Lee Brown was the youngest of three brothers growing up in Newark, New Jersey and was nicknamed “Little Babs”. He changed his last name to “Gonzales” in the mid 40s to try to avoid discriminatory Jim Crow laws. Babs worked as a band boy for Jimmie Lunceford, Charlie Barnet, and Lionel Hampton’s bands out West, before moving to New York City in 1945 and meeting Dizzy Gillespie, who opened his eyes to the blossoming bebop scene.
Babs decided to pursue a career in singing and formed this group with the intention of bringing bebop “to the people”. Though tunes like this are associated with scat vocals, Babs made a distinction between his improvised singing and traditional scat singing. Babs’ improvised vocal solo can be heard starting at 0:49.
“Lop Pow” is an exuberant ear worm – you can’t help but feel and share the optimism and joy of the performers as they bop merrily along. If Babs’ goal was to make bebop more accessible to the masses – he certainly succeeded.
Babs went on to work with a variety of jazz greats, including Bud Powell, Fats Navarro, Sonny Rollins, and Jimmy Smith. He went on to perform and release records throughout the 50s, 60s and early 70s.
Recorded at WOR Studios in New York City on February 24, 1947.
Released as Blue Note 535.
Credits:
Babs Gonzales – vocal
Rudy Williams – alto sax
Tad Dameron – vocal & piano
Pee Wee Tinney – vocal & guitar
Art Phipps – bass
Charles Simon – drums
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