Black Gospel, Blue Jazz and Yellow Blues: Cawthron and Allegro Records

For quite some time now I have been working on a discography for the Cawthron, C&C and Allegro labels, all one-man-operations owned by one Dunlap J. Cawthron from 1959 to around 1965. Cawthron released mostly gospel, the first recording of St. Louis organist Sam Lazar’s “Space Flight”, a handful of 45s by ex-chicago tenor saxophonist Claude McLin – and one  record by blues singer/guitarist  Curtis Griffin – as “C.C. Griffin”.

Recently I received three nice records that are now pictured in the Allegro/C&C/Cawthron discography:

a) Allegro 9003/4 by gospel singer Vermya Phillips (He’s a Friend Of Mine/Somebody He Can Use). I knew from Vermya’s husband John Phillips, that “He’s a Friend Of Mine” was released on a 45 rpm , but not what the flip was.

and b)

The Sam Lazar  Trio playing “Space Flight Part 1” from a blue wax copy of Cawthron 507, recorded in 1959. The Trio consists of: Sam Lazar (org), Grant Green (eg), possibly Chauncey Williams or Phillip Wilson (dr). Since what is everywhere described as Grant Green’s first recording session (the one with Jimmy Forrest) took place in december 1959 and the Cawthron record was definitely pressed in 1959. It may well be that indeed this is Green’s first recording date. Note that this version is not identical to the one recorded for Argo in 1960 with a similar personnel.

Next up is …

… my own copy of blues singer/guitarist C.C Griffin’s “Sitting here Waiting” on a yellow/red pressing of Allegro 2001. It is now pictured alongside Victor Pearlin’s gorgeous copy on the Allegro/C&C/Cawthron discography page.

Now I need to know: Where is Claude McLin’s Allegro 1461? I am sure it exists!