CLARENCE WILLIAMS – 1921-1924 | The Classics Chronological Series – 679 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although this is not the most essential of the Clarence Williams CDs released in the complete Classics series, all of the releases are highly recommended to fans of early jazz. Many of these titles are quite rare and historical. First Williams is heard as a singer on five period numbers from 1921 ("The Dance They Call the Georgia Hunch" is the most memorable) and has a vocal duet with Daisy Martin on "Brown Skin (Who You For)." Williams also takes four piano solos and on most of the other titles features the great soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet (heard in his earliest recordings); "Wild Cat Blues" and "Kansas City Man Blues" are classics. In addition Louis Armstrong joins the group on three numbers, two of which have vocals from Eva Taylor. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Clarence Williams–    If You Don't Believe I Love You (Look What A Fool I've Been) 2:48
Vocals – Clarence Williams
Written-By – Clarence Williams
2    Clarence Williams–    Roumania 3:11
Vocals – Clarence Williams
Written-By – Williams, Peyton
3    Clarence Williams–    The Dance They Call The Georgia Hunch 3:07
Vocals – Clarence Williams
Written-By – Williams, Wade, Williams
4    Clarence Williams–    Pullman Porter Blues 3:02
Written-By – Clarence Williams
Written-By – Hamilton, Ulrich
5    Clarence Williams–    Decatur Street Blues 2:56
Vocals – Clarence Williams
Written-By – Clarence Williams
6    Clarence Williams–    Brown Skin (Who You For) 3:06
Vocals – Clarence Williams, Daisy Martin
Written-By – Piron, Williams
7    Clarence Williams–    Mixing The Blues 3:10
Written-By – Clarence Williams
8    Clarence Williams–    The Weary Blues 2:31
Written-By – Artie Mathews
9    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Wild Cat Blues 2:58
Written-By – Williams, Wiley
10    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Kansas City Man Blues 2:55
Written-By – Johnson, Williams
11    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Achin' Hearted Blues 2:56
Written-By – Johnson, Williams, Williams
12    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    'Tain't Nobody's Bus'ness If I Do 2:47
Written-By – Robbins, Grainger
13    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    New Orleans Hop Scop Blues 2:50
Written-By – George Thomas
14    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Oh Daddy! (You Won't Have No Mama At All) 3:07
Written-By – Herbert, Russell
15    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Shreveport Blues 2:58
Written-By – Annie Potter
16    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Old Fashioned Love 3:07
Written-By – Mack, Johnson
17    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    House Rent Blues (The Stomp) 2:56
Written-By – De Koven-Thompson
18    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Mean Blues 2:56
Written-By – Gillham, Smythe
19    Clarence Williams–    My Own Blues 2:25
Written-By – Clarence Williams
20    Clarence Williams–    Gravier Street Blues 2:23
Written-By – Clarence Williams
21    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Texas Moaner Blues 3:10
Written-By – Williams, Barnes
22    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Of All The Wrongs You Done To Me 2:51
Vocals – Eva Taylor
Written-By – Smith, Davell, Leyton
23    Clarence Williams' Blue Five–    Everybody Loves My Baby (But My Baby Don't Love Nobody But Me) 2:33
Vocals – Eva Taylor
Written-By – Palmer, Williams
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Unknown Artist (tracks: 14, 15)
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet – Don Redman (tracks: 5 to 9, 12, 13, 16, 17)
Banjo – Buddy Christian (tracks: 1 to 18)
Banjo [prob.] – Leroy Harris (tracks: 16 to 20)
Brass Bass – Cyrus St. Clair (tracks: 16 to 20)
Clarinet – Bennie Motlto Saxophone – Unknown Artist (tracks: 5)
Banjo – Buddy Christian (tracks: 21 to 23)
Clarinet – Unknown Artist (tracks: 11)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Joseph Samuels (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Sidney Bechet (tracks: 9, 10, 12 to 18)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Cornet – Jules Levy Jr. (tracks: 1 to 4, 6), Louis Armstrong (tracks: 21 to 23), Thomas Morris (tracks: 9 to 18), Unknown Artist (tracks: 5)
Drums – Unknown Artist (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Piano – Clarence Williams (tracks: 7 to 23), Larry Briers (tracks: 1 to 4, 6), Unknown Artist (tracks: 5)
Soprano Saxophone – Buster Bailey (tracks: 21 to 23)
Trombone – Aaron Thompson (tracks: 21 to 23), John Mayfield (tracks: 9 to 18), Unknown Artist (tracks: 5)
Trombone [?] – Ephraim Hannaford (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Violin – Unknown Artist (tracks: 5)

CLARENCE WILLIAMS – 1926-1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 718 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third CD in the Classics label's Clarence Williams program reissues all of the pianist/bandleader's dates from a ten-month period, 23 selections in all. Such groups as Joe Jordan's Ten Sharps and Flats (performing a memorable version of "Morocco Blues"), The Dixie Washboard Band, The Blue Grass Foot Warmers and Clarence Williams's Stompers (or Blue Seven or Jazz Kings or Washboard Four). Williams uses some of the top musicians of the era (including cornetists Bubber Miley, Tommy Ladnier and Ed Allen, trombonist Jimmy Harrison, clarinetist Buster Bailey, Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Cyrus St. Clair on tuba and Jasper Taylor on washboard among others) for the heated and freewheeling performances. Highlights include "Jackass Blues," "I Found a New Baby," "Senegalese Stomp" and a truly classic version of "Candy Lips" (which features two clarinets in hot pursuit). All of the CDs in this valuable series are highly recommended to classic jazz fans. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Clarence Williams Stompers–    Jackass Blues 3:00
Written-By – Kassel, Stitzel
2    Clarence Williams Stompers–    What's The Matter Now? 2:20
Vocals – Don Redman
Written-By – Williams, Williams
3    Joe Jordan's Ten Sharps And Flats–    Morocco Blues 3:20
Vocals [Comments] – Clarence Williams
Written-By – Williams, Jordan
4    Dixie Washboard Band–    You For Me, Me For You 3:07
Vocals – Clarence Todd
Written-By – Mack, Johnson
5    Dixie Washboard Band–    My Own Blues 2:53
Vocals – Clarence Todd
Written-By – Clarence Williams
6    Dixie Washboard Band–    Boodle Am 3:06
Vocals – Clarence Todd
Written-By – Palmer, Williams
7    Dixie Washboard Band–    I Found A New Baby 2:53
Vocals – Clarence Todd
Written-By – Palmer, Williams
8    Blue Grass Foot Warmers–    Señorita Mine 2:38
Written-By – Unknown Artist
9    Blue Grass Foot Warmers–    Charleston Hound 2:51
Written-By – Williams, Waller
10    Blue Grass Foot Warmers–    How Could I Be Blue 2:47
Speech – Clarence Todd
Written-By – Unknown Artist
11    Blue Grass Foot Warmers–    Old Folks Shuffle 2:44
Written-By – Williams, Waller
12    Dixie Washboard Band–    Dark Eyes 3:10
Vocals – Clarence Todd
– Traditional
13    Dixie Washboard Band–    Gimme Blues 3:04
Vocals – Clarence Todd
Written-By – Clarence Williams
14    Dixie Washboard Band–    King Of The Zulus 3:25
Dialog – Clarence Todd, Clarence Williams
Written-By – Lil Hardin Armstrong
15    Dixie Washboard Band–    The Zulu Blues 2:55
Vocals – Clarence Todd
Written-By – Clarence Williams
16    Clarence Williams' Blue Seven–    Would Ja? 2:49
Written-By – Manning Sherwin
17    Clarence Williams' Blue Seven–    Senegalese Stomp 2:37
Written-By – Clarence Todd
18    Joe Sims (And Clarence Williams–    What Do You Know About That? 2:55
Vocals – Clarence Williams, Joe Sims
Written-By – Unknown Artist
19    Joe Sims (And Clarence Williams–    Shut Your Mouth 3:11
Vocals – Clarence Williams, Joe Sims
Written-By – Unknown Artist
20    Clarence Williams' Jazz Kings–    Gravier Street Blues 3:00
Written-By – Clarence Williams
21    Clarence Williams' Jazz Kings–    Candy Lips 2:44
Written-By – Lauria, Jackson
22    Clarence Williams' Washboard Four–    Nobody But My Baby Is Getting My Love 2:38
Written-By – Razaf, Williams
23    Clarence Williams' Washboard Four–    Candy Lips 2:43
Vocals – Clarence Williams
Written-By – Lauria, Jackson
Credits :    
Banjo – Leroy Harris (tracks: 16, 17, 20, 21), Mike McKendrick (tracks: 3), Unknown Artist (tracks: 14, 15)
Banjo [?] – Buddy Christian (tracks: 1, 2), Leroy Harris (tracks: 1, 2)
Brass Bass – Cyrus St. Clair (tracks: 16, 17, 20, 21), Ed Bergen (tracks: 3), Unknown Artist (tracks: 1, 2)
Clarinet [?] – Ben Whitted (tracks: 20, 21), Benny Moten (tracks: 20, 21)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Bennie Moten (tracks: 3 to 11, 22, 23), Buster Bailey (tracks: 16, 17), Don Redman (tracks: 1, 2), James Nichols (tracks: 3)
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins (tracks: 16, 17), Unknown Artist (tracks: 12 to 15)
Cornet – Bubber Miley (tracks: 1, 2), Ed Allen (tracks: 3 to 11, 22, 23), Thomas Morris (tracks: 1, 2), William Logan (tracks: 3)
Cornet [?] – Addington Major (tracks: 18, 19), Louis Metcalf (tracks: 12 to 15, 18, 19)
Drums, Washboard – Jasper Taylor (tracks: 3 to 11)
Piano – Clarence Williams (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 17, 20 to 23), Fats Waller (tracks: 18, 19)
Piano, Directed By – Joe Jordan (tracks: 3)
Tenor Saxophone – Clarence Miller (tracks: 3)
Trombone – Jimmy Harrison (tracks: 16, 17), Joe Brown (22) (tracks: 3)
Trombone [?] – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton (tracks: 1, 2), John Mayfield (tracks: 14, 15)
Trumpet – Tommy Ladnier (tracks: 16, 17)
Washboard – Bruce Johnson (tracks: 12 to 15), Floyd Casey (tracks: 22, 23)