BLUES & GOSPEL
Paul Lamb
& The Kingsnakes -> Calvin Leavy
| SONNY
LANDRETH & BAYOU RHYTHM |
Acadia 8009 |
Down In Louisiana |
● CD $17.98 |
Reissue of Blues Unlimited LP from the early 90s. Enjoyable
album by Louisiana based white blues band mixes in elements of blues, R & B,
Zydeco, Cajun, swamp pop and New Orleans second line to produce a lively
mixture. Most of the songs were written by singer/ guitarist Landreth or
harmonica player Mel Melton along with a couple from the repertoire of
Clifton Chenier and a New Orleans flavored version of Sonny Boy Williamson's
Checking On My Baby.
|
| EDDIE LANG &
LONNIE JOHNSON |
BGO BGOCD 327 |
Blue Guitars 1 & 2 |
● CD $19.98 |
Two CDs, 32 tracks, 100 mins, essential
At last we've found
a new, and hopefully more reliable source for this magnificent collection
reissuing two LPs originally issued in the 70s. This set features two giants
of the guitar - Lonnie Johnson was a bluesman who could play jazz and Lang
was a jazzman who could play blues. There are seven incredible guitar duets
including such gems as Hot Fingers/ Have To Change Keys To Play The Blues
and Two Tone Stomp. There are also solo performances by each, two
tracks by the Louis Armstrong Orch - one with Lang and one with Johnson,
there are accompaniments to the great blues singer Texas Alexander and much
more. Sound quality is stunning - you'll have a hard time believing that
most of these tracks are more than 70 years old. Decent notes by Stan Britt
and full discographical info. (FS)
|
| HIP LANKCHAN |
Storyville 8039 |
I Am On My Way |
● CD $21.98 |
Previously on a hard to find MCM album this set features
live recordings cut at "Ma Beas" in Chicago in 1976. CD issue includes 4
songs not on original LP.
|
| DENISE LASALLE |
Malaco 7422 |
Love Talkin' |
● CD $16.98 |
This album by fine Memphis singer is a mixture of blues and
soul with some occasional funk and pop. Highlights are the soulful Talkin'
In Your Sleep, the bluesy Someone Else Is Steppin' In, the
cynical
Love Is A Five Letter Word and the rocking Get What You Can.
Arrangements have that Malaco assembly line sound to them - very competent
but lacking in expressiveness. But the album is worth a listen for Denise's
vocals and some of the songs. (FS)
|
| BOOKER T. LAURY |
Bullseye Blues 9542 |
Nothin' But The Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
|
BOOKER T. LAURY: Blues On The Prowl/ Blues With A Feeling/
Booker's Boogie/ DB Blues/ Disco Strut/ Early In The Morning/ Introduction
To The Blues/ Sweet Root Man/ That's All Right For You/ The Slop Jar Story/
Woke Up This Morning
|
| BOOKER T. LAURY/
MOSE VINSON |
Wolf 120.928 |
Memphis Piano Blues Today |
● CD $16.98 |
Nice collection of piano blues from two veteran Memphis
musicians in their 70s. The tracks by Vinson were recorded at a friends
house and the sound quality is a bit thin. Vinson is a barrelhouse player
with a style firmly rooted in the past and performs mostly original songs
and tunes including a nice Boogie Woogie Blues. Laury is a little
more modern in his style and seems to have been influenced by Vinson and by
Roosevelt Sykes. He is a more powerful performer with an occasional tendency
to stridency. His 8 tracks were recorded live in front of a very
enthusiastic audience and is accompanied by an unidentified drummer. His
material is somewhat more derivative (Next Time You See/ Blues With A
Feeling/ Night Time Is The Right Time, etc) but his performances are
enjoyable and there are a couple of good originals. Not essential but
enjoyable. (FS)
|
| JOHNNY LAWS |
Wolf 120.881 |
My Little Girl |
● CD $16.98 |
Debut album from Chicago singer/ guitarist accompanied by
The Teardrops and with Little Mac Simmons on four tracks.
|
| SAM LAY |
Random Chance 8 |
I Get Evil |
● CD $14.98 |
10 tracks, 43 minutes, very good
Sam Lay got his nickname,
"The Shufflemaster," from his ability to lay down a driving and relentless
backbeat. That ability is shown to good effect in his latest offering which
follows work on Appaloosa, Evidence, and Telarc. Lay has a fine band in tow
for Jimmy Reed's You're So Fine, with good harp from Fingers Taylor
while Fred James dishes out fine guitar on Lowell Fulson's Black Night
and Albert King's I Get Evil. Muddy Waters' Mean Disposition
gets a nice reading and Jay McShann's Hands Off rides along the
familiar mojo groove. The true gems here show Sam Lay on guitar, playing
convincingly in a country blues style for Rock Me Baby/ Boogie Chillen,
and Muddy's Still A Fool. Lay's own slow and deliberate instrumental,
Sam's Big Boy, is just as satisfying. This revelation itself makes
the disc worth its admission price. (CR)
|
| SAM LAY BLUES BAND |
Evidence 26081 |
Stone Blues |
● CD $12.98 |
11 tracks, 42 mins, recommended
Excellent new solo album
from great blues drummer and vocalist Sam Lay - with Fred James/ guitar,
Billy Farlowe/ harmonica and others. Lay is not a great singer but he gets
his message across and his drumming is exceptional. The material is very
varied including a number of originals from Sam and his bandmates including
the intense topical blues Red White And Blues, the not immodest
The Shuffle Masters and others. The covers are varied and well chosen
including Muddy's Walkin' Through The Park, Lightnin' Hopkins'
Short Haired Woman and the jazz-blues standard Jelly Jelly.
Accompaniments are solid with some very nice guitar by Fred James. (FS)
|
| LAZY LESTER |
Ace CDCHD 518 |
I'm A Lover Not A Fighter |
● CD $18.98 |
Classic Excello recordings.
LAZY LESTER: A Real Combination For Love/ Bloodstains On
The Wall/ I Hear You Knockin'/ I Love You, I Need You/ I Made Up My Mind/ I
Told My Little Woman/ I'm A Lover Not A Fighter/ I'm So Glad/ I'm So Tired/
If You Think I've Lost You/ Late In The Evening/ Lester's Stomp/ Lonesome
Highway Blues/ Patrol Blues/ Sad City Blues/ Sugar Coated Love/ Take Me In
Your Arms/ Tell Me Pretty Baby/ The Same Thing Could Happen To You/ Through
The Goodness Of My Heart/ Whoa Now/ You Better Listen To What I Said/ You
Got Me Where You Want Me/ You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby
|
| LAZY LESTER |
Alligator 4768 |
Harp & Soul |
● CD $16.98 |
|
LAZY LESTER: Alligator Shuffle/ Bloodstains on The Wall/
Bye Bye Baby/ Dark End Of The Street/ Five Long Years/ I Done Got Over It/
I'm A Man/ Patrol Wagon Blues/ Raining In My Heart/ Take Me In Your Arms
|
| LAZY LESTER |
Antone's 10042 |
All Over You |
● CD $15.98 |
Available again. Fine 1998 set with Lester redoing some of
his own Excello sides as well as those of fellow Excello artists like Slim
Harpo, Lightnin' Slim and others plus a Jimmy Reed songs. Backed by a solid
small group Lester sings well and plays some dynamite harp.
|
| LEAD BELLY |
BGO BGOCD 403 |
Huddie Ledbetter's Best |
● CD $17.98 |
12 tracks, essential
CD issue of Capitol T-1821 (now deleted
in the USA) originally issued in 1963. Recorded in October, 1944 these were
the last studio recordings of the great singer and 12 string guitarist and
features fine renditions of some of his most popular songs including a
particularly rousing version of his most famous song Goodnight Irene
plus Rock Island Line/ Ella Speed/ Western Plain/ Sweet Mary Blues,
etc. There are also two wonderful tracks featuring Leadbelly playing some
lovely ragtime flavored blues piano. Many of the tracks feature Paul Howard
on zither - an instrument not normally associated with the blues but which
is remarkably effective here (FS)
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Collectables 5183 |
Golden Classics Part One - Bourgeois Blues |
● CD $11.98 |
|
LEADBELLY: Big Fat Woman/ Bring Me Li'l Water Silvy/
Burrow Love & Go/ De Kalb Woman/ John Hardy/ Julie Ann Johnson/ Line 'em/
Looky, Looky Yonder Black Betty/ Noted Rider/ Poor Howard Green Corn/ The
Bourgeois Blues/ The Gallis Pole/ Whoe Back Buck/ Yellow Woman's Doorbells
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Collectables 5196 |
Golden Classics Part Two - Defense Blues |
● CD $11.98 |
|
LEADBELLY: Blue Tail Fly/ Boll Weevil Blues/ Defense
Blues/ Down In The Valley/ Jim Crow/ Keep Your Hand Off Her/ Midnight
Special/ On A Monday/ Pigmeat/ Skip To My Lou
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Columbia 30035 |
Leadbelly |
● CD $9.98 |
|
LEAD BELLY: Alberta/ Baby Don't You Love Me No More/ Black
Snake Moan/ Blind Lemon/ Bull Cow/ C.C. Rider/ Death Letter Blues Part I/
Death Letter Blues Part II/ Kansas City Papa/ Match Box Blues/ Mister Tom
Hughes's Town/ Packin' Trunk Blues/ Red River/ Roberta Part I/ Roberta Part
II/ You Can't Lose Me, Baby
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Columbia 46776 |
King Of The 12-String Guitar |
● CD $11.98 |
Another fine entry in Columbia-Legacy's "Roots A Blues
Series", this time featuring 18 fine sides recorded between January and
March, 1935 for ARC by this great Louisiana singer and 12 string guitarist.
These recordings are among his finest and includes a rare excursion on slide
guitar on the magnificent Packing Trunk. The rest of the material
includes blues, work songs and even a sentimental ballad. Several tracks
have nver been issued before including the powerful My Baby Quit Me
and T.B. Woman Blues. Sound is generally good though some tracks are
from worn acetates. Affectionate notes by Larry Cohn and some nice photos.
(FS)
LEAD BELLY: Becky Deem, She Was A Gamblin' Girl/ Daddy I'm
Coming Back To You/ Death Letter Blues Part I/ Death Letter Blues Part II/
Fort Worth And Dallas Blues/ Four Day Worry Blues/ Honey, I'm All Out And
Down/ Kansas City Papa/ My Baby Quit Me/ Ox Drivin' Blues/ Packin' Trunk/
Pig Meat Papa/ Roberta Part I/ Roberta Part II/ Shorty George/ T.B. Woman
Blues/ Yellow Jacket/ You Don't Know My Mind
|
| LEAD BELLY/ JOSH WHITE |
Document DOCD 1018 |
Black Folk Singers, The Remaining Titles |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 75 mins, recommended
A "mopping up" operation
bringing to CD tracks not yet reissued on Document or other label CDs. The
Leadbelly sides cover the period 1937 to 1946 and includes an unreissued
Library Of Congress tracks, material from live broadcasts and more. Includes
a version of Rock Island Line with zither and a version of
Careless Love with Sonny & Brownie, Willie "The Lion" Smith and Pops
Foster. Several of the songs are about America's involvement in Worlw War 2.
The White cuts are from the period 1944 to 1946 and includes tracks with the
Union Boys (Hold On) and a duet with Leadbelly on Don't Lie Buddy.
Most of the songs by both artists are familiar titles so this would not be
your first choice by either artist but if you want to be complete ... here
it is! (FS)
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5226 |
Complete Recorded Works, 1939-1947 : Vol 1 |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 76 min., recommended
If you're a Leadbelly fan,
your CD player should soon runneth over. In addition to his many discs
already available, Document is now doing the job the right way, with
maximum-length, chronological-order retrospectives. This volume opens with
two "bonus" tracks, 1935 alternate takes of Daddy I'm Coming Back to You
and Shorty George, cuts that are included because Columbia missed
them in its series covering the complete ARC sessions (Columbia 46789 and
CK30035). Then it moves on to his first sessions with Musicraft and with
Victor/Bluebird, overall covering roughly the last half of 1939 and the
first half of 1940. Selections include Fannin Street/ De Kalb Blues/ The
Boll Weevil and, from his first session with the Golden Gate Quartet,
Pick a Bale of Cotton/ Midnight Special, and Rock Island Line.
Not a bad program at all. Good sound quality, honest and informative notes,
and a nice cover photo of Leadbelly sporting his trademark bow tie. (DH)
LEAD BELLY: Ain't Goin' Down To The Well No Mo'-go Down
Old Hannah/ Alabama Bound/ Alberta/ Boll Weevil/ Bourgeous Blues/ Daddy I'm
Coming Back To You/ De Kalb Blues/ Fannin Street/ Frankie And Albert/
Frankie And Albert/ Gallis Pole/ Good Morning Blues/ I'm On My Last
Go-round/ Leaving Blues/ Looky Looky Yonder-black Betty-yellow Women's Door
Bells (on A Monday)/ Midnight Special/ Pick A Bale Of Cotton/ Poor
Howard-green Corn/ Red Cross Store Blues/ Roberta/ Rock Island Line/ Sail On
Little Girl Sail On/ Shorty George/ T.b. Blues/ Whoa Back Buck
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5227 |
Complete Recorded Works, 1939-1947 : Vol 2 |
● CD $15.98 |
29 tracks, 76 min., recommended
The second set in this
series offers the material from seven New York City sessions, held between
the spring of 1940 and the summer of 1943. Original issue labels include
Bluebird, Victor, Asch, Melodisc, and Atlantic. The highlights here include
Leadbelly's second session with the Golden Gate Quartet, which produced
Grey Goose/ Stew Ball, and Take This Hammer, the "play-party" and
"work song" sessions for Moses Asch, which produced Skip to My Lou/ Ha Ha
Thisaway/ Little Sally Walker/ Haul Away Joe, and Rock Island Line,
and seven numbers accompanied by harmonica wizard Sonny Terry. Great music,
presented with fine sound quality, a vintage cover photo, and excellent
notes by Ken Romanowski. (DH)
LEAD BELLY: Ain't You Glad/ Can't You Line 'em/ Christmas
Song/ Corn Bread Rough/ Don't You Love Your Daddy No More/ Easy Rider/ Good
Morning Blues/ Good Night Irene/ Good Night Irene/ Grey Goose/ Ha Ha
Thisaway/ Ham An' Eggs/ Haul Away Joe/ How Long/ John Henry/ Little Sally
Walker/ New York/ Ol' Riley/ Old Man/ On A Monday/ Redbird/ Rock Island
Line/ Skip To My Lou/ Stew Ball/ Take This Hammer/ Take This Hammer/ Worried
Blues/ You Can't Lose Me Cholly/ You Can't Lose-a Me Cholly
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5228 |
Complete Recorded Works, 1939-1947 : Vol 3 |
● CD $15.98 |
26 tracks, 75 min., recommended
Volume three features seven
more New York sessions, the last five of which are clustered in April of
1944, all from the time when Leadbelly was associated with the Moe Asch
labels, Disc, Asch, and Stinson. Only the second session here, having been
done for Musicraft, breaks the pattern. Highlights overall include the
artist accompanying himself on button accordion in a version of John
Hardy, and on piano in Big Fat Woman. There are two duets with
Josh White, I've a Pretty Flowers and Don't Lie Buddy. And the
rather convincing aural evidence that Leadbelly really did act as "lead boy"
for Blind Lemon Jefferson is offered in Blind Lemon (Memorial Record)
and Leadbelly's Dance. Again, the sound quality, notes, and graphics
are worthy of the historically-important music that is presented. (DH)
LEAD BELLY: Bill Brady/ Blind Lemon (memorial Record)/
Bring Me Little Water Silvy-julia Ann Johnson-line 'em-whoaback Buck/ Cow
Cow Yicky Yicky Yea-out On The Western Plains/ Don't Lie Buddy/ Fiddler's
Dream-yallow Gal-green Corn/ How Do You Know-don't Mind The Weather/ I've A
Pretty Flowers/ In New Orleans/ John Hardy/ John Hardy/ Leadbelly's Dance/
Little Sally Walker-ha Ha Thisaway-red Bird/ Meeting At The Building-talking
Preaching-we Shall Walk Through The Valley/ Mo' Yet-how Old Are You (little
Boy)-there's A Limb On The Tree (green Gras/ Mother's Blues (little Children
Blues)/ Noted Rider-big Fat Woman-borrow Love And Go/ Outskirts Of Town/
Pretty Flowers In Your Backyard/ Red River-black Girl (in The Pines)-don't
Miss Your Water Blues/ Roberta/ Skip To My Lou-christmas Day (it's Almost
Day)/ What Are Little Boys Made Of-let Me Hold Your Hand (all Foryou)-polly
Wolly/ When The Boys Were Out On The Western Plains/ Where Did You Sleep
Last Night/ Yellow Gal
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5310 |
Complete Recorded Works, 1939-1947 : Vol. 4 |
● CD $15.98 |
29 tracks, 73 mins, recommended
More terrific sides from the
masterful Leadbelly recorded in 1944 for Moses Asch and, somewhat
surprisingly, for Capitol. The material is varied including blues standards (In
The Evening When The Sun Goes Down/ T.B. Blues/Backwater Blues/ Easy Rider,
etc), topical songs (Jim Crow Blues/ Army Life/ Mr. Hitler/ Bourgeois
Blues, gospel (The Blood Done Signed My Name, an unaccompanied
work song (Line 'Em and more. The Capitol recordings feature
particularly fine versions of some of his most popular songs like Rock
Island Line/ Goodnight Irene/ Western Plain and more. On a number of
these he is joined by the zither of Paul Howard and the combined sound of
the zither and his 12 string guitar is particularly stirring. On a couple of
tracks he plays some wonderfully raggy piano and the delightful Corn
Bread Rough features a rare example of his concertina playing. This
great performer in top form throughout. (FS)
LEAD BELLY: Army Life/ Backwater Blues/ Bourgeois Blues/
Children's Blues (little Children's Blues)/ Corn Bread Rough/ Cow Cow Yicky
Yicky Yea/ Eagle Rock Rag/ Easy Rider (see See Rider)/ Ella Speed/ In The
Evenin' When The Sun Goes Down/ Irene/ Jean Harlow/ Jim Crow Blues/ Juliana
Johnson/ Keep Your Hands Off Her/ Line 'em/ Mr. Hitler/ National Defense
Blues/ On A Christmas Day/ Red Bird/ Rock Island Line/ T. B. Blues/ Take
This Hammer/ Tell Me Baby/ The Blood Done Sign My Name (ain't You Glad)/ The
Eagle/ There's A Man Going Round Taking Names/ We Shall Be Free/ Western
Plain
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5311 |
Complete Recorded Works, 1939-1945 : Vol 5 |
● CD $15.98 |
28 tracks, 71 mins, recommended
More fine sides. The set
starts off with the last two cuts from his Capitol sessio in ovember, 1944.
From February, 1945 is a live radio broadcast for schools recorded in front
of an audience of children. Leadbelly's rapport with the youngsters is
impressive and they join in the choruses of several of the songs. He is back
in New York in 1946 and the fruits of two sessions are presented here. On
one he is joined by Sonny Terry, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Brownie McGhee and
"Pops" Foster and on the other by Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston. The songs
are mostly reworkings of old Leadbelly favorites. (FS)
LEAD BELLY: Alabama Bound/ Boll Weevil/ By And By When The
Morning Comes/ Christmas Is Coming/ Defense Blues/ Diggin' My Potatoes/ Easy
Rider/ Everytime I Feel The Spirit-swing Low Sweet Chariot-they Hung Him On
The Cr/ Fiddler's Dram/ Good Morning Blues/ Grasshoppers In My Pillow/ Gray
Goose/ Green Corn/ Ham And Eggs/ Haul Away Joe/ Irene, Goodnight/ John
Henry/ John Henry/ Julie Ann Johnson/ Midnight Special/ Pigmeat/ Rock Island
Line/ Stew Ball/ Sweet Mary Blues/ Swing Low Sweet Chariot/ We're In The
Same Boat Brother/ When A Man's A Long Way From Home/ Yellow Gal
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5568 |
Complete Recorded Works, 1939-1947 : Vol. 6
- 1947 |
● CD $15.98 |
38 tracks, some previously on LP plus 10 tracks only
recently discovered. Includes cuts with Leadbelly on concertina or piano.
LEAD BELLY: Big Fat Woman/ Black Betty/old Man/on A
Monday/ Black Girl/ Blind Lemon/ Borrow Love And Go/ Bring Me A Little Water
Silvy/ Cotton Song/ Duncan (and Brady)/ Eagle Rock Rag/ Gallis Pole/ Good
Mornin' Blues/ Good Morning Blues/ Gray Goose/ Ha Ha This Way/ Howard
Hughes/ I'm Leavin' On The Morning Train/ If It Wasn't For Dickey/ Irene
Goodnight/ Jean Harlow/ Laura/ Leavin' Blues (leavin' In The Morning)/
Leaving Blues/ Meeting At The Building/ Morning/ New York City/ No Good
Rider/ Old Riley/ On A Monday (i'm Almost Done)/ Pick A Bale Of Cotton/
Pigmeat/ Rock Island Line/ Shorty George/ Sukey Jump (win'jammer)/ Take This
Hammer/ Turn Yo' Radio On/ We Shall Walk Through The Valley/ Yellow Gal/ You
Can't Lose Me Cholly
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5591 |
Remaining ARC & Library Of Congress
Recordings, Vol. 1 |
● CD $15.98 |
The first of five volumes to feature all of Leadbelly's
Library Of Congress that are not on the Rounder series (1044, 1045, 1046,
1097, 1098 & 1099). This disc has 15 Library Of Congress recordings from
1934 & '35 plus 13 ARC cuts from 1935 complemnting those on Columbia.
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5592 |
Remaining Library Of Congress Recordings,
Vol. 2 : 1935 |
● CD $15.98 |
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5593 |
Remaining Library Of Congress Recordings,
Vol. 3 : 1935 |
● CD $15.98 |
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5594 |
Remaining Library Of Congress Recordings, V.
4 1935-38 |
● CD $15.98 |
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5595 |
Remaining Library Of Congress Recordings, V.
5 1938-42 |
● CD $15.98 |
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5640 |
Complete Recordings, Vol 7 : 1947-1949 |
● CD $15.98 |
28 tracks
LEAD BELLY: Ain't Going Down To The Well No More/ Ain't
Gonna Let You Worry My Life No More/ Birmingham Jail (down In The Valley)/
Come And Sit Down Beside Me/ Go Down, Old Hannah/ Goin' Back To Mary (if I
Had You Governor/governor Pat Neff)/ Good Morning Blues/ Green Card/ Ha, Ha
This A Way/ I Will Be So Glad When I Get Home (live)/ It Was Early One
Mornin' (jail House Blues)/ It Was Soon One Morning/ John Henry/ John Henry/
Noted Rider/ Old Ship Of Zion (live)/ Ox Driving Moan/ Parting Song (when
You Smile-o)/ Pick A Bale Of Cotton/ Pretty Papa/ Rooster Crows At Midnight
(christmas Day)/ Shout On (honey I'm All Out And Down)/ Skip To My Lou/ Take
A Whiff On Me/ Take This Hammer/ Tell Me Baby What Was Wrong With You/ Whoa
Back Buck/ You Can't Lose A Me, Charlie
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5664 |
Private Party, Minneapolis, Minn 1948 |
● CD $15.98 |
26 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
This is a pleasant
surprise - the great songster and 12 string guitarist captured in fine form
at a private party held at the home of University Of Minnesota lecturer and
concert coordinator Clifford Manz in November, 1948. Considering the
circumstances, the recording quality is excellent - the microphone is some
distance from Leadbelly so the vocals are a little hollow and you have to
strain to hear the spoken parts but it's all highly listenable. Leadbelly
sounds relaxed and in great spirits, reminiscing with the audience about the
songs and performing with fire and skill. His songs cover a broad spectrum
of his repertoire, mostly familiar material but there a few that aren't
readily available elsewhere and Leadbelly composed Lake Superior on
the spot for his hosts. The set ends with an utterly charming version of
Goodnight Irene with Leadbelly duetting with a little girl who can't be
more than 5 years old. This set reminds us what a great entertainer he was.
(FS)
LEADBELLY: A Lesson In History/ Ain't It A Shame/
Bourgeois Blues/ Dicky/ Down In Louisiana/ Fannin Street/ Goodnight Irene
(sung with little girl)/ Goodnight, Irene/ Governor O.K. Allen/ Governor Pat
Neff/ Hawaiian Song/ I Ain't Goin' Down To The Well No More/ Jean Harlow/
Jim Crow/ John Henry/ Lake Superior/ Mississippi River/ Mississippi River
(No. 2)/ Nobody In The World Is Better Than Us/ Old Black Crow/ Pig Latin
Song/ Samuel Hall/ Stewball/ Story/ Talk About Governor Patt Neff And
Writing The Song/ Talk About Louisiana & Governor Allen/ Talk About
Stewball/ The Grey Goose/ Tuning/ Tuning; Introduction; Gallis pole
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Document DOCD 5676 |
"Live" - New York 1947/ Austin, Texas 1949 |
● CD $15.98 |
21 track collection. The first four sides were recorded live
in 1947 at New York Town Hall in September 1947 where Leadbelly is
accompanied by the Bunk Johnson band (Johnson, Jimmy Archy, Omer Simeon,
Danny Barker, etc) and the remainder recorded at the University Of Texas,
Austin in June, 1949 just six months before his death and are some of the
very last recordings of this giant.
LEAD BELLY: Backwater Blues/ Borrow Love And Go/ Ella
Louise/ Good Morning Blues/ I Don't Want No More Of Army Life/ I Will Be So
Glad When I Get Home/ Irene Goodnight (finale)/ Irene Goodnight (intro)/
John Henry/ Mary And Martha/ Medley/ Old Hannah/ Old Ship Of Zion/ Relax
Your Mind/ Rock Island Line/ Scrambled Egg Song (c'est Bon)/ Shine On Me/
Skip To My Lou/ What Can I Do To Change Your Mind/ Whoa Buck/ Yellow Gal
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Fabulous 105 |
Live! |
● CD $8.98 |
16 tracks, 55 mins, recommended
Fine set by this great
songster recorded live at the University Of Texas in Austin on June 15,
1949. Despite being ravaged by the disease that was to kill him less than
six months later both his singing and playing was strong and his repartee
with the audience was delightful and he gets them to sing along on a number
of the songs. The repertoire is familiar Lead Belly favorites including
Goodnight Irene/ Rock Island Line/ Shine On Me/ Skip To My Lou/ Whoa Buck/
Backwater Blues/ I Don't Want No Army Life and others along with one new
songs C'est Bon, Les Ouefs which he wrote after e had returned from
his first and only European tour having spent almost a month in Paris. Sound
quality is generally excellent. This was originally issued many years ago on
an LP on the Playboy label and I believe that this is its first appearance
on CD. A worthwhile addition to your Lead Belly collection. (FS)
|
| LEAD BELLY |
JSP JSPCD 7764 |
Important Recordings, 1934-1949 |
● CD $28.98 |
4 CDs, 97 tracks, recommended
JSP's box sets have helped
enormously in improving the sound quality of our pre war collections, but
given the scores of Leadbelly [or Lead Belly] CDs currently available, it is
tempting to wonder why they took on this project. Leadbelly's legacy of
about seven hundred recordings certainly invites a selective approach, and
as he made many versions of his standard songs throughout his career JSP's
claim that these are the "important" recordings (whatever that may mean) is
intriguing. Disc A, covering the 1934-38 field recordings, is excellent. The
magnificent voice, the variety of songs (including topical songs), the
robust support of the 12 string sometimes embellished with imitations of
little "piano pieces", the fast spoken exposition between verses, the sheer
power of performance and personality are all much in evidence. One marathon
piece Leaving On The Morning Train Blues is, according to JSP, new to
CD, while the version of Bourgeois Blues gives the background of
racial discrimination by both blacks and whites which prompted the song.
Sound quality is very good considering the source material and often
significantly better than corresponding tracks on the Rounder reissues.
Disc
B covers Leadbelly's first commercial recording session, and opens with the
first 15 songs in chronological order. The ARC sessions were undoubtedly
some of his very best work: the blues which dominate them are outstanding,
and C.C. Rider must be one of the most exciting versions on record.
Sound quality is well up to the good standard of the Sony/Columbia releases
and all the tracks on "Leadbelly" (Col 30035) and "King Of The 12-String
Guitar" (46776) are included.
Disc C completes the ARC sessions before the
focus changes to folk and work songs, nine in the company of the Golden Gate
Quartet. These group performances are surprisingly effective, although they
take up quite a bit of space in the context of the compilation. It is a pity
room could not have made for the compelling field holler Ain't Going Down
To The Well No Mo'/ Go Down Old Hannah, which preceded the first Golden
Gate recordings, but after the first session with the quartet Leadbelly
remained in the studio to produce some of his finest work. The five tracks
featured here, starting with a superb Good Morning Blues, are one of
the highlights of the set.
The final disc, while again interesting and
varied and like Disc C offering good sound quality, is a more subdued
affair. Some of the tracks seem lacking the usual energy, and the ten that
feature a zither player force a more muted presentation of some songs,
although Irene with zither accompaniment works very well. Despite his
extensive catalogue what little commercial success Leadbelly had was as a
live performer for white audiences, so it is appropriate that the set ends
with a concert version of Shine On Me just a few months before his
death. While we can argue about individual selections this is another JSP
box well worth having, supported by informative notes from Neal Slaven drawn
from the Charles Wolfe/Kip Lornell biography. As a supplement,
Smithsonian/Folkways "Where Did You Sleep Last Night - Leadbelly Legacy
Volume 1" (40044 - $15.98) offers superior versions of Rock Island Line
and In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down as well as other
interesting later work, with only one duplication. (DPR)
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Rounder 1044 |
Library Of Congress Recordings, Vol 1 :
Midnight Specia |
● CD $15.98 |
The first in a series presenting the cream of Lead
Belly's Library Of Congress recordings cut between 1934 and 1940. This
volume features 15 tracks - some recorded at the Louisiana State
Penitentiary in Angola, La in July 1934 and the rest recorded in Wilton, Ct
between January and March, 1935. It includes some of his most famous blues
and ballads including a two part version of Irene which though
probably not written by him as is often thought will always be associated
with him. It also includes a lovely version of Matchbox Blues with
fine slide guitar, the song that supposedly helped win his release from
prison Governer O.K. Allen, Ella Speed, Take A Whiff On Me
and others. Very good sound considering the condition of the originals,
informative notes by Kip Lornell and some fine photos. (FS)
LEAD BELLY: Careless Love/ Dekalb Blues/ Ella Speed/
Frankie And Albert/ Get Up In The Mornin'/ Governor Ok Allen/ I'm Sorry
Mama/ Irene/ Irene (2)/ Matchbox Blues/ Midnight Special/ Red River/
Roberta/ Take A Whiff On Me/ You Don't Know My Mind
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Rounder 1045 |
Library Of Congress Recordings, Vol 2 :
Gwine Dig A Hole |
● CD $15.98 |
|
LEAD BELLY: Alberta Alberta/ Becky Dean/ Cc Rider/ Dance
Calls/ Governor Pat Neff/ Green Corn/ Gwine Dig A Hole To Put The Devil In/
If It Wasn't For Dicky/ Mama Did You Bring Any Silver/ Medicine Man/ Old
Rattler/ Po' Howard/ Queen Mary/ Turn Yo' Radio On
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Rounder 1046 |
Library Of Congress Recordings, Vol 3 : Let
It Shine On Me |
● CD $15.98 |
The third volume features 16 tracks - mostly recorded at a
marathon session on August 23, 1940 where he recorded more than 50 songs.
The opening cut is a 12 minute conversation with Alan Lomax with musical
illustrations about the old time dances and sookey jumps (listed on the disc
as Monologue On The Mourners Beach but I think that may be a
mistake). The collection includes a number of spirituals (mostly
unaccompanied) including the superb You Must Have That Religion, Halleloo.
There are several interesting topical songs - Howard Hughes/ The
Roosevelt Song and Mr Hitler as well powerful blues (Leaving
Blues/ No Good Rider/ Blues About New York) and Leadbelly's own take on
country & western - When I Was A Cowboy. Excellent! (FS)
LEAD BELLY: Backslider Fare Thee Well/ Blues About New
York/ Down In The Valley To Pray/ Howard Hughes/ Leavin' Blues/ Let It Shine
On Me/ Monologue On The Mourner's Bench/ Mr Hitler/ Must I Be Carried To The
Sky/ No Good Rider/ Ride On/ Roosevelt Song/ Run Sinners/ When I Was A
Cowboy/ You Must Have That Religion Halleloo
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Rounder 1097 |
Library Of Congress Recordings, Vol 4 : The
Titanic |
● CD $15.98 |
19 tracks, 68 min., recommended
Rounder's fourth installment
in its series of six, issuing selected Library of Congress acetates by this
extraordinarily important blues/folk artist. According to Dixon and Godrich's Blues & Gospel Records 1902-1943, most of the numbers here were
recorded in 1935. (The liner notes by Kip Lornell mysteriously place them
between 1939 and 1943.) Program highlights include Blind Lemon Blues/
Henry Ford Blues/ Angola Blues/ Red Cross Sto', and the popular Texas
number, Hesitation Blues. Sound quality varies a bit, but in spite of
some surface noise on most numbers, the set as a whole is quite listenable.
Otherwise, graphics are well done, and the notes are brief. (DH)
LEAD BELLY: Angola Blues (so Doggone Soon)/ Blind Lemon
Blues/ Boll Weevil/ Dallas And Fort Worth Blues/ Don't You Love Me No More/
Easy Mr Tom/ Fo' Day Worry Blues/ Henry Ford Blues/ Hesitation Blues/ I
Ain't Bothered A Bit/ Julie Ann Johnson/ Mary Don't You Weep/ Mr Tom Hughes'
Town/ Red Cross Sto'/ Sail On Little Girl/ Shreveport Jail/ Take Me Back/
Tight Like That/ Titanic
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Rounder 1098 |
Library Of Congress Recordings, Vol 5 :
Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen |
● CD $15.98 |
|
LEAD BELLY: Ain't Goin Down To The Well No More/ Ain't
Gonna Drink No More/ Ain't Gonna Ring Dem Yellow Woman's Do' Bells/ Billy
The Weaver/ Bring Me Water Silvy/ Git On Board/ Ha-ha Thisaway/ Hindenburg
Disaster/ Hindenburg Disaster/ Ho Day/ Little John Henry/ Monkey Man/ New
York City/ Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen/ One Dollar Bill Baby/
Outshine The Sun/ Rock Island Line/ Shorty George/ Where De Sun Gone Down
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Rounder 1099 |
Library Of Congress Recordings, Vol 6 : Go
Down Old Hannah |
● CD $15.98 |
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Rounder 1151 |
Bridging Lead Belly |
$15.98 ● CD $9.98 |
A collection of 17 previously unissued recordings - 12
recorded for the BBC in New York in 1938 and 5 recorded at a private party
in Salt Lake City in 1946. Mostly familiar songs but often given unfamiliar
treatments - Boll Weevil/ Go Down Ol' Hannah/ (Baby) Take A Whiff On Me/
Jail-House Blues/ Ox Driver's Song/ Julie Ann Johnson/ Frankie & Albert/
We're In The Same Boat Brother/ Irene, etc. Sound quality on the home
recordings is very rough.
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Smithsonian Folkways 40010 |
Leadbelly Sings Folk Songs |
● CD $15.98 |
The long-awaited reissue of Leadbelly's Folkways recordings
has begun! 15-track CD, with Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston and Sonny Terry,
including There's A Man Going Around Taking Names/Stewball/Keep Your
Hands Off Her/Outskirts Of Town/The Blood Done Sign My Name (Ain't You
Glad)/Jean Harlow/Little Children's Blues/Meeting At THe Building.
Formerly Folkways #31006.
|
| LEAD BELLY |
Smithsonian Folkways 40044 |
Where Did You Sleep Last Night - Lead Belly
Legacy,Vol.1 |
● C | |
