George Coleman “Bongo Joe” / LP reissue MR-022

Description

George Coleman “Bongo Joe”, Mississippi Records reissue of the original Arhoolie LP-1040.

Tracks:

I Wish I Could Sing
Innocent Little Doggy
Cool It

Listen at that Bull
Transistor Radio
Eloise
Dog Eat Dog

George “Bongo Joe” Coleman (1923-1999) was an American street musician who played on battered 55-gallon drums. Although a talented percussionist, Coleman preferred to perform on the street corner rather than in concert venues. In 1968, Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz used a portable recorder to capture Coleman’s playing. One song from that session, “Innocent Little Doggy,” became an underground hit in Texas and in England, where the BBC aired the song repeatedly.

   “George Coleman was born on November 28, 1923, in Haines City, Florida. By the 1940s, Coleman had relocated to Houston and was playing as a percussionist in local jazz bands. Since he didn’t own a drum kit, Coleman fashioned a set from some 55-gallon oil barrels. Over the next four decades, he became a very popular street musician performing at tourist sites throughout the state, including San Antonio’s Hemisfair and Galveston’s Seawall. Nicknamed Bongo Joe by his fans, George Coleman played his oil barrel drums with hammer handles, chair legs, and cans filled with buckshot.

With his unique rhythmic style and often humorous song lyrics, Bongo Joe Coleman built a large following. In 1968, Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records recorded Bongo Joe in San Antonio, helping introduce his distinct sound to a national audience.”
– KUTX

“This recording of Texas street artist, George Coleman aka ‘Bongo Joe’ is a gem. Rough, original and unique, you will either love it as undiluted ‘roots’ music or hate it for its simplicity and non-commercial nature. Way non-commercial.
Coleman worked the Seawall in Galveston, the River Walk and streets of San Antonio. Using only steel drums beat with hammers – which had ‘rattles’ attached to their handles – Coleman coaxes a surprising variety of sounds from his simple tools. His compositions are at once amusing and intriguing on their own merits. Recommended, for what it’s worth.”
– review by MoMusicLessCrap

There is a record store in Geneva, Switzerland named in honor of Bongo Joe.

And on the Arhoolie Foundation website, you can find an interview Chris did with Bongo Joe in 1968:

Bongo Joe Coleman Interview