Calypso and Goombay Rhythms, by George Symonette

Calypso and Goombay Rhythms

by George Symonette

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1.	Coconut Water Rum & Gin 02:15		buy track
2.	Lizzie Carry Basket 01:57		buy track
3.	My Lima Beans 02:49		buy track
4.	Nassau Samba 02:33		buy track
5.	Don’t Touch Me Tomato 02:26		buy track
6.	Liza Open Up de Door 02:23		buy track
7.	Island Woman 02:57		buy track
8.	Please Scratch Me Back 02:23		buy track
9.	Bloodshot Eyes 02:25		buy track
10.	Yes Yes Yes 02:58		buy track
11.	All Suit, No Man 02:11		buy track
12.	Camilla 02:32		buy track
13.	Yellow Bird (bonus track) 02:44		buy track
14.	Jamaica Farewell (bonus track) 02:53		buy track
15.	Come Back Liza (bonus track) 02:56	info	buy track

about

George Symonette is a jaunty, spirited singer, a fine songwriter, and a splendid pianist. Born in 1912 or 1913, Symonette recorded a number of sides for the Harold E. Doane-owned Art and Bahama Records labels from 1955 to 1961. Calypso and Goombay Rhythms was originally released on the Bahama label in 1957. This neglected treasure (by a neglected and worthy artist) has been digitally restored from clean vinyl. If you're a fan of midcentury calypso—"goombay" is a derivation indigenous to the Bahamas—all Symonette recordings are worth hearing.

From the 1957 LP liner notes:

"George Symonette has been charming visitors to Nassau for many years now with his free and easy style of singing his free and easy Goombay folk songs. Through the medium of Bahama Records, people all over the world have had the opportunity of enjoying this sly singing storyteller. George accompanies himself at the piano, and the image of this six-foot, six-inch troubadour leaning back in his chair, playing his own unique combination of ragtime calypso, while singing his songs over his right shoulder to an ever-delighted audience, is one of the most pleasure-giving sights in all of the Bahamas."

credits

released November 15, 2020

Per the LP back cover annotation, "Coconut Water, Rum & Gin," "Lizzie Carry Basket on Head," Liza Open de Door," "Island Woman," "Please Scratch Me Back," and "All Suit, No Man" credited to Alice Simms as writer. Maybe. Competing claims abound. Symonette is credited with writing "Nassau Samba" and "Camilla." Perhaps. "My Lima Bean," "Don't Touch Me Tomato," "Bloodshot Eyes," and "Yes, Yes, Yes" are uncredited. Authorship of some of those titles are often disputed, although country singer Hank Penny and Harold Hensley generally get credit for "Bloodshot Eyes."

"Yellow Bird," "Jamaica Farewell," and "Come Back Liza" originally appeared on George Symonette in Stereo (Bahama Records Ltd. BR-34), issued in 1961. The first two are traditional works, and Symonette can be rightfully credited with the arrangements of these public domain titles. "Come Back Liza" might have been written by Irving Burgie and William Attaway, unless you discover information to the contrary. Such are the mysteries of the calypso music publishing industry.

Digitally restored from vinyl by Irwin Chusid, 2020

Cover art credited to C. Kelly

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Cosmic Spy Music Hoboken, New Jersey

Finding things on the scrapheap of history that we know don't belong there, and salvaging them.

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