Proving that blues and R&B weren’t all gloom and doom, this collection delves into the great mass of lighter-hearted material that connected R&B singers with vaudeville, comedy and the successful work of acts such as Louis Jordan.
There’s a mixture of cautionary tales, double entendres and what almost amounts to stand-up comedy wrapped, to a greater or lesser degree, in standard R&B forms. Dusty Fletcher relates the comic tale Open The Door Richard, while Babs Gonzales tells how it really could be with House Rent Party. Shorty Muggins (aka Sammy Davis Jr) is suitably rude on Gotta Great Big Shovel, benefiting from a great piano player, while the nagging Thelma Baxter gets her just desserts on Henry (Yes, My Love). A fun collection with some good R&B sounds along the way.
