CHARLEY JORDAN - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order: Vol.3 (1935-1937) DOCD-5099 (1992) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This volume is somewhat less compelling than the other two in the series, if only because even the producers themselves acknowledge that eight of the 23 songs here, credited to "The Two Charlies," probably don't feature the St. Louis-based Charley Jordan at all, but another artist of the same name, while four others, credited to Leroy Henderson, may feature Jordan. On other songs, Jordan sings duets with Verdi Lee and Mary Harris (possibly also Verdi Lee working under a pseudonym), and those are great tracks, to be recommended without reservation, except perhaps for the fact that the guitar is a bit muted on these numbers, compared with Jordan's solo stuff. "Signifying at You" is a great piece of female-sung blues, raw, angry, defiant and funny. The Two Charlies tracks, featuring a Charley Jordan working with a guitarist/singer named Charlie Manson, are fine acoustic blues, all good songs (especially "Don't Put Your Dirty Hands On Me") and even better guitar duets, including the surprisingly dissonant "Pork Chop Blues," but they sound much more like Atlanta blues than St. Louis material -- their inclusion here adds nothing to the St. Louis Charley Jordan's reputation, but they make an enjoyable interlude. Bruce Eder  

Tracklist  
1 –Charley Jordon Christmas Christmas Blues 2:37
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
2 –Charley Jordan Christmas Tree Blues 2:55
Piano Accordion – Peetie Wheatstraw
Vocals – Verdi Lee
3 –Charley Jordan Get It If You Can 2:44
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
Vocals – Verdi Lee
4 –Charley Jordan Signifying At You 2:43
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
Vocals – Verdi Lee
5 –Charley Jordan No Christmas Blues 2:36
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
Vocals – Mary Harris 
6 –Charley Jordan Happy New Year Blues 2:59
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
Vocals – Mary Harris 
7 –The Two Charlies I Couldn't Stay Here 2:45
8 –The Two Charlies Bad Feeling Blues 2:57
9 –The Two Charlies Got Your Water On 2:59
10 –The Two Charlies Don't Put Your Dirty Hands On Me 3:16
11 –The Two Charlies Pork Chop Blues 2:56
12 –The Two Charlies Tired Feelin' Blues 2:50
13 –The Two Charlies Low Moan Blues 3:05
14 –The Two Charlies Hard Time Papa 3:02
15 –Charlie Manson     Nineteen Women Blues 2:48
16 –Uncle Skipper Twee Twee Twa 2:56
Contrabass – Unknown Artist
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
17 –Uncle Skipper Cutting My ABC's 3:20
Contrabass – Unknown Artist
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
18 –Uncle Skipper Chifferobe 3:18
Contrabass – Unknown Artist
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
19 –Uncle Skipper Look What A Shape I'm In (Bonus Blues) 2:58
Contrabass – Unknown Artist
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
20 –Leroy Henderson Deep Sea Diver 3:02
Guitar – Casey Bill Weldon
Guitar [Or Probably] – Teddy Darby
Guitar [Possibly] – Charley Jordan
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
21 –Leroy Henderson Good Scuffler Blues 3:26
Guitar – Casey Bill Weldon
Guitar [Or Probably] – Teddy Darby
Guitar [Possibly] – Charley Jordan
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
22 –Leroy Henderson Low Mellow Man Blues 3:20
Guitar – Casey Bill Weldon
Guitar [Or Probably] – Teddy Darby
Guitar [Possibly] – Charley Jordan
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
23 –Leroy Henderson Good Grinder Blues
Guitar – Casey Bill Weldon
Guitar [Or Probably] – Teddy Darby
Guitar [Possibly] – Charley Jordan
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
Credits
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Jordan (tracks: 1 to 3, 7 to 14, 16 to 19)

CHARLEY JORDAN - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order: Vol.2 (1931-1934) DOCD-5098 (1992) FLAC (tracks), lossless

As good as the Charley Jordan material here is, the real find of this disc is Hi Henry Brown's recording of "Titanic Blues" and its guitar duet between Brown and Jordan. As a piece of belated topical blues, it is an extraordinary song, but the exciting interplay between two guitars really makes the record and, coupled with Brown's rough-hewn voice, makes it a track to own -- the additional Brown/Jordan tracks "Preacher Blues" and "Nut Factory Blues" constitute a good bonus. This volume of Charley Jordan's material covers the period from his brief stay at Victor Records (four sides cut in September of 1931) to his first session with a full band on Decca Records in the summer of 1934. The four Victor sides (which were cut in Chicago) have a peculiar, authentic "live" ambience that, coupled with their good fidelity, makes them especially vibrant; Peetie Wheatstraw's piano accompaniment has a certain distance and echo that evokes a true club atmosphere. Jordan's subsequent Vocalion sides give much greater prominence to the guitar and Wheatstraw's piano isn't nearly as vivid. As a solo player, Jordan was more laidback, but he still manages to impress as a virtuoso. The four Decca sides are the best recordings here on a technical level -- "It Ain't Clean" is amazingly crisp -- but two of them, "Lost Airship Blues" (what a title, and what a phallic image) and "Rolling Moon Blues," are particularly notable for the presence of a full band, complete with sax and violin. Their sound is completely different (although Jordan still makes himself felt on guitar) from Jordan's earlier output, but both find him able to work well in this more sophisticated idiom. The overall audio quality is good, apart from the barely listenable "Brown Skin Angel" -- a few sides, like "Hell Bound Boy Blues" and the wonderful "Rolling Moon Blues," are a little noisy, but that's par for the course. Bruce Eder   

Tracklist
–Charley Jordan Greyhound Blues 3:23
–Charley Jordan Workingman's Blues 3:22
–Charley Jordan Santa Claus Blues 2:53
–Charley Jordan Bad Breaks Blues 2:57
–Charley Jordan Doin' Wrong Blues 3:02
–Charley Jordan Honey Sucker Blues 3:16
–Charley Jordan Sugar Farm Blues 3:16
–"Hi" Henry Brown Titanic Blues 3:08
–"Hi" Henry Brown Preacher Blues 3:24
–Charley Jordan Cherry Wine Woman 2:51
–Charley Jordan Hell Hound Boy Blues 2:47
–"Hi" Henry Brown Nut Factory Blues 2:54
–"Hi" Henry Brown Hospital Blues 2:54
–"Hi" Henry Brown Brown Skin Angel 2:35
–"Hi" Henry Brown Skin Man Blues 2:50
–Charley Jordan Don't Pat It So Long 3:20
–Charley Jordan Bottle Passing Blues 3:05
–Charley Jordon Lost Airship Blues 3:09
–Charley Jordon Rolling Moon Blues 3:20
–Charley Jordon It Ain't Clean (That Thing Ain't Clean) 2:56
–Charley Jordon Tight Time Blues 3:07

CHARLEY JORDAN - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order: Vol.1 (1930-1931) DOCD-5097 (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A fine St. Louis singer and guitarist, this was the first volume of songs Charley Jordan did in the early '30s. He could be very humorous or cuttingly poignant, and there are examples in both veins on this anthology. The sound quality ranges from good to awful. Ron Wynn
Tracklist  :
1 –Charley Jordan Stack O'Dollars Blues 2:37
2 –Charley Jordan Dollar Bill Blues 2:55
3 –Charley Jordan Keep It Clean 2:44
4 –Charley Jordan Big Four Blues 2:43
5 –Charley Jordan Just A Spoonful 2:36
6 –Charley Jordan Two Street Blues 2:59
7 –Charley Jordan Raidin' Squad Blues 2:45
8 –Charley Jordan Hunkie Tunkie Blues 2:57
9 –Charley Jordan Running Mad Blues 2:59
10 –Charley Jordan Gasoline Blues 3:16
11 –St. Louis Bessie Sugar Man Blues ~ Part 1 2:56
Guitar – Charley Jordan
Piano [Possibly] – Eddie Miller 
Piano [Probably] – Peetie Wheatstraw
12 –St. Louis Bessie Sugar Man Blues ~ Part 2 2:50
Guitar – Charley Jordan
Piano [Possibly] – Eddie Miller 
Piano [Probably] – Peetie Wheatstraw
13 –Charley Jordan Lost Ship Blues 3:05
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
14 –Charley Jordan Hungry Blues 3:02
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
15 –Charley Jordan My "Lovin' Good" Blues 2:48
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
16 –Charley Jordan Tough Times Blues 2:56
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
17 –Charley Jordan Cheating Blues 3:20
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
18 –Charley Jordan Starvation Blues 3:18
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
19 –Charley Jordan Keep It Clean ~ No. 2 2:58
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
20 –Charley Jordan You Run And Tell Your Daddy 3:02
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
21 –Charley Jordan Tight Haired Mama Blues 3:26
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
22 –Charley Jordan Days Of The Weeks Blues 3:20
Piano – Peetie Wheatstraw
Credits
Vocals – St. Louis Bessie (tracks: 11, 12)
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Jordan (tracks: 1 to 10, 13 to 22)