oh! red

This Chicago session band recorded their first record and influenced the creation of rhythm and blues and rock & roll. Talent scout Mayo "Ink" Williams put the Harlem Hamfats together to back jazz and blues singers for Decca Records. None of the band members were from New York: Brothers Joe and Charlie McCoy were blues players from Mississippi; Herb Morand, Odell Rand, and John Lindsay were from New Orleans; Horace Malcolm and drummers Pearlis Williams and Freddie Flynn were from Chicago. Their sound reflected the geographical diversity of the band, drawing from dixieland, ragtime, swing, and blues. 'Oh! Red' has been covered by numerous artists including Count Basie, The Ink Spots, Blind Willie McTell, and Howlin' Wolf.