MEMPHIS MINNIE & KANSAS JOE — 1929-1934 Recordings In Chronological Order ★ Volume 1 • 1929-1930 | DOCD-5028 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the first of four Document CDs devoted to the musical partnership that existed from 1929-1935 between Memphis Minnie, who was born Lizzie Douglas in Algiers LA, and Kansas Joe McCoy, a native of Raymond, MS. These records were cut between June 1929 and May 1930 for the Columbia, Vocalion, and Victor labels in New York, Memphis, and Chicago, where their brand of entertainment was well-received by the expanding African-American community. Joe McCoy is believed to have been Minnie's second husband, and musically speaking at least, the two were well-matched during their six-year partnership, during which their vocals, verbal exchanges, and combined guitar work enlivened dozens of very enjoyable recordings that still convey the immediacy of the African-American experience. Both individuals sang in a straightforward, bracingly honest manner, usually about human relationships, as discussed openly in "What Fault You Find of Me?," "I'm Talking About You," "Can I Do It for You?," and "She Wouldn't Give Me None." There are three distinctly different treatments of Minnie's "Bumble Bee Blues" (a conflation of human sexuality with the behavior of a member of the Order Hymenoptera later popularized by guitarist Muddy Waters); a sobering original version of "When the Levee Breaks"; a song about the card game known as "Georgia Skin" (described in detail for the Library of Congress a few years later by Jelly Roll Morton), and a dead-serious account of Minnie's personal run-in with spinal meningitis, accompanied by the Memphis Jug Band, a group which included guitarist Charlie Burse and jug-blowing specialist Hambone Lewis. Document's four volumes of Minnie's collaborations with Joe McCoy were released alongside another five volumes devoted exclusively to her own recordings; the rest of Joe's recorded output with his brother Charlie McCoy, various jug and skiffle bands, and the swinging Harlem Hamfats was also compiled by Document during the '90s and reissued the following decade. arwulf arwulf

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes: Recording as Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie at their 1929 debut recording session the couple cut six numbers, three featuring Kansas Joe as a vocalist, two with Minnie taking the vocals and the third found them duetting. These recordings weren’t afforded immediate issue but were released over a period of time. For example, the coupling Bumble Bee / I Want That was not on sale until some fifteen months later. It was to be the suggestive Bumble Bee (“Got the best stinger I’ve ever seen”) that was to make Memphis Minnie. So successful was the song that Victor “borrowed” Minnie to record a version fronting a caucus of the Memphis Jug Band. Vocalion then responded with Bumble Bee No. 2 and New Bumble Bee. The song was such hot property on the race market that in the last six months of 1930, unreleased recordings apart, there were no fewer than five versions, on three different labels, of Bumble Bee — three of which are present on this compilation. The sheer drive of the two guitars, the strength of imagery and intuitive awareness of one another’s musical needs made for a perfect team. Take a song like, When The Levee Breaks, that lyrically mirrors the harsh realities of living near the artificial river banks with lines like, “If it keep on raining, levee’s gonna break an’ all these people have no place to stay” whilst the twin guitar rhythms help create a complete fusion of feeling. On less intense, more hokum based numbers like She Wouldn’t Give Me None or Can I Do It For You a variant on the “Mama Let Me Lay It On You” theme) the duo display astonishing empathy in their guitar playing, most notably by Minnie. To quote guitarist Woody Mann on her technique “she seemed to be able to pick sounds from all around Memphis and integrate them into her playing”. As main vocalist Memphis Minnie can be heard on Mister Tango Blues and I’m Talking About You and give good insight into her ability to modulate her voice to suit the mood of the lyric. Whether it be slow meaningful blues or up-tempo lighter material she judiciously croaks, moans, twists and cracks her voice to achieve a fine sense of the dramatic. DOCD-5028
Tracklist :
1    Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie–    I Want That 3:06
Guitar – Memphis Minnie
Guitar, Vocals – Joe McCoy
2    Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie–    That Will Be Alright 3:05
Guitar – Memphis Minnie
Guitar, Vocals – Joe McCoy
3    Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie–    Goin' Back To Texas 2:59
Guitar, Vocals – Joe McCoy, Memphis Minnie
4    Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie–    'Frisco Town 2:50
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Guitar, Vocals – Memphis Minnie
5    Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie–    When The Levee Breaks 3:08
Guitar, Vocals – Joe McCoy, Memphis Minnie
6    Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie–    Bumble Bee 2:45
Guitar – Joe McCoy, Memphis Minnie
7    Memphis Minnie–    I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuits 2:50
Guitar – Kansas Joe McCoy
Guitar, Vocals – Memphis Minnie
8    Memphis Minnie–    Mister Tango Blues 3:34
Guitar – Kansas Joe McCoy
Guitar, Vocals – Memphis Minnie
9    Memphis Minnie–    She Wouldn't Give Me None 2:57
Guitar, Vocals – Kansas Joe McCoy, Memphis Minnie
10    Memphis Minnie And Kansas Joe–    What Fault You Find Of Me? - Part 1 2:41
Guitar [duet], Vocals [duet] – Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie
11    Memphis Minnie And Kansas Joe–    What Fault You Find Of Me? - Part 2 2:48
Guitar [duet], Vocals [duet] – Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie
12    Memphis Minnie–    I'm Talking About You 2:38
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
13    Memphis Minnie–    Bumble Bee (MEM-773) 2:49
Guitar – Joe McCoy
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
14    Memphis Minnie And Kansas Joe–    Can I Do It For You? - Part 1 3:07
Guitar [duet], Vocals [duet] – Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie
15    Memphis Minnie And Kansas Joe–    Can I Do It For You? - Part 2 3:09
Guitar [duet], Vocals [duet] – Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie
16    Minnie McCoy And Joe Johnson (12)–    I'm Going Back Home 2:44
Guitar [duet], Vocals [duet] – Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie
17    Memphis Jug Band Vocal By Memphis Minnie–    Bumble Bee Blues (59993) 2:49
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
18    Memphis Jug Band Vocal By Memphis Minnie–    Meningitis Blues 3:14
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
19    McCoy And Johnson–    I Never Told A Lie 2:38
Guitar – Kansas Joe
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
20    McCoy And Johnson–    Don't Want No Woman 3:11
Vocals [duet], Guitar – Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie
21    Memphis Minnie–    Georgia Skin 2:59
Guitar – Kansas Joe
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
22    Kansas Joe And Memphis Minnie–    Don't Want No Woman I Have To Give My Money To (C-5817) 3:22
Vocals [duet], Guitar [duet] – Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie
23    Kansas Joe–    I'm Wild About My Stuff 2:55
Guitar – Memphis Minnie
Guitar, Vocals – Kansas Joe

MEMPHIS JUG BAND — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 2 : 1928-1929 DOCD-5022 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Memphis Jug Band was quite popular from 1927-1930, particularly if one judges the group by its many recordings (which fill up three CDs in this series). The second volume has slightly better material than the other two CDs, but all are easily recommended. During 1928 and 1929, the Memphis Jug Band featured its leader Will Shade on guitar, harmonica, and vocals, and guitarist Charlie Burse (guitarist Will Weldon and banjo-mandolist Vol Stevens from the first group departed by 1929). The band also included the highly expressive kazoo playing of Ben Ramey and Jab Jones' enthusiastic jug playing (an improvement on his predecessor Charlie Polk). Additionally, there are two selections included in which the band accompanies singer Minnie Wallace and there are a few guest musicians and singers on various tracks. Among the many high points of the spirited program are "She Stays Out All Night Long," "Lindberg Hop," "Stealin' Stealin'," "Jug Band Waltz," "The Old Folks Started It," and "Memphis Yo Yo Blues." An important if often overlooked genre of vintage American music. Scott Yanow

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. When the Memphis Jug Band reassembled in September 1928 to cut eight titles for Victor, they began in larky mood. New member (on disc at least) Jab Jones sang what was nominally a tribute to Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic the previous year, but his version of the Lindyhop is a crazy, almost surrealist one. Sugar Pudding, a version of “Take Your Fingers Off It”, marked the debut of Jones’s thunderous jug, replacing the less forthright Charlie Polk. The other new member was the extrovert Alabaman guitarist and singer Charlie Burse. He was one of the singers on both On The Road Again, whose chorus refers to Monk Eastman’s eponymous gang, active in New York in the late 1890s, and the hybrid A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake, with its 12 bar verse and 8 bar chorus. The cryptic Whitewash Station opened proceedings on 15th September, followed by the Memphis Jug Band’s most famous number, the beautiful Stealin’ Stealin’, relaxed, nostalgic, and superbly played. The two waltzes that closed the session, though unusual on race records, were probably no novelty to the band, which would have been expected to play such pieces for dancing by both blacks and whites. It was a year before the band returned to the microphones, and violinist Milton Roby (correct spelling) was added in place of Vol Stevens, bringing his broad, bluesy tones, learned on the medicine shows, to four songs that sound very much of that milieu — some of them obviously cleaned up for recording — and also to two provocative, sexy vocals by Minnie Wallace: Dirty Butter has fine piano and The Old Folks Started It has complex harmonica from Will Shade. A two day session in October 1929 began with the band in slightly lackluster mood, though they perked up for Tired Of You Driving Me. This date saw the debut on record of Tewee Blackman, Will Shade‘s guitar teacher, older than Shade, and a very accomplished player. His arpeggio style is heard on more records than the standard discography allows, but he was seldom heard to better effect than on Memphis Yo Yo Blues and K. C. Moan. The first title featured the forthright, sensual singing of Hattie Hart, interwoven, like Minnie Wallace’s, with imaginative harmonica work. K. C. Moan is perhaps the Memphis Jug Band‘s finest recording, excellent two guitar work supporting long, drawn-out notes on the harmonica and an intricate kazoo solo from Ben Ramey, apart from Shade the only member of the band who’d played on their first records. The vocal completes a spellbinding performance. The session ended with a light-hearted song about marital violence (a singletree, or swingletree, is the crosspiece of a plough). With a nonchalant “bam-bam-be-deedle-am”, the Memphis Jug Band left the recording studio. By May, 1930, when the Memphis Jug Band next recorded, unemployment in the US stood at over four million. The band, doubtless recognising that folks wanted to be lifted out of their troubles, didn’t let the Depression affect their music, as can be heard on Document DOCD-5023. DOCD-5022
Tracklist :
1    Memphis Jug Band–    She Stays Out All Night Long 2:50
Composed By, Guitar, Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar – Will Weldon
Jug – Charlie Polk
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Mandolin Banjo [banjo-mandolin] – Vol Stevens
Speech [several of the band] – Unknown Artist
2    Memphis Jug Band–    Lindberg Hop (Overseas Stomp) 2:16
Composed By – J.B. Jones
Composed By, Guitar – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug, Vocals – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Mandolin Banjo [banjo-mandolin] – Vol Stevens
3    Memphis Jug Band–    Sugar Pudding 2:43
Composed By – J.B. Jones
Composed By, Harmonica – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Mandolin Banjo [banjo-mandolin] – Vol Stevens
Vocals [trio] – Unknown Artist
4    Memphis Jug Band–    A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake 2:45
Composed By – J.B. Jones
Composed By, Guitar, Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar, Vocals – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Unknown Artist
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
5    Memphis Jug Band–    On The Road Again 2:46
Composed By – J.B. Jones
Composed By, Guitar, Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar, Vocals – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Unknown Artist
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
6    Memphis Jug Band–    Whitewash Station Blues 2:42
Composed By – J.B. Jones
Composed By, Harmonica – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug, Lead Vocals – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Mandolin Banjo [banjo-mandolin] – Vol Stevens
Vocals [group] – Unknown Artist
7    Memphis Jug Band–    Stealin', Stealin' 2:55
Composed By, Harmonica – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse, Vol Stevens
Jug, Lead Vocals – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Vocals [group] – Unknown Artist
8    Memphis Jug Band–    Jug Band Waltz 2:47
Composed By, Harmonica – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse, Vol Stevens
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
9    Memphis Jug Band–    Mississippi River Waltz 2:40
Composed By – Ben Ramey
Composed By, Harmonica – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse, Vol Stevens
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
10    Memphis Jug Band–    I Can't Stand It 2:19
Composed By, Guitar – Will Shade
Guitar, Vocals [probably] – Charlie Burse
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo, Vocals [probably] – Ben Ramey
Violin – Milton Robie
11    Memphis Jug Band–    What's The Matter? 2:49
Composed By, Guitar, Lead Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar, Vocals – Charlie Burse
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo, Vocals – Ben Ramey
Violin – Milton Robie
12    Minnie Wallace–    Dirty Butter 2:39
Composed By, Vocals – Minnie Wallace
Guitar [probably] – Will Shade
Piano [possibly] – Johnnie Hodges
Violin [probably] – Milton Robie
Vocals [refrain] – Unknown Artist
13    Minnie Wallace–    The Old Folks Started It 2:55
Composed By, Vocals – Minnie Wallace
Guitar [probably] – Charlie Burse
Harmonica [probably] – Will Shade
Jug [probably] – Jab Jones
Violin [probably] – Milton Robie
14    Memphis Jug Band–    Feed Your Friend With A Long-Handled Spoon 2:57
Composed By, Guitar, Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Violin – Milton Robie
15    Memphis Jug Band–    I Can Beat You Plenty (That Hand You Tried To Deal Me) 3:10
Composed By, Harmonica – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Violin – Milton Robie
Vocals [group] – Unknown Artist
16    Memphis Jug Band–    Taking Your Place 2:38
Composed By – Mattie Nelson
Composed By [possibly], Harmonica, Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
17    Memphis Jug Band–    Tired Of You Driving Me 2:48
Composed By – Mattie Nelson
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo, Vocals – Ben Ramey
18    Memphis Jug Band–    Memphis Yo-Yo Blues 2:30
Composed By – Jenny Pope
Guitar – Charlie Burse, Tewee Blackman
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Jab Jones
Vocals – Hattie Hart
19    Memphis Jug Band–    K.C. Moan 3:03
Composed By, Guitar, Lead Vocals [possibly] – Tewee Blackman
Guitar, Vocals [trio, possibly] – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo, Vocals [trio, possibly] – Ben Ramey
20    Memphis Jug Band–    I Whipped My Woman With A Single-Tree 3:03
Composed By, Lead Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug – Jab Jones
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Piano – Charlie Nickerson
Vocals [trio] – Unknown Artist

MEMPHIS JUG BAND — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 3 : 1930 | DOCD-5023 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third of three Document CDs has all of the Memphis Jug Band's 1930 recordings. Despite the onset of the Depression, the influential band's good-time style was unchanged and actually had improved a bit during the past couple of years. Will Shade was still its leader and alternated between guitar, harmonica, and vocals. The other original member was Ben Ramey on kazoo. During 1930, such players as mandolinist Charlie Burse, Hambone Lewis, and Jab Jones on jug, singer Charlie Nickerson, Vol Stevens on banjo-mandolin, and even guest vocalist/guitarist Memphis Minnie (on "Bumble Bee Blues" and "Meningitis Blues") passed through the band. Among the more memorable selections of their highly enjoyable CD are "Everybody's Talking About Sadie Green," "Cocaine Habit Blues," "Fourth Street Mess Around," "Going Back to Memphis," "Move that Thing," and "He's in the Jailhouse Now."  Scott Yanow

The Memphis Jug Band Complete Works Vol. 3 (1930) features timeless blues recordings with legendary performers Will Shade, Ben Ramey, Charlie Burse, Hambone Lewis, Hattie Hart, Memphis Minnie, and Charlie Nickerson. This collection captures the essence of Memphis blues at its finest. DOCD-5023
Tracklist :
1    Memphis Jug Band–    Everybody's Talking About Sadie Green  3:53
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Composed By – Charles Nickerson
Guitar – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo, Voice [Speech, Prob.] – Ben Ramey
Mandolin – Charlie Burse
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
2    Memphis Jug Band–    Oh, Ambulance Man 2:40
Composed By – Jennie Mae Clayton
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Vocals – Hattie Hart
Vocals, Guitar – Will Shade
3    Memphis Jug Band–    Cocaine Habit Blues 2:47
Composed By – Jennie Mae Clayton
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Harmony Vocals – Unknown Artist
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Vocals – Hattie Hart
Vocals, Kazoo – Ben Ramey
4    Memphis Jug Band–    Jim Strainer Blues 3:20
Composed By – Jennie Mae Clayton
Guitar, Vocals – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Piano – Unknown Artist
5    Memphis Jug Band–    Cave Man Blues 3:05
Composed By – Charles Pope
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Guitar, Composed By – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Violin – Milton Robie
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
Voice [Speech] – Unknown Artist
6    Memphis Jug Band–    Fourth Street Mess Around 3:15
Guitar, Composed By – Will Shade
Harmony Vocals – Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Mandolin – Charlie Burse
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
7    Memphis Jug Band–    It Won't Act Right 2:28
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Guitar, Vocals, Composed By – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
Voice [Speech] – Unknown Artist
8    Memphis Jug Band–    Bumble Bee Blues 2:49
Composed By – Minnie McCoy
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
9    Memphis Jug Band–    Meningitis Blues 3:14
Composed By – Minnie McCoy
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Vocals, Guitar – Memphis Minnie
10    Memphis Jug Band–    Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues 3:04
Composed By – Jennie Mae Clayton
Guitar, Vocals – Will Shade
Guitar, Voice [Poss. Speech] – Charlie Burse
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
11    Memphis Jug Band–    Stonewall Blues 3:26
Composed By – Jennie Mae Clayton
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Guitar, Vocals – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
12    Carolina Peanut Boys–    Spider's Nest Blues 3:03
Composed By – Jennie Mae Clayton
Guitar – Charlie Burse, Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Vocals – Hattie Hart
13    Memphis Jug Band–    Papa's Got Your Bath Water On 2:26
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Vocals, Composed By – Hattie Hart
Vocals, Harmonica – Will Shade
14    Charlie Nickerson–    Going Back To Memphis 2:20
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Guitar, Composed By – Will Shade
Jug – Hambone Lewis
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
Vocals [Group Vocals] – Memphis Jug Band
15    Memphis Sheiks–    He's In The Jailhouse Now 3:06
Banjo, Mandolin – Vol Stevens
Composed By – Burt Murphy*
Guitar, Harmony Vocals [Poss.] – Charlie Burse
Harmonica – Will Shade
Jug – Jab Jones
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
16    Carolina Peanut Boys–    Got A Letter From My Darlin' 2:55
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica, Composed By – Will Shade
Jug – Unknown Artist
Kazoo – Ben Ramey
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
Vocals [2nd Vocals], Voice [Speech] – Unknown Artist
17    Memphis Sheiks–    'Round And 'Round 3:00
Harmonica, Composed By – Will Shade
Jug – Unknown Artist
Kazoo, Harmony Vocals – Ben Ramey
Mandolin [Poss.] – Will Weldon
Mandolin [Prob.] – Vol Stevens
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
Vocals [2nd Vocals] – Unknown Artist
18    Carolina Peanut Boys–    You May Leave But This Will Bring You Back 2:58
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica, Composed By – Will Shade
Harmony Vocals – Ben Ramey
Jug – Unknown Artist
Mandolin [Poss.] – Will Weldon
Mandolin [Prob.] – Vol Stevens
Vocals – Charlie Nickerson
Vocals [2nd Vocals] – Unknown Artist
19    Carolina Peanut Boys–    Move That Thing 2:57
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica, Composed By – Will Shade
Harmony Vocals – Ben Ramey
Jug – Unknown Artist
Mandolin [Poss.] – Will Weldon
Mandolin [Prob.] – Vol Stevens
Vocals [2nd Vocals] – Unknown Artist
Vocals, Voice [Speech], Composed By – Charlie Nickerson
20    Carolina Peanut Boys–    You Got Me Rollin' 2:26
Guitar – Charlie Burse
Harmonica, Composed By – Will Shade
Harmony Vocals – Ben Ramey
Jug – Unknown Artist
Mandolin [Poss.] – Will Weldon
Mandolin [Prob.] – Vol Stevens
Vocals [2nd Vocals] – Unknown Artist
Vocals, Voice [Speech] – Charlie Nickerson