Ella Mae Morse Barrelhouse, Boogie, And The Blues

Ella started her career in 1940 as chirpster for Jimmy Dorsey's Big Band Outfit but was instantly fired, whe the schooladministration stated, she was only 14 years old, not 19. The administration could have avoided some very great recordings, if Ella hadn't tried again in 1942, when she was 17 and was hired by bandleader and pianoace Freddie Slack. 'Cow Cow Boogie' with Slack charted for Capitol Records and started a string of hits, that ended in 1954 with '40 Cups Of Coffee'.

Big Band Swing was completely out for the bobbysoxxers, the 'Big Beat' was the real thing to come next. Capitol had a vision, took its good looking singer with the right voice for RnB and recorded a full album that was issued in 1954 with songs that are RnB-blueprints today, backed by the solid sending arrangements by Big Dave Cavanaugh. The record was issued as a full longplayer, 3 Eps and … an wonderful ten inch records. It was 'Barrelhouse, Boogie and the Blues' with its extraordinary artwork by painter Harold M. Kramer.

During the preparation for this reissue we noted, that nearly every issue of this motiv was completely different in original print quality, colors, hue, saturation and nearly every sleeve was damaged and stained. It was no restoration, it was forensic, as we wanted to do the work from the scrap, not using the illustration from the Bear Family Box.