Any one remember this artist who toured UK during August 1964 with Keith Smith and His Climax Jazz Band? Rather long but hopefully one or two might stick with it.
The discography has lost its layout but hopefully it can be figured out.
Mae Mercer
an exploratory compilation by Howard RyeMae Mercer received high praise as a blues and jazz singer during her brief stay in Europe in the 1960s but appears in no standard biographical reference. The recent issue of a fine performance from the 1965 American Folk Blues Festival inspired this attempt to bring together what information there is. Much of the biographical information comes from an interview with Mike Vernon kindly transcribed for me by Neil Slaven. Unfortunately Mike failed to clarify many of the chronological in exactitudes in the account he collected, possibly because it was obvious the singer was trying to conceal her true age. All assistance in filling the numerous gaps will be appreciated.
By her own account to Mike Vernon in 1964, Mary 'Mae' Mercer was born at Elm City, N.C. Exactly when is a little more problematic. She said she was aged 25, which gives a birth date of c.1939. Sources relating to her film career tend to give her year of birth as 1932. They may or may not have reason! By the age of 8, she had formed a gospel group, Mae Mercer and Her Four Sisters, who were in fact her cousins.
At age 11, she enrolled in the Booker T. High School in Pinetops, N.C., but left after a month to sing with the B.B. Swing Masters, a blues band led by a pianist known only as 'B.B.'. As soon as she could she left to go to New York - one feels there must be some telescoping of time here and I am advised that Americans normally start High School at about age 14 - but returned south, rejoining the Swing Masters at the Two Spot Club, Jackson, FL, during a Southern tour which she joined.
In 1953 - at last a firm date - she left the Swing Masters and moved to Texas for a residency at the Big Apple Club, Mena Wells, nr. Fort Worth, TX., with Rufus Brown, piano, Jimmy Little, guitar, and an unremembered drummer. This residency lasted two years, after which she returned to North Carolina but moved on after three months to Washington, DC, where she gigged for a year. She then moved to Baltimore where she had brothers living, and performed at the Chicken Shack Club with local musicians. Again there seems to be some telescoping of time, but at some point she made a visit to New York which brought her to the attention of Atlas records. She appears to have recalled that the session took place in 1955, whereas discographers place it in 1959. This inevitably creates doubts about whether subsequent events really follow the session, or whether some of them may precede it. If not nothing is known about her activities in 1957 and 1958.
Mae Mercer
Mae Mercer, v; acc. unknown, cl; unknown, p; unknown g; unknown, d.
New York City. 1959AT-1207-2 Great Googa Mooga Atlas 1207
AT-1207-3 Sweet Little Angel Atlas 1207
Will There Ever Be Another Fool Like Me Atlas unissued
Blues Around My Bed Atlas unissued
Why Didn't You Tell Me Atlas unissued
I'm A Fool Atlas unissued
The unissued titles are first listed by Mike Vernon in 1964 and it seems likely he obtained them from Ms. Mercer.
By her account, she worked extensively in the New York area on the strength of the issued disc, including at the Page Three Club (New York City?), and a tour of New Jersey with Buster Brown's band. Later there was a Southern tour with Red Prysock extending from Philadelphia through Mississippi, Georgia and the Carolinas back to New York.
On her return to New York City, she worked many club dates and met Charlie Shavers, who arranged for her to work with Buck Clayton and His All Stars for a one-month tour and a residency at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City. After a short residency at the Versailles, New York City, she signed a three-month contract to appear in France and moved to Paris, where she settled. She made two film appearances as a singer in 1962/3:
Mae Mercer
Mae Mercer, v; acc. unknown.
unknown title(s)From the soundtrack of the 1962 Italian film Mondo Sexy di Notte (U.S. title: Mondo Sexuality). dir Mino Loy, a documentary narrated by Nico Rienzi (Documents Film). This is one of a series of softcore documentaries about night-life made at this time. Mae is billed as ''Singer alongside strippers named Cherie de Montparnasse, Ursula Dors, and Dyna Pinky, belly-dancers Malika and Zakete, and a guitarist named Hart Moreno who may or may not appear with Mae. Details of the film s musical content have proved elusive.
Mae Mercer with The Lou Bennett and Kenny Clarke Jazz Combo
Mae Mercer, v; acc. Sonny Grey, t; Sonny Criss, as; Lou Bennett, o; Kenny Clarke, d.
unknown titleFrom the soundtrack of the film Le Glaive et la Balance (British title: The Sword and the Balance; U.S. title: Two Are Cui/ty). dir. Andre Cayatte, a Franco-Italian co-production for Gaumont International. The date of the film is given alternatively as 1962 and 1963, no doubt reflecting staggered international release dates. According to Meeker, Mae and the band appear behind the opening credits, but what they perform is not documented.
By October 1963, Mae was running the Blues Bar, above La Grande Severine, rue Saint-Severin, Paris. [Bulletin du HcF 131, p.28], working with her own group of Marcel Sardaby, p; Michei Finney, b; Sam, bgs. Memphis Slim, Curtis Jones, and Mabel Scott are said to have appeared at the club.
In 1964, she recorded for Bel-Air but nothing was issued and the sessions appear to be otherwise undocumented. She also had a TV programme, presumably in France, called Mae Mercer Blues, and appeared on German TV. Tours of France and Israel followed, a concert at the Salle Wagram, Paris, and an appearance with Memphis Slim at the Trois Mailletz, Paris. On 17 April 1964, she took trumpeter Johnny Coles to hospital after he collapsed at a Charlie Mingus concert at the Salle Wagram, Paris.
On 1 August 1964, she started a one-month British tour with Keith Smith and His Climax Jazz Band. (Keith told Terry Dash, Footnote, Vol. 16, No.6, p.9, that he and Barry Martyn were the promoters of this tour.) Traced dates, mostly dependent on the Melody Maker advance notice and subsequent adverts, are: 1 August: Regent Hotel, Hastings; 2 August: Jazzshows Jazz Club, 100 Oxford Street, London, billed as "The Fabulous Mae Mercer with Keith Smith's Climax Jazz Band"; 3 August: Clacton Blues & Jazz, Station Hotel, Clacton; 4 August: Nottingham (venue unknown) 6 August: Guildford (venue unknown); 7 August: Thames Hotel, Hampton Court, West London; 8 August: Manchester Sports Guild, Manchester; 9 August: Accrington (venue unknown); 10 August: Hitchin (venue unknown); 11 August: The Crown, Morden, South London; 12 August: Twickenham Blues & Jazz, The Crown, Twickenham, West London (this was the opening session at a new club); 13 August: Cleethorpes (venue unknown); 14 August: Assembly Rooms, Boston, Lincolnshire, 20 August: Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, South London; 21 August: Osterley Jazz Club, West London; 23 August: Cooks, Royal Forest Hotel, Chingford, East London.
One of the untraced dates, probably later in the tour, is at Midland Jazz Club, Birmingham, where the act was reviewed by 'L.P.' in the 29 August 1964 Melody Maker [ p.5 "Caught In The Act"]. Her repertoire was noted to include: I'm Going To Testify; C.G.; Movin'; Motherless Child; Just A Closer Walk With Thee. She ``demonstrated how drive can be imparted to a band where the rhythm was sometimes plodding"; Mike Sherbourne, tb, was favourably noted for obbligato playing.
In the course of these three weeks, she evidently also paid a visit to John R.T. Davies and recorded the following. This date could have been combined with several of the London area evening engagements.
Keith Smith & His Climax Jazz Band
Keith Smith, t; Mike Sherbourne, tb; Sammy Rimington, cl/ts-1: Richard Simmons, p; Paul Sealey, bj; Ray Holland, sb; Barry Martyn, d; Mae Mercer, v.Burnham, Bucks, England between 1 and 23 August 1964
Old Time Religion Blank label(E) DW247/8
Gee Gee -1 Blank label(E) DW247/8
Careless Love Blank label(E) DW247/8
I'm On My Way Blank label(E) DW247/8
This session is taken from B*; I do not know whether code -1 indicates that Rimington plays only ts on that track (and cl on the others) or whether he plays both cl and ts where coded -1. According to Gerard Bielderman, Sammy Rimington Discography, Rimington is also heard on guitar.
According to the Melody Maker, the month's tour ended with a week at The Place, Edinburgh, during the festival. She was evidently no longer accompanied by Keith Smith's band as they had a gig in Reading without her on 25 August. At the end of the month she returned to London to record an EP accompanied by session jazzers. She recorded again in France later in the year.
Mae Mercer
Mae Mercer, v; acc. Ronnie Chamberlain, as; Pete King, ts; Keith Scott, p; 'Big' Jim Sullivan, g; Arthur Watts, sb; Ronnie Verrill, d.
London. Tuesday, 1 September 1964DR 33951 Have You Ever Had The Blues Decca(E) DFE8599
DR 33952 Sweet Little Angel Decca(E) DFE8599,
Deram(E) 844801-2 (CD)
DR 33953 "G.G." Decca(E) DFE8599
DR 33954 Blues Around My Bed Decca(E) DFE8599
Deram(E) 844801 -2 The Blues Scene [1/25]
Memphis Slim Clap Your Hands
Memphis Slim, Mae Mercer, v; acc. Formation Mickey Baker: Memphis Slim, p; Jacques Denjean, o; Mickey Baker, Paul Piguileme, g; Gerard Fournier, b; Carl Daykins, d.
Paris late 1964
Two Of A Kind Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Other tracks on this album are by Memphis Slim without Mae Mercer (see Appendix).
Evidence has recently emerged (2006) that during 1965 she was added to the American Folk Blues Festival for some appearances:
Sonny Boy Williamson with Mae Mercer
Mae Mercer, v; acc. Sonny Boy Williamson, h; Sunnyland Slim, p; Hubert Sumlin, g; Willie Dixon, sb; Clifton James, d.
American Folk Blues Festival, Germany 1965
Careless Love Hip-O B0003135~09 [DVD]
Issued from Sudwesfunk Jazz Cehort und Cesehen broadcast.
On 20 September 1965, she appeared at a concert at Theatre Fontaine, Paris, with Memphis Slim, Hal Singer, and Alain Guyu, p. This is the last specific engagement I have traced and I have not discovered when she returned to the U.S.A. The last definite association with blues or jazz I have traced is the following film appearance:
Mae Mercer
Mae Mercer, v; acc. unknown orch, dir. Quincy Jones.
prob. Hollywood, Ca.c.1968 (rel. 28 August)
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home NTSC VHS: Critics Choice
ANPAR0006116
From the soundtrack of the mm The Hell With Heroes, dir. Joseph Sargent, in which she plays 'Chanteuse'. This title is quoted by Meeker along with Where There Is Love. However, the American Film Institute Catalog states that the vocal on the latter is by Sue Raney. There is also an instrumental by this band, Lover Man. The issue quoted is of the complete film.
In the 70s, she embarked on a substantial film career as an actress. A list of traced appearances follows. She is not known to sing in any of these films but only The Swinging Cheerleaders and Pretty Baby have been available for checking.
Film
Role
1971 The Beguiled (dir. Don Siegel) Hallie
1971 Dirty Harry (dir. Don Siegel) Mrs. Russell
1972 Frogs (dir. George McCowan) Maybelle
1974 The Swinging Cheerleaders (a.k.a. H.O.T.S. II) (dir. Jack Hill) Jessica Thorpe
1976 Widow (dir. J. Lee Thompson) (TV movie)
1978 Cindy (dir. William A Graham) (TV movie)
[black-cast version of Cinderella] Sara Hayes (stepmother)
1978 Pretty Baby (dir. Louis Malle) Mama Moseberry
1978 A Woman Called Moses (dir. Paul Wendkos) (TV movie)
[Harriet Tubman bio-pic] Aunt Juba
1989 Homer & Eddie (dir Andre Konchalowsky) Ellen
Mae Mercer is noted in some sources as present also in these films, but this is not confirmed: 1968 P.J. (a.k.a. New Face In Hell) (dir John Guillermin) not noted in AFI Catalog 1968 Uptight (dir. Jules Dassin) not noted in AFI Catalog 1974 Sexy Girl no details found.
ReferencesMick Vernon, Interview with Mae Mercer, R & B Monthly No. 10 (November 1964), 2-3, courtesy Neil Slaven.
The Anerican Film Institute Catalog Of Motion Pictures: Feature Films 1961-1970, New York & London, Bowker, 1976.
Jeffrey Oliviero, Motion Picture Players' Credits. McFarland, 1991.
'Mae To Tour', Melody Maker, 1 August 1964, p.4.
Acknowledgement My thanks to Alan Balfour and Chris Smith.
APPENDIXAs no existing source gives full details of the Memphis Slim sessions on which Mae Mercer appears, for reasons moderately obvious aurally, they are set out here. Readers are cautioned against becoming ovenexcited by the presence of Sonny Criss.
Memphis Slim Clap Your Hands
Memphis Slim, v; acc. Formation Mickey Baker: Memphis Slim, p; Jacques Denjean, o; Mickey Baker, Paul Piguileme, g; Gerard Fournier, b; Carl Daykins, d; Mae Mercer, v-1
Paris Iate 1964
Clap Your Hands Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Steppin' Out Tonight Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Two Of A Kind -1 Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
So Lonely Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL52,34
That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234, Universal(F) 981.961
Baby Doll Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Acc. Formation Jacques Denjean: Jean-Claude Naude, t; Bill Tamper, tb; Sonny Criss (as Chriss), as; Dominique Chanson, Gerard Badini, ts; Jacques Denjean, p; Memphis Slim, o; Dean Norton, g; Pierre Sim/Vic Apicella [sic], b; Phi-Phi Combelle, d.
Rainin' In My Heart Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234,
Universal(F) 981.961
House Cleanin' Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Double Crossin' Mamma Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Acc. Formation Jacques Denjean: Georges Grenu, ts; Memphis Slim, p; Jacques Denjean, o; Alain Hattat, g; Michel Taymont, g/mar/tam; Allen or Alain Bugby, b; Bob Mathieu, d.
Not So Stuck On Me Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Fat And Forty Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234
Acc. Formation Jacques Denjean: Jean-Claude Naude, t; Katarzinski, tb; Georges Grenu, cl; Memphis Slim, p; Jacques Denjean, o; Leo Petit, bj; Allen or Alain Bugby, Pierre Sim, b; Phi-Phi Combelle, Bob Mathieu, d; Michel Taymont, tam; The Jacques Denjean Singers, v group.
Memphis On The Mississippi Fontana(F) 680253ML, 6444.058, (E) TL5234 Reissue: Universal(F) 981.961: Paris Mississippi Blues