MARTHA COPELAND — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 · 1923-1927 | DOCD-5372 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During a five-year stretch beginning in 1923, blues woman Martha Copeland recorded about three dozen titles for the OKeh, Victor, and Columbia labels. Virtually all of these were reissued by Document during the 1990s. Vol. 1 of her complete works contains 23 tunes dating from September 1923 to August 1927. Because the second volume was filled out with recordings by Irene Scruggs, the first installment stands as the definitive Copeland collection. Her accompanists during this period included pianists Eddie Heywood, Sr., Cliff Jackson, Phil Worde, Louis Hooper, and Porter Grainger, in addition to cornetists Bubber Miley and Louis Metcalf, violinist Bert Howell, and banjoist Buddy Christian. On "Hard Headed Mama" and "When the Wind Make Connection with Your Dry Goods" she is joined by comedic vocalist Sidney Easton. When Copeland switched from OKeh to Columbia in September 1926, she was persuaded to cover Victoria Spivey's very first recorded song, "Black Snake Blues," which Spivey had waxed four months earlier for OKeh. Copeland recorded it again in February 1927 as "The Black Snake Moan," whereupon Blind Lemon Jefferson cut his own cover using Copeland's title almost exactly one month later. For those who really love blues from this time period, the link between these three amazing musicians may serve as an inspiration to obtain the complete works of all three artists as reissued by Document. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.        The Down So Long Blues    3:15
2.        The Pawn Shop Blues    3:02
3.        Daddy, You've Done Put That Thing On Me    2:47
4.        The Penetrating Blues    3:21
5.        Black Snake Blues    3:03
6.        Papa If You Can't Do Better (take 2)    3:01
7.        Papa If You Can't Do Better (take 3)    2:59
8.        On Decoration Day (They'll Know Where To Bring Your Flowers To)    3:06
9.        Fortune Teller Blues    3:06
10.        When The Wind Make Connection With Your Dry Goods    2:35
11.        Hard Headed Mama    3:04
12.        I Don't Care Who Ain't Got Nobody    2:46
13.        Stole My Man Blues     3:22
14.        The Black Snake Moan    3:02
15.        Mine's Just As Good As Yours    2:54
16.        Soul And Body (He Belongs To Me)    2:40
17.        Sorrow Valley Blues    2:54
18.        Dyin' Crap-Shooter's Blues    3:13
19.        Mr. Brakes-man (Let Me Ride Your Train)    2:57
20.        Police Blues    2:56
21.        Skeleton Key Blues    2:40
22.        Hobo Bill    3:19
23.        Nobody Rocks Me Like My Baby Do    3:03
Credits : 
Banjo – Buddy Christian (tracks: 22, 23)
Clarinet – Bob Fuller (tracks: 18, 19), Ernest Elliott (tracks: 18, 19)
Compilation Producer – Johnny Parth
Cornet – Louis Metcalf (tracks: 16, 17)
Liner Notes – John Wilby
Piano – Cliff Jackson (tracks: 5 to 9), Eddie Heywood (2) (tracks: 1 to 4), Louis Hooper (tracks: 14 to 17), Phil Worde (tracks: 10 to13), Porter Grainger (tracks: 18 to 23)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Trumpet – Bubber Miley (tracks: 8, 9)
Violin – Bert Howell (tracks: 10 to 12)
Vocals – Martha Copeland, Sidney Easton (tracks: 10, 11)
Whistle [Police Whistle] – Unknown Artist (tracks: 20)

MARTHA COPELAND — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 2 · 1927-1928 + IRENE SCRUGGS — The Remaining Titles 1926-1930 | DOCD-5373 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of many early blues and jazz women who were overshadowed and ultimately eclipsed by Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, and Bessie Smith, Martha Copeland made about three dozen recordings during the 1920s that were reissued seven decades later on two CDs by the Document label. The second volume traces her Columbia recording activity from October 1927 to August 1928. Her little backing group, billed as her Smokey City Trio on December 6, 1927, was named after Copeland's home town of Pittsburgh, PA. "Wylie Avenue Blues" refers to the main drag in the Lower Hill District where the city's African-American population was concentrated. Her pianists during this period were Porter Grainger (tracks one through six); Rube Bloom (on "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and "My Daddy Can't Do Nothin' Bad"); James P. Johnson (on "Somethin' Goin' on Wrong" and "Desert Blues"); and J.C. Johnson, who is joined by cornetist Bubber Miley on "Mama's Well Has Done Gone Dry" and "I Ain't Your Hen Mister Fly Rooster." The second half of this compilation holds a smattering of records cut by St. Louis blues woman Irene Scruggs between April 1926 and August 1930. On "Home Town Blues" and "Sorrow Valley Blues," Scruggs was backed by King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators, a rough-edged little group that included trombonist Kid Ory and clarinetist Albert Nicholas; at the same session, Oliver's band backed Georgia Taylor as she sang "Jackass Blues." Scruggs is heard with guitarist Lonnie Johnson on tracks 15 and 16, and the disc closes with five titles recorded for Gennett in Richmond, IN, at the end of the summer of 1930. Anyone seeking more recordings by Irene Scruggs ought to investigate her collaborations with Blind Blake and Little Brother Montgomery, all dating from 1930. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.    Martha Copeland–    Shootin' Star Blues 2:44
Clarinet – Bob Fuller
Piano – Porter Grainger
Vocals – Martha Copeland
2.    Martha Copeland–    Good Time Mama Blues
Clarinet – Bob Fuller
Piano – Porter Grainger
Vocals – Martha Copeland
3.    Martha Copeland, Acc. Her Smokey City Trio–    Wylie Avenue Blues 2:40
Alto Saxophone – Andrew Mead
Piano – Porter Grainger
Violin – Ralph Jones 
Vocals – Martha Copeland
4.    Martha Copeland, Acc. Her Smokey City Trio–    Everybody Does It Now 3:02
Alto Saxophone – Andrew Mead
Piano – Porter Grainger
Violin – Ralph Jones 
Vocals – Martha Copeland
5.    Martha Copeland–    Bank Failure Blues 2:53
Piano – Porter Grainger
Vocals – Martha Copeland
6.    Martha Copeland–    Second-Hand Daddy 2:42
Piano – Porter Grainger
Vocals – Martha Copeland
7    Martha Copeland–    I Can't Give You Anything But Love 3:16
Cornet – Irving Peskin
Piano – Rube Bloom
Vocals – Martha Copeland
8.    Martha Copeland–    My Daddy Can't Do Nothin' Bad 3:04
Cornet – Irving Peskin
Piano – Rube Bloom
Vocals – Martha Copeland
9.    Martha Copeland–    Somethin' Goin' On Wrong 3:25
Clarinet – Clarence Adams
Piano – James P. Johnson
Vocals – Martha Copeland
10.    Martha Copeland–    Desert Blues 3:13
Clarinet – Clarence Adams
Piano, Speech – James P. Johnson
Vocals – Martha Copeland
11.    Martha Copeland–    Mama's Well Has Done Gone Dry 3:03
Cornet – Bubber Miley
Piano – J.C. Johnson
Vocals – Martha Copeland
12.    Martha Copeland–    I Ain't Your Hen Mister Fly Rooster 2:45
Cornet – Bubber Miley
Piano – J.C. Johnson
Vocals – Martha Copeland
13.    Irene Scruggs–    Home Town Blues 2:46
Alto Saxophone [Prob.] – Billy Paige
Banjo – Bud Scott
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Albert Nicholas
Cornet – King Oliver
Drums – Paul Barbarin
Piano – Luis Russell
Trombone – Kid Ory
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
14.    Irene Scruggs–    Sorrow Valley Blues (C-230) 2:34
Alto Saxophone [Prob.] – Billy Paige
Banjo – Bud Scott
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Albert Nicholas
Cornet – King Oliver
Drums – Paul Barbarin
Piano – Luis Russell
Trombone – Kid Ory
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
15.    Irene Scruggs–    Lonesome Valley Blues 3:17
Guitar – Lonnie Johnson 
Piano – DeLoise Searcy
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
16.    Irene Scruggs–    Sorrow Valley Blues (80820) 3:10
Guitar – Lonnie Johnson 
Piano – DeLoise Searcy
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
17.    Dixie Nolan - Johnnie Hardge–    Worried Love - Part 1 2:55
Guitar – Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
Vocals, Piano [Prob.] – Johnny Hodges 
18.    Dixie Nolan - Johnnie Hardge–    Worried Love - Part 2 2:57
Guitar – Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
Vocals, Piano [Prob.] – Johnny Hodges 
19.    Irene Scruggs–    You've Got What I Want 2:51
Piano [Poss.] – J. Norman Ebron
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
20.    Irene Scruggs–    I Want You To Give Me Some 2:57
Guitar – Unknown Artist
Piano [Poss.] – J. Norman Ebron
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
21.    Irene Scruggs–    My Back To The Wall 2:48
Guitar – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
22.    Irene Scruggs–    Borrowed Love 2:44
Guitar – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Irene Scruggs
23.    Irene Scruggs–    The Voice Of The Blues 2:52
Guitar – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Irene Scruggs