LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 4 · 1944 | DOCD-5310 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Austrian Document Records label continues its series of CDs presenting Leadbelly's commercial recordings in chronological order from 1939 with this fourth volume, which picks up with a series of sessions probably held in May 1944 for record company owner Moses Asch and eventually issued on various records by the labels Asch, Stinson, Folkways, and Arhoolie. The singer's contract with Asch was nonexclusive, and while residing on the West Coast later in the year, he recorded for Capitol Records in October, the tracks issued on singles and EPs. Many of Leadbelly's better-known songs are included in these sessions (in many cases as re-recordings), among them "Easy Rider" ("See See Rider"), "Bourgeois Blues," "Rock Island Line," and "Irene" ("Goodnight Irene"). There are also some newly written and timely tunes, such as "Army Life" (with a vocal chorus singing, "I don't want no more army life/Gee, but I want to go home") and "Mr. Hitler" ("Hitler Song"). The recordings also are notable for the presence of guest musicians including Woody Guthrie, who duets on "We Shall Be Free," and, curiously, Paul Mason Howard, who plays zither on the Capitol performances (tracks 20-27). Leadbelly is in prime shape, and his guitar playing is typically forceful. (He also plays piano on the last two Capitol tunes, the instrumental "Eagle Rock Rag" ["Hot Piano Rag"] and "The Eagle Rocks.") The tracks have been transferred from old vinyl discs, with hiss and crackles audible. The sound quality is generally good, though it's startling when the Capitol tracks begin and they turn out to have been mastered much louder than what came before them. William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
1.    In The Evenin' When The Sun Goes Down    2:31
2.    Easy Rider (See See Rider)    2:48
3.    We Shall Be Free    2:33
4.    Keep Your Hands Off Her    2:50
5.    There's A Man Going Round Taking Names    1:23
6.    Red Bird    2:53
7.    Line 'Em    1:10
8.    T. B. Blues    3:40
9.    Jim Crow Blues    2:23
10.  Bourgeois Blues    2:17
11.  Army Life    1:45
12.  Mr. Hitler    3:04
13.  Juliana Johnson    1:06
14.  Jean Harlow    1:39
15.  Corn Bread Rough    2:06
16.  National Defense Blues    3:00
17.  Children's Blues (Little Children's Blues)    2:26
18.  The Blood Done Sign My Name (Ain't You Glad)    2:18
19.  Cow Cow Yicky Yicky Yea    1:31
20.  Ella Speed    2:43
21.  Rock Island Line    2:54
22.  Tell Me Baby    2:55
23.  Take This Hammer    2:51
24.   Irene    2:52
25.   Western Plain    2:41
26.   On A Christmas Day    2:51
27.   Backwater Blues    2:56
28.   Eagle Rock Rag    2:45
29.   The Eagle Rocks    2:45
Credits : 
Compilation Producer – Johnny Parth
Concertina – Leadbelly (tracks: 15)
Guitar – Leadbelly (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 14, 16 to 18, 20 to 27), Woody Guthrie (tracks: 4)
Harmonica – Sonny Terry (tracks: 1 to 3)
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Piano – Leadbelly (tracks: 28, 29)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Leadbelly (tracks: 1 to 27, 29), Sonny Terry (tracks: 3), Woody Guthrie (tracks: 3)
Vocals [Vcl Group] – Unknown Artist (tracks: 11)
Zither – Paul Mason Howard (tracks: 20 to 27)