Search - Percy Mayfield :: Poet of Blues

One of the best early 50's balladeers

L. E STOTTLEMEYER | KCMO | 03/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnny Ace wasn't the only balladeer making headlines in the R&B world of the early 50's. He had 3 cats continuosly knocking on his door at that time. One was the great Charles Brown and the other one was Percy Mayfield and the other was the great Ivory Joe Hunter.Oh there were many other R&B singers around this period but as far as ballad singers these 4 ruled in the R&B world. Percy's song "Please send me someone to love" is revered on the same level as Johnny Ace's "Pledging my love" and Charles Browns " Black Night". Please send me someone to love is a pure classic in another sense- It was the first song to hint at us all being one race-the human race-and in a subtle way protesting racism. This of course being done in 1950 long before Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye would make it popular. This is classic early 50's R&B from a cat who is truly missed and will never be replaced."

Another great helping of early-50s R&B

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 08/15/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mayfield is a rhythm 'n' blues (more on the blues than the rhythm) vocalist from the early 50's. This disc features 25 sides, including his 7 Billboard top-10 singles, several previously unissued tracks and an alternate take or two. All 25 tracks were written by Mayfield (one co-written).While Percy Mayfield is more likely known (or unknown, but should-be- known) as a songwriter (he wrote Ray Charles' #1 hit "Hit the Road, Jack"), he's also an incredibly expressive vocalist. As Billy Vera suggests in the liner notes, Mayfield has impressive phrasing, ala the early-Capitol era Sinatra, and a warmth and soul ala Ray Charles.The backing bands here are mostly unfamiliar to me. The piano and sax work is especially intriguing. I'd be interested to hear more about such musicians as Willard McDaniel (piano) and Thomas Maxwell Davis (tenor sax), the latter of whom also led most of the sessions and wrote the arrangements."