TAMPA RED — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 1 • 1928-1929 | DOCD-5073 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Through Train Blues was a strange one to kick off a recording career with and one cannot help but wonder if the gentle huffing and puffing of a tuba to fill out a bass rhythm was Tampa’s idea or that of someone else trying to be creative at the recording session for Paramount records. Either way, it kind of works, depending on one’s mood and at least it gets Tampa off the mark with some characteristic slide guitar playing and a song. For the moment, that was it’, one side and no more! The recording was issued as a flip side to Blind Lemon Jefferson ‘How Long How Long’ (Document DOCD-5019) maybe as a ploy to encourage the market to listen to Tampa. After four months Tampa Red was in the recording studio again but this time only as a session man for Foster And Harris (Ma Rainey’s Boys) as they played out The Alley Crap Game a performance which would be taken up by the two blues brothers from Georgia Robert ‘Barbecue Bob’ Hicks and Charlie “Laughing Charlie” Hicks in 1930 with their ‘Dark Town Gamblin’  Part 1 (The Crap Game) ” (Document DOCD-5048). Dodging the ricocheting dices, Tampa provides a gentle slide guitar accompaniment and keeps out of the arguing between the two gamblers. A month later, in September 1928, Tampa arrived at the Vocalian studios with a piano player called “Georgia Tom” (Thomas A. Dorsey). In the same month, like Tampa, Tom had been on the fringe of trying to make recording part of his musical career having had two sessions for the Vocalion label. Of six sides cut only one was released coupled with a single recording made for the label later that year. Their first recording of Tampa Red and Georgia Tom which took place in 1928 was a bawdy ragtime number, It’s Tight Like That. It was an instant and massive hit with record sales catapulting into the hundreds of thousands. It has been reported that the sales breached the million mark and went much higher. The sessions on this album see two revisits to the Tight Like That theme but there are other recordings which added greatly to their success including the lively Selling That Stuff and Beedle Um Bum both of which were subsequently covered by many other blues, jazz and hokum artists. The duo are found in accompanying role providing backing for recordings with vocalists Madylyn (Red Hot Shakin’) Davis, Frankie “Half-Pint” Jaxon as lead vocalist for Tampa Red’s Hokum Jug Band, Papa Too Sweet, and Junie Cobb as vocalist for the State Street Stompers. Many of the recordings are “good time”, raucous performances and it doesn’t take much of the imagination to think of them being the dance music of parties and in particular the rent parties of the time as described by Big Bill Bronnzy in his autobiography. The last five of the twenty five tracks presented here are solid blues performed by Tampa Red with his partner, Georgia Tom. Having had something of an uncertain start to their recording careers, they are assured and confident in their performances, having already been established by their first recording together as one of the most successful piano / guitar duos from the “pre-war blues” era. DOCD-5073
Tracklist :
1    Tampa Red–    Through Train Blues 2:44
Tuba – Unknown Artist
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
2    Foster & Harris (Ma Rainey's Boys)–    The Alley Crap Game 3:00
Guitar – Tampa Red
Vocals [Male Vcl Duet] – Foster & Harris (Ma Rainey's Boys)
3    Tampa Red And Georgia Tom–    It's Tight Like That 3:01
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
Vocals, Piano – Georgia Tom
4    Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis–    Gold Tooth Papa Blues 2:38
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis
5    Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis–    Death Bell Blues 2:50
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis
6    Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis–    It's Red Hot 3:07
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis
7    Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis–    Too Black Bad 3:08
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Madlyn (Red Hot Shakin') Davis
8    Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band–    Good Gordon Gin 2:47
Guitar – Martell Pettiford, Tampa Red
Horn [Jazzhorn] – Carl Reid
Kazoo, Washboard – Herman Brown
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
9    Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band–    Down The Alley 3:09
Guitar – Martell Pettiford, Tampa Red
Horn [Jazzhorn], Jug – Carl Reid
Kazoo, Washboard – Herman Brown
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
10    Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band–    It's Tight Like That 2:45
Guitar – Martell Pettiford, Tampa Red
Horn [Jazzhorn], Jug – Carl Reid
Kazoo, Washboard – Herman Brown
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
11    Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band–    How Long How Long Blues 3:10
Guitar – Martell Pettiford, Tampa Red
Horn [Jazzhorn], Jug – Carl Reid
Kazoo, Washboard – Herman Brown
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
12    Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band–    You Can't Come In 3:04
Guitar – Martell Pettiford, Tampa Red
Horn [Jazzhorn], Jug – Carl Reid
Kazoo, Washboard – Herman Brown
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
13    Tampa Red "The Guitar Wizard" With Georgia Tom–    It's Tight Like That No. 2 2:40
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
Vocals, Piano – Georgia Tom
14    Papa Too Sweet–    (Honey) It's Tight Like That 2:36
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Harry Jones, Papa Too Sweet
15    Papa Too Sweet–    Big Fat Mama 3:36
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals – Papa Too Sweet
16    The Hokum Boys–    Selling That Stuff (Matrix 21035-3) 2:49
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
Vocals, Piano – Georgia Tom
17    The Hokum Boys–    Beedle Um Bum (Take 3) 2:46
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
Vocals, Piano – Georgia Tom
18    State Street Stompers–    Rolling Mill Stomp (Take 1) 3:12
Drums – Jimmy Bertrand
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Alex Hill
Vocals, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Junie Cobb
19    State Street Stompers–    Rolling Mill Stomp (Take 2) 3:10
Drums – Jimmy Bertrand
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Alex Hill
Vocals, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Junie Cobb
20    State Street Stompers–    Panama Blues 3:08
Drums – Jimmy Bertrand
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano, Speech – Alex Hill
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Junie Cobb
21    Tampa Red–    Juicy Lemon Blues 3:02
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
22    Tampa Red–    Chicago Moan Blues 3:07
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
23    Tampa Red–    Strange Woman Blues 2:32
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
24    Tampa Red–    Jelly Whippin' Blues 3:08
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red
25    Tampa Red–    Train Time Blues (Matrix C-2782) 3:16
Piano – Georgia Tom
Vocals, Guitar – Tampa Red

JOHNNY DODDS – 1926 | The Chronogical Classics – 589 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dodds was one of the very finest New Orleans clarinetists, and the only non-Creole among them. The peak experiences here, and some of the finest small-group recordings ever made, are the New Orleans Wanderers sessions -- Armstrong's Hot Five with George Mitchell instead of Armstrong. Also present are Freddie Keppard's only two recordings and a bunch of marginally lesser cuts that Dodds transmutes into gold. John Storm Roberts
Tracklist + Credits :

TINY PARHAM AND HIS MUSICIANS – 1926-1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 661 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first of two Classics CDs to reissue the master takes of all of pianist Tiny Parham's recordings as a leader contains more than its share of gems. Parham is heard as co-leader of the Pickett-Parham Apollo Syncopators (which features Leroy Pickett on violin) and also heading his "Forty" Five (a quintet that includes trombonist Kid Ory and a guest vocal from blues banjoist Papa Charlie Jackson). However, the bulk of the CD is by Parham's Musicians, a septet with either Punch Miller or Ray Hobson on cornet, and (starting on Feb. 1, 1929) the atmospheric violin of Elliott Washington. The clever and unpredictable arrangements, along with an impressive series of now-obscure originals, made Parham's ensemble one of the most underrated bands of the era. Highlights include "The Head-Hunter's Dream," "Jogo Rhythm," "Stompin' on Down" and "Blue Island Blues." Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

JIMMIE NOONE – 1928-1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 611 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Among Classics many Jimmie Noone discs, this collection of sides from 1928-1929 stands as the best. How could it not, what with it's wealth of top-notch material Noone and pianist Earl Hines cut while flourishing in the Chicago club scene. And while the overall quality of the ensemble playing is a bit subpar at times -- certainly, there's not much here to compare to Hines' contemporary triumphs with Louis Armstrong -- the sheer joy and deftness heard in Noone's solos and Hines' backing make for an enjoyable listen throughout. Along with picaresque Noone vocals like "Four of Five Times" and "Ready For the River," the 23-track mix includes such classics as "Apex Blues," "A Monday Date," and "Sweet Lorraine." This works very nicely as a generous and concise roundup of some of Noone's best work. Stephen Cook
Tracklist + Credits :