Artist:Pee Wee Crayton
Song:Blues After Hours
Album:The Pee Wee Crayton Collection 1947-62
Blues guitarist Pee Wee Crayton topped the R&B charts with the 1948 single Blues After Hours. It was his very first record and it was big enough to keep Crayton busy on tour until his 1985 death. He was born Connie Curtis Crayton Dec. 18, 1914 in Rockdale, TX. Crayton moved to Los Angeles in 1935 and settled in Oakland. His main guitar influence was the great T-Bone Walker who taught Crayton the basics of blues guitar. Crayton signed with Modern Records in 1948. They were owned by the Bihari brothers and based in Los Angeles. They released lots of blues but weren't as successful as Chess Records. Crayton based Blues After Hours on the Erskine Hawkins song After Hours. Crayton started writing it while playing a San Francisco club. He played it for Jules Bihari and he wanted to record it. Crayton told him the song wasn't finished. But Bihari wanted to record it anyway. So much of Blues After Hours was improvised. It paid off as Blues After Hours topped the Race Records chart. Musicians who played on the record included Buddy Floyd on tenor sax, David Lee Johnson on piano, Bill Davis on bass and Candy Johnson on drums. A couple of Crayton's other records charted. But Blues After Hours was his biggest hit. Crayton left Modern in 1951. He recorded for several other labels but most notably for Imperial Records for producer Dave Bartholomew in New Orleans. He also recorded for Aladdin, Vee-Jay, Jamie, Guyden and Smash. All these recordings are on this 2CD comp from the British oldies label Acrobat. Crayton wouldn't record again until the 1971 album Things I Used to Do for Vanguard Records. He recorded occasionally for small labels and continued to tour until he died on June 25, 1985 at age 70. Here's a video for Blues After Hours by Pee Wee Crayton.
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