Clarence Clemens
b. March 28th, 1896 or 1897 in Burns (Tennessee)
d. January 9th, 1957 in Chicago (Illinois)
COMPLETE RECORDED WORKS
RST
Document
Volume 1 (April 1935 - 1939)
Volume 2 (1939 - 1943)
CRIPPLE CLARENCE LOFTON & WALTER DAVIS
Yazoo
April 1935
CLARENCE'S BLUES
Oldie Blues
April 1935 - 1939
Selon les chercheurs Bob Eagle et Eric LeBlanc, il serait né Clarence Clemens à Burns (Tennessee) non loin de Nashville. Albert (ou Elbert) Clemens, né vers 1903, qui est aussi pianiste serait en fait son frère. Danseur puis pianiste de boogie-woogie, il grave ses premiers morceaux pour Vocalion avec Big Bill Broonzy à la guitare et un joueur de washboard inconnu : "Strut that thing" qui reste un de ses morceaux les plus célèbres ou "Monkey man blues". Pour Decca, Clarence grave "Crying mother blues", "Streamline train" et accompagne le chanteur "Red" Nelson (alias Dirty Red ou Nelson Wilborn). Lors d'une obscure séance de 1938 ou 1939, il propose de superbes blues comme "Traveling blues", "I don't know" (qui sera repris et popularisé plus tard par Willie Mabon), "Mistaken blues", "Pitchin' boogie". Dès 1939, Clarence se fixe chez Solo Art. Il y reprend ses "Streamline train", "I don't know" ainsi que le standard "Pinetop's boogie woogie" tout en gravant de nouveaux titres ("Sixes and sevens", "Clarence's blues"). Enfin, il enregistre aussi pour le label Session (dirigé par Eve & Phil Featheringill) quelques pistes étalées probablement entre 1943 et 1945. Clarence se retire au milieu des années 40 pour diriger un club à Chicago. Il décède dans les premiers jours de l'année 1957.
According to researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc, Clarence Clemens was born in Burns, Tennessee, not far from Nashville. Albert (or Elbert) Clemens, born around 1903, who is also a pianist, would in fact be his brother. Dancer and then boogie-woogie pianist, he recorded his first tracks for Vocalion with Big Bill Broonzy on guitar and an unknown washboard player : "Strut that thing" which remains one of his most famous tracks or "Monkey man blues". For Decca, Clarence cuts "Crying mother blues", "Streamline train" and accompanies singer "Red" Nelson (alias Dirty Red or Nelson Wilborn). In an obscure session of 1938 or 1939, he proposes superb blues like "Traveling blues", "I don't know" (which will be covered and popularized later by Willie Mabon), "Mistaken blues", "Pitchin' boogie". In 1939, Clarence joined Solo Art. He covers his "Streamline train", "I don't know" and the standard "Pinetop's boogie woogie" while engraving new tracks ("Sixes and sevens", "Clarence's blues"). Finally, he recorded for the Session label (directed by Eve & Phil Featheringill) some tracks spread probably between 1943 and 1945. Clarence retired in the mid-1940's to run a club in Chicago. He died in the early days of 1957.