Prater & Hayes were American black musicians from Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States, who made recordings in the 1920s.[1] Matthew Prater was a mandolin player; Napoleon Hayes played the guitar.[1] They were the first to record Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer", under the title "Easy Winner", combining it with another song.[1][2] Another tune they borrowed from Joplin was "Somethin' Doin'."
Hayes was born in West Corinth, Mississippi in 1885, and Prater in New Albany, Mississippi on June 30, 1889.[3]
Their recordings showed a fusion of musical styles, of string band, blues and ragtime.[1][4] Prater took the lead with his mandolin, while Hayes played rhythm guitar.[1] They recorded music under two different group names, the 'Blue Boys' and the 'Johnson Boys' (with Lonnie Johnson).[1]
The three records that they produced were recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 15, 1928.[2]
- "Easy Winner", the Blue Boys (combined Joplin's "The Entertainer" with "Creole Belles", by J. Bodewalt Lampe)[1][5]
- "Memphis Stomp" (side 2) with Lonnie Johnson on fiddle[2][5]
- "Prater Blues" (side 1), the Johnson Boys[5]
- "Violin Blues" (side 2), the Johnson Boys (Lonnie Johnson on fiddle)[2][5]
- "Somethin' Doin'"[5]
- "Nothin' Doin'"[5]
Their lives after 1928, and the dates of their deaths, are unreported.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Prater and Hayes". Oldtimeparty.wordpress.com. 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Sullivan, Steve (October 2015). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 1. Vol. 1. Scarecrow Press. p. 446. ISBN 978-0810882959.
- ^ a b Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues – A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 110. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ Oliver, Paul (February 22, 2001). Yonder Come the Blues: The Evolution of a Genre. Cambridge University Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-0521787772.
Prater .
- ^ a b c d e f Rust, Brian; Shaw, Malcolm. Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897–1942): A-K. Mainspring Press. p. 755. ISBN 978-0967181929.