Jimmy "Junior" Markham
 

A Harper's Bizarre Journey

By Matt S. Alcott

James “Junior” Markham has heard and been called a lot of things by a lot of people over the last 50 years-some good, some not so good. For example, while still a teenager living with his mother, Elizabeth, at the Tulsa Mayfair-Whitehall apartments during the 1960s, he was informed by the management that some of the tenants were complaining “about colored boys” hanging around the Markham’s apartment. The letter asked Markham to help maintain a good name for the building by conducting his “business” elsewhere. Even then, Markham’s business was music-specifically the blues, R&B and soul scene. Finding places to practice in those days was nearly impossible. Therefore, he and his friends, of all colors, would often jam at the apartment. In an attempt to keep the disturbances to a minimum, they had tried to stay under the social radar. The letters made it clear those efforts were not good enough. “A colored person calling on the tenants certainly is not in the best of taste to say the least,” says the letter that Markham has kept for over 40 years. Nevertheless, as painful and confusing as that incident was, Markham prefers to focus on the positive. A passing comment at Tulsa’s old Hilton Inn by Jerry Lee Lewis, for example, is one particularly proud moment. “He said I was the best white blues harmonica player he had ever heard,” says Markham, 62. “Growing up in Oklahoma, I listened to a lot of traditional grassroots music, country and blues. When I first started playing, I listened to XERB and Wolfman Jack out of Mexico. He played nothing but the blues. In that part of the country and thanks to the DJs, one could get a dose of the blues along with soul, country and R&B. I have played it all at one point or another. I always come back to the blues.” The great harpists know how to complement their riffs with their own distinctive singing style. That holds true on Markham’s 2000 release, Wound up Tight, which reflects the harpist/singer/songwriter/guitarist’s 40-plus years of entertaining with many of the legends of blues, rock ’n’ roll, jazz and country. Produced by longtime friend Ace Moreland (who passed away this past February), the CD underlines songs by Markham and Tulsans Leon Russell and Johnny “J.J.” Cale (“Magnolia,” “Call Me the Breeze,” “Cocaine”), among others.

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Markham fell in love with singing while attending downtown Central High School in Tulsa. “After seeing Elvis Presley with my mother live at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Pavilion in 1956, music immediately became an outlet for my emotions,” says Markham. “Elvis absolutely blew my mind.” He mentions Roy Orbison 45s as another key influence on his singing style. The budding high school singer formed numerous R&B, pop and soul bands with fellow running pals and classmates. “We use to play almost every Cascia Hall dance back in the early-1960s,” Markham says with a laugh. “And when we were not playing high school, college and society dances, we were out in the clubs trying to build a following. It was not unheard of for the band and I to have an afternoon dance, an evening dinner party and then a late-night gig somewhere around town. That is what groups did back in the 1950s and 1960s. Markham fronted or was in various bands over the years including the Swinging Shadows, the Valentines, Harry Arnolds Combo, the Scamps, the Hardcore Blues Band, the Jukes and the Tulsa Rhythm Review. “So many of the supper clubs, taverns and ballrooms that we all hung around and played have closed,” Markham says, while shaking his head. “There was the Capri Club, the Shell Club, Glen’s Casa Del (girls 18 and over, boys 21 and over), the original Paradise Club, Mary’s 500 Club, the Melody Lane Ballroom, the Glory Hole, Fat Fannies and the Fondalite Club, among so many others. This would have been long before liquor by the drink. The club owner provided setups, ice and such for those who wanted to drink. These usually ran a dollar. Beer was also available for 25 cents. Many of these joints stayed open on Friday and Saturday all night long. Times were a lot different back then. I really miss those old joints.” Instrumentally, it was the trumpet and not the harmonica that was Markham’s first calling. His infatuation with the horn ultimately led to a friendship with Russell Bridges (a.k.a. Leon Russell), J.J. Cale and Carl Radle, who played with Eric Clapton and others. After returning to Tulsa in 1969, he opened the Paradise three years later. Over the course of its existence, the 200-seat blues, jazz and country nightclub hosted the likes of Jimmie Vaughan’s Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mose Allison, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Musslewhite, Hubert Sumlin, Koko Taylor, Barney Kessel, Joe South, Albert Collins, and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, among so many others. When not running his club, Markham also found time to open for, record and/or hang with Jimmy Reed, Albert King, Buddy Holly’s Crickets, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Musslewhite, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Delbert McClinton, Jerry Lee Lewis, A.C. Reed, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Rolling Stones pianist Bobby Keyes. Markham also spent some time playing trumpet with the ignoble Burrito Brothers. Those early years were also a time for formal introductions and learning from the music of other performers. “I remember J.J. (Cale) telling me that I had to see a cat named ‘Flash’ Terry. The name alone was exciting. One night Cale and I went to see Flash at the Flamingo Club, which was on Greenwood Avenue in north Tulsa. I immediately became a fan.” On occasion, he and his friends would venture out of Oklahoma for some dates with the intention of gaining national exposure. Markham fondly remembers a gig in Philadelphia. “Leon (Russell) had $100, and I scraped up $30 and in 1958, we headed toward Pennsylvania for what we hoped was a date on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand,” Markham says with a deep chuckle. “We all crammed into Chuck Blackwell’s two-seater 1952 Ford sedan. We had all the amps, drums and instruments and such inside the Ford. We made it as far as Joplin, Mo. before dumping the backseat for room. After hitting town and finding a $35-a-week place to stay-while we were there, the cops busted Lenny Bruce for drugs-we hooked up with Herb Lustig of American Artists. Herb ended up screwing us around and lying about everything besides hitting on Chuck.”

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By the early-1960s, Markham’s friendship with Russell led to an invitation from the pianist to come to Los Angeles. He soon found himself living in Southern California a few years before the Summer of Love and all its craziness. Markham landed his first record deal in Los Angeles with Capitol Records. Smash hit rockabilly icon Billy Lee Riley (Flying Saucers Rock and Roll) helped him procure the contract. Riley later produced and sat in on harmonica for Markham’s Chuck Meets Bo, which was an album filled with six Chuck Berry tunes and six from Bo Diddley. James Burton (Elvis Presley) played guitar on these sessions as well as Donnie Cotton on drums and Glen Cass on bass. “Leon basically bought this huge house and put his recording studio in the first floor,” says Markham. “Folks like Glen Campbell, Cale, Gary Lewis of the Playboys (with Tulsans Tommy Tripplehorn, Bill Boatman and Radle along for the ride), Levon Helm of the Band, Jesse Ed Davis, Gene Clark of the Byrds and Buddy Miles of Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsies were all hanging around and doing session work with Leon. I was there for most of this. I really had no idea that history was being made right in front of my eyes. I witnessed the recording of A Trip Down Sunset Strip and The Asylum Choir while living in Los Angeles.” Markham returned to Tulsa in 1969, and three years later opened the Paradise. Over the course of its existence, the 200-seat blues, jazz and country nightclub hosted the likes of Jimmie Vaughan’s Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mose Allison, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Musslewhite, Hubert Sumlin, Koko Taylor, Barney Kessel, Joe South, Albert Collins and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. When not running his club, Markham also found time to open for, record and hang with Jimmy Reed, Albert King, Buddy Holly’s Crickets, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Musslewhite, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Delbert McCinton, Jerry Lee Lewis, A.C. Reed, Jennings and Willie Nelson. In addition, he has done it in the face of nightly playing year after year for locals who are friends when sober, nuisances when drunk. They play one of these roles much better than they play the other. “The Paradise (‘the Dice’) was located in the back of a strip center,” says Markham. “This helped hide us for a while from the law. I would go out after the club closed and hang up posters on telephone polls. I would then grab some sleep and head back to the club for the next show. We had live music seven nights a week. Eventually the complaints from other tenants about the volume of trash and its smell in the parking lot dumpsters and the loudness of the music caused trouble for the business. My lease was not renewed. We had a hell of a run with the Paradise.”

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In 1987, Markham again left Tulsa-this time for Nashville. Besides playing the area’s clubs, he also worked in construction; a job he continues today. In Nashville, he again was able to turn a few contacts into solid relationships with some of the music industry’s most influential players. “I had a weekly Monday night gig at Joe’s Village Inn,” Markham says. “I also served as the house band on Sunday night at Barbara’s in Printer’s Alley, besides playing on the weekends around town and the region. Cats like John Prine, Charlie Daniels, Peter Wolfe (J. Geils Band), Tommy Spurlock, Tanya Tucker and others would, on occasion, drop by and sit in. For three years, I co-organized what was called the T-N-T (Tulsa-Nashville-Transplants) Blowout, which was a music event comprised of Oklahoma musicians. “I worked on a few sessions (Dave Onley, Bruce Channel, Billy Don Burns) at various recording studios. Fellow Tulsan Steve Ripley called me and asked if I would play harmonica on some Tractors sessions. I ended up cutting two songs with them. Steve owns Leon’s old Church Studio. I spent a lot of time at that place when Leon owned it as well as recorded an album on the Shelter label, which has never seen the light of day. I have many memories there.” In 1996, he received a call from Moreland requesting his presence for a gig in the Caribbean. Upon completion of the tour, bassist and founder/owner of King Snake Records, Bob Greenlee, asked Markham if he would like to record an album with Moreland serving as producer. This resulted in the Wound up Tight sessions-it also was the first time he and Moreland ever recorded together. “I took drummer Chucki Burke to Florida and used the King Snake house band,” Markham says. “Chucki was one of the first drummers I met in Nashville. He and I had the knack for reading from the same page. Ace-Mo and Bob were extremely important on these sessions. It was such a quick deal, and I had to scramble to get some songs together. Leon contributed seven cuts. Some of Nashville’s strongest writers, Bucky Lindsey, Ricky Ray Rector and Hal Newman, also lent me a couple of songs. I was proud of my two originals, ‘Hoochie Chile’ and ‘Soul Food.’ I am still pleased with how the sessions turned out. The atmosphere at King Snake was like a tight and happy family.”

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January of 1998 found Markham back home again in Tulsa, where he quickly formed the “Junior” Markham Band. Old faces from the past soon resurfaced. Friends Chuck Blackwell, Bobby Taylor, Tommy Crook, Scott Ellison, Bill Snow, Larry Bell, Jackie Dunham, Johnny Williams, Jimmy Karstein, Bill Davis, Flash Terry, Steve Pryor, Roger Tillison and Feathers, among others, renewed friendships. Markham continues to play Tulsa and the surrounding area. He is also working on his next album. Interests in these sessions come from as far away as Japan. There is also a strange desire to open another blues club. “There is an audience for roots music in Oklahoma,” he says. “Oklahomans nurtured Bob Wills, Charlie Christian, J.J. Cale, Leon McAuliffe and Leon Russell. It will take some time, effort, money and patience. Oklahoma needs a joint that books national blues talent.” The constant routine of gigs, rehearsals, and recording, travel and construction jobs keeps Markham busy day and night. His legions of fans are glad to have him back in Tulsa. Many Oklahoma musicians are as well. “He sat in with me and Blue Combo many times,” says Tulsa guitarist Rusty Miller. “He is an institution. I have learned a lot from him. His approach to blues is relaxed. He has the right attitude and it is contagious. He is a spark and pulls the best out of anyone who plays with him.” Former co-vocalist and friend for 47 years, Jackie Dunham remembers when he and Junior would sneak into many of Tulsa’s finest shows. “He and I would dress up in suits and carry briefcases as if we were part of the band,” laughs Dunham. “Many of these nights took place at the Tulsa Municipal Theater (now the Brady Theater). We would get in, then crawl up onto the catwalk, and watch the entire show before climbing back down and walking out. “Another night worth telling was when we snuck into the old Big 10 Ballroom (north Tulsa). There were not a lot of white folks in attendance that evening. We both ended up in the woman’s bathroom hiding. It still amazes me today that we were not shot and killed. The artist playing was Little Richard, which is why we were there in the first place.” One of Oklahoma’s premier guitarists, Tommy Crook, has his own take on Markham. “I was this young kid that enjoyed playing guitar and he took me under his wing and taught me the music business,” says Crook. “He has always kept a positive reputation in a tough business. I still look up to him and I love him dearly.” “He still has the sweetest boogie and shuffle in town,” says former drummer Chuck Blackwell. “It is deep within him, and it is real. He has planted feet and they have deep roots.”