The Big Three Trio

The Big Three Trio
General information
founding	1946
resolution	1952
Founding members
bass	Willie Dixon
piano	Leonard "Baby Doo" Caston
guitar	Bernardo Dennis
former members
guitar	Ollie Crawford (replaced Bernardo Dennis in 1947)

The Big Three Trio is an American trio that marked the beginning of Willie Dixon's career . It was around this time that Dixon's writing talent was developing, but there is little connection with later work at Chess. The critic Bill Dahl described their style as "polished, pop-oriented presentation", a far cry from the later classics of Chicago blues that Dixon wrote.

history

Guitarist Bernardo Dennis and pianist Leonard Caston formed the trio with Willie Dixon in 1946. They got their name after the wartime big three, Roosevelt , Stalin and Churchill . Caston had just been discharged from the army, where he worked in troop support during World War II and accompanied the singer Alberta Hunter . Dixon conscientiously refused to do military service and spent ten months in jail. Dixon has played with Caston on The Five Breezes and with Dennis on The Four Jumps of Jive. Caston, who met Dixon while boxing, convinced Dixon to pursue a music career and also built him his first bass. After a year, Bernardo Dennis was replaced on guitar by Ollie Crawford.

The three musicians shared the singing and developed a special three-part singing. Songwriting was also shared within the group. Their role models were found neither in the hard Chicago blues nor in the jump blues , but in the vocal groups of this time such as the Ink Spots or the Mills Brothers . And their stage show was in the tradition of professional entertainers. In 1946 they signed a contract with Bullet Records , where they only did one session, because in 1947 they got a record deal with Columbia Records . Towards the end of their existence they were passed on to the less respected sub-label OKeh . Two songs that the trio recorded on OKeh, Dixon dusted off and while he was producing on Cobra Records, he passed them on to the young Otis Rush . ( Violent Love ; My Love Will Never Die ). In 1948 they reached their only national hit on the R&B charts , You Sure Look Good to Me , and a host of other songs followed. They also made four recordings as a band with singer Rosetta Howard , all for Columbia Records.

After Caston left the group in 1952, this also meant its end. Willie Dixon finally signed on to Chess Records , where he had been under contract as an artist since 1951, and won his place in blues history as a writer, musician and producer.

Discography

Singles

Columbia 30000 series - Rhythm / Blues series:

• Signifying Monkey / If the Sea was Whiskey (Columbia 30019)
• Lonley Roamin '/ Money Tree Blues (Columbia 30055)
• Baby, I can't go without you / After Awhile (Columbia 30103)
• No more sweet potatoes / It can't be done (Columbia 30108)
• You sure look good to me / 88 Boogie (Columbia 30110)
• Big Three Boogie / Evening (Columbia 30125)
• Reno Blues / I'll be right some day (Columbia 30142)
• Since my Baby been gone / Just can't let her be (Columbia 30144)
• Hard Notch Boogie Beat / I feel like steppin out (Columbia 30156)
• Big Three Stomp / I ain't gonna be your Monkeyman no more (Columbia 30166)
• No one to love me / Get her off my Mind (Columbia 30174)
• Don´t let the Music die / Practicing the Art of Love (Columbia 30199)
• Good Bye Mr. Blues / Till the Day I die (Columbia 30142)
• Why do you like me like you do / There is something on my mind (Columbia 30228)
• Blip, blip / Appetite Blues (Columbia 30229)

Okeh Records

• Lonesome / Violent Love (Okeh 6807)
• It's All Over Now / Tell That Woman (Okeh 6842)
• Blue because of you / Got You on my Mind (Okeh 6863)
• You Don't Love Me No More / My Love Will Never Die (Okeh 6901)
• Come Here Baby / Be A Sweetheart (Okeh 6944)

Compilation albums

• 1990 The Willie Dixon: The Big Three Trio Columbia / Legacy
• 1999 I Feel Like Steppin 'Out Dr. Horse
• 1999 Signifying Monkey Dr. Horse
• 2008 Roots N Blues: The Big Three Trio SPV

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} AMG biography of Bill Dahl
2. ↑ polished, pop-oriented presentation
3. ^ Willie Dixon: I am the Blues, London, Quartet Books, 1995, p. 58
4. ↑ ^{a b} Rock Roots: The Big Three Trio
5. ^ Willie Dixon: I am the Blues, London, Quartet Books, 1995, p. 59
6. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated February 3, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
7. ↑ http://www.globaldogproductions.info/o/okeh-45s.html