Slim & Slam

Slim & Sam were a novelty duo that formed in 1936, consisting of guitarist/singer Slim Gaillard and bassist Slam Stewart. The pair’s first recording together, “Flat Foot Floogie,” would also be their biggest hit as well, although other lesser hits followed through the early ‘40s (including “Tutti Frutti” and “Laughin’ in Rhythm”). By 1945, new bassist Bam Brown had replaced Stewart in the group (Brown would be present for such further hit novelties as “Cement Mixer” and “Poppity Pop”), while the same year saw a show in which Gaillard teamed up with both Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, culminating in the release of Slim's Jam. Throughout the rest of the decade, Gaillard teamed up with such other sidemen as Zutty Singleton and Dodo Marmarosa but was unable to sustain his earlier chart success. Gaillard abandoned his music career completely in the ’60s (running a San Diego motel), but by the ’70s, Gaillard returned to the concert stage for sporadic appearances. ~ Greg Prato