Memphis Slim
John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other artists. He made over 500 recordings. He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1989. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 3, 1915 (Memphis), Died February 24, 1988 (Paris)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1942
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, vocalist, composer
Notes: Dixon Godrich Rye states that he was born John L. Chatman, but changed the “L.” to “Len” to conform to the requirements of a school he attended. Columbia files list him with “Len” as middle name. He often published his compositions under the name of his father, Peter Chatman, and used the name as a pseudonym in some early recordings.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-053590 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | Beer drinking woman | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and cano | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-053591 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | You didn't mean me no good | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and cano | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-053592 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | Grinder man blues | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and cano | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-053593 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | Empty room blues | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and cano | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-053594 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | Shelby County blues | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and cano | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-053595 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | I see my great mistake | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and cano | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-059129 | 10-in. | 1/16/1941 | Just to prove I love you | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-059187 | 10-in. | 1/31/1941 | She's all in my life | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-059497 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Old Taylor | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano, bass cano, and extra male vocal | composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-059498 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | I believe I'll settle down | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-059499 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Jasper's gal | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-064000 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | You got to help me some | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-064001 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Two of a kind | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-064002 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Whiskey store blues | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-064003 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Maybe I'll lend you a dime | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-064004 | 10-in. | 4/1/1941 | Me, myself and I | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and bass cano | composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-064477 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Life is just a book | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-064478 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | I'm not the lad | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-064479 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | My feet jumped salty | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-064480 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Flying crow blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-064481 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Levee camp blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-064482 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | I'm feeling low down | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-064483 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | Brown and yellow woman blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-064484 | 10-in. | 6/26/1941 | She belongs to the devil | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070375 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | Let me play your vender | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070376 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | Broadcast blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070377 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | Gonna hit the highway | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070378 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | I've been treated wrong | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070379 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | Evil blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070380 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | Get down brother | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070381 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | Lovers' Lane blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070382 | 10-in. | 11/4/1941 | You stole my love | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070434 | 10-in. | 12/4/1941 | Whiskey and gin blues | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and imitation string bass | instrumentalist, piano, composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-070435 | 10-in. | 12/4/1941 | You gonna worry too? | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and imitation string bass | instrumentalist, piano, composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-070436 | 10-in. | 12/4/1941 | This life I'm living | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and imitation string bass | instrumentalist, piano, composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-070437 | 10-in. | 12/4/1941 | Caught the old coon at last | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and imitation string bass | instrumentalist, piano, composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-070438 | 10-in. | 12/4/1941 | Don't think that you're smart | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and imitation string bass | instrumentalist, piano, composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-070439 | 10-in. | 12/4/1941 | Lend me your love | Memphis Slim | Male vocal solo, with piano and imitation string bass | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-070458 | 10-in. | 12/8/1941 | Don't you know me | Kansas Katie | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070459 | 10-in. | 12/8/1941 | I can't let you go | Kansas Katie | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070460 | 10-in. | 12/8/1941 | Deep sea diver | Kansas Katie | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-070461 | 10-in. | 12/8/1941 | He's my man | Kansas Katie | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-074682 | 10-in. | 7/31/1942 | Don't have to sing the blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-074683 | 10-in. | 7/31/1942 | Red River Dam blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-074684 | 10-in. | 7/31/1942 | Down South woman blues | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-074685 | 10-in. | 7/31/1942 | Ain't that a shame | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-074686 | 10-in. | 7/31/1942 | I laid my cards on the table | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BS-074687 | 10-in. | 7/31/1942 | I get the blues at bedtime | Washboard Band (Washboard Sam) | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Memphis Slim," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103579.
Memphis Slim. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103579.
"Memphis Slim." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Memphis Slim
Discogs: Memphis Slim
Allmusic: Memphis Slim
Apple Music: Memphis Slim
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Memphis Slim - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82047870
Wikidata: Memphis Slim - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1068404
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/287082717
MusicBrainz: Memphis Slim - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e4cfb284-9ab1-47f0-a725-082f84275a16
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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