; One O’Clock Jump; Riff’s Blues; The Thing; Mabel The Lush; Dead Man’s Blues; Have You Got The Gumption (To Make The Assumption); Just Lookin’; Blue-Eyed Sally; I’m The Only Man (The Biscuit Song); Do Something; I’d Rather Be A Hummingbird; Chattanoogie Shoe-Shine Boy; Wondering; Exactly Like You; It’s You; Keep It Hot; Unemployment Blues; Shuffleboard Blues; I’d Rather Be A Rooster (With A Flock Of Chicks); Television Blues; Beale Street On A Saturday Night; King Berman’s Stomp; A-Gruntin’ And A-Groanin’ (The Wrestler’s Song); Free Samples; Just Like Two Drops Of Water (73.53)
CD2: (2) Elaine; Man, Have I Got Troubles; It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie; Hot Rod Harry (The Coolest Cat In Town); Hot Rod Cowboy; Saturday Night Drag Race Part 1 and Part 2; Paps (I Don’t Treat That Little Girl Mean); I Like Your Mother Better; Easy Money; Easy Money (alt.); Waiting For My Baby; Beale Street On Saturday Night; Walkin’ My Baby Back Home; Honeysuckle Rose; On The Sunny Side Of The Street; A Smile Will Go A Long Way; Keep That Coffee Hot; Dearest One; Pork ‘N’ Beans; When Oh When; Do You Love Me?; Sweet Lips (Jazz Lips); Waitin’ For My Baby (Savoy Blues); The Death Of Emmett Till Part 1 and Part 2 (70.40)
(1) Crothers (v, d on Fine) with Red Nichols (t); Vic Dickenson (tb); Marshal Royal (as); Lucky Thompson, Maxwell Davis (ts); Chico Hamilton (d) and others. Los Angeles, March 1944-April 1951.
(2) Crothers (v) with Teddy Buckner (t); Joe Darensbourg, Matty Matlock (cl); Benny Carter (as); Gerald Wiggins (p); Alvino Rey (g); Nick Fatool (d) and others. Los Angeles, 1951-1956.
Fresh Sound Records FSRCD 1110
