Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers

Johnny Moore's Three Blazers was a popular American vocal group in the 1940s and 1950s. The original members were: Johnny Moore (John Dudley Moore, October 20, 1906, Austin, Texas – January 6, 1969, Los Angeles, California); Charles Brown (Tony Russell Brown, September 13, 1922, Texas City, Texas – January 21, 1999, Oakland, California); Eddie Williams (Edward Earl Williams, June 12, 1912, San Augustine, Texas – February 18, 1995, Los Angeles). Johnny Moore and his younger brother Oscar grew up in Texas and then Phoenix, Arizona, where they both started playing guitar and formed a string band. In the mid-1930s they relocated to Los Angeles, where Oscar Moore, who had been influenced by Charlie Christian and turned to jazz, joined the King Cole Trio. Johnny Moore remained devoted to rhythm and blues. His guitar style is considered to have been an influence on Chuck Berry. He joined and formed several groups, before forming the Three Blazers with two other Texans, the bassist Eddie Williams and the pianist and singer Charles Brown, who was newly arrived in the city. After the King Cole Trio moved from Atlas Records to Capitol in 1943, Oscar Moore suggested to Atlas boss Robert Scherman that he replace them with his brother's group. Scherman agreed and in 1945 they had their first hit, backing Ivory Joe Hunter on "Blues at Sunrise". In 1946, they had their greatest success with "Driftin' Blues", sung by Brown. Moore refused to sign an exclusive contract with any record company, so the group's early records appeared on various labels, particularly Philo (which later became Aladdin Records), Exclusive Records, and Modern Records. The group followed up the success of "Driftin' Blues" with several other big R&B hits, including "Sunny Road" (1946), "New Orleans Blues" (1947), and "Merry Christmas Baby" (1947, also a hit in 1948 and 1949). In 1947, the Three Blazers performed at the third Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on September 7, 1947. The Valdez Orchestra, The Blenders, T-Bone Walker, Slim Gaillard, The Honeydrippers, Johnny Otis and his Orchestra, Woody Herman, and Sarah Vaughan also performed that same day. In 1948, frustrated by his lack of recognition and financial reward, Brown left the group for a successful solo career. The remaining two Blazers continued with a succession of vocalists, notably Lee Barnes, Billy Valentine, Floyd Dixon, Mari Jones, Nelson Alexander and, in the mid-1950s, Frankie Ervin. After Nat King Cole broke up his original King Cole Trio, Oscar Moore played as a guest with brother Johnny's group. Johnny Moore and the Blazers continued to record for small labels until the early 1960s. Atlas releases 107 "Melancholy Madeline" (vocal by Frankie Laine) / "Fugue in C Major" (instrumental), 1945 110 "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me" (vocal by Charles Brown) / "Escapade" (instrumental), 1945 124 "Maureen" (vocal by Frankie Laine) / "Knightfall: Dedicated to Guy Knight" (instrumental), 1946 Philo releases 111 "Baby Don't You Cry" / "Blazer's Boogie" (instrumental), 1945 112 "Drifting Blues" / "Groovy", 1945 Aladdin releases 129 "You Are My First Love" / "Race Track Blues", 1946 130 "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" / "Rocks in My Bed", 1946 183 "Drifting Blues" (reissue) / "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" (reissue), 1947 184 "Baby Don't You Cry" (reissue) / "You Are My First Love" (reissue), 1947 Modern Music releases 131 "Travelin' Blues" (also known as "Drifting Blues, Part 2") / "It's the Talk of the Town", 1946 133 "What Do You Know About Love" / "Society Boogie" (B-side by Hadda Brooks), 1946 134 "Warsaw Concerto (Part 1)" (instrumental) / "Warsaw Concerto (Part 2)" (instrumental), 1946 135 "I'll Get Along Somehow" / "Morocco Blues" (B-side by Hadda Brooks), 1946 139 "How Deep Is the Ocean" / "You Showed Me the Way", 1946 142 "You Won't Let Me Go" / "Shuffle Boogie" (B-side by Will Rowland & His Orchestra), 1946 143 "You Left Me Forsaken" / "So Long", 1946 151 "Sail On Blues" / "Blue Because of You", 1947 152 "Make Believe Land" / "Nursery Rhyme Boogie" (B-side by Happy Johnson & His Jive Five), 1947 154 "If You Ever Should Leave" / "It Had to Be You", 1948 Exclusive releases 204 "Axis Doom Blues" (vocal by Johnnie McNeil) / "You Taught Me to Love", 1946 205 "You Taught Me to Love" / "Johnny's Boogie" (instrumental), 1946 205 "End o' War Blues" (vocal by Johnnie McNeil) / "Johnny's Boogie" (re-release), 1946 209 "Blues at Sunrise" (with Ivory Joe Hunter) / "You Taught Me to Love" (with Ivory Joe Hunter), 1946 214 "C.O.D." / "There Is No Greater Love", 1946 221 "It Ain't Gonna Be Like That" / "With My Heart in My Hand", 1946 224 "My Silent Love" / "Googie's Boogie" (instrumental), 1946 226 "I Want You, I Need You" / "Hard Tack" (instrumental), 1946 233 "Be Fair with Me" / "Sunny Road", 1946 234 "Bobby Sox Blues" / "(Was I to Blame For) Falling in Love with You", 1946 240 "New Orleans Blues" /" I Surrender Dear", 1947 243 "Better Watch What You Do" / "I Love to Make Love to You", 1947 246 "I Cried for You" / "Pasadena", 1947 249 "Moonrise" / "Juke Box Lil ", 1947 251 "Changeable Woman Blues" / "Why Is Love Like That", 1947 254 "Merry Christmas Baby" / "Lost in the Night", 1947 257 "Money's Getting Cheaper" / "It's Over", 1948 259 "Soothe Me" / "Scratch Sheet" (instrumental), 1948 261 "Teresa" / "Cold in Here", 1948 265 "Groovy Movie Blues" /" Free Lancin' Again", 1948 268 "I'm So Happy I Could Cry" / "Don't Get Salty, Sugar", 1948 272 "You Better Change Your Way of Lovin'" / "Friendless Blues", 1948 Modern releases 20-599 "More Than You Know" / "Variety Bounce" (B-side by Hadda Brooks), 1948 20-646 "Drifting Blues, Part 2" (reissue) / "Going Home Blues" (B-side by Hootie McShann Trio), 1949 20-689 "When Your Lover Has Gone" / "I'll Never Know Why" (B-side by Hadda Brooks), 1949 20-731 "I'll Get Along Somehow" (reissue) / "What Do You Know About Love" (reissue), 1950 20-768 "Nutmeg" (instrumental) / "What Do You Know About Love" (reissue), 1950 Exclusive releases 40X "Jilted Blues" / "Any Old Place with Me", 1948 47X "I'm Looking for Love" / "Huggin' Bug", 1948 53X "Walkin' in Circles" / "Lonesome Blues", 1948 56X "Blues at Sunrise" (with Ivory Joe Hunter) (reissue) / "You Taught Me to Love" (with Ivory Joe Hunter) (reissue), 1948 63X "Merry Christmas Baby" (reissue) / "Lost in the Night" (reissue), 1948 69X "Where Can I Find My Baby" / "Snuff Dippin' Mama", 1949 86X "Love Me Tonight" / "Peek-a-Boo", 1949 101X "Tomorrow" / "Tonight I'm Alone", 1949 107X "Groovy Movie Blues" (reissue) / "New Orleans Blues" (reissue), 1949 111X "B.&O. Blues" / "I Hate Myself", 1949 120X "I'll Miss You" / "So There", 1949 143X "If You Don't, Why Don't Ya" / "If I Had You", 1949 150X "Twenty-Four Hours a Day" / "I Certainly Would", 1949 RCA Victor releases How Blue Can You Get, 1949 22-0020 "Blues for What I've Never Had" / "How Could I Know", 1949 22-0025/50-0009 "A New Shade of Blues" / "This Is One Time, Baby (You Ain't Gonna Two-Time Me), 1949 22-0034/50-0018 "Bop-a-Bye Baby" / "What Does It Matter", 1949 22-0042/50-0026 "Walkin' Blues" / "You Can Go Feed Yourself", 1949 22-0047/50-0031 "Cut Off the Fat (Take Out the Bone)" / "Shuffle Shuck", 1949 22-0059/50-0043 "So Long" / "Driftin' Blues", 1949 22-0073/50-0073 "Misery Blues" / "Rock with It", 1950 22-0086/50-0086 "Rain-Chick" / "Melody", 1950 22-0095/50-0095 "Someday You'll Need Me" / "The Jumping Jack", 1950 Swing Time releases 238 "Merry Christmas Baby" (reissue) / "Lost in the Night" (reissue), 1950 253 "I'll Miss You" (reissue) / "New Orleans Blues" (reissue), 1951 259 "Sunny Road" (reissue) / "Be Fair with Me" (reissue), 1951 276 "Changeable Woman Blues" (reissue) / "Moonrise" (reissue), 1952 10-inch (78-rpm) two-disc album set 1947 Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers, recorded 1945 (Aladdin A-2), including the following 78-rpm discs: 183 "Drifting Blues" (side 1) / "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" (side 2) 184 "You Are My First