Al Bernard "Hesitation Blues" on 1919 cylinder (revived by Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna)

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• published: 06 Jul 2014
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Al Bernard sings "Hesitation Blues" on Edison Blue Amberol 3738 (later revived by Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna). This song has been around since 1915 or so. Jelly Roll Morton knew it. Rev. Gary Davis knew it. Jorma Kaukonen picked it up by the early 1960s and made it popular again with Hot Tuna's first lp (recorded in 1969). Alfred A. Bernard (23 November 1888 - 6 March 1949) was born to Alfred and Katherine Bernard in New Orleans, probably on November 23, 1888 (this date comes from the ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of 1952; his death certificate cites November 23, 1887). He attended St. Francis School and took a business course at Jesuit College. His brother Joseph E. Bernard was an entertainer in vaudeville and then films. The singer was known as Al Bernard, "the boy from Dixie." In popularizing songs with "blues" in the title, especially W. C. Handy numbers that would eventually be recognized as classics, he was a pioneering artist. He was the first singer to record "St. Louis Blues" and "Beale Street Blues." He made his debut as a solo artist with "St. Louis Blues" on Emerson 9163, issued in May 1919. His first records were made in early 1919. Around the time he recorded "St. Louis Blues" for Emerson, he also provided vocal refrains on dance numbers issued by the Aeolian Company, maker of Aeolian-Vocalion discs. Bernard sang on dance records cut by the Novelty Five, a Harry A. Yerkes ensemble. The earliest titles with Bernard contributing a vocal refrain are "Bluin' the Blues" (12117), "Don't Cry, Frenchy, Don't Cry" (12117), "Shake, Rattle and Roll" (12124), and "I Want To Hold You In My Arms" (12135). Aeolian-Vocalion 12117 was issued in May, 12124 and 12135 following in June. With the Novelty Five he again cut Handy's "St. Louis Blues," and the rare Aeolian?Vocalion 12148 was issued in July 1919. In 1919 as a solo artist he recorded for Aeolian two more of his own compositions: "Sugar" and "Big Chief Blues," issued on Aeolian-Vocalion 12191 in October. He worked for Edison around the time he made records for the Aeolian Company. Soon afterward he had Emerson, Okeh, and Gennett sessions. His first Edison session was on February 14, 1919. His version of Middleton and Smythe's "Hesitation Blues" was issued as Blue Amberol 3738 in June 1919 and Diamond Disc 50524 a month later. It was followed in July 1919 by two Blue Amberol selections. Blue Amberol 3766 features a 1913 Leroy "Lasses" White composition called "Nigger Blues" (Bernard later recorded with minstrel entertainer Lasses White for Columbia). Notwithstanding its offensive title, "Nigger Blues" is important for being one of the first published songs labeled "blues." George O'Connor had recorded it in 1916 for Columbia. Blue Amberol 3773 features "I Want To Hold You In My Arms," the first of many duets by Al Bernard and Ernest Hare. "Nigger Blues" was issued on Diamond Disc 50542 in August, a month after the Blue Amberol version was issued. Likewise, "I Want To Hold You In My Arms," written by J. Russel Robinson, was issued again later (in September) on Diamond Disc 50558. As a solo artist he recorded the dice song "Shake, Rattle and Roll, Who's Got Me." It was issued in July 1919 on seven-inch Emerson 7503, a rare disc since Emerson stopped production of seven-inch discs at this time (the June issue of the company's trade journal, Emersonian, announced that soon all popular titles would be issued on nine-inch discs). A nine-inch Emerson disc from 1919 features "That's the Feller" (9227). "Shake, Rattle and Roll, Who's Got Me" is also on Okeh 1235, issued in September and backed by Bernard singing Robinson's "Venus Blues," as well as Edison Blue Amberol 3854, released in November. Bernard cut several Handy songs in this period but recorded "St. Louis Blues" most often. Handy in his autobiography, Father of the Blues (Macmillan, 1941), acknowledges Bernard's help in popularizing it and recounts how Bernard took Handy's letter of recommendation to Thomas A. Edison, who "liked Al Bernard's test and immediately contracted for this blue song as well as other numbers that might be sung by the young Southerner." He was the first to cut "Frankie and Johnny" successfully for an American record company (Gene Greene recorded it in London for Pathé in 1912), issued by Brunswick with "Memphis Blues" on the reverse side. In 1919 he married actress Gertrude Anderson. Late in life he lived at 305 West 45th Street in New York City. He died in Manhattan's St. Clare's Hospital and was survived by his wife and two daughters. He was buried on March 9 in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery at Mt. Pleasant, New York.