Nolan Welsh

Next to there is nothing known about Chicago blues singer and pianist Nolan Welsh apart from what could be deduced from the data of a small number of recordings which keep his exclusive personal imprint. He certainly has a right to be appreciated as greater than a footnote to the first ventures of cornetist Louis Armstrong, with whom he documented “The Bridwell Blues” as well as the “St. Peter Blues” for Okeh on June 16, 1926, although these valued performances are really worth encountering as breathtaking types of youthful Armstrong the motivated, laid-back accompanist. Being a vocalist, Welsh portrayed himself within a tone of voice that carried greater than a little bit of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s pitch, punch, and strength. Just like the Armstrong program, Welsh’s less popular second Okeh documenting date, which occurred on November 18, 1926, was anchored with the piano of composer, bandleader, and skill scout Richard M. Jones. At this juncture, Armstrong was changed by violinist Clarence Dark, a indigenous of Cynthiana, KY who spent the majority of his lifestyle employed in Chicago’s movie theater and ballroom orchestras both as head and first seat fiddler. Similarly obscure but really worth looking out are three Paramount recordings created by the vocalist under his alternative identification of Barrelhouse Welsh. These rarities, comprising an unreleased check pressing from November 1928 and two released sides lower in January 1929, had been distributed around the general public by Record through the ’90s on Piano Blues, Vol. 3 (Record 5314). Whilst vocally pouring his core into tracks about females, larceny, and terminal disease, Welsh confirmed a convincing capability to therapeutic massage the ivories with an art much like that of Turner Parrish, Blind Leroy Garnett, or Charlie Spand. The nine paths described right here and reissued by Record may actually constitute Welsh’s whole recorded output.