Search - Sil Austin :: Swingsation

Sil Austin's Swingsation

Tom | Marysville, WA | 10/16/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"During the 1950's Mercury Records followed the success of tenor saxophonist Sil Austin's hit single Slow Walk with two albums by him titled Everything's Shakin' and Slow Walk Rock. Both featured his hard blowing, honking, shrieking, reed-biting, bar-walking style of tenor playing. A rhythm section composed of organ, guitar, bass, drums and occasionally piano completed the band which was usually based in boogie-woogie and jump blues. This Swingsation CD collects six tracks from Everything's Shakin' and five from Slow Walk Rock, plus three singles. You can hear Austin at his all-stops-out best on Train Whistle and Bailin' Wire. Everything's Shakin', Dogwood Junction, Wildwood, Fallout and several others are also uptempo flag-wavers. As the names imply Slow Walk and Continental Stroll, along with Tell Your Story, are slower, more blues oriented pieces. Continental Stroll, originally issued in two parts on a 45rpm record, has been left intact, and transferred to CD as one 4.59 minute song. This CD is somewhat of a mixed blessing. Since it is difficult to find much of Austin's early rock and roll, its great to have these back in circulation. It would be even better to have all of the songs contained on both albums. Since the CD clocks in at 37.30 minutes, there should have been plenty of room to include everything. Hopefully one of these days Mercury/Verve will decide to re-issue the complete albums on one CD. Following his success as a rocker, Austin changed to a lush, mellow style and recorded several albums of standards such as Danny Boy, Summertime, and Stardust. In the late 80s he returned to his earlier jump blues style as part of a group called The Tri Saxual Soul Champs on Black Top Records. If you like Austin's rock and roll, you may also wish to check out Swingsation's CDs by Red Prysock and Sam "The Man" Taylor."

Bar Walkin' Groove Grease with a Vengence ! ! !

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 05/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As rare as it is to get to hear take-no-prisoner barwalking tenors and hear that great 50's organ/tenor sound, what makes this session even more delightful is the presence of two under-recorded Jazz/R&B studio legends... Mickey Baker, considered by many the missing link between Jazz and Rock and Roll guitar, and Doc Bagby, the heavy shouting Hammond Organ player (see his BATTLE OF THE ORGANS CDs.)



Though the cuts on this particular SWINGSTATION volumes are a lot more rockin' than swinging (say as compared to the Red Prysock volume), the energy and dynamics are wild... and Bagby's unique organ sound is a thrill to listen to. He's somewhere between the hard swinging soul of Bill Doggett and Wild Bill Davis and the pop sounds of Baby Face Cortez ! ! !



All in all, each track sizzles over with pure bluesy shuffle stroll and rock 'n rollin juke box exhuberence and no track misses ! So while we're on the topic, my only question is this - - since VERVE has gotten these winners from the vault, when's LITTLE RICHIE VAROLA comin' out ??"

Good Album But PLEASE Give Us His Hits

Eddie Landsberg | 07/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Any album by Sil Austin is worth having if you like the wailing sound of the tenor sax, and this one is no exception. Having said that, however, as a collector of hit single versions from the 1950s/60s, I sure wish someone would put out a "best of" compilation which includes all three of his charted hits and their flipsides.



Born Sylvester Austin on September 17, 1929 in Donellon, Florida, he was well known in local jazz circles by the late Forties as he toured the area with several different bands. In the early Fifties he hooked up with Tiny Bradshaw and is featured on some of his King releases.



After leaving Bradshaw and recording briefly [no hits] for Jubilee in 1954/55, he secured a contract with Mercury. In 1956 his group, featuring drummer Panama Francis, Doc Bagby on organ (who would have a # 69 Billboard Top 100 in 1957 with the rocking instrumental Dumplin's on Okeh), and guitarist Mickey Baker [of Mickey & Sylvia fame], and no doubt influenced by the huge success of Bill Doggett's Honky Tonk, he released Slow Walk b/w Wildwood.



A great slow jive tune, the A-side reached # 3 R&B and # 17 Billboard Top 100 around Christmas. A couple of years later it would re-emerge as a staple at any dance featuring The Stroll as a change of pace for the line-dancing couples from the offerings of Chuck Willis and The Diamonds.



The following February, Birthday Party reached # 74 Top 100 b/w The Last Time, but apparently this is going to remain a hard-to-find until someone puts out that definitive Sil Austin "best of." As for Danny Boy, his third and final hit single (# 59 Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1959 b/w The Hungry Eye), according to an acquaintance it's apparently the first track on the Sil Austin CD "Best Of Sax Mood." But whether it's the original version or not I can't really say. If not, it too remains a hard-to-find.



After putting out a prolific number of LPs and EPs for Mercury, Sil left the label in 1965 and, for a while at least, recorded mainly R&B for Sew City. He also released several "easy listening" albums for SSS International featuring strings."