In Session - The Mojo 1946-1954 CD

Sax Mallard
In Session - The Mojo 1946-1954 CD

The latest instalment of Rhythm and Blues musicians 'In Session' presents the great Chicago saxophonist Oett 'Sax' Mallard.
Of the hundreds of recordings he made, here are 26 of the finest dating from between 1946 and 1954.
As a session man he played with some of RCA Victor's top blues singers- and the set begins with him playing with Roosevelt Sykes and Tampa Red in 1946, then a year later with Washboard Sam.
A move to the Chess Brothers' Aristocrat label saw sessions under his own name including the instrumental The Mojo and Summit Ridge Drive.
The Aristocrat label became Chess Records in 1950 and another release by Mallard this time with Andrew Tibbs as vocalist.
Two tracks from United with Roosevelt Sykes Honey Drippers then a session with Mercury, first with Big Bill Broonzy and on his own with The Bunny Hop.
Another Mercury session produced two more instrumentals including 'Accent on Youth' where his overdubbed alto and tenor creating what has been described as 'an impossible sonic perspective'.
Back to Chess for two instrumentals, a couple with the popular Chicago club singer Mitzi Mars, and then with one of the many Chess doo wop groups The Coronets.
For the final track he joined Guitar Slim's New Orleans road band for a session that produced Later for You Baby and was released on the Los Angeles label Specialty.
These 26 tracks only scratch the surface of his Chicago recording career, but give an insight to what a great artist he was as a session man or in his own right.