Pianist Joe and his guitarist brother Jimmy were both key players in the thriving post-war Los Angeles rhythm music scene. In the late 40's Joe recorded for Exclusive and while some of those records still tap my toes and rock my sock, some aren't really my cuppa. The Honeydrippers were first and foremost a performing band providing music for couples to dance to, so it stands to reason that their music would be both uptempo and swaying.
In 1950 Joe began recording for Specialty where Jimmy already had 7 or 8 releases and their combined Specialty sides remain a rhythm treasure trove. While Joe's 1940's recordings seem more suited to nightclubs and ballrooms, Jimmy's stuff had more of a juke joint feel to it. Whenever there's a discussion about the earliest of rock and roll records, Jimmy's Cadillac Boogie is often mentioned. His performance style and stage presence was influential on several of the early big rock and roll stars.
Note: the label shots of the Bronze release of The Honeydripper are obviously fake. I used a Cecil Gant release on Bronze as a guide to create them - for no particular reason.
The 1949 Joe Liggins song Ham-Bone Boogie is missing. I've been keeping an eye out for the 78 for at least 20 years, but it doesn't matter because if one ever does become available it will fetch a lot more money than I'm willing to pay.
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