Mama Yancey: Make Me A Pallet On The Floor (1980)

Hello, again

I know it has been a little quite on this blog for some time now – which had several reasons. First there was a lot of work at the office – which in turn made me want to do absolutely nothing when finally time for my holidays came up. Then again these holidays were overshadowed by the passing of a friend from cancer of the pancreas two weeks ago. Tomorrow there will be a memorial event in the club where this friend – a bass player – played in a C&W/R’n’B/Surf/Polka trio every sunday for years. I visited him in the hospital a few days before his passing and that’s when he asked me to supply the music for his memorial event, since I was his favorite house DJ of the club over all this years – “and make it happy music”.

To put on happy music tomorrow will not be easy, to say the least. But of course I will try to oblige.

In dedication to my deceased friend I offer you an excerpt from the german 1980 TV documentary “Chicago Melodie”  which involved german Boogie Woogie pianist Axel Zwingenberger visiting, playing with and interviewing several Chicago Blues Legends. This one here shows Estelle “Mama” Yancey (January 1, 1896 – April 19, 1986) singing “Make Me A Pallet on the Floor”, an often recorded song that goes back to the 19th century.  Yancey is accompanied on piano by Irvin Helfer. Someone did already put this up on youtube, I know, but unfortunately that version is not synchronous.

Enjoy!