St. Louis Jimmy Oden

Few blues tracks have stood the test of Dad Period as enduringly as “Goin’ Straight down Gradual.” Its composer, St. Louis Jimmy Oden, endured rather impressively himself — he documented through the early ’30s and was still at it a lot more than three years later. If not really for the fortuitous proceed to St. Louis circa 1917, Oden may have been referred to as “Nashville Jimmy”. He dropped along with pianist Roosevelt Sykes over the 1920s Gateway Town blues circuit (both remained regular musical partners through the entire ensuing years). Oden appreciated a reasonably prolific recording profession through the ’30s and ’40s, showing up on Champ, Bluebird (where he strike with “Goin’ Down Gradual” in 1941), Columbia, Bullet in 1947, Magic, Aristocrat (there he trim “Florida Hurricane” in 1948 followed by pianist Sunnyland Slim and a guitarist called Muddy Waters), Mercury, Savoy, and Apollo. Dispersed singles for Duke (with Sykes on piano) and Bird (a 1955 remake of “Goin’ Down Gradual”) established the stage for Oden’s 1960 record debut for Prestige’s Bluesville subsidiary (normally, it included just one more reprise of “Goin’ Down Gradual”). Oden was supported by guitarist Jimmie Lee Robinson and a swinging NY tempo section. As very much a composer being a performer, Oden composed “Soon Ignored” and “Consider the Bitter using the Special” for Muddy Waters.