The buzz of Hal Singer’s tenor saxophone blew the cornbread of the table.

In the mid and late 1940’s, the saxophone was the leading actor, class representative, star quarterback. Torpedo of a black submarine. It was at the forefront of black rock and roll in the chitlin’ circuit of black clubs, the source of white rock and roll and popular music. Its biggest star, Louis Jordan, alternated vocals with alto saxophone. But it was the tenor saxophone that was omnipresent. The tenor was a tough guy, the tenor honked and screamed and hollered. The guitar, at that time, merely played a supporting role. Mr. Nice Guy. Necktie. Cleanly cut coiffure. Nothing like the mean motherfucker he would turn out to be in the 1950’s.

Jimmy Forrest’s The Night Train and Jack McVea’s Open The Door, Richard were big hits, blared out of the speakers of the jukeboxes in the hoods of Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark, Indianapolis, Detroit, Macon, Tallahassee, competing with singer Wynonie Harris’s Good Rockin’ Tonight and organist Bill Doggett’s Honky Tonk.

In 1948, Hal Singer’s Cornbread, a simple riff made of concrete and steel, reached the top of the ‘race music’ charts. From then on, the saxophonist was billed as Hal “Cornbread” Singer.

Another hit eluded him, regardless of follow-up Beef Stew. A bit wiry and overcooked perhaps. At any rate, Singer was more than just a honker. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1919, Singer made a name for himself in New York in the bands of Jay McShann and Hot Lips Page. For many years, Singer worked as a session musician for the influential rhythm and blues-label King Records. He played with Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge in the mid-1950’s. He toured with Earl Hines in France in 1965.

La Douce France. Gay Paree. Looked swell to Hal. Singer settled in Chatou near Paris. The good life. The French loved American jazz artists. The real deal. Air of mystique. Feeling is mutual, is what Mr. Singer most likely confessed, once the Pouilly de Fumé kicked in. At any rate, Singer saw what was good in France (he was there long after the French-Algerian War) and what was (going) wrong in his homeland (and Vietnam) and released Paris Soul Food featuring Manu Dibango in 1969. Cult item. Love letter to the City of Light. Multi-cultural homage to Otis, Stones, Beatles, Booker T. and, last but not least, Malcolm X.

He appeared on T-Bone Walker’s Feeling The Blues in the same year, recorded in Singer’s newfoundcity, a big asset to the legendary guitarist’s fabulous late career effort.

He did this and that, and then some. Made the relaxed and groove-infected Blues And News on Futura in 1971, featuring Singer’s all-original blues and ballad repertory (and, again, an updated Malcolm X) with fine European colleagues and drummer Art Taylor. Largely out of sight of the major jazz media. He was checked out by David Murray, avant-roots figurehead without peer. The result, 2010’s The Challenge, is a good’n.

Read again. A quirky, eclectic journey, right?

Hal Singer made it to 2020. Died at the venerable age of 100!

Prestige Records released Blue Stompin’ in 1959. In hindsight, it’s inevitable to conclude that Singer acted as a kind of warm-up to Arnett Cobb, who released Smooth Sailing just seven days after Blue Stompin’ and churned out Party Time, featuring Singer’s line-up, in May. Both albums by Cobb were very successful.

Only a couple of months after the Cobb and Singer releases, Prestige’s Bob Weinstock invented the Swingville subsidiary, a safe haven for swing giants as Coleman Hawkins, Joe Newman, Buddy Tate, Jimmy Hamilton and Buck Clayton. In that haven, really, is where Cobb and Singer belonged.

Fancy Pants, the sensation-maker of Singer’s sole leadership effort on Prestige, reminds of Arnett Cobb/Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis’ Go Power. Full-blast up-tempo Kansas City swing, 12-bar blues, repetitive, relentless riff. Brings down the house.

The title track Blue Stompin’ is aptly titled. A contagious stomped five-note figure by Ray Bryant leads to the swaggering juke joint melody by Singer. Charlie Shavers takes center stage, abundant like Satchmo. Full, vibrating, high notes as relentless as train whistles. Well-deserved credit on the front sleeve. The role of Shavers is equal to Singer’s part.

Ballad (With A Song In My Heart), slow blues (Midnight), New Orleans vibe (Windy) complete the romp. All good. Can’t go wrong with Bryant, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Osie Johnson. Down-home stuff with a modern touch.

Pretty hard to beat Cobb, but Singer turned in a greasy, solid record. He was a top-rate swing cat who played his small but dedicated part in the evolution of soul jazz.

Listen to Blue Stompin’ on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OyT0ZzxcY&list=PLvxWibFr0wiJVo33cwsDYllJ2JIl4r_2w