THE BIRMINGHAM
JUBILEE SINGERS |
Document DOCD 5346 |
Complete Recorded Works, Vol 2 : 1927-1930 |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 76 min., recommended Volume two opens with eight
straight secular numbers that demonstrate the Birmingham's minstrel
show/vaudeville repertoire, including the delightful Louisiana Bo-Bo,
Goodbye My Alabama Babe, Bohunkus and Josephus, Queen
Street Rag, and Watermelon on the Vine. For its last five
sessions (one at Victor, two at Columbia, and two at Vocalion), the group
again mixes gospel with secular material. Highlights of these last a
cappella sessions include Toot Toot Dixie Bound, Ain't That Good
News, They Crucified My Lord, Great Gittin' Up Mawnin', Way
Down in Egyptland, My Lovie Pie (Plantation Melody), and the
musically prophetic Eliza. The group's career came to an end in the
early years of the Great Depression, unfortunately accelerated by the
deaths of two original members, bass Ed Sherrill and baritone Dave
Ausbrooks. (DH)
THE BIRMINGHAM JUBILEE SINGERS: Ain't That Good News/ Bohunkus And
Josephus/ Dixie Bo-bo/ Eliza/ Gambin' Man/ Goodbye, My Alabama Babe
(144386)/ Goodbye, My Alabama Babe (40406)/ Great Gittin' Up Mawnin'/ Hope
I'll Join That Band/ Louisiana Bo-bo/ My Lovie Pie (plantation Melody)/
Queen Street Rag (144826)/ Queen Street Rag (40407)/ Raise A Rukus
To-night/ Rollin' Down To Jordan/ Run Mary/ Stop That Band!/ The
Steamboat/ They Crucified My Lord/ Toot Toot Dixie Bound/ Wade In The
Water/ Watermelon On The Vine/ Way Down In Egyptland/ What You Gonna Do
When The World's On Fire
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ELVIN BISHOP |
Alligator 4767 |
Big Fun |
● CD $14.98 |
After taking about a decade off from recording, Elvin is
back with an album that's a real treat. Big Fun is packed with killer
cuts, including many originals featuring surprisingly effective vocals,
snappy Texas-to-La. arrangements, and mature blues guitar delivered with
unbelievable intensity. His She Puts Me In The Mood is a haunting
minor-key grind which, if there is any justice, will become a classic
blues standard by sometime next week. The instrumental Honest I Do
is just perfect, a creamy dreamy wedding of slide, horns and harp -
imagine Slim Harpo and Elmore James passed out under the table wishing
they had done this one. By my count there are 4 more solid senders here,
some sharp Dr. John piano work, more devastating guitar solos, and 5 tunes
that diehard Bishop lovers love to love, like My Dog/ Fishin' Again/
Country Boy etc.
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ELVIN BISHOP |
Alligator 4791 |
Don't Let The Bossman Get You Down |
● CD $15.98 |
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ELVIN BISHOP |
Epic 57630 |
Tulsa Shuffle - The Best Of Elvin Bishop |
● CD $11.98 |
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BLACK ACE |
Arhoolie 374 |
I Am The Boss Card In Your Hand |
● CD $12.98 |
Texas bluesman Babe Karo Lemon Turner aka Black Ace was a
delightful performer with his deep dark voice and lovely lyrical slide
guitar playing for which he used a steel bodied guitar on his lap. This
wonderful disc presents his complete recorded output 17 tracks recorded
for Arhoolie in 1960 and 6 recorded in 1937. Even though Ace had not
played for several years prior to his rediscovery you wouldn't know it to
listen to his lovely melodic playing. His material is almost all original
and is strong on slow to mid tempo songs - usual based on traditional
themes but given a distinctive twist by Ace. 13 of the 1960 songs were
previously on LP Arhoolie 1003 and most of the rest are previously
unissued. On his 1937 recordings which includes several songs he remade
for Arhoolie he he is accompanied by Smokey Hogg on second guitar which
gives the performances a slightly different. But his 1960 performances are
every bit as accomplished as his earlier ones and I'm surprised that Ace
never made it onto the blues & folk circuit in the 60s - he was a
substantial talent. Highly recommended. (FS)
BLACK ACE: 'Fore Day Creep/ Ace's Guitar Blues/ Ace's Guitar Breakdown/
Bad Times Stomp/ Beer Drinking Woman/ Black Ace/ Christmas Time Blues/
Drink On Little Girl/ Evil Woman Blues/ Golden Slipper/ Hitchhiking Woman/
I Am The Black Ace/ I've Been In Love With You Baby/ Little Augie/ Lowing
Heifer/ New Triflin' Woman/ No Good Woman/ Santa Claus Blues/ Santa Fe
Blues/ Trifling Woman/ Whiskey And Women/ You Gonna Need My Help Someday/
Your Legs' Too Little
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BLACK BOY SHINE/
BLACK IVORY KING |
Document DOCD 5278 |
Complete Recorded Works In Chronological
Order |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, 58 mins, recommended Terrific collection of Texas
piano blues from two obscure but excellent performances. Black Boy Shine
(Harold Holiday) was an excellent and imaginative piano player in the
"Santa Fe" style with a harmonically varied left hand and a
"stride" feel to his approach. He was also a fine singer with a
solemn style rather like that of Walter Roland. Like many Texas bluesmen
his songs are above average with references to his lifestyle and
environment. Black Ivory King (Dave Alexander) is even better with a lovely
fluid piano style and a wonderfully engaging vocal style. His songs are
also above average - his Flying Crow about the train that traveled
from Port Arthur, Texas to Kansas City is a real gem. His other songs are
almost as good - what a shame he only recorded four sides. Excellent sound
and above average notes by David Evans with some fascinating commentary
about the artists nicknames. (FS)
BLACK BOY SHINE: Advice Blues/ Back Home Blues/ Bad Luck Town Blues/ Bed
And Breakfast Blues/ Brown House Blues/ Business Woman Blues/ Coal Woman
Blues/ Crazy Woman Blues/ Dog House Blues/ Gamblin' Jinx Blues/ Grey With
Worry Blues/ Hobo Blues/ Ice Pick And Pistol Woman Blues/ Lonesome Home
Blues/ Married Man Blues/ Sail On Little Girl No. 3/ Sugarland Blues/
Wrong Doing Woman Blues/ BLACK IVORY KING: Gingham Dress (alexander
Blues)/ Match Box Blues/ The Flying Crow/ Working For The PWA
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SCRAPPER BLACKWELL |
Document DOCD 5275 |
With Brooks Berry - 1959/60 |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, 76 mins, highly recommended Scrapper Blackwell is
one of my favorite bluesmen with his wonderful and unique guitar technique
and mournful vocal style. His classic pre-war recordings are available on
Blues Documents 6029 and 6030 and are essential listening. Like many other
pre-war bluesmen he was rediscovered in the late 50s and resumed his
musical career which was cut short by a murderers bullet in 1962. Although
Scrapper had slowed down bit he was a still a magnificent musician as this
disc shows. Half of this album is from a previously unissued live concert
tape from September, 1959 and in site of some tape deterioration is still
a most worthwhile document (pun only slightly intended). Half the cuts
feature Scrapper accompanying the outstanding Brooks Berry - the album
they did together for Bluesville is overdue for reissue. The rest of the
disc features tracks from March & April, 1960 that were originally
issued on the Eglish "77" label. The music here is consistently
fine and include a number of outstanding guitar instrumentals and one
piano instrumental. Songs include Cold Blooded Murder/ My Heart Struck
Sorrow/ Blues Before Sunrise/ / Goin' To Jail About Her, etc. (FS)
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SCRAPPER BLACKWELL |
Original Blues Classics 594 |
Mr. Scrapper Blues |
● CD $11.98 |
10 tracks, 46 mins, essential Hallelujah! Fantasy has
finally made this masterpiece available on CD domestically. This is a
fabulous album, originally issued as Bluesville 1047 in 1961. Scrapper
Blackwell was one of the greatest of all blues guitarists with uniquely
distinctive style, intensely melodic; he makes effective use of string
snapping and dazzling arpeggios. Best known for his recordings with the
great Leroy Carr he also recorded some fabulous sides under his own name
but retired from recording shortly after the death of his long time
partner Carr in 1935. These 1961 recordings revealed him to still be a
magnificent performer - his playing isn't quite as flowing as it was 30
years previously and his voice shows the sign of age and the tough life he
led but, nonetheless, these are outstanding performances. The songs
include songs made famous by Carr (Blues Before Sunrise/ George Street
Blues), remakes of some of his own early recordings (Penal Farm
Blues), blues standards (Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Down)
and songs not recorded elsewhere (Little Girl Blues). There are
also two sublime guitar instrumentals - "A" Blues and "E"
Blues which send shivers down my spine. On one track Scrapper plays
piano and shows that he is equally adept on that instrument. These tracks
have been beautifully recorded and remastered bringing out all the
wonderful resonances of Scrappers' guitar. (FS)
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SCRAPPER BLACKWELL |
Yazoo 1019 |
The Virtuoso Guitar Of Scrapper Blackwell |
● CD $15.98 |
This is a straight reissue of the Yazoo LP, featuring some
of the finest work by this engaging Indianapolis blues guitarist. These
fourteen tracks, recorded from 1928 to 1934, cover some of his most
trenchant solo pieces as well as fine accompaniment of singers Black
Bottom McPhail (three cuts) and Tommie Bradley (one song). Blackwell's
most famous collaborator, pianist Leroy Carr, shows up for two numbers,
most notably Good Woman Blues, which features lines like "I
got so many women/ I don't care when one dies". Good sound
considering the rare 78 sources; erudite notes by Nick Perls. Recommended.
(JG)
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REV.
JOHNNY BLAKEY/ REV. M.L. GIPSON |
Document DOCD 5363 |
Son Of Thunder |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, 67 min., good/recommended. Blakey's 14 sides
reveal a preacher for whom subtlety of delivery is not of uppermost
importance. Aside from the absence of guitar and drums, Blakey's style is
textbook "sanctified." Each sermon opens with a good 20 seconds
of congregational singing, followed by preaching that starts at a dead
shout and stays there. Such titles as The Sainted Devil, Fourteen
Steps To Hell, and The Scarlet Thread In The Window seem
designed to pique interest, although the lack of variety in approach
limits the desirability of Blakey's cuts. The 8 sides by Gipson -- 4 of
them unissued -- stand as rough and ready sanctified numbers, but are more
musical by comparison. Oddly, though, Gipson sounds as if he's in a big
hurry to get the sermons out. (JC)
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND |
Ace CDCHD 302 |
The 3B Blues Boy |
● CD $18.98 |
25 track CD of Bobby's Duke recordings from the 50's,
including the previously unissued Million Miles From Nowhere and
undubbed version of I Lost Sight Of The World. Of course, his early
classics like Don't Want No Woman/ Woke Up Screaming/ Further Up the
Road/ Little Boy Blue are here along with great obscure sides like No
Blow, No Show/ Army Blues/ It's My Life Baby/ Time Out/ You've Got Bad
Intentions and others.. Lots of great anguished vocals here from the
man who was once B.B. King's valet! (MB)
BOBBY BLAND: Army Blues/ Bobby's Blues/ Don't Want No Woman/ Further Up
The Road/ Honey Bee/ I Can't Put You Down Baby/ I Don't Believe/ I Learned
My Lesson/ I Lost Sight On The World/ I Smell Trouble/ It's My Life, Baby/
Last Night/ Little Boy Blue/ Loan A Helping Hand/ Lost Lover Blues/
Million Miles From Nowhere/ No Blow, No Show/ Teach Me (How To Love You)/
Time Out/ Wise Man's Blues/ Wishing Well/ Woke Up Screaming/ You Did Me
Wrong/ You Got Me (Where You Want Me)/ You've Got Bad Intentions
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND |
Malaco 7444 |
Blues You Can Use |
● CD $15.98 |
Bobby still manages to sound contemporary and timeless at
the same time. This new one, leaning more on soul than blues, has 9 tunes,
8 written by the Malaco staff, including George Jackson and Earl Forrest.
Backup group incl. Fame drummer Roger Hawkins and the Muscle Shoals Horns
with Jim Horn. Lots of songs about cheating and breaking up including Get
Your Money Where You Spend Your Time / Let's Part As Friends / For The
Last Time. (GM)
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND |
Malaco 7458 |
Portrait Of The Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
Mr. Bland's voice may not be the instrument of smoothness
that once had some calling him "the black Sinatra" back in the
50's and 60's with Duke Records. But give him a decent band and a song
about being crushed by a woman and see if he doesn't sound good. The
Last One To Know/ Hurtin Love/ Ain't No Love For Sale/ When Hearts Grow
Cold are the trump cards here. While the album is pleasant enough,
it's a long way from strong, comparisons with the past notwithstanding.
And whoever it was at Malaco who told Bland that clearing his throat
sounded soulful should be shot. Best title: She's Puttin' Something In
My Food. (JC).
BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND: Ain't No Love For Sale/ Hurtin' Love/ I Can
Take You To Heaven Tonight/ I Just Won't Be Your Fool Anymore/ Just Take
My Love/ Let Love Have Its Way/ She's Puttin' Something In My Food/ The
Last One To Know/ These Are The Things That A WOman Needs/ When Hearts
Grow Cold
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND |
MCA MCAD 11783 |
The Duke Recordings : Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 |
● CD $11.98 |
16 of Bobby's most popular Duke sides recorded between 1957
and 1969. Nearly all of them reached the R&B top ten and several were
number 1s. Includes Farther Up The Road/ I Pity The Fool/ Don't Cry No
More/ Who Will The Next Fool Be/ Stormy Monday Blues/ That's The Way Love
Is/ These Hands (Small But Mighty)/ Good Time Charlie, Part 1, etc.
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND |
MCA MCAD 11977 |
Blues & Ballads |
● CD $11.98 |
16 track collection covering the 60s through the early 80s
(Duke & ABC) concentrating on the softer side of Bobby's always
soulful singing - I've Been Wrong So Long/ Ain't Nothing You Can Do/
Touch Of The Blues/ Georgia On My Mind/ I've Got To use My Imagination/
You've Always Got The Blues/ This Bitter Earth/ Never Let Me Go, etc
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND |
MCA 112 158 |
The Best Of Bobby Bland - The Millenium
Collection |
● CD $11.98 |
12 track collection featuring some of his best Duke &
Dunhill sides - I Pity The Fool/ Turn On Your Love Light/ Who Will The
Next Fool Be?/ Poverty/ Ain't Nothin' You Can Do/ I Wouldn't Treat A Dog
(The Way You Treated Me), etc.
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND |
MCA MCAD 112596 |
The Anthology |
● CD $22.98 |
Two CD, 50 track retrospective of Bobby's Duke/ ABC
recordings. Includes all 25 of his top ten R&B hits along with lesser
known tracks, single edits, live tracks and some issued in stereo for the
first time.
BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND: 36-22-36/ Ain't Doin' Too Bad, Part 1/ Ain't
No Love In The Heart Of The City/ Ain't Nothing You Can Do/ Ain't That
Lovin' You/ Ask Me 'bout Nothing (but The Blues)/ Blind Man/ Call On Me/
Chains Of Love/ Cry, Cry, Cry/ Do What You Set Out To Do/ Don't Cry No
More/ Driftin' Blues/ Farther Up The Road/ Goin' Down Slow/ Good Time
Charlie (part 1)/ I Pity The Fool/ I Smell Trouble/ I Take It On Home/ I
Woke Up Screaming/ I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (the Way You Treated Me)/ I'll
Take Care Of You/ I'm Not Ashamed/ I'm Too Far Gone (to Turn Around)/ I've
Been Wrong So Long/ If You Got A Heart/ It Ain't The Real Thing/ It's My
Life Baby/ Lead Me On/ Let The Good Times Roll/ Little Boy Blue/ Lovin'
Blues/ Poverty/ Recess In Heaven/ Rockin' In The Same Old Boat/ Save Your
Love For Me/ Share Your Love With Me/ Soon As The Weather Breaks/ Stormy
Monday Blues/ That Did It/ That's The Way Love Is/ The Soul Of A Man/
These Hands (small But Mighty)/ This Time I'm Gone For Good (live)/ Turn
On Your Love Light/ Who Will The Next Fool Be?/ Yield Not To Temptation/
Yolanda/ You're All I Need/ You've Got Bad Intentions
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BOBBY
"BLUE" BLAND & B.B. KING |
MCA MCAD 27012 |
Together Again ... Live! |
● CD $9.98 |
Reissue of ABC-Impulse album
BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND & B.B. KING: Everday (I have the blues)/
Feel So Bad/ Let The Good Times Roll/ Medley: Mother-In-Law Blues/Mean Old
World/ Medley: The Thrill Is Gone/ I Ain't Gonna Be The First To Cry/
Medley: Stormy Monday Blues/Strange Things Happen
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BLIND BLAKE |
Document DOCD 5024 |
Complete Recorded Works Vol. 1, 1926 - 1927 |
● CD $15.98 |
The first of four compact discs to reissue the complete
recordings of this brilliant East Coast musician. Though little is known
of Blake's life he was a popular and influential performer. He was a fine
singer and a dazzlingly fine guitarist with an endlessly imaginative
technique. Of the 26 tracks here recorded between July 1926 and October
1927, 20 are by Blake himslef and 6 are accompaniments to vaudeville
flavored singer Leola B. Wilson. Although sound on a few cuts is quite
rough it is generally quite listenable and consistently fine. Good notes
by Alan Balfour. (FS)
BLIND BLAKE: Ashley St. Blues (Leola B. Wilson/vcl)/ Bad Feeling Blues/
Black Biting Bee Blues/ Black Dog Blues/ Blake's Worried Blues/ Brownskin
Mama Blues/ Buck-Town Blues/ Come On Boys Let's Do That Messin' Around
(Take 2)/ Down The Country/ Dry Bone Shuffle (Take 2)/ Dying Blues (Leola
B. Wilson/vcl)/ Early Morning Blues/ Hard Road Blues/ Hey Hey Daddy Blues/
One Time Blues/ Sea Board Stomp/ Skeedle Loo Doo Blues (Take 1)/ Skeedle
Loo Doo Blues (Take 2)/ State Street Men Blues/ Stonewall Street Blues/
Tampa Bound/ That Will Never Happen No More/ Too Tight/ West Coast Blues/
Wilson Dam
|
Note: Volumes 2 & 3 in this series are now deleted.
BLIND BLAKE |
Document DOCD 5027 |
Complete Recorded Works Vol. 4, 1929 - 1932 |
● CD $15.98 |
BLIND BLAKE: Ain't Gonna Do That No More/ Baby Lou Blues/ Blind Arthur's
Breakdown/ Champagne Charlie Is My Name/ Cold Love Blues/ Depression's
Gone From Me Blues/ Diddie Wa Diddie No. 2/ Guitar Chimes/ Hard Pushing
Papa/ Lonesome Christmas Blues/ Playing Policy Blues/ Righteous Blues/
Rope Stretchin' Blues - Part 1 (take 2)/ Rope Stretchin' Blues - Part 2/
Sweet Jivin' Mama/ Third Degree Blues/ What A Low Down Place The Jailhouse
Is/ Papa Charlie And Blind Blake Talk About It - Part I/ LAURA RUCKER:
Fancy Tricks (Laura Rucker, vcl)/ IRENE SCRUGGS: Cherry Hill Blues (Irene
Scruggs, vcl)/ Itching Heel (Irene Scruggs, vcl)/ You've Got What I Want
(Irene Scruggs, vcl)
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BLIND BLAKE |
JSP 7714 |
All The Published Sides |
● CD $28.98 |
5 CDs, 110 tracks, essential
Since 1991, when Document issued a four volume series of Blind
Blake recordings, a further 10 alternate takes have been released on another
six Document CDs. This reissue brings all this material together in an
attractive box set with notes by Drew Kent under the heading "The Vanished
Bluesman". Certainly little is known about Blind Blake other than that he
originated from Florida and may have died there shortly after his last
recordings. What is beyond doubt is that he was one of the most accomplished
of the pre-war guitarists, a talented composer and an amazingly consistent
performer during his six years as a Paramount star. Blake did not have the
most expressive of singing voices, but somehow his relaxed delivery leaves
more room to appreciate his marvellous guitar. Capable of accurate
fingerpicking at lightning speed, he had a creative genius to match his
technical skills, often executing brilliant arrangements most blues
guitarists couldn't even have attempted. The variety of musical settings
here include Southern Rag and Police Dog Blues which provide a
showcase for his fingerpicking and thumb bass work, a memorable session with
clarinettist Johnny Dodds, superb accompaniments to female singers like
Leola B. Wilson, minstrel/medicine show songs, piano/guitar duets of the
highest quality and sombre, reflective blues. (If this were not enough,
anybody who can come up with a song title like Rumblin' and Ramblin' Boa
Constrictor Blues just has to be a bit special.) After their Patton and
Jefferson sets JSP know all about the challenges posed by the notorious
sound quality of Paramount 78s, and they have again worked their magic with
this set. Most of the crackles, clicks and pops in the originals have been
removed, and while some of the more worn discs are still pretty rough, sound
quality generally shows a marked improvement over the Document reissues.
This means that great performances which were quite noisy on Document such
as Detroit Bound Blues with its lovely double time passages can now
be fully enjoyed. The speed of the JSP transfers also appears to be more
accurate on tracks like Ice Man Blues. My only quibble concerns
Rope Stretchin' Blues a skillfully constructed two part blues about a
condemned man contemplating his execution, which is dismissed as "maudlin
stuff" in Mr.Kent's otherwise informative booklet notes. Certainly the
sequencing of this song doesn't help its appreciation. While presenting
tracks in strict chronological order as they are here is usually the best
way to enjoy pre-war blues, the recording chronology means that we get Part
Two, followed by Part One (alternate take) and finally the issued Part One.
I wish JSP had been brave enough to sequence the issued takes in their
proper order, but apart from this (and Mr. Kent's lapse of taste) this
reissue is an absolute delight. (DPR)
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BLIND BLAKE |
Yazoo 2058 |
The Best Of Blind Blake |
● CD $15.98 |
A collection of 23 sides from this fine and important east
Coast singer and guitarist.
BLIND BLAKE: Blake's Worried Blues/ Blind Arthur's Breakdown/ Chump Man Blues/ Come on Boys, Let's Do That Messin'
Arou/ Depression's Gone from Me Blues/ Diddie
Wa Diddie No. 2/ Doggin' Me Mama Blues/ Dry
Bone Shuffle/ Early Morning Blues/ Georgia
Bound/ Guitar Chimes/ He's in the Jailhouse
Now/ Ice Man Blues/ No Dough Blues / Panther Squall Blues/ Rope Stretchin' Blues, Pt. 1
/ Seaboard Stomp/ Skeedle Loo Doo Blues / Southern Rag/ Too Tight Blues No. 2/
Wabash Rag/ West Coast Blues/ You Gonna Quit
Me Blues
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