Blues Over Bodega: The Epitome of Protest Jazz

Hal Smith: Jeff, according to our recent e-mail exchanges, we share a favorite album: Blues Over Bodega, recorded by Lu Watters’ Jazz Band and released by Fantasy Records in 1964. I will provide some background information on the session, but first—what are your overall comments regarding this great album? Jeff Barnhart: Hal, I purchased a used copy of this LP when I was a mid-teenager. At the time, I’d only heard two tracks by the Yerba Buena Jazz Band. One was on a release produced by the late Dave Jasen called They All Played the Maple Leaf Rag, (guess the tune the band was blowing through…it stood out for its relentless rhythm and the frontline with two trumpets). The second was on a compilation CD called The Best of Dixieland or something similar. That release covered all branches of ensemble jazz, including the British Revivalist offshoots. Somewhere in the middle of the playlist, Watters’ “Blues My Naughty Sweetie” came blaring out of the speakers like, to paraphrase the liner notes, an unstoppable freight train. It was love at first sound. So I went to see what I could pick up at my three favorite record stores. I found none of the YBJB material from the 1940s but came across the Blues Over Bodega release. Reading the liner notes on the back of the LP, it might’ve been my age that made the word “protest” stand out! I eagerly bought it, took it home and pl