ROBERT WILKINS • TOM DICKSON • ALLEN SHAW — Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order : Memphis Blues 1928-1935 | DOCD-5014 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Document's Memphis Blues 1928-1935 contains the 14 Robert Wilkins sides that are currently in circulation, augmented with cuts by a pair of country bluesmen, Tom Dickinson and Allen Shaw. Since Wilkins' recordings are also available on Yazoo's Original Rolling Stone, which is easier to find than this disc, Memphis Blues 1928-1935 isn't a necessary purchase for Wilkins fans, unless they're serious country-blues fans who want the cuts by Dickinson and Shaw, as well. Thom Owens

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. The city of Memphis has been linked with the blues since W.C. Handy updated ‘Boss’ Crump’s political campaign song of 1909 and published it as ‘The Memphis Blues’ in 1912. This was, of course, a formal composition but when ‘race’ recordings really took off in the 1920’s a whole underworld of blues activity was discovered to be in existence in the city, centered on the ‘black’ thoroughfare of Beale Street. Beale was rough; joints such as Pee Wee’s, The Hole In The Wall and Jim Canan’s reveling in a reputation for having a man for breakfast’ everyday – “even though ‘you never find a dead Nigger on Beale”. The implication being that bodies were quickly hauled out and dumped elsewhere before daybreak. But there was another side to the Memphis Blues. It was born from the “Country Blues” that were drawn in by Afro-Americans from outlying rural areas looking for work and bringing their music with them. This, the first of several volumes dedicated to Memphis Blues, covers the work of three outstanding musicians playing in the Country Blues genre. Robert Wilkins was born in Hernando, Mississippi but as soon as he was old enough relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, a city he had visited many times as a child whilst on the traditional “cotton run”. The evocative, Rolling Stone, has a story-line that builds verse by verse, gaining its momentum with a hypnotic guitar figure. The infectious, upbeat, New Stock Yard Blues was inspired by his day job at the local live stock auction. That’s No Way To Get Along is a song with a haunting melody and lyrical images like, “they treated me like my poor heart was made of a rock of stone, you know that was enough, mama, to make your son wish’d he’s dead and gone”. In 1964 Robert Wilkins, who had by then turned his back on “The Devil’s Music”, recorded and improvised reworking of That’s No Way To Get Along using the biblical theme of the “Prodigal Son” for the lyric base. This was subsequently covered by the Rolling Stones. Tom Dickson and Allen Shaw keep the standard high with Shaw (see also DOCD-5159) producing the fine, driving, Moanin’ The Blues with bottleneck slide guitar accompaniment. DOCD-5014
Tracklist :
1    Robert Wilkins–    Rolling Stone - Part 1 2:51
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
2    Robert Wilkins–    Rolling Stone - Part 2 3:27
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
3    Robert Wilkins–    Jail House Blues 3:30
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
4    Robert Wilkins–    I Do Blues 3:35
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
5    Robert Wilkins–    That's No Way To Get Along 2:52
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
6    Robert Wilkins–    Alabama Blues 2:35
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
7    Robert Wilkins–    Long Train Blues 3:44
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
8    Robert Wilkins–    Falling Down Blues 2:35
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
9    Robert Wilkins–    Nashville Stonewall Blues 3:25
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
10    Robert Wilkins–    Police Sergeant Blues 3:00
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
11    Robert Wilkins–    Get Away Blues 3:29
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
12    Robert Wilkins–    I'll Go With Her Blues 3:04
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Wilkins
13    Tim Wilkins –    Dirty Deal Blues 3:14
Guitar [Prob.] – Little Son Joe
Spoons – Kid Spoons
Vocals, Guitar – Tim Wilkins
4    Tim Wilkins –    Black Rat Blues 2:49
Guitar [Prob.] – Little Son Joe
Spoons – Kid Spoons
Vocals, Guitar – Tim Wilkins
15    Tim Wilkins –    New Stock Yard Blues 2:55
Guitar [Prob.] – Little Son Joe
Spoons – Kid Spoons
Vocals, Guitar – Tim Wilkins
16    Tim Wilkins –    Old Jim Canan's 2:50
Spoons – Kid Spoons
Vocals, Guitar – Tim Wilkins
17    Tim Wilkins –    Losin' Out Blues 3:08
Spoons – Kid Spoons
Vocals, Guitar – Tim Wilkins
18    Tom Dickson–    Death Bell Blues 3:09
Vocals, Guitar – Tom Dickson
19    Tom Dickson–    Worry Blues 2:59
Vocals, Guitar – Tom Dickson
20    Tom Dickson–    Happy Blues 2:59
Vocals, Guitar – Tom Dickson
21    Tom Dickson–    Labor Blues 2:58
Vocals, Guitar – Tom Dickson
22    Allen Shaw–    I Couldn't Help It 3:02
Vocals, Guitar – Allen Shaw
23    Allen Shaw–    Moanin' The Blues 2:59
Guitar – Willie Borum
Vocals, Guitar – Allen Shaw

SON HOUSE — Son House And the Great Delta Blues Singers : Complete Recorded Works (1928-1930) DOCD-5002 (2000) RM | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Complete Recorded Works of Son House & The Great Delta Blues Singers isn't entirely devoted to Son House -- there are cuts by several other musicians, including Willie Brown, Garfield Akers, Rube Lacey and Joe Calicott -- but this disc, which contains a complete 1930 session, is the best place to get his earliest songs ("My Black Mama," "Preachin' the Blues," "Dry Spell Blues"), which remain among his masterworks. Thom Owens
Tracklist :
1    Son House–    My Black Mama ~ Part 1    3:11
2    Son House–    My Black Mama ~ Part 2    3:19
3    Son House–    Preachin' The Blues ~ Part 1    3:06
4    Son House–    Preachin' The Blues ~ Part 2    2:54
5    Son House–    Dry Spell Blues ~ Part 1    3:11
6    Son House–    Dry Spell Blues ~ Part 2    3:15
7    Son House–    Walkin' Blues 3:00
Guitar – Willie Brown
8    Willie Brown –    M & O Blues    3:11
9    Willie Brown –    Future Blues    3:01
10    Kid Bailey–    Mississippi Bottom Blues 2:49
Guitar – Unknown Artist
11    Kid Bailey–    Rowdy Blues 3:00
Guitar – Unknown Artist
12    Garfield Akers–    Cottonfield Blues ~ Part 1 2:52
Guitar – Joe Callicott
13    Garfield Akers–    Cottonfield Blues ~ Part 2 3:15
Guitar – Joe Callicott
14    Garfield Akers–    Dough Roller Blues    3:11
15    Garfield Akers–    Jumpin' And Shoutin' Blues    3:09
16    Joe Callicott–    Fare Thee Well Blues    3:11
17    Joe Callicott–    Traveling Mama Blues    3:15
18    Jim Thompkins–    Bedside Blues    3:07
19    Blind Joe (Willie) Reynolds–    Outside Woman Blues    2:56
20    Blind Joe (Willie) Reynolds–    Nehi Blues    3:15
21    Blind Joe (Willie) Reynolds–    Married Man Blues    3:18
22    Blind Joe (Willie) Reynolds–    Third Street Woman Blues    2:41
23    Rube Lacy–    Mississippi Jailhouse Groan    3:22
24    Rube Lacy–    Ham Hound Crave 2:53
Vocals [2nd Vocals] – Ralph Lembo

RICHARD "RABBIT" BROWN | MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT | HAMBONE WILLIE NEWBER — The Greatest Songsters (1927-1929) DOCD-5003 (1990) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This delightful disc collects the complete recorded work of three unique 1920s blues performers, Richard "Rabbit" Brown, Mississippi John Hurt, and Hambone Willie Newbern, each of whom had a highly individualized style in a genre known for homologous performers. Of these three, Hurt is easily the best known, due in part to his re-discovery in the 1960s with his skills still intact. All 13 of his Okeh sides recorded in 1928 are here, including the lovely "Blue Harvest Blues," and each exhibits his intricate guitar style and soft, gentle voice. Brown recorded five tracks in New Orleans in 1927 for Victor Records, and where Hurt is a fluid and composed performer, Brown is raggedy and halting with a voice that scratches and keens, but he brings a kind of everyman passion to his highly personal songs. "James Alley Blues" is a classic song of desperate frustration, with just a hint of humor (at least we hope it's humor, if not, then this is an absolutely murderous song). Brown's other songs here show equal amounts of odd phrasing and unexpected turns, and while he isn't a great guitarist, he builds his tunes with a kind of accumulative narrative force that makes each a singular performance. Newburn recorded six songs in Atlanta on March 13 and 14, 1929, for Okeh Records, and while his material isn't as immediately striking as Hurt's or Brown's, he shows himself to be a skillful, if unassuming, guitar player, and cuts like "Nobody Knows (What the Good Deacon Does)" are full of sly humor. A lot of early country blues players were, quite frankly, interchangeable, all out there working similar territory. These three, however, were each cut from their own unique cloth. Steve Leggett
Tracklist :
1    Richard "Rabbit" Brown–    James Alley Blues 3:09
2    Richard "Rabbit" Brown–    Never Let The Same Bee Sting You Twice 2:41
3    Richard "Rabbit" Brown–    I'm Not Jealous 3:17
4    Richard "Rabbit" Brown–    Mystery Of The Dunbar's Child 4:29
5    Richard "Rabbit" Brown–    Sinking Of The Titanic 3:46
6    Mississippi John Hurt–    Frankie            3:25
7    Mississippi John Hurt–    Nobody's Dirty Business 2:56
8    Mississippi John Hurt–    Ain't No Tellin' 2:57
9    Mississippi John Hurt–    Louis Collins 3:01
10    Mississippi John Hurt–    Avalon Blues 3:05
11    Mississippi John Hurt–    Big Leg Blues 2:53
12    Mississippi John Hurt–    Stack O'Lee Blues 2:58
13    Mississippi John Hurt–    Candy Man Blues 2:48
14    Mississippi John Hurt–    Got The Blues Can't Be Satisfied 2:53
15    Mississippi John Hurt–    Blessed Be The Name 2:49
16    Mississippi John Hurt–    Praying On The Old Camp Ground 2:39
17    Mississippi John Hurt–    Blue Harvest Blues 2:55
18    Mississippi John Hurt–    Spike Driver Blues 3:17
19    Hambone Willie Newbern–    She Could Toodle-Oo 3:03
20    Hambone Willie Newbern–    Nobody Knows (What The Good Deacon Does) 3:10
21    Hambone Willie Newbern–    Shelby County Workhouse Blues 2:56
22    Hambone Willie Newbern–    Way Down In Arkansas 3:12
23    Hambone Willie Newbern–    Hambone Willie's Dreamy-Eyed Woman's Blues 3:05
24    Hambone Willie Newbern–    Roll And Tumble Blues 3:04
Credits :
Vocals, Guitar – Richard "Rabbit" Brown (tracks: 1 to 5), Mississippi John Hurt (tracks: 6 to 18), Hambone Willie Newbern (tracks: 19 to 24)

CHARLEY PATTON — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order • Volume 1 : 1929 | DOCD-5009 (1990) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For completists, specialists and academics, Document's Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1 (1929) is invaluable, offering an exhaustive overview of Charley Patton's early recordings. For less dedicated listeners, the disc is a mixed blessing. There are some absolutely wonderful, classic performances on the collection, but the long running time, exacting chronological sequencing, poor fidelity (all cuts are transferred from original acetates and 78s), and number of performances are hard to digest. The serious blues listener will find all these factors to be positive, but enthusiasts and casual listeners will find that the collection is of marginal interest for those very reasons. Thom Owens
Tracklist :
1        Mississippi Boweavil Blues 3:11
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
2        Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues 3:06
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
3        Down The Dirt Road Blues 2:55
Vocals [2nd] – Unknown Artist
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
4        Pony Blues 2:59
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
5        Banty Rooster Blues 3:03
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
6        It Won't Be Long 3:27
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
7        Pea Vine Blues 3:03
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
8        Tom Rushen Blues 3:08
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
9        A Spoonful Blues 3:13
Vocals [2nd] – Unknown Artist
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
10        Shake It And Break It (But Don't Let It Fall Mama) 3:09
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
11        Prayer Of Death - Part 1 3:06
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
12        Prayer Of Death - Part 2 2:53
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
13        Lord I'm Discouraged 3:09
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
14        I'm Goin' Home 3:05
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
15        Going To Move To Alabama 3:04
Violin – Henry Sims
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
16        Elder Green Blues (Take 1) 3:02
Violin – Henry Sims
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
17        Elder Green Blues (Take 2) 3:01
Violin – Henry Sims
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
18        Circle Round The Moon 2:35
Violin – Henry Sims
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
19        Devil Sent The Rain Blues 2:59
Violin – Henry Sims
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
20        Mean Black Cat Blues 2:54
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton

CHARLEY PATTON — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order • Volume 2 : 1929 | DOCD-5010 (1990) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For completists, specialists and academics, Document's Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1929) is invaluable, offering an exhaustive overview of Charley Patton's early recordings. For less dedicated listeners, the disc is a mixed blessing. There are some absolutely wonderful, classic performances on the collection, but the long running time, exacting chronological sequencing, poor fidelity (all cuts are transferred from original acetates and 78s), and number of performances are hard to digest. The serious blues listener will find all these factors to be positive, but enthusiasts and casual listeners will find that the collection is of marginal interest for those very reasons. Thom Owens
Tracklist :
1    Charley Patton–    Frankie And Albert 3:12
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
2    Charley Patton–    Some These Days I'll Be Gone (Take 1) 2:59
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
3    Charley Patton–    Some These Days I'll Be Gone (Take 2) 3:18
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
4    Charley Patton–    Green River Blues 3:12
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
5    Henry Sims–    Farrell Blues 3:08
Guitar – Charley Patton
Vocals, Violin – Henry Sims
6    Henry Sims–    Come Back Corrina 3:11
Guitar – Charley Patton
Vocals, Violin – Henry Sims
7    Charley Patton–    Hammer Blues (Take 1) 3:20
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
8    Charley Patton–    Hammer Blues (Take 2) 3:17
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
9    Charley Patton–    Magnolia Blues 3:10
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
10    Charley Patton–    When Your Way Gets Dark 3:08
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
11    Charley Patton–    Heart Like Railroad Steel 2:52
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
12    Charley Patton–    Some Happy Day 3:11
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
13    Charley Patton–    You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die 2:57
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
14    Charley Patton–    Jim Lee Blues - Part I 2:59
Vocals – Henry Sims
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
15    Charley Patton–    Jim Lee Blues - Part II 3:03
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
16    Charley Patton–    High Water Everywhere - Part I 3:04
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
17    Charley Patton–    High Water Everywhere - Part II 3:04
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
18    Charley Patton–    Jesus Is A Dying-Bed Maker 2:55
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
19    Charley Patton–    I Shall Not Be Moved 3:03
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton
20    Charley Patton–    Rattlesnake Blues 2:41
Violin – Henry Sims
Vocals, Guitar – Charley Patton