Another Boogie Woogie Girl : Mabel Scott©2006JCMarion
Mabel Scott was born in
Richmond, Virginia, in April of 1915. In 1921 she moved with her family
to New York City where she began to sing in church and was soon part of
a church choir at the Metropolitan Baptist Church called The Song
Cycles. She turned to secular music at the age of sixteen and soon
found work as a vocalist with Cab Calloway’s orchestra and appeared at
the famed Cotton Club in Harlem with the band and the dancing Nicholas
Brothers. By the time she was twenty one, she had moved to Cleveland,
Ohio and was a vocalist with Bob Mosely with whom she traveled to
England and made her first recordings for the British Parlophone label.
Because of the onset of World
War II, Scott returned to the United States and moved once again, this
time to Los Angeles and became a performer in many of the clubs along
Central Avenue during the nineteen forties. Mosely returned to the band
of Jack McVea. She appeared with Jimmie Lunceford’s band, with Wynonie
“Mr. Blues” Harris, and Lorenzo Flennoy. Scott also appeared quite
frequently at the Club Alabam with Johnny Otis. In 1946 she made her
first American recording for the Hub label, and then on to Leon Rene’s
Excelsior Records label. It was then that Mabel achieved her first
success with “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” and “That Ain’t The Way To
Love”. Another good seller was “Right Around The Corner” and “Elevator
Boogie” on Exclusive # 1326. In 1949 Scott married her pianist,
accomplished R & B stylist Charles Brown, which would last only
until 1952.
In early January of 1950 Exclusive Records ceases operations and left
in the lurch are masters recorded by Mabel Scott. By late March King
Records announces the signinbg of Scott to their label and the first
recordings are set to be released. Late that month Mabel stars at
Birdland in New York. In April Scott signs on to a touring unit headed
by Bull Moose Jackson and also featuring Dusty Fletcher that will tour
the South and Midwest for six weeks. In late May after the tour Scott
will appear at Café Society Downtown in New York with Teddy
Wilson, Timmy Rogers, and J.C. Heard for an extended engagement. In
early June King Records releases “Baseball Boogie” and “I Found My
Baby” on # 4368. In mid August “Fine Fine Baby” and Have You Ever
Watched Love Die” is issued by King Records on # 4386. In September
Scott opens with Timmie Rogers and Gene Ammons in the Loop in Chicago.
In October it is announced that Swing Time Records has purchased
masters recorded by Mabel Scott for Exclusive Records and the label
plans to re-issue “Santa Claus Boogie” / “That Ain’t The Way To Love”
on #239 in time for the holiday season. In November “Willow Weep For
Me” and “Disgusted” are released by King Records on # 4410.
In early 1951 it is apparent
that Mabel Scott has not seen much success with King Records and so in
late April she is let go by the Cincinnati label but is quickly signed
to the Coral Records label, a subsidiary of Decca. In June Scott
appears at the Royal Theater in Baltimore and then on to the Riviera
Nightclub in St. Louis for an eight day stand. In July Mabel’s first
recording for Coral Records is out – the interestingly titled song
“Catch ‘Em Young, Treat ‘Em Rough, Tell ‘Em Nothing” and “No More
Crying Blues” on # 65057. In September Coral issues “Boogie Woogie Choo
Choo Train” and “Somebody Goofed” on # 65063. In October Swing Time is
again pushing their re-issue of Mabel Scott’s “Boogie Woogie Santa
Claus” from 1948. In November Scott returns to Chicago’s Regal Theater
with Wynonie Harris and Gene “Jug” Ammons for great business for a week
on stage.
In early 1952 Scott appears at the Lincoln Theater in Los Angeles with
Pee Wee Crayton. She also makes a return appearance after many years to
the Club Alabam in Watts. At this time she calls it quits with Charles
Brown as husband and wife. In late April the latest record for Coral is
released. The songs are “Yes!” and “Shut Eye” on # 60703. In September
Scott hits the road again, this time with Tiny Bradshaw, for a series
of one nighters in the Midwest. For the third year in a row Swing Time
re-issues “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus”. In February of 1953, Decca moves
Mabel Scott to their recently reactivated Brunswick label in a move
putting their R & B musical talent to that label and concentrate on
the pop field for the Coral label. In May Scott appears for a week at
Chicago’s Club DeLisa. In early July Scott signs on for a ten week stay
in Atlantic City at the Harlem Club. During the summer she leaves Decca
and signs with Chicago independent label Parrot Records headed by Al
Benson. “Mister Fine” released by Parrot gets decent sales and airplay
in Chicago. The flip is “ Mabel Blues” and is on Parrot # 780 recorded
with King Kolax. In October Scott is teamed with vocalist Arthur
Prysock at the Regal Theater.
In January of 1954 Parrot
Records releases “Fool Burro” and “Do The Thing”, again with the King
Kolax combo on # 794. That month Mabel does a show with sax honker Joe
Houston at Los Angeles Elks Club. Mabel Scott’s “Boogie Woogie Santa
Claus” originally recorded in 1948 lives on. The master was sold by
Swing Time which had issued it every year since its acquisition in
early 1950 has sold it to Hollywood Records and it will be released
once more on # 1023. In April of 1955 Dootsie Williams announces the
signing of Mabel Scott to his Dootone Records label, however no
recordings were ever issued. Scott went on an extensive tour of
Australia that year and recorded a few sides for Festival with the
orchestra of Les Welch which accompanied her on the tour. Those were
the last recordings Mabel Scott would ever make. Late in the year
Hollywood Records announces that they are pairing Mabel Scott’s “Boogie
Woogie Santa Claus” with Jimmy Witherspoon’s “How I Hate To See
Christmas Come Around” on # 1023.
Mabel Scott became disillusioned with the music scene and the various
business aspects, and was also troubled by another failed marriage.
These factors led her to quit music and return to her gospel roots and
the church – and there she remained for the next forty five years of
her life. She passed away in relative obscurity in July of the year
2000.
Once again Europe comes to the
rescue in keeping the music alive for so many of these forgotten
performers. The French Jazz Classics label has two cds that chronicle
the life and music of Mabel Scott. “The Chronological Mabel Scott :
1938 – 1950” and the second volume “The Chronological Mabel Scott :
1951 – 1955” has all of her recordings from the Parlophone side of 1938
to the final Australian tour tunes. Some of her tunes appear on many
different compilation cds, but the complete story is on the two
Classics volumes. Mabel Scott – perhaps the last of the “Boogie Woogie
Girls”.