Al Garner

A blues vocalist equally at home in a variety of styles, Al Garner started performing in the 1950s.

History

He first recorded under an alias, a nickname based on his hometown, as "Murfreesboro" in 1959 on the Champion Records label, owned and run by the Bubis cousins, Alan and Reynold. Alan got songwriting credits for the B-side of the record. The single melded elements of doo-wop with rhythm and blues, being backed by the Jimmy Beck Orchestra who were the house band for most Champion releases.

According to music historian Fred James, Garner came to Nashville from his hometown of Murfreesboro in the mid 1950s and "quickly became a much in drummer playng behind... Gene Allison, Roscoe Shelton, Marion James, Larry Birdsong and the Jimmy Beck Orchestra to name a few."

After Champion folded in 1959, Al Garner then went to the Excello family of labels, with his first single there on the briefly active Zil Records label, considered, by historian Randy Fox, to be an attempt by owner Ernie Young to break into different musical markets. The ZIl release featured arguably his most famous song "Leavin' Tennessee" about heading to Houston to meet a lover, and was backed by another Garner-penned song about trying to convince the lover to come back home, "Baby Come Back Home." This single was advertised in trade publications and reviewed favorably.

After Zil was discontinued in 1960, same year as his single, Garner then released several singles on the Excello label itself. These singles continued to demonstrate his talent in a range of styles and and pushed well by Excello label boss and Nashboro records owner Ernie Young. Of note, his last single for Excello included a B-side written by prolific local songwriter Bobby Hebb, who was just starting a career as a songwriter and performer himself.

In the comprehensive history of Nashville independent music labels "A Shot in the Dark," Garner reflects on his relationship with Young calling him "my man. Anything I asked for, he would let me have - a little money, an advance for car repairs, whatever. And not just me. He was giving dudes breaks who couldn't get a break in a china shop" (p. 195). However recalling his experience in Nashville, he said "Nashville is cold-blooded. A lot of blues players made records, but there was not the big distribution available. I have lived in Nashville and in Texas, and the difference was that in Houston, they kept you in work" (p.240).

The liner notes on his last album "Get Out Blues" note, "He was also in demand as a Blues Shouter and MC in the Jefferson street nightclubs." Fred James, in the liner notes for "The Champion Records Story" mentions that "his 45 was a good seller for Champion, so its no wonder that Excello picked him up the following year. Al relocated to Texas as well and spent the early and mid 1960s as Freddie King's drummer." Garner enjoyed a comeback period after the turn of the century when new collectors begin to re-examine the the 50s and 60s Nashville R&B and Blues scenes, leading to tours and exposure to new European audiences.

Al Garner passed on in 2012 with his obituary featuring his nicknames "Murfreesboro" and "Stink."

Releases

As Murfreesboro:

Murfreesboro with Jimmy Beck & Orch.: Oh My Love / Real Good Man ‎(7", Single), Champion, cat# 100,1959

As Al Garner:

Baby Come Back Home / Leavin' Tennessee ‎(7"), Zil Records, cat# 45-9003, 1960

You Must Be Crazy / I Wonder ‎(7", Single), Excello, 45-2199,1961

Scout For General Lee / Disgusted (7"), Excello, cat# 45-2208, 1961

Get Out Blues (CD), SPV GmbH, cat# 95842, 2007

As Al Garner and the Roadrunners:

Leavin' Tennessee (CD), Black Magic Records, cat# 9038,1998

on Various - Blues Estafette Vredenburg Utrecht 98 ‎(CD, Promo), Blues Estafette, MCVB 98001, 1998

on Various - Blues Across America - The Nashville Scene ‎(CD, Album), Cannonball Records, CBD 29206, 1999

External References

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1557003-Al-Garner

https://bluebeatmusic.com/product_info.php?products_id=13044

Randy Fox. Shake Your Hips, The Excello Records Story. BMG Publishing. 2018. p.73

Martin Hawkins. A Shot in the Dark: Making Records in Nashville, 1945-1955. Vanderbilt University Press. 2006. p.195

Fred James. "The Champion Records Story" liner notes for Vol. 1 Blues & Rhythm. 2007

Fred James. "Al Garner: Get Out Blues" liner notes. 2007