Walkin' The Blues: The Champion Jack Dupree Story

 Champion Jack Dupree earned his nickname in the boxing ring but fortunately for blues fans he hung up his gloves in 1940 to pound the ivories instead. For 50 years Dupree played the blues injecting his music with a strong dose of down-home humor and some formidable boogie-woogie piano playing.

 Born on July, 4 1910 in New Orleans, Dupree was orphaned as a baby claiming his parents died in a fire set by the Ku Klux Klan. Dupree wound up at New Orleans' Colored Waifs' Home for Boys, the same orphanage Louis Armstrong also spent his early years. By the time he was in his teens, he was hustling money on New Orleans street corners and picking up piano pointers from barrelhouse ace Willie "Drive 'Em Down" Hall.

 Around 1930 Dupree left New Orleans and eventually wound up in Chicago, where he played house parties and small clubs. He left for Detroit after a year spent selling bootleg whiskey and playing piano at the Continental Cafe. Music become a part-time job while he sought a career as a professional boxer, based out of Indianapolis. Dupree fought more than a hundred bouts.

 In 1942 Dupree was drafted into the Navy (he was a Japanese POW for two years). After returning to the States he moved to New York and became a prolific recording artist, cutting sides for Continental, Joe Davis, Alert, Abbey, Empire, Apollo, Gotham, Apex and Red Robin. Contracts meant little to Dupree who recorded under variety of aliases such as Brother Blues, Lightnin' Jr. and even Meat Head Johnson.

 In 1953 Dupree hooked up with King Records staying with the label until 1955. He cut some great records for the label including "Walking the Blues" (his only R&B chart hit) making it to number 6 on the R&B charts, "Mail Order Woman," "Let the Doorbell Ring," and "Big Leg Emma's" among others.

 Dupree jumped to RCA's Groove and Vik subsidiaries cutting more great material between 1956-1957. In 1958 he cut the masterful Blues From The Gutter album for Atlantic a stunning New Orleans barrelhouse outing loaded with down-in-the-alley songs like "Can't Kick The Habit," "T.B. Blues," and a remake of "Junker's Blues."

 In 1959 Dupree left the country moving first to Paris, then to Zurich, Switzerland. He continued to record prolifically for Storyville, British Decca (with John Mayall and Eric Clapton helping out on a 1966 date), and many others. He built a loyal following in Europe that enabled him to live in relative comfort.

 Dupree returned to the U.S. in 1990 (his first visit in 36 years) to play the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. That same year he recorded Back Home in New Orleans for Bullseye Blues. Two more albums followed for the company prior to the pianist's death in January of 1992.

Essential Listening

New Orleans Barrelehouse Boogie (Columbia): Collects his earliest sides from 1940-1941 for Okeh. Dupree rocks the boogie on tracks like "Cabbage Greens", "Dupree Shake Dance," and also includes his famous "Junker Blues."

The Joe Davis Sessions (Flyright): Killer sides Dupree cut for Joe Davis between 1945-1946. Includes gems like "Rum Cola Blues", "Black Wolf" and the moving F.D.R Blues."

Champion Jack Dupree 1945-1953 (Krazy Kat): 22 prime post-war sides. Great sides like "Stumbling Block", "Highway Blues" and even some early rock & roll on "Shake Baby Shake" and "Shim Sham Shimmy."

Blues For Everbody (Charly): 20 sides form Dupree's stint at King Records (1951-1956). Featuring tough guitar by either Larry Dale or Micky Baker, Dupree lays down stellar R&B on "Let the Doorbell Ring", "Mail Order Woman" and "The Blues Got Me Rockin''" among others.

Blues From The Gutter (Atlantic): Dupree's all time classic album cut for Atlantic in 1958. A low down outing featuring "Can't Kick The Habit," "T.B. Blues," and an updated take on "Junker's Blues."

Shake Baby Shake (Detour): This one hasn't been reissued on CD as far as I know but the LP is well worth tracking down. Collects all 17 sides he laid down for the Groove and Vik labels between 1956-1957. Firmly in an R&B/Rock and Roll mode with great tracks like "Just Like A Woman", "Shake Baby Shake" and "When I Got Married" among others.