Tommy Bankhead & The Blues Eldorados - Please Mr. Foreman (1999/2001)

×

Tommy Bankhead & The Blues Eldorados - Please Mr. Foreman (1999/2001)

Close

Please Mr. Foreman
Originally recorded in 1985. Tommy has four original compositions of this giant blues packed CD that covers the gammet: electric blues, Delta, R&B and Rock. The Blues Eldorados were Tommy Bankhead on guitar and vocals. L.A. Ben Wells (L.A. stands for Lola Alabama) on drums. Lonnie Brown on Bass (check out track #5 "Making Love is Good for you" - he cut loose on this dance tune). Keith Doder played harmonica and "Papa" Ray on horn for the second song "There is Something on Your Mind".
Song #6 "Cummins Prison Farm" is a traditional Delta song featuring Bankhead singing accompanied only with the moaning cry of Doder's harmonica. I really liked this song, it sent chills down my back.Song #9 "How Many More Years" is an unbelievable version of Howlin' Wolfs song. Bankhead is great on vocal and guitar and Oliver Sain played piano.At times Tommy's vocals are filled with plenty of raw blues. The guitar work is primarily a lot of short, subtle riffs, if anything, I would have liked more. "Nothing Like a Good Woman" is a slow burning tune. On "Down With the Blues" the tempo rises several notches.Tommy Bankhead's health began to fail in the early '90's and unfortunately he passed away December 16, 2000, he was 69. Bankhead has two other recordings available on CD, Message To St. Louis and Please Accept My Love.–by STI.Blues.net

1. Please Mr. Foreman 4:18
2. There Is Something On Your Mind 4:20
3. Nothing Like A Good Woman 2:54
4. Ooh! Baby! 4:28
5. Making Love Is Good For You 3:11
6. Cummins Prison Farm 4:55
7. Down With The Blues 2:34
8. Don't Take My Picture Off Your Wall 4:48
9. How Many More Years 6:30

×

Tommy Bankhead & The Blues Eldorados - Please Mr. Foreman (1999/2001)

Close

BIO: Before he was old enough to legally take a drink, Tommy Bankhead was playing the blues with a long list of legendary musicians that included Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Joe Willie Wilkins, Robert Nighthawk, and Joe Hill Louis. He started in his teens and for half a century remained a high-caliber bluesman. A Mississippi native, he settled in St. Louis at the end of the '40s. Bankhead made a name for himself with his guitar, but he also possessed refined skill on the bass, drums, and harmonica. His few recordings include Please Mr. Foreman with the Blues Eldoradoes in 1983, and Message to St. Louis with the Cryin' Shames, which was released in 2000 by Fedora Records. In addition, Bankhead and his guitar were featured on the classic Howlin' Wolf song "Moanin' at Midnight." Just 1,000 copies were made of the album Bankhead recorded with the Blues Eldoradoes, and many of them were bought by fans at live shows throughout the Midwest. Vintage Vinyl later made the recording available in CD format as a limited-edition.
Despite Bankhead's few recordings, he played with the best in the city, including Little Milton, Oliver Sain, Ike Turner, Henry Townsend, and Albert King. When he wasn't playing or performing, Bankhead held jobs at times as a deputy sheriff and a security guard. During the '50s, Bankhead formed his own group, the Landrockers. They played in St. Louis roadhouses and bars and sometimes headed into Illinois. When the city was still segregated, he played at such clubs as the Morocco Lounge and the Hotel Harlem. During the '90s, his health started to decline and he passed away in 2000 from respiratory failure.– by Linda Seida