TAMPA and ST. PETERSBURG in FLORIDA were the focal point from the late 1940s through the early 60s for what is nowadays a neglected and obscure centre of black R&B music, much of it focused around the saxophonist and bandleader Charles Brantley. Brantley, along with his front man vocalist Clarence Jolly, was recorded in the early 1950s by New York record label owner Bob Shad for his SITTIN IN WITH & JAX labels. Also included are cuts by such acts as Gene Franklin and his Rockin' Spacemen and harmonica virtuoso Eugene 'Texas' Ray, along with the flamboyant Guitar Shorty, although these artists had to migrate to New York City, or in the case of Shorty, Chicago, to make their recording debuts.........
1. I NEED YOU BABY - CLARENCE JOLLY 2. YOU'D BETTER CHANGE YOUR WAYS - CLARENCE JOLLY 3. MEAN MEAN MOMMA - CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS ORIGINAL HONEYDIPPERS 4. BEGGIN' BLUES - CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS BAND 5. EVERY MAN'S BLUES - CLARENCE JOLLY WITH CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS BAND 6. BABY TAKE A LOOK AT ME - CLARENCE JOLLY WITH CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS BAND 7. BLUES IN THE MORNING - MANZIE HARRIS & HIS BAND 8. CRYIN' AND SIGHIN'-1 - MANZIE HARRIS & HIS BAND 9. EACH NIGHT ABOUT THIS TIME - CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS BAND 10. BOOGIE ME BABY - CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS BAND 11. IRMA LEE - GUITAR SHORTY 12. YOU DON'T TREAT ME RIGHT - GUITAR SHORTY 13. I FEEL SO LONESOME - CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS BAND 14. DON'T LEAVE ME - CLARENCE JOLLY 15. CHANGING LOVE - CLARENCE JOLLY 16. WHAT'S COME OVER YOU - TEXAS RAY 17. MARY ANN - TEXAS RAY 18. ROCK-A-BABY ROCK - THE SKYLINERS 19. HACKENSACK PART 1 - GENE FRANKLIN & THE HOUSE ROCKIN' SPACEMEN 20. HACKENSACK PART 2 - GENE FRANKLIN & THE HOUSE ROCKIN' SPACEMEN 21. ITCHIN' AND TWISTIN' - GENE FRANKLIN & THE SPACEMEN 22. ROCKIN' THE FISH - GENE FRANKLIN & THE SPACEMEN 23. CHECKER SHIRT - CHARLIE BRANTLEY AND HIS ORCH. 24. LET YOUR GOOD TIMES GO-1 - CHARLIE BRANTLEY AND HIS ORCH. 25. YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME - CHARLES BRANTLEY & HIS ORIGINAL HONEYDIPPERS
