Todd Rhodes & His Toddlers
made one dozen fine recordings in Detroit during the first half of 1950. Originally issued on two sides of a 78-rpm platter and now edited into one seamless performance, their stunning realization of
George Gershwin
's
"Rhapsody in Blue,"
arranged by one
Johnny Allen
, serves as a dramatic opener for this intriguing reissue of historical rarities. The catchy
"I'm Just a Fool in Love"
and the cruising boppish
"Comin' Home"
are exceptionally tight and rock-solid. Snappy vocalist
Kitty Stevenson
developed a reputation as a formidable entertainer and was known as "the
Blues
Bombshell." Even
Dinah Washington
is said to have been cowed by this vibrant woman's presence. Interestingly, her marvelous delivery on
"It Couldn't Be True"
and
"Make It Good"
bears more than passing resemblance to
Washington
's mature style. Sadly,
Stevenson
's health deteriorated and she would pass away in 1952, whereas
only outlived her by little more than a decade.
The Toddlers
rock the
"Belle Isle Boogie"
with precision and chill out wonderfully on
Rhodes
' dreamy opus
"Brenda."
The rocking
"Looky Ploot"
"Beulah"
have vocals by electric guitarist
Emmit Slay
. For eight sides recorded under the auspices of the
King
label in Cincinnati during the spring and summer of 1951,
brought in
Charles "Lefty" Edwards
to replace
Cranford Wright
on tenor sax, and turned vocalist
Connie Allen
loose on two sexually charged
jump
tunes with vocal interjections by members of the band. As a sort of discographical dessert,
Classics
amended two tracks from 1947 which were apparently unavailable to them when they brought out
5019,
'
1947-1949
volume in the
Chronological
series. ~ arwulf arwulf