WALTER ROLAND – Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 1 • 1933 | DOCD-5144 (1993) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

The 23 selections on this Document CD were all recorded during a four-day period. Walter Roland was a skillful pianist who was also an effective blues-based singer and even a fine guitarist. He is heard backing his vocals on solo performances (on piano or guitar), accompanying the vocals of Sonny Scott and on two joyous instrumentals ("Guitar Stomp" and "Railroad Stomp") as part of the Jolly Two, he holds his own on guitar duets with Scott. Lucille Bogan (who Roland regularly accompanied) pops up on two numbers where she comments (talking rather than singing) on the proceedings. Among the better selections on this enjoyable set of goodtime music are "No Good Biddie," "Early This Morning," "Jookit Jookit," "Piano Stomp," "Whatcha Gonna Do," "Early This Morning" and the guitar duets. The second volume of Walter Roland recordings is worthwhile, too, but this is his definitive set. Scott Yanow
 
Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Mississippi, Texas, Georgia; all names redolent with the best of Southern blues, but Alabama? Surely the “Cinderella” state of the blues. Not that it hasn’t produced its share of outstanding blues artists but never a record industry giant; a Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins or B. B. King. Powerful performers like William Harris and George “Bullet” Williams remain virtual biographical blanks. What then of Alabama Sam, who made his first recording way up in the Big Apple on 17 July, 1933? We know little more about him, even though he made some 56 recordings between 1933 and 1935, mostly under what is presumed to have been his real name, Walter Roland, plus fifty-eight as accompanist to Bessie Jackson, alias Lucille Bogan, one of the toughest female blues singers on record, 16 accompanying Josh White and several with guitarist Sonny Scott, including the classic No Good Biddie. (Intriguingly Roland is dubbed “Walter Scott” on the label of one “Bessie Jackson” record, suggesting a relationship with Sonny, if it’s not just record company confusion.) From his association with Bogan and the influence of pianist Jabo Williams we know that Roland hailed from Birmingham, but his birthplace was, apparently, Tuscaloosa, 40 miles to the south-west in the “Black Belt” of Alabama. Like many pre-war blues artists, Walter Roland‘s first recording was his biggest, an early protest song Red Cross Blues, later recorded by artists as diverse as Leadbelly, Sonny Boy Williamson (as Welfare Store Blues) and Forest City Joe. The next master was “Red Cross” No. 2, his record company (A R C.) presumably anticipating big sales on No. 1 had him record a follow-up in advance! Bogan did her Red Cross Man at the same session, with quite different lyrics. The melody (and in Red Cross Man the repeated line “baby don’t you want to go”) link both songs with Kokomo Blues, yet to be recorded by Kokomo Arnold but already on record by Madlyn Davis, Scrapper Blackwell, Walter Fennell and Jabo Williams, the powerful pianist from “Pratt City” (a district of north Birmingham) who was almost certainly an early influence on Roland. There was considerable interchange of material between Roland, Bogan and Scott. Both Walter and Lucille recorded Schoolboy Blues and Screw Worm but Lucille’s versions weren’t issued. Sonny Scott recorded two versions of Red Cross Blues (both lyrically different to Roland’s), as well as a version of Early This Morning. On July 19th Roland and Scott recorded several superb mainly instrumental performances. “Jookit”, which features inspired boogie piano by Roland, with Scott shouting encouragement, was coupled with Whatcha Gonna Do, a hokum number with Bogan also joining in the fun. Issued as by the “Jolly Jivers“, as was the brilliant barrelhouse Piano Stomp, it appeared, along with Roland & Scott‘s sizzling guitar duet “stomps” as the “Jolly Two“, in Vocalion’s general series, perhaps hoping for wider sales than if they’d been exclusively “race” records. It says much for Walter Roland‘s musical talent that despite being best known as a pianist, he plays excellent guitar on Railroad Stomp and its companion pieces. Big Mama is one of Roland’s cover versions, being a lively reworking of Jabo Williams 1932 Fat Mama Blues (Paramount 13130 / Document DOCD-5102). Roland also “covered” Williams’ House Lady Blues (Paramount 13136 / Document DOCD-5102), which Big Joe Williams revived in 1947 (Columbia 38190). Early This Morning reworks Charlie Spand‘s big 1929/30 hit Soon This Morning (Paramount 12790 / Document DOCD-5108). That he recorded a “No. 2” in 1934 suggests that the formula was successful. Now slide back in time and listen to those Jolly Jivers shaking up a storm down in Jefferson County: “Jookit, Jookit”!  DOCD-5144
Tracklist :
1    Walter Roland–    Red Cross Blues    3:12
2    Walter Roland–    Red Cross Blues No. 2    3:00
3    Walter Roland–    T Model Blues    2:59
4    Sonny Scott & Walter Roland–    Man, Man, Man    3:08
5    Sonny Scott & Walter Roland–    No Good Biddie    2:46
6    Walter Roland–    You Gonna Need Me    2:58
7    Walter Roland–    Slavin' Blues    2:49
8    Walter Roland–    Last Year Blues    3:09
9    Sonny Scott–    Early This Morning    2:30
10    Sonny Scott–    Working Man's Moan    2:53
11    Sonny Scott–    Rolling Water    2:47
12    Jolly Jivers–    Jookit Jookit    2:55
13    Jolly Jivers–    Piano Stomp    2:52
14    Walter Roland–    Back Door Blues    3:04
15    Jolly Two–    Guitar Stomp    2:55
16    Jolly Two–    Railroad Stomp    2:52
17    Walter Roland–    Frisco Blues    2:18
18    Walter Roland–    House Lady Blues    2:50
19    Jolly Jivers–    Whatcha Gonna Do?    2:56
20    Walter Roland–    Early This Morning ('Bout Break Of Day)    2:47
21    Jolly Jivers–    Hungry Man's Scuffle    2:41
22    Jolly Two–    Come On Down    2:31
23    Walter Roland–    Overall Blues    2:33

WALTER ROLAND – Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 2 • 1934-1935 | DOCD-5145 (1993) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Unlike the first Walter Roland Document CD, there is a certain sameness to the 22 recordings (two previously unissued) on this second volume. Lucille Bogan makes comments on three numbers and Josh White (years before he became famous as a folk singer) plays background guitar on the last dozen numbers, but otherwise, the focus is completely on Roland. He sticks to piano this time (no departures on guitar), and all of the selections have his vocals and generally a similar medium-slow tempo. Although somewhat popular at the time, oddly enough, Walter Roland did not record again after 1935. The highlights of this program (which generally does hold one's interest) include "C.W.A. Blues," "Early in the Morning No. 2," "Bad Dream Blues," "I'm Gonna Shave You Dry," "S.O.L. Blues" and "Penniless Blues," but get Volume 1 first. Scott Yanow
 
Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Walter Roland made 19 recordings for the American Record Corporation at 4 sessions in July, 1933. All were issued, as were most of those he made as an accompanist to Lucille Bogan and Sonny Scott, suggesting good sales. A year after their first New York sessions together, Roland and Bogan were back in New York recording for ARC. Although Sonny Scott didn’t make the trip this time, Roland and Bogan were not the only artists in ARC’s New York studio on 30th July, 1934. Buddy Moss from Georgia cut a couple of titles, as did Bob Campbell, a fine but shadowy blues singer and guitarist who may have come up from Alabama with Roland and Bogan. One of Campbell’s titles was the brilliant Dice’s Blues. Two masters later, Roland recorded his version of this piece, varying the lyrics after the first verse and giving it a more up-tempo treatment. Roland’s PWA Blues, like Joe Pullum‘s (an entirely different song, recorded four months before Roland’s) paid tribute to the Public Works Administration, one of President Roosevelt’s New Deal programmes which took men off welfare by creating jobs, thereby helping to lift the nation out of depression. Like Bluebird with Pullum, A.R.C. misheard Roland’s pronunciation of the letter “p”, hearing it as “c” and so mis-titling the record CWA Blues. In teaming Josh White with Walter Roland, first on two 1934 White recordings and then at several March, 1935 sessions, A.R.C. were probably trying to repeat the success of the Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell partnership. Cold Blooded Murder and Sail On Little Girl No. 2 were in fact “covers” of a Bumble Bee Slim record. White and Roland were far too talented to slavishly recreate a sound, however, and their musical empathy produced some outstanding performances. Although under-recorded, on the 7th and 8th of March, White is heard to much better effect on the 14th & 18th March titles. Penniless Blues, the only issued title from the last session on 20th March, is especially fine with Roland bitterly commenting “You know living with that woman is just like being in hell”. All of Roland’s 1933 titles had been issued and only 5 of his 1934 recordings remained unissued (including Walking Blues and the World Fair Blues) but out of two dozen 1935 titles, half were never issued, including the intriguing Our Father Blues, White Corn Drinker and the lively-sounding Steak And Onion Stomp. Having been one of the few successful blues recording artists in Depression time, it seems strange that Roland didn’t record again after 1935, but the tastes of blues record buyers were changing and the bigger sound of the Chicago-based bands was becoming increasingly popular. Big Bill, Jazz Gillum, Tampa Red, Washboard Sam et al were in the ascendancy and territorial musicians like Walter Roland were fading as recording prospects. DOCD-5145
Tracklist :
1        C. W. A. Blues 2:47
2        You Gonna Want Me 2:54
3        Dice's Blues 2:45
4        Collector Man Blues 2:52
5        Early In The Morning No. 2 2:55
6        Big Mama 2:32
7        Every Morning Blues 2:47
8        Screw Worm 2:57
9        Bad Dream Blues 3:04
10        I'm Gonna Shave You Dry 3:29
11        Money Taker Woman 2:55
12        School-boy Blues (16996-3) 2:51
13        School-boy Blues (17009-1) 2:55
14        Talkin' Low Blues 3:10
15        O. B. D. Blues 3:08
16        Club Meeting Blues 3:08
17        Cold Blooded Murder 2:51
18        Sail On Little Girl No. 2 2:59
19        S. O. L. Blues 2:56
20        Worn Out Man Blues 2:52
21        45 Pistol Blues 2:58
22        Penniless Blues 2:56