Larry Dale - "Let The Doorbell Ring" (Glover)

Here we have a nice little party blues groover. This was one of my recent scores from a California friend and I don't remember him thinking too much of it, but to me, it's definitely a keeper. It's not quite a stomper, but it still has its grooves, if you know what I mean and I believe you do. It's from 1960 and it's by a session man from the 1950s who served as an inspiration to Rolling Stone Brian Jones.

According to the entry I dug up on Wikipedia, Larry Dale was born 1923 in Wharton, Texas. His real name is Ennis Lowery and he recorded and played under that name in the early 1950s before settling on Larry Dale. He is best known as a session guitarist, having played with Mickey Baker and pianist Champion Jack Dupree as well as Cootie Williams. He also recorded some sides for the RCA labels Groove and Vik. He played on Dupree's 1956-1958 sessions and it was his playing on Dupree's 1958 album "Blues from the Gutter" on Atlantic that really turned Brian Jones' ear. Jones is quoted as saying that Dale's was the sound that he wanted to play like.

"Let The Doorbell Ring" was one of two records Dale recorded for Glover Records in 1960, the other being the equally well-known "Big Muddy." This one concerns a man who's partying with the boys and ain't letting no one tell him he can't. Even his landlord gets into the act, asking "What'choo got to drink?" The cops show up and threaten to break the door down, so our protagonist heads for the roof taking his defiant party attitude with him.

What can I say about the beauty of this record? It's been described by AllMusic Guide's entry on Dale as a "stormin' " blues number and I can't really improve on that. Check it out for yourself and I hope you'll agree.