#656 (Week of 3/13/10 - 3/19/10)

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TRIBUTE TO JIMMY ROOTS JR.

"I Challenge Your Kiss"/ "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" by The Four Jacks on Allen 21000-A/B released in 1949

"Careless Love" by The Four Jacks on Allen 21001-A released in 1949

[Above photo provided by Brandon Roots.]

Above: Photo of Jimmy Roots Jr. Per his son (Brandon Roots): "James 'Jimmy' Roots sang as himself with Vance Joyner and a couple of other guys" as The Four Jacks on the Allen label. Joyner was a noted gospel singer who had been with Richmond's Harmonizing Four. Disco-File shows the other members to be Levi Hansley and Lonnie Smith, who were also with Richmond's Harmonizing Four.

For many years, James Roots was a beloved gospel and jazz pianist in Richmond, Virginia. He was pianist and musical Director for Sister Rosetta Tharpe, backing her and other gospel artists on Decca as the Jimmy Roots' Trio. Roots was also a musician for The Pilgrim Travelers.

Above: 1943 photo of the "other" three Four Jacks, (L-R) Lonnie Smith (tenor), Vance Joyner (baritone) and Levi Hansley (bass). WRNL call letters come from a newspaper, the Richmond News Letter.

Above: Allen/Four Jacks Clipping from May 1949.

[Above clipping provided by Marv Goldberg.]

Above: From The New York Age dated 12/16/50.

[Label at right and corresponding audio provided by Andrew Bohan.]

Above: Label images of Allen 21000 and Allen 21001 released in June and August 1949. The flip of "Careless Love" is an instrumental by the Allen Trio with strong piano (Jimmy Roots Jr.?). This same Four Jacks group also had one release on Gotham (1950) with artist as "Jimmy Roots And The Four Jacks."

Inscription on above label is "To my dear friends, Spencer and Margie Hazlewood.... Stephen Paul." Paul, co-composer of "I Challenge Your Kiss," is listed at BMI as "Stevens Paul."

Listen to this week's selections by The Four Jacks from 1949:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             1. I Challenge Your Kiss - Allen 21000-A           2. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Allen 21000-B           3. Careless Love - Allen 21001-A             ALL THREE played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. I Challenge Your Kiss - Allen 21000-A           2. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Allen 21000-B           3. Careless Love - Allen 21001-A      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. I Challenge Your Kiss - Allen 21000-A           2. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Allen 21000-B           3. Careless Love - Allen 21001-A

           [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]

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