BULLETIN - October
2008
Blues & Gospel
Various Artists
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 334 |
Dig These Blues - The Legendary Dig
Masters |
● CD $18.98 |
22 tracks, highly recommended
Back in print by popular
demand. Johnny Otis' legendary but short lived Dig Label began as Ultra
Records in 1955. The first Ultra release was the rollicking If You Ever
Get Lonesome by Roy "Happy" Easter with Preston Love & His Orchestra
(actually Otis' group). This release is included here, as is Moose John's
Talkin' 'Bout Me/ Wrong Doin' Woman, originally Ultra 102. The Cats
From Fresno, one of the Dig label's best, are represented by 4 excellent
cuts (Dig 138 & 142), the best being the driving You Ain't Too Old
featuring Al Simmons' vocals. Other hard, jagged blues are pumped out by
obscure but talented artists like Larry Waters, Sailor Boy, T W Sams,
Hozay, Little Billy Robbins, and others. Sugarcane Harris (half of Don &
Dewey) sings Elim Stole My Baby/ They Say You Never Can Miss,
originally released in 1960 on Otis' Eldo label. Sound quality is very
good since the original masters were used as the source on most of these.
22 songs in all, good liner notes, rare music. Why wait? (JC)
ROY "HAPPY" EASTER WITH PRESTON LOVE & HIS ORCHESTRA: If
You Ever Get Lonesome/ SLIM GREEN & THE CATS FROM FRESNO: My Woman Done
Quit Me/ HOZAY: Going Back To The Plow/ I've Got An Expensive Woman/
SIDNEY MAIDEN, SLIM GREEN & THE CATS FROM FRESN: Hand Me Down Baby/ ABE
MOORE AND ORCHESTRA: Moore Boogie/ S And J/ MOOSE JOHN: Talkin' 'bout Me/
Wrong Doin' Woman/ JIMMY NOLAN: Come On Home/ LITTLE BILLY ROBBINS:
Singing The Blues/ BILLY ROBBINS WITH JOHNNY OTIS ORCHESTRA: Bring Her
Back To Me/ SAILOR BOY: Country Home/ What Have I Done Wrong (Part 1)/
What Have I Done Wrong (Part 2)/ T W SAMS: Springtime Blues/ AL SIMMONS
WITH SLIM GREEN & THE CATS FROM: Old Folks' Boogie/ You Ain't Too Old/
SUGARCANE AND HIS VIOLIN: Elim Stole My Baby (Boo Hoo)/ They Say You Never
Can Miss/ LARRY WATERS: Don't Tell Me That You Love Me/ Full Grown Woman
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1194 |
The Downhome Blues Sessions, Vol. 5 - Back
In The Alley |
● CD $18.98 |
After a long wait this fantastic series returns with a
fifth volume - this time moving from the Deep South to California
featuring 26 great down home sides from the Bay Area recorded between 1949
and 1954 for the Modern group of labels along with a few tracks from the
Money label. Includes sides by Johnny Fuller, Walter Robertson, James
Reed, Jimmy McCracklin, Lowell Fulson and Roy Hawkins. Includes seven
previously unissued alternate takes. Includes 16 page booklet with
extensive notes by Dave Sax.
JOHNNY FULLER: Back Home/ Buddy/ Hard Times/ I Walk All
Night/ It's Your Life/ Johnny's Low Down Blues/ Prowling Blues/ LOWELL
FULSON: I'm Prison Bound/ My Baby Left Me/ ROY HAWKINS: Just A Poor Boy
(take 2)*/ You Had A Good Man (take 1)*/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: Beer Drinkin'
Woman (take 4)*/ I Think My Time Is Here (take 1)*/ I'll Get A Break
Someday (take 7)*/ Josephine (take 6)*/ JAMES REED: Couldn't Be A Dream
(take 1)/ Dr. Brown/ Dr. Brown (alternate Take)*/ End, The/ My Love Is
Real/ My Mama Told Me/ Oh People/ This Is The End/ You Better Hold Me/
WALTER ROBINSON: I've Done Everything I Can/ Sputtering Blues
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Acrobat 4037 |
Bob Geddins' Cava-Tone Records Story |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 70 mins, essential
Complementing Acrobat 9012
("Bob Geddins' Big Town Record Story" - 3 CDs - $24.98) this is another
superb collection of West Coast blues and gospel produced by the brilliant
African-American entrepreneur Bob Geddins. This volume features most of
the recordings made for his Cava-Tone label which he operated from 1946
through 1948 producing some sensational music - quite a bit of it ending
up reissued on other Geddins labels as well as other West Coast labels
like Gilt Edge, Aladdin and RPM. It features two of Lowell FUlson's
earliest recordings with Lowell and his country blues guitar accompanied
only by his brother Martin. There are several sides featuring the
brilliant West Coast blues singer Jimmy Wilson including a great rendition
of Nobody's Business with an amazing narration from bass singer
Elbrige Vann who also takes the lead on an unexpected rendition of
Ghost Riders In The Sky. Wilson is also featured as lead vocalist on
two of the four cuts by the superb gospel group The Rising Star Gospel
Singers. Geddins was very fond of slow, doom laden blues and there are
some great examples here from Jimmy McCracklin, Ulysses James, Emery
Franklin, Roy Hawkins and The West Side Trio - the latter's So Tired I
Could Cry will sound very familiar to Otis Rush fans. For blues guitar
lovers you'll hear some great backup work on these tracks from Ulysses
James (a little known but outstanding musician), Robert Kelton and
Lafayette Thomas! About the only weak part of this set are the rather lame
cuts by Saunders King - three are dull pop ballads and the fourth is a
silly jive number that doesn't really go anywhere. Otherwise this is a
great set with excellent sound and detailed notes from Opal Louis Nations.
Next up on the menu is a CD of Geddins's Irma label due in about a month.
(FS)
LOWELL FULSON: Lonesome Blues/ My Baby Left Me/ Prison
Bound/ Stormin' And Rainin'/ BOB GEDDINS CAVALIERS: Ghost Riders/ Nobody's
Business/ ROY HAWKINS: Ain't No Fault Of Mine/ They Raided The Joint/
ULYSSES JAMES: Poor Boy/ SAUNDERS KING: Big Fat Butterfly/ Nobody Wants
Me/ September Song/ When Your Lover Has Gone/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: Bad Luck
And Trouble/ Jimmy's Blues/ Railroad Blues/ THE RISING STAR GOSPEL
SINGERS: Brother Moses/ I Trust In God/ Telephone Line/ While The Blood Is
Running Warm In Your Veins/ THE WEST SIDE TRIO: So Tired I Could Cry/ West
Side Jump/ JIMMY WILSON: Mistake In Life/ It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bellaphon CDLR 713024 |
Living Country Blues USA, Vol. 2: Blues On
Highway 61 |
● CD $14.98 |
11 tracks, highly recommended
A fine and varied collection
of Mississippi country blues featuring artists based in the same region of
Mississippi just off famed Highway 61. The main artists are James "Son"
Thomas and Sam Chatmon. The former performs traditional style blues
accompanying himself on electric guitar - sometimes with a slide and, on
one track is accompanied by the rhythmic accompaniment of a broom being
swept. Sam Chatmon was the surviving member of the Mississippi Sheiks and
his repertoire ranges from a gorgeous version of Stop & Listen to a
country blues version of Lowell Fulson's Black Night. Other artists
are represented by single tracks - Walter Brown, Joe Cooper and Eddie
Cusic and are all fine. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bellaphon 726321 |
American Folk Blues Festival,
1962/1963/1964 |
● CD $21.98 |
Three CD set, 34 tracks, highly recommended
Available
again. The Annual American Folk Blues Festival (AFBF) tours (1962-1971)
were the first efforts to introduce a cross section of engaging blues
performers to European audiences. A balance was kept between singers,
guitarists, pianists and country/ Chicago blues. This three CD set
features recordings made in 1962, '63 & '64 with one disc featured for
each year. 1962 featured Memphis Slim, T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry &
Brownie McGHee, John Lee Hooker and Shakey Jake performing in various
combinations. In 1963 we had a "house band" of Matt "Guitar" Murphy,
Willie Dixon & Bill Stpeney who accompanied Memphis Slim, Sonny Boy
Williamson, Otis Spann and Muddy Waters as well as performing on their
own. There are also performances from Victoria Spivey, Big Joe Williams
and Lonnie Johnson. In 1964 the house band role was in the hands of Hubert
Sumlin, Willie Dixon & Clifton James who accompanied Sonny Boy Williamson,
Sunnyland Slim, Sugar Pie Desanto and Howlin' Wolf plus we have solo
performances from Lightnin' Hopkins, Sleepy John Estes and John Henry
Barbee. All in all a terrific qand varied selection blues, beautifully
recorded. If you have Evidence 26100 ($59.98) you have all this and a lot
more but this is an inexpensive introduction to these wonderful
recordings. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Documents 223006 |
Boogie Woogie |
● CD $19.98 |
Available again after being out of print for a while. 10
CD s in a box with 200 tracks of boogie woogie. Mostly piano boogie along
with some piano rags, big band titles and country boogie. There are no
notes whatsoever but the material ranges from the 20s to early 50s and
includes all your favorites and more including Albert Ammons, Turner
Parrish, James P. Johnson. Roosevelt Sykes, Leroy Garnett, Cow Cow Davenport, Big Maceo,
Bob Zurke, Little Brother Montgomery,
Clifford Blivens, Will Bradley, Henry Brown, Mary Lou Williams, Woody
herman, Derryck Sampson, Gene Rodgers, Jack McVea, Jimmy Grissom, Mabel
Scott, Sammy Price, Monkey Joe Coleman, Sammy Benskin, Art Tatum, Artie
Shaw, Freddie Slack, Speckled Red, Big Joe Turner, Lightnin' Hopkins,
Marylin Scott, Honey Hill, Oscar Peterson, Lizzie Baker and many more.
Sound quality could be better - a bit too much digital noise reduction is
evident on some cuts but at the price it can't be beat.
ALBERT AMMONS: Albert's Special Boogie Woogie/ Bass
Goin' Crazy/ Boogie Woogie Blues/ Boogie Woogie Stomp/ Chicago In My Mind/
Jammin' The Boogie/ Mecca Flat Blues/ Shoot For Joy/ Suitcase Blues/ Woo
Woo/ Twos & Fews/ Footpedal Boogie/ Movin' The Boogie/ Sixth Avenue
Express/ LIL ARMSTRONG: Rock It/ CHARLES AVERY: Dearborn Street Breakdown/
LIZZIE BAKER: It Was So Good/ COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA: Wiggle The Woogie/
SAMMY BENSKIN: The World Is Waiting For The Sunr/ BIG MACEO: Chicago
Breakdown/ Detroit Jump/ Kidman Blues/ Texas Stomp/ THE BIG THREE TRIO:
The Big Three Boogie/ CLIFFORD BLIVENS: Junie Flip/ JIMMY BLYTHE: Boogie
Woogie Blues/ Chicago Stomp/ Society Blues/ WILL BRADLEY: Down The Road
Apiece/ Five O'clock Whistle/ Rock A Bye The Boogie/ The Booglie Wooglie
Piggy/ Three Ring Ragout/ Quicksilver Boogie/ HADA BROOKS: At The Band
Box/ HADDA BROOKS: Hungarian Rhapsody In Boogie/ CLEO BROWN: The Boogie
Woogie/ HENRY BROWN: Deep Morgan Boogie/ MILT BUCKNER: Fat Stuff Boogie/
LEROY CARR: Barrelhouse Woman No. 2/ LARRY CLINTON: Boogie Woogie Blues/
MONKEY JOE COLEMAN: Gonna Beat It To Memphis/ SPADE COOLEY: Big Chief
Boogie/ BOB CROSBY: Brass Boogie Part One/ Brass Boogie Part One/ COW COW
DAVENPORT: 5th Street Blues/ Cow Cow Blues/ Hurry & Bring It On Home/ Slum
Gullion Stomp/ State Street Jive/ AL DEXTER: New Broom Boogie/ CHAMPION
JACK DUPREE: Junker Blues/ Rub A Little With A Boogie/ RENE FAURE: At The
Honky Tonk/ LEMUEL FOWLER: Down & Out Blues/ ERROLL GARNER: Boogie Woogie
Boogie/ LEROY GARNETT: Chain 'em Down/ BENNY GOODMAN ORCHESTRA: Roll 'em
Boogie/ JOHNNY GRIFFIN: Chuck A Boogie/ Marchin' Boogie/ JIMMY GRISSOM:
Frank Bull's Boogie/ LIONEL HAMPTON: Boogie For Two Fingers/ Central
Avenue Breakdown/ Hampton's Walking Boogie/ THE HARLEM HAMFATS: We Gonna
Pitch A Boogie Woogie/ ERSKINE HAWKINS: Gabriel Meets The Duke/ WOODY
HERMAN: At The Woodchopper's Ball/ Beat Me Daddy/ EDDIE HEYWOOD: At The
Downtown Cafe/ HONEY HILL: The Boogie Woogie/ EARL HINES: The Father's
Gateway/ ART HODES: Funny Feathers/ Ross Tavern Boogie/ South Side
Shuffle/ LAVERNE HOLT: Mister Black Man/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Lightnin'
Boogie/ LENA HORNE: Brazilian Boogie/ CAMILLE HOWARD: When I Grew Too Old/
CLIFTON JACKSON & HIS VILLAGE CATS: Cliffs Boogi/ HARRY JAMES WITH PETE
JOHNSON: Boo Woo/ CLARENCE JOHNSON: Gulf Coast Blues/ JAMES P. JOHNSON:
Birmingham Blues/ Harlem Chocolate Babies/ PETE JOHNSON: Climbin' &
Screamin'/ Death Ray Boogie/ Let 'em Jump/ Shuffle Boogie/ Swanee River
Boogie/ The Dive Bomber Boogie/ Vine Street Blues/ Cuttin' The Boogie/
Pine Creek/ Roll 'em Pete/ LUKE JONES: Jump The Boogie Woogie/ LOUIS
JORDAN: Choo Choo Ch' Boogie/ WILLIE KELLY: Give Me Your Change/ KING
PORTER: Chitlin' Ball/ GENE KRUPA: Thanks For The Boogie Ride/ MEADE LUX
LEWIS: Bass On Top/ Bearcat Crawl/ Glendale Glide/ Honky Tonk Train Blues/
Lux's Boogie/ Randini's Boogie/ Whistlin' Blues/ JIMMY LIGGINS: Missisippi
Boogie/ JOE LIGGINS: Dripper's Boogie/ CLARENCE LOFTON: In The Morning/
Streamline Train/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Professor Long Hairs Boogie/ ABE
LYMAN: Horse 'n' Boogie/ MADONNA MARTIN: Rattlesnakin' Boogie/ RAY
MCKINLEY: Chicken Gumboogie/ BIG JAY MCNEELY: Just Crazy/ Willie The Cool
Cat/ JACK MCVEA: Bartender Boogie/ Frantic Boogie/ LUCKY MILLINDER: Bongo
Boogie/ ROY MILTON: Boogie Woogie Baby/ FREDDIE MITCHELL: On The
Fishmarket/ LITTLE BROTHER MONTGOMERY: Crescent City Blues/ Parrish Street
Jive/ Shrevport Blues/ ELLA MAE MORSE: Cow Cow Boogie/ RED NELSON: Strut
That Thing/ ROMEO NELSON: Getting Dirty/ Head Rag Hop/ RED NICHOLS:
Overnight Hop/ JOHN OSCAR: Whoopee Mama Blues/ TURNER PARRISH: Fives/
OSCAR PETERSON: Oscar's Boogie/ Oscar Plays The Boogie/ TEDDY POWELL:
Straight Eight Boogie/ JESSE PRICE: Blue Book Boogie/ SAM PRICE: Eifel
Tower Boogie/ SAMMY PRICE: Barefoot Boogie/ Bernie's Boogie/ Boogie With
Riffs/ Goin' Back Home/ My Blue Heaven/ Stormy Weather/ Trouble In Mind/
Untitled Boogie Woogie/ TAMPA RED WITH BIG MACEO: Let Me Play With Your
Poodle/ EVERETT ROBBINS: Hard Luck Blues/ GENE RODGERS: G R Boogie/ WALTER
ROLAND: Jookit Jookit/ DERRYCK SAMPSON: Boogie Woogie Express/ DERYCK
SAMPSON: Boogie Express/ MABEL SCOTT: Elevator Boogie/ MARYLIN SCOTT: Beer
Bottle Boogie/ RAYMOND SCOTT: Eight Letters/ ARTIE SHAW: Meade Lux
Special/ FREDDIE SLACK: Beatin' With Chopsticks/ Down The Road/ Pig Foot
Pete/ Rockin' The Boogie/ Small Batch O' Nod/ PINETOP SMITH: I'm Sober
Now/ Jump Steady Blues/ Pinetops Boogie Woogie/ TAB SMITH: Joogie Boogie/
SPECKLED RED: Jim Jackson's Jamboree/ St. Louis Stomp/ The Dirty Dozen/
The Dirty Dozen No. 2/ Wilkins Street Stomp/ JOE SULLIVAN: Boogie Woogie
Maxixe/ RALPH SUTTON: Boogie Joys/ ROOSEVELT SYKES: 44 Blues/ You So Dumb/
TAMPA RED: Boogie Woogie Dance/ ART TATUM: Aunt Hagar's Blues/ Tatum Pole
Boogie/ MONTANA TAYLOR: Detroit Rocks/ Indiana Avenue Stomp/ HERSAL
THOMAS: The Fives/ BIG JOE TURNER: Rocket Boogie/ T-BONE WALKER: Sail On/
WESLEY WALLACE: Number 29/ BEVERLEY WHITE: Don't Stop Now/ If Things Don't
Get Better/ CLARENCE WILLIAMS: Papa De Da Da/ Sugar Blues/ CURLEY
WILLIAMS: Georgia Boogie Woogie/ MARY LOU WILLIAMS: Mary's Boogie Woogie/
BILLY WRIGHT: Married Woman's Boogie/ JIM WYNN: Rock Boogie Woogie/ JIMMY
YANCEY: 35th & Dearborn/ Crying In My Sleep/ P.l.k. Special/ South Side
Stuff/ State Street Special/ Tell 'em About Me/ The Mellow Blues/ White
Sox Stomp/ Yance's Buggle Call/ Yancey Special/ BOB ZURKE: Gin Mill Blues/
Rhumboogie
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Essential Media 11012 |
Blues Gold |
● CD $18.98 |
Two CDs, 36 tracks, highly recommended
Essential Media
seems to be the reincarnation of the label formerly known as Empire Musikwerks and they seem to be reissuing and repackaging releases
originally on that label. This is a fine collection of blues, mostly from
the 50s and including West Coast blues, East Coast blues, Chicago blues
and more - mostly drawn from independent labels like Chart, Parrot, Atlas,
Vista, Tradition and others. As far as I can tell these were all
previously reissued on Empire Musikwerks or other labels but if you don't
already have them there is some great music here from well known and
obscure artists including Lightning Hopkins, Hattie Green, Albert King,
Mae Mercer, Etta Baker, Louisiana Red, Leadbelly, Johnny Perry Orch.,
Snooky Pryor, Henry Gray, Little Beaver, Charlie Walker and others.
Excellent sound and informative notes in tiny print. (FS)
THE ARISTOCATS: Blues After Hours/ ETTA BAKER: One Dime
Blues/ JOHN BRIM: Gary Stomp/ Tough Times/ BIG BILL BROONZY: Hollerin' and
Cryin' The Blues/ PINEY BROWN: You Made Me This Way/ EMMET DAVIS: Woke Up
This Morning/ LITTLE SAM DAVIS: Going to New Orleans/ WILLIE EGAN: Wow
Wow/ H-BOMB FERGUSON: Rock H-Bomb, Rock/ LITTLE WILLIE FOSTER: Four Day
Jump/ LOWELL FULSOM: Jukebox Shuffle/ HENRY GRAY: Watch Yourself/ HATTIE
GREEN: Pawn Shop Blues/ HARMONICA SLIM: Drop Anchor/ EARL HOOKER: On The
Hook/ LIGHTNING HOPKINS: Walkin' The Streets/ ALBERT KING: Bad Luck Blues/
LEADBELLY: Bourgeois Blues/ J.B. LENOIR: Mama Talk To Your Daughter/
LITTLE BEAVER: Love & Affection/ LITTLE PAPA JOE (JODY WILLIAMS): Lookin'
For My Baby/ LOUISIANA RED: I Done Woke Up/ MISSISSIPPI FRED MCDOWELL:
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl/ MAE MERCER: Great Googa Mooga/ JOHNNY
PERRY ORCH. FEATURING IDA HAYMES: Lonely Heart Blues/ SNOOKY PRYOR:
Crosstown Blues/ JIMMY RUSHING: Clothes Pin Blues/ CHARLIE SINGLETON:
Jivin' With Doctor Jive/ ST. LOUIS JIMMY: Murder in The First Degree/
SUNNYLAND SLIM: The Devil is A Busy Man/ SONNY TERRY: Cornbread Meat &
Molasses/ CHARLIE WALKER: Downhearted Blues/ MOJO WATSON: You Know You
Don't Want Me/ JOSH WHITE: Evil Hearted Me/ JOE WILLIAMS: In The Evening
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 77109 |
Ain't Times Hard - Political & Social
Commentary In The |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CD set with 100 tracks recorded between the 1920s and
1950s on the subject of hard times and the response to it and even though
this programmed some months ago seems highly appropriate to the situation
the country finds itself in. Then, as now, the working class and African
Americans in particular were the hardest hit by downturns in the economy,
natural disasters and shortage of work and used the creative medium of the
blues to express their feelings. This collection ranges from Blind Blake's
No Dough Blues to Leroy Carr's D e pression Blues to Big Joe
Williams' Providence Help The Poor People to Jack McVea's
Inflation Blues and much, much more.
BARBECUE BOB: Bad Time Blues/ BLACK IVORY KING: Working
For The P.W.A./ SCRAPPER BLACKWELL: Down And Out Blues/ Hard Time Blues/
BLIND BLAKE: No Dough Blues/ BARBECUE BOB: We Sure Got Hard Times/ LUCILLE
BOGAN: Red Cross Man/ SON BONDS: Old Bachelor Blues/ JOHN BRIM: Tough
Times/ BIG BILL BROONZY: Starvation Blues/ Unemployment Stomp/ W.P.A.
Blues/ CLARENCE 'GATEMOUTH' BROWN: Depression Blues/ BUMBLE BEE SLIM:
Chain Gang Bound/ Hobo Jungle Blues/ When I Get My Money/ BOB CAMPBELL:
Starvation Farm Blues/ GENE CAMPBELL: Levee Camp Man Blues/ LEROY CARR:
Hard Times Done Drove Me To Drink/ The Depression Blues/ ANDY CHATMAN:
Hard Times On Me Blues/ COUSIN JOE: Post-War Future Blues/ GEORGE CURRY:
Back In My Cell Again/ BLIND TEDDY DARBY: Meat And Bread Blues/ WALTER
DAVIS: Red Cross Blues/ TOM DICKSON: Labor Blues/ CHAMPION JACK DUPREE:
Warehouse Man Blues/ CARRIE EDWARDS: Hard Time Blues/ SLEEPY JOHN ESTES:
Government Money/ Hobo Jungle Blues/ ALFRED FIELDS: '29 Blues/ CALVIN
FRAZIER: Welfare Blues/ GENE GILMORE: Charity Blues/ JIMMIE GORDON: Don't
Take Away My P.W.A./ GUITAR SLIM & JELLY BELLY: Keep Straight Blues/
Working Man Blues/ LANE HARDIN: Hard Time Blues/ KING SOLOMON HILL: Times
Has Done Got So Hard/ SMOKEY HOGG: Hard Times/ Unemployment Blues/ TONY
HOLLINS: Stamp Blues/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Strike Blues/ IVORY JOE HUNTER:
High Cost Low Pay Blues/ Reconversion Blues/ J.B. HUTTO: Things Are So
Slow/ FRANK 'SPRINGBACK' JAMES: New Red Cross Blues/ ALEC JOHNSON: Miss
Meal Cramp Blues/ LONNIE JOHNSON: Four-O-Three Blues/ Hard Times Ain't
Gone No Where/ FLOYD JONES: Ain't Times Hard/ Stockyard Blues/ CHARLEY
JORDAN: Days Of The Weeks Blues/ Starvation Blues/ Tough Times Blues/ JACK
KELLY: R.F.C. Blues/ J.B. LENOIR: Eisenhower Blues/ CARL MARTIN: I'm Gonna
Have My Fun/ Let's Have A Good Deal/ CHARLIE MCCOY: Charity Blues/
Northern Starvers Are Returning Home/ ROBERT LEE MCCOY: I Have Spent My
Bonus/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: The Panic's On/ FRED MCMULLEN: Dekalb Chain Gang/
JACK MCVEA: Inflation Blues/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Nothing In Rambling/
Sylvester And His Mule Blues/ THE MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS: Sales Tax/ BUDDY
MOSS: Hard Time Blues/ RED NELSON: Relief Blues/ When The Soldiers Get
Their Bonus/ HAMBONE WILLIE NEWBERN: Shelby County Workhouse Blues/
SAMPSON PITTMAN: Welfare Blues/ JOE PULLUM: Bonus Blues/ YANK RACHELL:
Hobo Blues/ TAMPA RED: Turpentine Blues/ WALTER ROLAND: C.W.A. Blues/ Red
Cross Blues/ Red Cross Blues No.2/ SONNY SCOTT: Coal Mountain Blues/ OLLIE
SHEPARD: Hard Times Is On Me/ WILLIE 'LONG TIME' SMITH: Homeless Blues/
CHARLEY SPAND: Hard Time Blues/ SPECKLED RED: Welfare Blues/ JOE STONE:
It's Hard Time/ ROOSEVELT SYKES: Living In A Different World/ Sunny Road/
SONNY TERRY & BROWNIE MCGHEE: Red Cross Store Blues/ BIG MAMA THORNTON:
Cotton Picking Blues/ EDDIE VINSON: Bonus Pay/ Luxury Tax Blues/ WASHBOARD
SAM: C.C.C. Blues/ CASEY BILL WELDON: W.P.A. Blues/ PEETIE WHEATSTRAW: 304
Blues/ Jungle Man Blues/ When I Get My Bonus/ Working On The Project/
JOSHUA WHITE: Welfare Blues/ BIG JOE WILLIAMS: Providence Help The Poor
People/ L.C. WILLIAMS: Strike Blues/ JIM WYNN: Shipyard Woman
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Primo 6022 |
Drinkin' TNT And Smokin' Dynamite |
● CD $10.98 |
2 CDs, 40 tracks, 118 mins, highly recommended
A whole
mess of songs about doin' stuff that ain't necessarily so good for you.
You get the drinkers, jivers, and junkers doing their thing. From
Barrelhouse Blues and Big Band Swing tunes, to Rhythm & Blues and
Proto-Doo-Wop like The Clovers One Mint Julep, folks from all kinds
of music are doin' it. A lot of the usual suspects - Eddie "Cleanhead"
Vinson with Juice Head Baby, Cab Calloway, Amos Milburn, Peppermint
Harris with I Got Loaded, Stick Mcghee, Wynonie Harris, Big Joe
Turner, etc, etc, amen. You also get some of the more respectful type of
folks slumming by like Nat King Cole doing Scotchin' With The Soda,
Ella Fitzgerald and her Wacky Dust, and Kitty Wells Death at the
Bar. Aside from Ms. Wells the bulk of this collection is not Country,
but Blues, R&B, and Jazz. Lil Green's Knockin' Myself Out, Marvin
Phillips' Wine Woogie, La Melle Price's Get High, and The
Mississippi Jook Band's Hittin' The Bottle Stomp are but a few of
the rarer gems that you will find on this great collection. Special
mention for Tommy Johnson's Canned Heat Blues, for chronicling
probably the most dangerous way to get lit up (pun intended.) Handsomely
packaged, with a smattering of liner notes and fantastic sound. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Rhino Handmade 7737 |
Atlantic Blues |
● CD $99.98 |
Four CD, limited edition (3,000 numbered copies) LP sized
box sets with 80 tracks of blues drawn from the vaults of Atlantic and
recorded between 1949 and 1970 ranging from the spare country blues of
Lawyer Houston to the jazzy blues of Al Hibbler, from the piano blues of
Little Brother Montgomery to the raucous New Orleans sounds of Professor
Longhair and all points in between. Includes sides by Barrelhouse Sammy
(aka Blind Willie McTell), Harry Van Walls, Stick McGhee, JImmy Yancey,
Joe MOrris Blues Cavalcade, Joe Turner, Choker Campbell, Little Johnny
Jones, T-Bone Walker , Chuck Willis, LaVern Baker, Guitar Slim, Aretha
Franklin, Otis Rush and more. Includes LP sized booklet with notes by
Billy Vera.
LAVERN BAKER: Empty Bed Blues/ Nobody Knows You When
You're Down And Out/ Preaching The Blues/ BARRELHOUSE SAMMY (BLIND WILLIE
MCTELL): Last Dime Blues/ The Razor Ball/ ROY "BALDHEAD" BYRD (PROFESSOR
LONGHAIR): Mardi Gras In New Orleans/ CHOKER CAMPBELL: Last Call For
Whiskey/ RAY CHARLES: Feelin' Sad/ Losing Hand/ Two Years Of Torture/
Worried Life Blues/ FLOYD DIXON: Floyd's Blues/ Hey Bartender/ Roll Baby
Roll/ When I Get Lucky/ CHAMPION JACK DUPREE: Junker's Blues/ Nasty
Boogie/ ARETHA FRANKLIN: Going Down Slow/ River's Invitation/ Today I Sing
The Blues/ LIL GREEN: Every Time/ I've Got That Feelin'/ GUITAR SLIM:
Along About Midnight/ Down Through The Years/ My Time Is Expensive/ AL
HIBBLER: After The Lights Go Down Low/ LAWYER HOUSTON: Dallas Bebop Blues/
SOLDIER BOY HOUSTON: In The Army Since 1941/ LITTLE JOHNNY JONES: Chicago
Blues/ Hoy Hoy/ Wait Baby/ FREDDIE KING: I Don't Know/ Play It Cool/
LEADBELLY: Goodnight Irene/ JIMMY LEWIS: Let's Get Together And Make Some
Love/ JIMMY "BABY FACE" LEWIS: I'm So Good To You (pretty Baby)/ JIMMY
'BABY FACE' LEWIS: All Night Lover Blues/ STICK MCGHEE: Drank Up All The
Wine Last Night/ Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee/ House Warmin' Boogie/ Let's
Do It/ LITTLE BROTHER MONTGOMERY: Talkin' Boogie/ Vicksburg Blues '51/ JOE
MORRIS BLUES CAVALCADE: Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere/ Jump, Everybody,
Jump/ Rock Me Daddy/ Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!/ CHUCK NORRIS: Messin' Up/ HAL
PAIGE: Big Foot May/ ESTHER PHILLIPS: Cherry Red/ Confessin' The Blues/
I'm Gettin' 'long Alright/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Hey Now Baby/ She Walks
Right In/ Tipitina/ Who's Been Fooling You/ JIMMY RICKS: Romance In The
Dark/ Trouble In Mind/ OTIS RUSH: My Love For You Will Never Die/ JOE
TURNER: Bump Miss Susie/ Chains Of Love/ In The Evening/
Oke-she-moke-she-pop/ Piney Brown Blues/ Roll 'em Pete/ Sweet Sixteen/ Tv
Mama/ ODELLE TURNER: Alarm Clock Boogie/ HARRY VAN WALLS: Tee-nah-nah/
T-BONE WALKER: Call It Stormy Monday/ Papa Ain't Salty/ Play On Little
Girl/ T-bone Blues/ T-bone Blues Special/ CHUCK WILLIS: It's Too Late/
JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Ain't Nobody's Business/ How Long Blues/ JIMMY YANCEY:
Yancey Special/ JIMMY & MAMA YANCEY: Monkey Woman Blues/ Santa Fe Blues
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Saga Blues 982 077-6 |
From Gospel To Soul - When The Church Hit
The Charts |
● CD $13.98 |
24 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
Here we have a
fantastic collection that illustrates the foundation of Gospel and then
some prime examples of how R&B/Soul artists built on it. Right smack dab
in the middle of this collection you have Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers
- Jesus Gave Me Water from 1961, which illustrates the transition
perfectly, where one of the greatest Gospel singers of all time is on the
cusp of being one of the greatest Soul singers (some would argue the
greatest) of all time. On the gospel side of things, there are fantastic
tracks like Sister Rosetta Tharpe How Far From God, Sister Wynona
Carr The Ball Game, Rev. Anderson Johnson God Don't Like It,
plus the Selah Singers, Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi, Dixie
Hummingbirds, etc. For the "Sanctified Soul" we get such winners as Roy
Brown's Love Don't Love Nobody, Bobby 'Blue' Bland with Ike Turner
Drifting, Little Richard Ain't That Good News, Ray Charles
Feelin' Sad, not to mention Faye Adams, LaVerne Baker, the Dominos,
Du-Droppers, and Spiders, to name a few. There's not a bad cut on here and
the sound is superb. (JM)
FAYE ADAMS: Shake a Hand/ LAVERN BAKER: Soul on Fire/
BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND: Drifting/ PROF. ALEX BRADFORD: Too Close to Heaven/
ROY BROWN: Love Don't Love Nobody/ SISTER WYNONA CARR: Ball Game/ RAY
CHARLES: Feelin' Sad/ THE DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS: Trouble in My Way/ THE
DOMINOES: That's What You're Doing to Me/ THE DU-DROPPERS: Somebody Work
on My Baby's Mind/ THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF MISSISSIPPI: Our Father/ THE
FIVE ROYALES: Baby Don't Do It/ MAHALIA JACKSON: Dig a Little Deeper/ REV.
ANDERSON JOHNSON: God Don't Like It/ MARIE KNIGHT: I Thank You Jesus/
LITTLE RICHARD: Ain't That Good News/ BROTHER JOE MAY: Search Me Lord/
GATEMOUTH MOORE: Highway 61blues/ THE SELAH SINGERS: Down Here I've Done
My Best/ THE SOUL STIRRERS: Jesus Gave Me Water/ THE SPIDERS: I Didn't
Want to Do It/ SISTER ROSETTA THARPE: How Far From God/ THE TRUMPETEERS:
Milky White Way/ DINAH WASHINGTON: Good Daddy Blues
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smithsonian Folkways 40196 |
Classic Piano Blues From Smithsonian
Folkways |
● CD $11.98 |
20 tracks, highly recommended
Another one of those fine
low priced recordings drawing on the great wealth of music recorded for
the Folkways label. This one is devoted to piano blues featuring
recordings ranging from the 40s through the 90s with the majority from the
60s and most appearing on CD for the firs time. The set opens strong with
Memphis Slim in top form on his Dedication TO Pete Johnson with top
notch guitar support from Matt Murphy. Slim also backs Jazz Gillum on a
version of his most famous song Key To The Highway. James P.
Johnson is featured on two cuts - one backing W.C. Handy's daughter
Katherine Handy Lewis as well as doing a rare vocal of his own on
Hesitation Blues. Other artists include Speckled Red, Meade "Lux"
Lewis, Big Chief Ellis (a never before issued version of his themne song
Dices Blues), Sammy Price, Little Brother Montgomery, Henry
Townsend ( a stunning rendition of Roosevelt Sykes's All My Money Gone
frokm 1976), Champion Jack Dupree and others. Superb sound and full
documentation. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sony Special 724585 |
The Slide Guitar: Bottles, Knives & Steel,
Vol. 1 |
● CD $6.98 |
19 tracks, essential
Budget priced reissue of Columbia
46218 originally issued in 1990. The sound of the slide guitar is one of
the most haunting and evocative in the blues and this collection features
some of the finest exponents of the style. There are two tracks by the
wonderful Sylvester Weaver & Walter Beasley including their lovely slide
guitar duet Bottleneck Blues. Weaver also does a solo on Guitar
Rag which was later adapted by country steel guitarist Leon Mcauliffe
into the most popular slide guitar tune of all time Steel Guitar Rag.
There are two cuts by the magnificent gospel singer/ guitarist Blind
Willie Johnson including his utterly spine chilling Dark Was The Night.
There are also tracks by Barbecue Bob, Ruth Willis with Blind Willie
McTell, Tampa Red & Georgia Tom, Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, Casey
Bill Weldon (a previously unissued track), Bukka White and rare slide
guitar outings by Blind Boy Fuller and Leadbelly. from the post war era
there is the lovely 1953 recording of gospel singer/ guitarist Sister O.M.
terrell and a track from Son House's 1965 Columbia LP. Detailed and
interesing notes by Richard Spottswood. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sub Rosa 279 |
Dr. Boogie Presents Shim Sham Shimmy |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
Sub Rosa is a
fascinating record label. For years they have put out all kinds of
interesting Electronic, Avant-garde Classical, and spoken word CDs; now,
all of a sudden, they have put out three brilliant Blues CDs with all
kinds of rare stuff on them. This particular brilliant compilation
features thirty tracks of real deep (and in many cases real rare) juke
joint blues and boogie - several making their first appearance on CD. This
collection comes roaring out of the gate with the title cut by none other
than Champion Jack Dupree and then serves up a smorgasbord of fantastic
tracks. From pretty well known artists like Albert Collins, Joe Hill
Louis, Doctor Ross, to obscure artists like Ramblin' Hi Harris - I
Haven't Got A Home, Wright Holmes - his amazing Good Road Blues,
Haskel Sadler - Do Right Mind, and many more. You also get Cecil
Gant incognito as Gunter Lee Carr rolling out the fine We're Gonna
Rock, along with more killer stuff like the rather notorious Pat Hare
with Bonus Pay, and the not-so-subtle Slim Gallaird's Fuck Off
in all its odd, Jazzy barnyard glory. Eddie Snow's I'm Off That Stuff,
Willie Egan's Can't Understand It, Morris Pejoe's Screamin and
Cryin, Lonnie Johnson's Can't Sleep Anymore, and so much more
magic captured in this little piece of plastic, like so much lightning (or
at least moonshine) in a bottle. All tracks recorded between 1945 - 50 and
all are guaranteed dynamite. (JM)
BIG JOHN & THE DALLAS PLAYBOYS: Sent For You Yesterday/
B. BROWN & THE MCVOUTS: Good Woman Blues/ GUNTER LEE CARR (CECIL GANT):
We're Gonna Rock/ ALBERT COLLINS & THE RHYTHM ROCKERS: Freeze/ LARRY DALE:
You Better Heed My Warning/ CHAMPION JACK DUPREE: Shim Sham Shimmy/ WILLIE
EGAN: Can't Understand It/ SLIM GAILLARD: Fuck Off/ GUITAR SLIM GREEN:
Shake Em Up/ PAT HARE: Bonus Pay/ BLUE CHARLIE HARRIS: I'm Gonna Kill That
Hen/ RAMBLIN' HI HARRIS: I Haven't Got A Home/ W. HARRIS: Low Down Dirty
Shame/ WRIGHT HOLMES: Good Road Blues/ HOMESICK JAMES: Dirty Rat/ JAKE
JACKSON: Life Get's Hard/ BOBO JENKINS: Nothing But Love/ LONNIE JOHNSON:
Can't Sleep Anymore/ BOB KELLY: Malinda/ PAPA GEORGE LIGHTFOOT: P.l.
Blues/ CLARENCE LOCKSLEY: Crowley Blues/ JOE HILL LOUIS: She's Taking All
My Money/ SAM MYERS: Rhythm With Me/ MORRIS PEJOE: Sreamin 'n' Cryin/
DOCTOR ROSS: Texas Hop/ HASKELL SADLER: Do Right Mind/ CHARLES SHEFFIELD:
Isabella/ EDDIE SNOW: I'm Off That Stuff/ BABY BOY WARREN: Santa Fee/
MOSES WILLIAMS: Which Way Did My Baby Go
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