EASY BABY: If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another

Easy Baby

If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another

© 2002 Easy Baby

CD permanently out of stock. Sorry!

Classic Chicago Blues.

tracks

1 Lovey Dovey
2 Call Me Easy Baby
3 Let Me Explain
4 Baby, You Fine
5 Sittin' Here Worryin'
6 Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl
7 Beggin' Woman
8 Good Morning, Mr. Blues
9 Howlin' For My Darlin'
10 Scatterbrain
11 All Pretty Women
12 If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another

notes

Liner Notes to "If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another"

Easy Baby lives in an apartment building located deep in Chicago's South Side. "This is a Christian building," he explains.
"You can't just run in here with one of these prostitutes off the street -- they won't allow you past the door." As we enter the carpeted vestibule, Easy Baby proudly introduces me to the doorman: "This is my producer, we're gonna make a record!" he exclaims. The doorman doesn't miss a beat: "Hey! I can sing too! The thrill is gone... the thrill is gone awaaaay... a-ha ha ha! Make a record of me, too!"

Upstairs, in Easy Baby's tiny apartment, religious icons rest beside old, framed photos of the bluesman in smoky West Side bars. On one wall is a painting of five hunting dogs wearing plaid jackets, playing pool, and smoking English pipes. "Your light is your attitude," he explains, offering me a seat. "In church, when we sing This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, we're talking about your attitude. You take it with you everywhere you go. If your light wasn't shining, I wouldn't be bothered with you."

Beginnings

Alex "Easy Baby" Randle was born in 1934 in Memphis, Tennessee. For the first seven years of his life, he lived in Michigan City, Mississippi, with his grandmother and uncle, before moving back to Memphis to start school. Both his grandmother and uncle were harmonica players, so it was natural for Easy Baby to pick up the harmonica himself. In the early 1950's, when Easy Baby was still a teenager, he began playing professionally around Memphis while working a variety of odd jobs, including installing floors and shining shoes. Playing in the juke joints and gambling houses in Memphis, he befriended Howlin' Wolf, James Cotton, and Joe Hill Louis, among others. In 1956, Easy Baby moved to Chicago to make a change. Throughout the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's Easy Baby sang and played all over Chicago, while working as a mechanic. These days, Easy Baby only performs occasionally -- his most notable recent appearances were at the Chicago Blues Festival in both 1998 and 2000. For more information on Easy Baby's life, check out Living Blues #144, which contains a lively interview.

Blues Long Overdue

The CD you are holding is Easy Baby's first release since his 1979 debut, Sweet Home Chicago Blues, on Barrelhouse Records. That's pretty surprising given the strength of that LP, where Easy Baby delivered gutsy Chicago-style harp playing and solid, soulful vocalizing over some of the best Eddie Taylor guitar work ever recorded (not to mention a backbeat from drummer Kansas City Red that could knock an elephant on its ass).

Over twenty years later, and despite infrequent public appearances, Easy Baby has gotten even better, both as a harp player and as a vocalist. Perhaps due to the limited movement that his arthritis permits, Easy Baby has stripped down his harp playing, leaving only the essence. Particularly on the slower numbers, he delivers lush, melodic phrases with a mournful tone no young harp player can match. On four of the songs presented here, fans of chromatic harmonica will be pleased to hear Easy Baby explore that instrument with a depth and sensitivity unmatched since Little Walter's era.

As for his singing, Easy Baby has developed a very distinctive style. On the slow numbers, he unleashes a pronounced and somewhat eerie vibrato in his voice that barely exists in his earlier recordings. When its time to pick up the tempo we hear an enthusiastic "Yeah, Baby, You Fine!" as if he's leaning out the window of a '72 Cadillac, ogling a pair of legs. And when Johnny B. or Eddie Jr. is taking a solo, you can hear Easy Baby groan in approval... or perhaps Easy Baby is moaning in sympathy with the guitarist's expression of pain... you'll have to decide for yourself. Easy Baby completely reveals himself in this music. He is perfectly comfortable in The Blues.

Something Old, Something New,
Something Borrowed, Something Blue.

Because there are so few Easy Baby releases, I tried to present in this CD a cross-section of his material, a newly recorded retrospective, if you will. Easy Baby offers the first song he ever learned, Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl, in the same spirit as Beggin' Woman, a brand-new number. He also takes time to tip his hat to several of his influences, Howlin' Wolf (Howlin' for My Darling), and Sonny Boy Williamson II (Let Me Explain). And although Easy Baby is a bluesman to the core, the disc begins with Lovey Dovey, a pure Rock 'n' Roll number. In addition, Easy Baby wanted to add a spiritual song, so the set closes with If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another, borrowed from the Spirit of Memphis Quartet. Easy Baby is particularly proud of this number -- when the topic comes up, he is quick to point out that there aren't many spirituals recorded with chromatic harmonica!

It was a pleasure to work with the fine set of musicians you hear on this disc. Allan Batts, piano man extraordinaire, came to the sessions to play, and only to play. He barely spoke to anyone during the sessions, preferring to entertain the rest of us with jazzy riffs on the baby grand as we set up and tuned. As for guitarists, Easy Baby was particularly pleased to work with young Eddie Taylor Jr., whose father appeared on Easy's first LP. Wondering who makes that guitar cry beautifully, wailing behind Easy Baby, on Sittin' Here Worrying? That's Eddie. And Johnny B. Moore did what Johnny B. Moore always does: laid down some clean, lean, and mean guitar.

As for the rhythm section, the three drummers on this disc represent the very best Chicago has to offer, and show a diversity of talent. Tim Taylor, another son of Eddie Taylor, plays with a relentless, metronomic accuracy. The legendary Sam Lay needs no introduction, and it was an honor to work with him. His dynamic performance brings out the best in everyone he works with. Veteran session player Ashward Gates told me he seldom plays with brushes anymore, but I knew he would pull it off with finesse. Upright bassist Sho Komiya locked into a groove with Gates nicely. A good time was had by all.

Enjoy!

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • THE BLUES IS REAL AND EASY BABY WILL LET YOU KNOW
    author: ABERDEEN SLIM/ MILWAUKEE,WI

    WHAT A CD EVERY HARP PLAYER NEEDS TO HEAR THIS ONE. I REMEBER EASY BABY FROM YEARS AGO WHAT A MEMORY. REAL BLUES NEVER DIES

  • Easy Like Easy Baby
    author: Eric Theler

    This Easy Baby CD is a balanced, lively, masterful offering of traditional Chicago blues by one of its legends. It’s an unqualified joy from the fun, raucous opening song “Lovey Dovey” (which my fiancee insists we must play during one of our first wedding dances), to the sweet and easy blues shuffle of “Let Me Explain”, to the expertly delivered jazzy blues of “Scatterbrain.” And no blues singer I’ve ever heard can sing the word “worrying” (that most essential member of the blues lexicon) quite like Easy Baby. Check out “Sittin’ Here Worryin’” to hear Easy Baby draw every bit of texture and color from that word. And the musicians...well, they are some of the best in Chicago or anywhere else. You’ve got to get this CD!

  • A delight and a treasure!
    author: Melanie Mason

    Easy Baby’s album plays like his moniker – nice and easy. A fine, savvy band knows exactly how to accompany and highlight Easy Baby’s expressive vocals and harp playing. Producer (and bassist) Karl Meyer adds all the right touches. Standouts include the opening “Lovey Dovey” and the acoustic “Let Me Explain." A must-have for all blues aficionados.

  • A great cd from an underappreciated Chicago blues veteran.
    author: Rick Congress

    This CD is a very good sample of Easy Baby's music. I especially recommend the title track and his version of Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Good Morning Little School Girl.' Listening to this recording takes you back to the heroic days of the harmonica in Chicago blues. Easy Baby keeps that tradition alive. He also has a distinct, playful style. The back up band is impressive, especially the work of bassist Karl Meyer.

  • Easy Listening
    author: Brendan Halpin

    It's easy listening, but I mean that in an entirely complimentary and not at all elevator music way. This CD is easy the way really good whiskey is--it goes down smooth and it makes you feel good. Easy Baby can certainly play, and his singing is really a cut above most other blues singers, but what I love about this CD is the easy vibe the whole thing gives off. It's not late at night, sweaty in a smoky bar kind of thing---it's more of a summer afternoon on the porch kind of thing, and it works throughout. My personal favorites are the acoustic numbers: "Hey little schoolgirl" and "let me explain", though the title track is also a standout, and Easy Baby's spoken observations and reminiscences between tracks are fun too. Top shelf...

email

Please log in to email this artist.