BILL CROSBY

:roll:

Bill Crosby and his Band
Bill Crosby (voc); Johnny Morton (tp); Oett "Sax" Mallard (as -1; cl -2; arr); Eddie "Sugarman" Penigar (ts, voc); Bill "Doc" Owens (p); Roscoe "Bali" Beach (b); Armand "Jump" Jackson (d).
Chicago, July 29, 1946
CCO 4585
Zooter-Eeny

unissued
CCO 4586-1
Those Dog-Gone Blues (Crosby)* [SP voc] -1

Columbia 37327, "Columbia 30017," RST 91577 [CD]
CCO 4587
Eat, Drink and Be Merry (Crosby)* [BC, ens voc] -1

Columbia 37282, "Columbia 30014," RST 91577 [CD]
CCO 4588-1A
Hip Chick Blues (Crosby)* [BC voc] -1, 2

Columbia 37327, "Columbia 30017," RST 91577 [CD]
CCO 4589
Sneaking Woman Blues (Crosby)* [BC, ? voc] -2

Columbia 37282, "Columbia 30014," RST 91577 [CD]
CCO 4590
She Done Quit Me

unissued
William J. "Bill" Crosby was a Sam Theard-like vocalist whose career remains obscure. On April 19, 1945, Musicians Union Local 208 accepted and filed his contract for 4 weeks at the Bar o' Music. On October 18, 1945, he posted a contract for 4 weeks at The Whip. This is all we know about his activity in the clubs, but in his capcacity as a vocalist, Crosby would not have been identified as the leader for contracting purposes. Because the Bar o' Music regularly booked solo pianists, we may infer that he was playing piano at the time he signed these contracts. Crosby made two sessions for Columbia in Chicago in 1945 and 1946. The first was done with skeletal accompaniment: a George Zack styled barroom jazz pianist, probably Cosby himself, and rather clatttery drums. "Have You Seen My Gal," from Crosby's first session, was subsequently taken up by Roosevelt Sykes for his February 18, 1946 session—see immediately above.
On Crosby's second session, Sax Mallard, Johnny Morton, and Bill Owens—plus, of course, Jackson himself—were all members of Jump Jackson's band. Bali Beach (real first name Roscoe) and Sugarman Penigar (real name Eddie) were gigging around the South Side at the time. Penigar frequently appeared in the clubs as a pianist (he was good enough to be able to take solo gigs, and recorded once that we know of on piano, with the Memphis Seven for Columbia) but his studio calls were for his unusually rough, hollow tenor sax work. Penigar also got the lead vocal on "Those Dog-Gone Blues"; Columbia turned his nickname into "Sugar Lump."
Columbia 37282 and 37327 were released in March (Billboard, March 8, 1947, p. 104) and April 1947 (Billboard, April 19, p. 33), respectively. They received a joint review in Billboard on May 24 (p. 126). As was then the custom, they were given numbers in the company's "race" series (30014 and 30017) that did not appear on the records or in advertising. The four issued tracks from this session were reissued in 1994 on RST 91577, an Austrian CD compilation titled Chicago Jump Bands: Early R&B Vol. 1, 1945-1953.

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