SPLECKLED RED — Complete Recorded Works 1929-1938 In Chronological Order + Bonus Tracks | DOCD-5205 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Speckled Red is a name that appears in blues and boogie-woogie piano collections alongside Cow Cow Davenport, Roosevelt Sykes, Romeo Nelson, Will Ezell, Montana Taylor, and Clarence "Pinetop" Smith. In 1994, all of his early recordings were compiled onto one compact disc by Document, a noble gesture that made these historic performances readily available worldwide for the first time. Rufus Perryman was born in Monroe, LA in 1892, the son of a blacksmith and ultimately one of 16 children. Albinism, the source of Rufus' professional nickname, ran in the family to some degree, for his little brother William (19 years his junior) was similarly complected and eventually became world famous as Piano Red. Rufus grew up in Hampton, GA, played church organ as a boy, fell under the influence of a Floridian pianist named Seminole, and then spent a lot of time in Detroit and Memphis, gigging at cat houses, clubs, and parties. He joined the Red Rose Minstrels in 1928, and while touring with that troupe, met Hudson Whittaker (Tampa Red) and Jim Jackson. Speckled Red's recording debut was as a sideman on "Jim Jackson's Jambouree"; he cut his first records under his own name at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis in September of 1929. Red's most famous recording, "The Dirty Dozen" derived from a traditional African-American insult ritual (still alive and well decades later and immortalized in Eminem's movie Eight Mile); one theory states that it was originally a send-up of a religious catechism. Naturally, Red's recorded version was much less abrasive and obscene than what was usually heard in person. This very successful record spawned a sequel at his second recording session, which took place in Chicago in April 1930. He wouldn't record again until December of 1938 when he cut 12 titles for Bluebird in Aurora Illinois with guitarist Robert Lee McCoy and mandolinist Willie Hatcher. If, as the discographies say, Sonny Boy Williamson was present on "You Got to Fix It," he was doing something other than blowing into the mouth organ. Unable to earn a stable livelihood as a recording musician, Rufus worked for years as a shipping clerk. This excellent compilation closes with three unaccompanied solos he recorded for the small-time Tone record company in St. Louis in September 1956. By then he was enjoying a comeback that would take him to California, London, and Copenhagen. Document's survey of these early recordings may serve as the ideal prologue to his final albums which were largely produced in Europe. Rufus "Speckled Red" Perryman succumbed to cancer in November 1973. His body was laid to rest in St. Louis. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.    Speckled Red–    House Dance Blues
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
2.    Speckled Red–    The Dirty Dozen
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
3.    Speckled Red–    Wilkins Street Stomp
Piano – Speckled Red
4.    Speckled Red–    The Dirty Dozen -- No. 2
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
5.    Speckled Red–    We Got To Get That Fixed
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
6.    Speckled Red–    Speckled Red's Blues
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
7.    Speckled Red–    The Right String -- But The Wrong Yo-Yo
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
8.    Speckled Red–    Lonesome Mind Blues
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
9.    Speckled Red–    Welfare Blues
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
10.    Speckled Red–    Down On The Levee
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
11.    Speckled Red–    Do The Georgia
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
12.    Speckled Red–    Early In The Morning
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
13.    Speckled Red–    Take It Easy
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
14.    Speckled Red–    Try Me One More Time
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
15.    Speckled Red–    Louise Baltimore Blues
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
16.    Speckled Red–    What Makes You Treat Me Mean?
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
17.    Speckled Red Trio–    St. Louis Stomp
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
18.    Speckled Red–    You Got To Fix It
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
19.    Willie Hatcher–    They're Mean To Me
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
20.    Willie Hatcher–    So Unkind
Guitar – Robert Lee McCoy
Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Mandolin – Willie Hatcher
– BONUS TRACKS (1956) –   
21.    Speckled Red–    Dad's Piece
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
22.    Speckled Red–    Oh, Red
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red
23.    Speckled Red–    Early In The Morning
Piano, Vocals – Speckled Red 

 

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 2 • 1938-1939 | DOCD-5056 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Document's Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1938-1939) picks up where the first volume left off, reissuing 24 tracks from the 13-month period of June 1938 to July 1939. Unfortunately, there weren't as many classic performances during this era, leaving this the odd one out from the many volumes in this set. Serious blues fans will still find much of interest here, including versions of "Susie-Q" and "You've Been Foolin' Round Town," plus a second stab at his classic "Sugar Mama Blues."  Thom Owens

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. By 1938 any lingering doubts Bluebird might have had about Sonny Boy Williamson had been laid to rest and they had him in the studio three times that year. Sonny Boy was joined by Big Joe Williams and Yank Rachell during his second session in the studio and it is speculated to be the latter playing guitar on the rather hastily arranged title track My Baby I’ve Been Your Slave. For the second number Yank Rachell is on his more usual instrument, the Mandolin, to contribute to the crisp backing of Whiskey Headed Blues, a number that has since been given various treatments by artists such as Tommy McClennan and John Lee Hooker. On Shannon Street Sonny Boy describes getting drunk in Jackson and his wife’s reaction to the event. Alcohol and Sonny Boy Williamson were not a good mix and he would have increasing problems with it throughout his life. Deep Down In The Ground is built on the base of another song “Stack of Dollars”, a song associated with Sleepy John Estes and often performed by Big Joe Williams. For the next session Sonny Boy Williamson found himself in the recording company of Robert Lee McCoy (Nighthawk) on guitar, Rufus ‘Speckled Red’ Perryman on piano and an unknown (speculated to be Willie Hatcher) on mandolin. This time round the songs were more of a mixture and Sonny Boy illustrates that both he and his Harmonica have made the transition from a country style of playing to a big city environment sound. On the tracks Little Girl Blues and Low Down Ways it is almost impossible to believe that the same man can be both playing and singing. Other tracks include the swing dance numbers Susie Q, and Goodbye Red which is a reply to Harlem Hamfats’ hugely successful “Oh Red!”. These upbeat, foot tapping, down-home numbers are balanced by the urban inspired tracks Insurance Man and The Right Kind Of Life. More innovations were to follow on the 1939 session where Sonny Boy was joined by Walter Davis and Big Bill Broonzy. One of the outstanding tracks Little Low Woman Blues has Sonny Boy playing a high register harmonica which foreshadows the sound of Jimmy Reed. Big Bill‘s guitar work is more sophisticated than that of Sonny Boy‘s previous partners, shown to good effect on the tracks Good For Nothing Blues and Sugar Mama Blues No.2 where his delicate runs and fills almost over-shadow the harmonica. On the final track Good Gravy Big Bill and Sonny Boy spark off each other to perform a bravura performance that really swings. DOCD-5056
Tracklist :
1        My Baby, I've Been Your Slave 3:02
Guitar, Speech [possibly] – "Jackson" Joe Williams
Mandolin, Speech [possibly] – Yank Rachell
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
2        Whiskey Headed Blues 2:54
Guitar – "Jackson" Joe Williams
Mandolin – Yank Rachell
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
3        Lord, Oh Lord Blues 2:59
Guitar – "Jackson" Joe Williams
Mandolin – Yank Rachell
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
4        You Give An Account 3:10
Guitar – "Jackson" Joe Williams
Mandolin – Yank Rachell
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
5        Shannon Street Blues 3:20
Guitar – "Jackson" Joe Williams
Mandolin – Yank Rachell
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
6        You've Been Foolin' 'Round Town 2:45
Guitar – "Jackson" Joe Williams
Mandolin – Yank Rachell
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
7        Deep Down In The Ground 3:14
Guitar – "Jackson" Joe Williams
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
8        Number Five Blues 3:27
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
9        Christmas Morning Blues 3:21
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
10        Susie-Q 3:10
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
11        Blue Bird Blues - Part 2 3:22
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
12        Little Girl Blues 3:17
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
13        Low Down Ways 3:10
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
14        Goodbye Red 3:10
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
15        The Right Kind Of Life 3:20
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
16        Insurance Man Blues 3:17
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
17        Rainy Day Blues 3:16
Guitar [probably] – Robert Lee McCoy
Mandolin [probably] – Willie Hatcher
Piano – Speckled Red
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
18        Bad Luck Blues 2:39
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
19        My Little Baby 2:56
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
20        Doggin' My Love Around 3:12
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
21        Little Low Woman Blues 2:45
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
22        Good For Nothing Blues 3:01
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
23        Sugar Mama Blues No. 2 3:07
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
24        Good Gravy 2:45
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson