Frankie Lee Sims Lucy Mae Blues Specialty Records

Not long after I started listening to the blues, I picked up a blues collection from the U.K. label Ace that included a song from Texas blues man Frankie Lee Sims. It was a relaxed country blues called “I’ll Get Along Somehow,” and it reminded me a lot of music I’d previously heard from Lightnin’ Hopkins. As I later learned, that made sense because Sims and Hopkins were cousins. Sims was born in New Orleans, but his family moved to Texas when he was ten. His mom and dad both played guitar, so it also made sense that he would pick up the instrument, which he did at age 12.

Sims worked as a teacher during the week and played dances and clubs on the weekends, moving to Dallas after serving in World War II. While in Dallas he performed with T-Bone Walker and Smokey Hogg, recording two singles for Blue Bonnet Records in the late ’40s before moving to Specialty Records, where he had a regional hit with “Lucy Mae Blues.” He later recorded for Johnny Vincent’s Ace label and later for the Enjoy label, though they weren’t released until much later. He didn’t record afterward and was not very active in the ’60s, passing away in 1970 from pneumonia at age 53.

Lucy Mae Blues (Specialty Records) collects 20 tracks, including all of Sims’ original 1953 and 1954 singles, plus tracks from his only album and five previously unissued sides. It’s rugged Texas country blues with a taste of the swamp mixed in. Sims was a fine guitarist and his vocals were warm and confident. His best known song, the title track, opens the disc, but there are many other highlights within, such as “Don’t Take It Out On Me,” “Boogie ‘Cross The Country,” “Long Gone,” and “I’ll Get Along Somehow.” Several of the unreleased tracks are as strong as the released material, such as “Wine and Gin Bounce” and “Walking Boogie (Take 4).”

Sims is regarded as one of the pioneers of the post-war Texas country blues sound. He influenced several other Texas blues artists, including Walker, Albert Collins, and King Curtis. His guitar playing was especially memorable, and his lyrics showed a sharp wit and good humor. He even earned a mention on Jimmie Vaughan’s “Six Strings Down” tribute song in the mid ’90s, really piquing my curiosity about his music.

Sims’ later recordings with Ace and its subsidiary Vin included a couple of excellent tracks, “Walkin’ With Frankie” and “She Likes To Boogie Real Low,” which, sadly, aren’t included here. That’s okay because Lucy Mae Blues is as good a collection of Frankie Lee Sims’ music as one can get.

--- Graham Clarke