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)