BUMBLE BEE SLIM — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 · 1931-1934 | DOCD-5261 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first of nine releases devoted to Slim's music. As with many Document releases, the sound is pretty uneven. But considering that "Rough Rugged Road Blues," and recorded in October of 1931, was one of the last sides ever issued by Paramount, and that no copies were known to exist until 1992, one has to live with the considerable surface noise on that number, and on "Honey Bee Blues," and the even worse sound on "Stumbling Block Blues" and "Yo Yo String Blues" (on which one can barely tell that a song is there beneath the scratchiness). "Chain Gang Bound," by comparison, sounds almost like a modern recording, despite dating from exactly the same era. The six Paramount sides here are the only recordings here on which Slim played his own guitar, and his style is clean and engaging, with some very deft slide playing in evidence. The other cuts, mostly for Vocalion, generally sound considerably better and were recorded with piano accompaniment, or a band with piano and guitars, and they have a more sophisticated urban sound, anticipating R&B more than they resemble Slim's earlier rural-style songs. His vocals are also considerably more expressive and show a far greater range. Slim's Vocalion debut, "Greasy Greens" and "I'm Waiting On You," cut in New York, are remarkable performances for 1932. His subsequent sides were all cut in Chicago, and are more readily identifiable with that city's then-burgeoning blues tradition -- none of the Chicago sides are quite as unexpected as the four New York sides, but they're all eminently listenable. The eight sides cut by Bumble Bee Slim & His Three Sharks -- a pretty fair band featuring piano, guitar, and mandolin -- features "Someday Things Will Be Breaking My Way," a song more familiar to modern listeners as "Sitting On Top of the World" and immortalized by Albert King and Cream. "Runnin' Drunk Blues" is a delightful, sprightly rag; and on the latest songs on this volume, the guitar returns to the fore, most notably on "Dead and Gone Mother," which features three guitars. Bruce Eder
Tracklist :
1.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Rough Rugged Road Blues 3:11
Vocals, Guitar – Bumble Bee Slim
2.    Bumble Bee Slim–    No Woman No Nickel 3:27
Vocals, Guitar – Bumble Bee Slim
3.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Stumbling Block Blues 2:43
Vocals, Guitar – Bumble Bee Slim
4.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Chain Gang Bound 3:33
Vocals, Guitar – Bumble Bee Slim
5.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Yo Yo String Blues 3:24
Vocals, Guitar – Bumble Bee Slim
6.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Honey Bee Blues 3:18
Vocals, Guitar – Bumble Bee Slim
7.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Greasy Greens 2:54
Guitar – Willie B. James
Piano – Myrtle Jenkins
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
Vocals [Male] – Unknown Artist
8.    Bumble Bee Slim–    I'm Waitin' On You 2:58
Guitar – Willie B. James
Piano – Myrtle Jenkins
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
9.    Bumble Bee Slim–    B And O Blues 3:01
Guitar – Willie B. James
Piano – Myrtle Jenkins
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
10.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Queen Bee Blues 3:15
Guitar – Willie B. James
Piano – Myrtle Jenkins
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
11.    Amos Easton–    M And O Blues - Part I 3:03
Piano [Prob.] – Georgia Tom Dorsey
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
12.    Amos Easton–    M And O Blues - Part II 2:31
Piano [Prob.] – Georgia Tom Dorsey
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
13.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    Someday Things Will Be Breaking My Way 3:09
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
14.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    Baby So Long 2:55
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
15.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    Lost Confidence Blues 3:20
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
16.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    The New B And O Blues 3:18
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
17.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    Wrecked Life Blues 2:57
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
18.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    Runnin' Drunk Blues 3:10
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
19.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    East St. Louis Blues 3:09
Clarinet – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
20.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Three Sharks–    Busy Devil 3:12
Clarinet – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Poss.] – Ted Bogan
Mandolin [Prob.] – Howard Armstrong
Piano [Poss.] – Jimmie Gordon
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
21.    Amos–    Squalling Panther Blues 3:21
Guitar – Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist
Piano – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
22.    Amos–    Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On 3:17
Guitar – Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist
Piano – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim
23    Amos–    Dead And Gone Mother 2:59
Guitar – Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim 

BUMBLE BEE SLIM — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 2 · 1934 | DOCD-5262 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1.    Amos–    Step Child 3:10
Guitar – Carl Martin, Ted Bogan
Piano – Jimmie Gordon
2.    Amos–    Sad And Lonesome 3:19
Guitar – Carl Martin, Ted Bogan
Piano – Jimmie Gordon
3.    Amos–    Bye Bye Baby Blues 3:04
Guitar – Carl Martin, Ted Bogan
Piano – Jimmie Gordon
4.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Cruel Hearted Woman Blues – Part I 2:32
Guitar – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Unknown Artist
5.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Cruel Hearted Woman Blues – Part II 2:33
Guitar – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Unknown Artist
6.    Bumble Bee Slim–    The Longest Day You Live – Part 1 2:58
Guitar – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Unknown Artist
7.    Bumble Bee Slim–    The Longest Day You Live – Part 2 2:43
Guitar – Charlie McCoy 
Piano – Unknown Artist
8.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Deep Bass Boogie 2:54
Piano, Speech – Jimmie Gordon
9.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Blue Blues 3:13
Violin [Plucked, Possibly] – Carl Martin
Violin [Plucked, Probably] – Howard Armstrong
10.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Rough Road Blues 2:36
Guitar [Possibly] – Willie B. James
Piano [Possibly] – Jimmie Gordon
11.    Bumble Bee Slim–    New Mean Mistreater Blues 3:24
Guitar [Possibly] – Willie B. James
Piano [Possibly] – Jimmie Gordon
12.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Climbing On Top Of The Hill 2:51
Guitar [Possibly] – Willie B. James
Piano [Possibly] – Jimmie Gordon
13.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Ain't It A Crying Shame? 3:00
Guitar [Possibly] – Willie B. James
Piano [Possibly] – Jimmie Gordon
14.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Bad Gal (Take A) 2:50
Guitar [Possibly] – Charlie Jackson
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy, Willie B. James
Piano – Unknown Artist
15.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Bad Gal (Take B) 2:58
Guitar [Possibly] – Charlie Jackson
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy, Willie B. James
Piano – Unknown Artist
16.    Bumble Bee Slim–    I Tried Everything I Could (Take A) 2:56
Guitar [Possibly] – Charlie Jackson
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy, Willie B. James
Piano – Unknown Artist
17.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Sail On Little Girl No. 2 3:00
Guitar [Possibly] – Charlie Jackson
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy, Willie B. James
Piano – Unknown Artist
18.    Amos Easton–    Aching Pain Blues 2:57
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano [Possibly] – Black Bob
19.    Amos Easton–    Cold-Blooded Murder 2:56
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano [Possibly] – Black Bob
20.    Amos Easton–    Burned Down Mill (Take A) 3:05
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano [Possibly] – Black Bob
Whistling – Amos Easton
21.    Amos Easton–    Burned Down Mill (Take B) 3:04
Guitar [Probably] – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano [Possibly] – Black Bob
Whistling – Amos Easton
22    Amos–    Mean Mistreatin' Woman 2:52
Guitar [Possibly] – Big Bill Broonzy
Guitar [Probably] – Carl Martin
Piano – Unknown Artist
23.    Amos–    Worrisome Woman Blues 3:12
Guitar [Possibly] – Big Bill Broonzy
Guitar [Probably] – Carl Martin
24.    Amos*–    Mean Bad Man Blues 3:06
Guitar [Possibly] – Big Bill Broonzy
Guitar [Probably] – Carl Martin
Piano – Unknown Artist
25.    Amos–    Muddy Water Blues 2:47
Guitar [Possibly] – Big Bill Broonzy
Guitar [Probably] – Carl Martin
Piano – Unknown Artist
Credits : 
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Liner Notes – Jerry Zolten
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Amos Easton 

BUMBLE BEE SLIM — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 3 · 1934-1935 | DOCD-5263 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The opening six songs on this volume, which covers the period from November 1934 until April 1935, are decidedly different in texture from much of the material that preceded them in Slim's output. With no more than a guitar or two and perhaps a mandolin backing him up, his music leans less toward the kind of urban R&B sound that his early Vocalion tracks did. The playing is superb, with Carl Martin and Ted Bogan showing off a special virtuosity, while Slim's vocals are brilliantly expressive. The sound is rather rough on some of the material here, leading one to believe that there aren't many copies around of several of these songs -- "Way Down In Georgia" and "There You Stand" would not pass muster for release on most labels, being nearly inaudible amid their extreme surface noise. When Slim resumed his piano-based recording in early 1935, he took on a more sophisticated and less rural sound, and his voice became stronger in this mode, far more expressive and involved, alternately playful, sly, or mournful. The guitar accompaniment on some of the late February 1935 tracks, however, are notable as they include Big Bill Broonzy in the session -- one of these, "Milk Cow Blues," will prove a major frustration, a magnificent, classic piece of Chicago blues with great playing all around, but almost unlistenable because of the surface noise on the master source, which, one assumes, was irreplaceable. But "Everybody's Fishin'," which follows, is so clean and delightful that it almost makes up for the sonic sins of the earlier song. Bruce Eder
Tracklist :
1.        I Tried Everything I Could    2:56
2.        My Troubles    3:04
3.        Blues Before Daylight    2:54
4.        Running Bad Luck Blues    3:14
5.        You Can't Take It Baby    2:53
6.        Way Down In georgia    2:49
7.        My Black Gal Blues No. 1    2:54
8.        My Black Gal Blues No. 2    2:52
9.        Bleeding Heart Blues    2:42
10.        Let's Pitch A Boogie Woogie    2:28
11.        Tired Of Your Low Down Nasty Ways    2:48
12.        Good Evening Blues    2:55
13.        Farewell Mistreater Blues    3:08
14.        B And O Line Blues    2:51
15.        Good Woman Blues    2:26
16.        Some Old Rainy Day    3:06
17.        There You Stand    3:01
18.        Tell Me What It's All About    3:03
19.        You Gotta Change Your Way    3:09
20.        Milk Cow Blues    3:03
21.        Everybody's Fishing    3:03
22.        Guilty Woman Blues    3:06
23.        Big 80 Blues    2:38
24.        Bricks In My Pillow    3:05
Credits : 
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy (tracks: 17 to 22), Bumble Bee Slim (tracks: 10), Carl Martin (tracks: 1 to 6), Charlie McCoy (tracks: 7 to 9, 11 to 16), Ted Bogan (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 6)
Liner Notes – Jerry Zolten
Piano – Black Bob (tracks: 18 to 22), Bumble Bee Slim (tracks: 17), Charles Segar (tracks: 10), Jimmie Gordon (tracks: 7 to 16), Myrtle Jenkins (tracks: 23, 24)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim, Ted Bogan (tracks: 6)  

BUMBLE BEE SLIM — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 4 · 1935 | DOCD-5264 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1.        Policy Dream Blues    2:45
2.        If The Blues Was Whiskey    2:47
3.        Right From Wrong    2:57
4.        Feather Bed Blues    2:55
5.        What's Wrong?    3:06
6.        Mean Bloody Murder Blues    3:08
7.        Walking And Drifting Blues    3:18
8.        When The Sun Goes Down    3:13
9.        Can't You Trust Me No More?    3:04
10.        Where Was You Last Night?    3:04
11.        I Done Lost My Baby    3:03
12.        I'm Needing Someone (Exactly Like You)    3:01
13.        The Death Of Leroy Carr (Dedicated To The Memory Of Leroy Carr)    3:08
14.        Smokey Mountain Blues    3:09
15.        Sail On Sail On Blues    3:01
16.        Hey Lawdy Mama    2:49
17.        I Keep On Drinking - Part 1    3:04
18.        I Keep On Drinking - Part 2    3:09
19.        Sometimes Blues    2:50
20.        Steady Roll Mama Blues    3:14
21.        Fattenin' Frogs For Snakes    2:45
22.        Lemon Squeezing Blues    2:53
23.        When The Sun Goes Down    2:45
24.        Sail On Little Girl - No. 3    3:07
25.        Cold Blooded Murder - No. 2    2:52
Credits : 
Compilation Producer – Johnny Parth
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy (tracks: 9 to 12, 23 to 25), Charlie McCoy (tracks: 1 to 8, 17 to 22), Scrapper Blackwell (tracks: 13 to 15)
Guitar [Prob.] – Bumble Bee Slim (tracks: 16)
Liner Notes – Jerry Zolten
Piano – Black Bob (tracks: 9 to 12), Jimmie Gordon (tracks: 1 to 8, 13 to 22)
Piano [Poss./Or] – Myrtle Jenkins (tracks: 23 to 25)
Piano [Prob./Or] – Black Bob (tracks: 23 to 25)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim, Washboard Sam (tracks: 12)
Washboard – Washboard Sam (tracks: 11, 12)

BUMBLE BEE SLIM — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 5 · 1935-1936 | DOCD-5265 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1.    Shelley Armstrong–    How Long How Long Blues    2:53
2.    Shelley Armstrong–    You Don't Mean Me No Good    2:43
3.    Shelley Armstrong–    New B & O Blues    2:49
4.    Shelley Armstrong–    Prison Bound Blues    3:13
5.    Bumble Bee Slim–    My Old Pal Blues (Dedicated To The Memory Of Leroy Carr)    3:07
6.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Last Respects (Dedicated To The Memory Of Leroy Carr)    3:05
7.    Shelley Armstrong–    Sloppy Drunk Blues    2:47
8.    Shelley Armstrong–    D.B.A. Blues    3:13
9.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Rhythm Riffers–    I'll Take You Back    3:00
10.    Bumble Bee Slim And His Rhythm Riffers–    Sick And Tired Of Singing The Blues    2:57
11.    Bumble Bee Slim–    New When The Sun Goes Down    2:45
12.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Happy Life Blues    3:01
13.    Bumble Bee Slim–    When Somebody Loses    2:45
14.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Ramblin' With That Woman    2:47
15.    Bumble Bee Slim–    This Old Life I'm Living    2:44
16.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Dumb Tricks Blues (take 1)    3:15
17.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Dumb Tricks Blues (take 2)    2:58
18.    Bumble Bee Slim–    New Orleans Stop Time    2:48
19.    Bumble Bee Slim–    You Got To Live And Let Live    2:42
20.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Hard Rocks In My Bed    2:34
21.    Bumble Bee Slim–    Who's Been Here Today    3:20
22.    Bumble Bee Slim–    I Done Caught My Death Of Cold    3:07
23.    Bumble Bee Slim–    No More Biscuit Rolling Here (take 1)    2:57
24.    Bumble Bee Slim–    No More Biscuit Rolling Here (take 2)    2:40
Credits : 
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist (tracks: 9, 10)
Bass – Unknown Artist (tracks: 9 to 12, 18 to 24)
Compilation Producer – Johnny Parth
Guitar – Casey Bill Weldon (tracks: 13 to 19, 22 to 24), Unknown Artist (tracks: 9, 10)
Guitar [Poss./Or] – Charley Jordan (tracks: 7), Willie B. James (tracks: 7)
Guitar [Prob.] – Peetie Wheatstraw (tracks: 5), Willie B. James (tracks: 1 to 6, 11, 12)
Liner Notes – Jerry Zolten
Percussion [Poss.] – Bumble Bee Slim (tracks: 18, 19)
Piano – Black Bob (tracks: 18 to 24), Myrtle Jenkins (tracks: 13 to 17)
Piano [Poss./Or] – Peetie Wheatstraw (tracks: 7, 8)
Piano [Prob./Or] – Jimmie Gordon (tracks: 7, 8)
Piano [Prob.] – Jimmie Gordon (tracks: 1 to 5, 9 to 12), Peetie Wheatstraw (tracks: 6)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Speech – Myrtle Jenkins (tracks: 15)
Trumpet – Unknown Artist (tracks: 9, 10)
Vocals – Bumble Bee Slim, Jimmie Gordon (tracks: 9)
Vocals, Guitar [Prob.] – Memphis Minnie (tracks: 18)