SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 3 • 1939-1941 | DOCD-5057 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third volume in Document's impressive five-part series of Sonny Boy Williamson collections includes a raft of great sides recorded between July 1939 and April 1941. Beginning with Williamson's classic "T.B. Blues," Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3 (1939-1941) cycles through two dozen great performances, including "Tell Me, Baby," "My Little Machine," and "Jivin' the Blues," with accompaniment from a trio of strong sidemen: Big Bill Broonzy, Walter Davis, and Blind John Davis. Casual listeners may not find this as immediately interesting as a career-spanning compilation like Sugar Mama, but there's plenty of interest for nearly any level of fan. Thom Owens

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. The opening eleven tracks on this Document Records Sonny Boy Williamson album represent the greater part of his only studio appearance in 1939. Sonny Boy was again accompanied by Big Bill Broonzy on guitar and Walter Davis on piano. The first track T.B. Blues is a sombre recording of Victoria Spivey’s influential 1929 song. In Good Gal Blues Sonny Boy complains about how much singing he has to do; “Lost my voice, didn’t do nothin’ but make a lot of noise” registering a mild disapproval at the length of the session but if so he was back on fine form with a report on the heavyweight boxing fight between Joe Louis and John Henry. Other themes explored are the prison inspired tracks New Jail House Blues and Life Time Blues. Big Bill Broonzy, again, proves his worth on the fast and jivey track Tell Me Baby a song much favoured by blues singers. The session ends with Honey Bee one of two separate songs with this title recorded by Sonny Boy. It was May 1940 before Sonny Boy returned to the recording studio. This time he was accompanied by pianist Josh Altheimer and the fairly basic drumming skills of Fred Williams. The session kicks off with one of Sonny Boy‘s greatest recordings Dealing With The Devil, (later covered by several musicians, most notably; British rhythm & Blues great, John Mayal), which includes a chillingly prophetic reference to an ice-pick, later to be the lethal instrument of his own demise. With the outbreak of war in Europe Sonny Boy recorded the track War Time Blues inspired by a news reel. Decoration Day No.2 reprises one of Sonny Boy‘s earlier hits and Welfare Store Blues, with its references to Roosevelt, pinch-back soldier coats and tripe, is an updating of the flood blues “Red Cross Store” associated with Walter Roland and Lead Belly. The session was rounded off with My Little Machine and Jivin’ The Blues. Big Bill Broonzy was back for the last session to appear on this album. Recorded in 1940, they are joined by Blind John Davis on piano and possibly William Mitchell playing an imitation string bass. Western Union Man has Sonny Boy waiting for a message from his wife Lacey Belle and humorously speculating on the reasons for its delay. Shotgun Blues has more than a touch of Big Joe Williams to it and the signature “Well, well” vocal effect of Peetie Wheatstraw on My Baby Made A Change. DOCD-5057
Tracklist :
1        T.B. Blues 2:57
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
2        Something Going On Wrong 3:07
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
3        Good Gal Blues 2:43
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
4        Joe Louis And John Henry Blues 2:54
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
5        Thinking My Blues Away 2:53
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
6        I'm Not Pleasing You 2:44
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
7        New Jail House Blues 2:48
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
8        Life Time Blues 2:42
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
9        Miss Ida Lee 2:55
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
10        Tell Me, Baby 2:49
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
11        Honey Bee Blues 2:49
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Walter Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
12        I Been Dealing With The Devil 2:47
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
13        War Time Blues 2:55
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
14        Train Fare Blues 2:47
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
15        Decoration Day Blues, No. 2 2:49
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
16        New Early In The Morning 2:39
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
17        Welfare Store Blues 2:48
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
18        My Little Machine 2:58
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
19        Jivin' The Blues 2:51
Drums – Fred Williams
Piano – Joshua Altheimer
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
20        Western Union Man 3:00
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell
21        Big Apple Blues 3:05
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell
22        Springtime Blues 3:00
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell
23        My Baby Made A Change 3:09
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell
24        Shotgun Blues 2:56
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell
25        Coal And Iceman Blues 3:02
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 4 • 1941-1945 | DOCD-5058 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A comprehensive collection of the pioneer bluesman's work during the World War II years, with the exception of the period of the infamous Musician's Union ban on recording. Some of the topical songs--"Win the War Blues" and "We Got to Win"--comment directly on then current events, but there also songs adapted from other blues singers.

"Ground Hog," for example, is a variant of Tony Hollins' "Crawlin' King Snake," while "She Don't Love Me That Way" cribs from Sleepy John Estes. The overall sound, however, splits the difference between the earlier country blues of Sonny Boy Williamson's Bluebird Records period and the proto-Chicago blues to come. AllMusic

Abridged from this album’s booklet notes. From the date of his first recordings in 1937 (Document DOCD-5055) until his death a decade later Sonny Boy Williamson was the undisputed king of the blues harmonica, at least in Chicago. Although there were plenty of other artists using the instrument only William ‘Jazz’ Gillum achieved anything like the popularity of the boy from Jackson, Tennessee and even Jazz could never claim the mastery that Sonny Boy underlined with every performance. The period spanned on this Volume encompasses the bulk of World War Two and the infamous ban on recording brought about by James C. Petrillo. Petrillo became president of the Chicago local of the musician’s union in 1922, and was president of the American Federation of Musicians from 1940 to 1958. Petrillo dominated the union with absolute authority. His most famous actions were banning all commercial recordings by union members from 1942 – 1944 and again in 1948 to pressure record companies to give better royalty deals to musicians. Although Sonny Boy never commented on this event he was very vocal about the conflict which he saw as a chance for the black American to both prove himself and improve his lot. Check Up On My Baby is a rallying call track to prevent Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo from ‘treatin’ your baby wrong’, while Win The War Blues sees Sonny Boy fantasizing that “Uncle Sam” is going to give me a Thunderbolt. The usual amount of women seems to be involved in his life and this is reflected on the tracks Mattie Mae, Stella Brown, Black Panter Blues and Desperado Woman. Panter is an American variant of panther and the description of this lethal lady is described in the lyric “You should have heard me holler, I didn’t have time to swaller”. In contrast to this is She Was A Dreamer. Other songs in the session include Ground Hog Blues a variant of a Tony Hollins hit called “Crawlin’ King Snake” and She Don’t Love Me That Way which gathers in verses associated with sources as disparate as Sleepy John Estes and Lil Green‘s “Why Don’t You Do Right”. Another track Million Year Blues later became a hit for Eddie Boyd, whilst My Black Name Blues re-uses some lines from Leroy Carr‘s “Twenty Four Hours”. DOCD-5058
Tracklist :
1        Drink On, Little Girl 3:07
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell
2        Mattie Mae Blues 3:07
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass [probably] – William Mitchell
3        I'm Gonna Catch You Soon 2:47
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
4        Million Years Blues 3:05
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
5        Shady Grove Blues 2:52
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
6        Sloppy Drunk Blues 3:16
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
7        She Was A Dreamer 2:39
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
8        You Got To Step Back 2:58
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
9        Ground Hog Blues 2:44
Guitar – Charlie McCoy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
10        Black Panter Blues 2:33
Guitar – Charlie McCoy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
11        Broken Heart Blues 2:50
Guitar – Charlie McCoy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
12        She Don't Love Me That Way 2:42
Guitar – Charlie McCoy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washboard – Washboard Sam
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
13        My Black Name Blues 2:46
Guitar – Charlie McCoy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washboard – Washboard Sam
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
14        I Have Got To Go 2:47
Guitar – Charlie McCoy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washboard – Washboard Sam
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
15        Love Me, Baby 3:23
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
16        What's Gettin' Wrong With You? 2:50
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
17        Blues That Made Me Drunk 3:00
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
18        Come On, Baby, And Take A Walk 2:49
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Washtub Bass – Alfred Elkins
19        Miss Stella Brown Blues 2:50
Drums – Armand "Jump" Jackson
Guitar – Ted Summitt
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
20        Desperado Woman Blues 2:39
Drums – Armand "Jump" Jackson
Guitar – Ted Summitt
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
21        Win The War Blues 2:48
Drums – Armand "Jump" Jackson
Guitar – Ted Summitt
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
22        Check Up On My Baby Blues 2:45
Drums – Armand "Jump" Jackson
Guitar – Ted Summitt
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
23        G.M. & O. Blues 2:43
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Bill Sid Cox
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
24        We Got To Win 2:43
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Bill Sid Cox
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
25        Sonny Boy's Jump 2:50
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Bill Sid Cox
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
26        Elevator Woman 2:41
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Bill Sid Cox
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 5 • 1945-1947 | DOCD-5059 (1991) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A comprehensive collection of the great blues pioneer's final work, recorded between 1945 and 1947. (This is the Sonny Boy Williamson who was murdered in 1948, not the one who toured with the Yardbirds in England in 1963).

Most of the tracks here include electric guitar (check out Willie Lacey's Charlie Christian licks on "Sugar Gal" and "Alcohol Blues") and drums. The overall sound is eerily prescient of Chicago blues (the great Willie Dixon is present on bass on several of the songs), the jump blues style of Louis Jordan ("Apple Tree Swing"), and rock & roll. AllMusic

Abridged from this ablum’s original booklet notes. Between 1944 and the end of his career (and life) in 1948, Sonny Boy Williamson had gone from strength to strength. He had already made reference in song to his appreciation of artists like Fats Waller and he seemed determinedly updating his sound. More and more of Sonny Boy‘s recordings featured a solid up tempo beat, often provided by drummers such as Jump Jackson or Judge Riley, and the guitarists and the pianists that he favoured (Willie Lacy, big Bill Broonzy and Blind John Davis – even Big Maceo and the ever adaptable Tampa Red for one session) were also capable of moving with the times, providing jazzier accompaniments to show off Sonny Boy‘s ever increasing skills on the harmonica. For his last sessions Sonny Boy continued the mix as before but now the performances had more punch and a marked, deliberate swing. He still returned to his roots, recording such tracks as Bring Another Half Pint. The term ‘swing’ seems to have replaced the previous ‘jump’ in a couple of tracks like Rub A Dub, Polly Put The Kettle On and Mellow Chick Swing. Having weathered the recording bans and the war years with his popularity unimpaired, Sonny Boy was the undisputed leader and trend setter for blues harmonica players all over the country. Sadly Sonny Boy Williamson would not go onto explore his musical range further. He was murdered on his way from a gig at the Plantation Club on the early morning of 1st June 1948. Attacked and robbed, Sonny Boy managed to get back to his flat. When his wife Lacey Belle opened the door she was confronted by the awful sight of Sonny Boy covered in blood, swaying on his feet. “Lord have mercy” were his final words before slipping into unconsciousness from which he never awoke. As the five volumes presented on Document of his entire output attest, the legacy and influence of Sonny Boy Williamson 1st, has been pivotal both upon fellow and future blues harmonica players. DOCD-5059
Tracklist :
1        Early In The Morning 3:02
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Big Maceo
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
2        The Big Boat 2:59
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Big Maceo
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
3        Stop Breaking Down 2:57
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Big Maceo
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
4        You're An Old Lady  3:12
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Tampa Red
Piano – Big Maceo
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
5        Sonny Boy's Cold Chills 3:06
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
6        Mean Old Highway 3:25
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
7        Hoodoo Hoodoo 2:55
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
8        Shake The Boogie 2:47
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
9        Mellow Chick Swing 2:36
Double Bass – Willie Dixon
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
10        Polly, Put The Kettle On 2:30
Double Bass – Willie Dixon
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
11        Lacey Belle 2:52
Double Bass – Willie Dixon
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
12        Apple Tree Swing 2:26
Double Bass – Willie Dixon
Drums – Charles Saunders
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
13        Wonderful Time 3:04
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
14        Sugar Gal 3:01
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
15        Willow Tree Gal 3:13
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
16        Alcohol Blues 2:50
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Willie Lacey
Piano – Eddie Boyd
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
17        Little Girl 2:54
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
18        Blues About My Baby 2:59
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
19        No Friend Blues 2:52
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
20        I Love You For Myself 3:02
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
21        Bring Another Half A Pint 3:05
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
22        Southern Dream 2:47
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
23        Rub A Dub 2:41
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
24        Better Cut That Out 2:59
Double Bass – Ransom Knowling
Drums – Judge Riley
Guitar – Big Bill Broonzy
Piano – Blind John Davis
Vocals, Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson

BARBECUE BOB (Robert Hicks) — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 1 • 1927-1928 | DOCD-5046 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

"Barbecue Bob," who was born Robert Hicks, gained his nickname because he worked as a chef at a barbecue place. A warm singer and extroverted guitarist, Barbecue Bob has had his entire output (recorded during 1927-1930) reissued on three Document CDs. Vol. 1 has 21 unaccompanied performances (all of the sessions except two from New York were recorded in Atlanta) plus the two-part "It Won't Be Long Now," which teams Hicks with hs brother, guitarist/vocalist "Laughing Charley" Hicks. Other highlights include "Barbecue Blues," "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues," "Poor Boy a Long Ways From Home," "Brown-Skin Gal," an early version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" (from 1927), "Fo Day Creep," and "Chocolate to the Bone."  Scott Yanow

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Robert Hicks was an extrovert young man of 24 when Columbia’s Dan Hornsby arranged his first recording session in March 1927 and had only moved into Atlanta from the countryside a few years before. When he recorded, Hicks was working as a chef at Tidwell’s Barbecue, and the company nicknamed him Barbecue Bob (using his real name as a pseudonym for his solitary gospel record!). He and his elder brother Charlie had learned guitar, along with their friend Curley Weaver, from Curley’s mother; all three played in a similar style, favouring the big, booming sound of the 12-string guitar, and relishing the contrast of pulsing bass riffs with the whine of a bottleneck on the treble strings. Barbecue Blues was a good seller, but it was at his second session, in New York in June 1927, that Bob firmly established himself with black record buyers, DOCD-5037
Tracklist :
1    Barbecue Bob–    Barbecue Blues    3:09
2    Barbecue Bob–    Cloudy Sky Blues    3:07
3    Barbecue Bob–    Mississippi Heavy Water Blues    3:05
4    Barbecue Bob–    Mamma You Don't Suit Me!    3:07
5    Barbecue Bob–    Brown Skin Gal    3:02
6    Barbecue Bob–    Honey You Don't Know My Mind    3:08
7    Barbecue Bob–    Poor Boy A Long Ways From Home    3:00
8    Barbecue Bob–    When The Saints Go Marching In    3:06
9    Barbecue Bob–    Jesus' Blood Can Make Me Whole    3:03
10    Barbecue Bob–    Easy Rider Don't You Deny My Name    2:54
11    Barbecue Bob–    Thinkin' Funny Blues    3:22
12    Barbecue Bob–    My Mistake Blues    3:18
13    Barbecue Bob–    Motherless Chile Blues    3:10
14    Barbecue Bob–    How Long Pretty Mama    3:20
15    Barbecue Bob And Laughing Charley–    It Won't Be Long Now ~ Part 1    3:29
16    Barbecue Bob And Laughing Charley–    It Won't Be Long Now ~ Part 2    3:23
17    Barbecue Bob–    Crooked Woman Blues    2:48
18    Barbecue Bob–    'Fo Day Creep    3:02
19    Barbecue Bob–    Blind Pig Blues    3:12
20    Barbecue Bob–    Waycross Georgia Blues    3:06
21    Barbecue Bob–    Going Up The Country    3:10
22    Barbecue Bob–    Chocolate To The Bone    2:49
23    Barbecue Bob–    Hurry And Bring It Back Home    3:03
Credits :
Guitar, Vocals – Charlie Hicks (tracks: 15, 16)
Vocals, Guitar – Barbecue Bob

BARBECUE BOB (Robert Hicks) — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 2 • 1928-1929 | DOCD-5047 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

"Barbecue Bob," whose complete output has been reissued on three Document CDs, was a fairly big star by the time he recorded the 23 numbers on Vol. 2. Based in Atlanta (where all of these performances, including a previously unreleased "Unnamed Blues," were recorded), Barbecue Bob (Robert Hicks) performed a friendly repertoire ranging from country blues to the new-fangled hokum music. Among the more memorable selections on this disc are "Mississippi Low-Levee Blues," "Midnight Weeping Blues" (one of two numbers that find him backing singer Nellie Florence), "Beggin' for Love," "It Just Won't Hay," "Black Skunk Blues," and "Me and My Whiskey." Scott Yanow

Abridged from this albums original booklet notes. By the time he recorded Mississippi Low-Levee Blues, Barbecue Bob was a star on race records; one proof is simply that he produced a sequel to his hit of the previous year. Another is that he is careful to refer to himself as “Barbecue Bob“, the name by which the public knew him, rather than as “Robert Hicks“, as he’d done on Mississippi High Water Blues. At the end of this April 1928 session, Columbia recorded the sexually aggressive singer Nellie Florence, a childhood friend of the Hicks brothers, with Bob playing guitar and, it’s said, Laughing Charlie doing the hooting, extrovert cackle – though it sounds very unlike his mirthless, stagey trademark as heard on records. On Jacksonville Blues, Florence was singing a song credited to “Williams”, who was Spencer Williams, at that time an employee of Joe Davis. In October 1928, Bob himself was to record two more Spencer Williams compositions, Cold Wave Blues and Bad Time Blues and Black Skunk Blues was another. Meat Man Pete had been recorded by Monette Moore as far back as 1924. Evidently, writing sequel songs wasn’t the only way Bob’s music was affected by the manipulations of the music industry. One wonders, incidentally, about the identity of “Carter”, credited with the erotically urgent Ease It To Me Blues, copyrighted by Clarence Williams. He probably wasn’t Bo, who hadn’t recorded at this date, and he seems unlikely to have been George Carter, who recorded in a similar style to Bob, but was unremembered in Atlanta. Dollar Down Blues is almost a documentary account of the perils of easy credit; Freeze To Me Mama is a love song for grownups; and Trouble Done Bore Me Down belies its title with its witty observations:

“You got a large family, you don’t need no more, The doc drop by, you get four or five more”.

As well as these blues, and others like the fierce California Blues, and Yo Yo Blues, which was based on Curley Weaver‘s No No Blues, by April 1929 Bob was adding a new style of music, one that took account of the craze for the sexually allusive hokum blues that had been sparked off by Tampa Red & Georgia Tom with It’s Tight Like That, recorded in September 1928. Whether this was his own idea, or done with record company encouragement, we can’t know for certain; probably both factors were at work. It Just Won’t Hay takes close notice of It’s Tight Like That, but it’s still unmistakably Bob; even more so is Honey Your (sic) Going Too Fast. Who else would come up with

“The gals up north, speedin’ like cars, Gals in Atlanta don’t wear no shoes,”

instantly confirming by indirection that the flat chested look of the 20s had gone out of fashion? As if to confirm that he was the master of new music crazes, not their servant, on Red Hot Mama – Papa’s Going To Cool You Off, he takes crazy liberties with the structure of this nominally 16 bar – but try to count them – song. By the end of 1929, the greatest of the “panics” Spencer Williams had referred to in Bad Time Blues was under way. Nevertheless Columbia were to persist with recording Barbecue Bob, for he was a proven good seller in economically happier times, and his last recordings, made all through 1930, are to be heard on Document DOCD-5048. DOCD-5037
Tracklist :
1    Barbecue Bob–    Mississippi Low-Levee Blues    3:09
2    Barbecue Bob–    Ease It To Me Blues    2:56
3    Nellie Florence–    Jacksonville Blues    2:55
4    Nellie Florence–    Midnight Weeping Blues    2:55
5    Barbecue Bob–    She's Gone Blues    3:24
6    Barbecue Bob–    Cold Wave Blues    3:28
7    Barbecue Bob–    Beggin' For Love    3:18
8    Barbecue Bob–    Bad Time Blues    3:15
9    Barbecue Bob–    Meat Man Pete    3:12
10    Barbecue Bob–    Dollar Down Blues    3:20
11    Barbecue Bob–    It Just Won't Hay    3:05
12    Barbecue Bob–    It's Just Too Bad    3:11
13    Barbecue Bob–    Good Time Rounder    3:07
14    Barbecue Bob–    Honey Your Going Too Fast    2:59
15    Barbecue Bob–    Red Hot Mama Pap's Going To Cool You Off    2:55
16    Barbecue Bob–    California Blues    2:57
17    Barbecue Bob–    It's A Funny Little Thing    2:52
18    Barbecue Bob–    Black Skunk Blues    2:58
19    Barbecue Bob–    Yo Yo Blues    2:54
20    Barbecue Bob–    Trouble Done Bore Me Down    3:02
21    Barbecue Bob–    Freeze To Me Mama    2:53
22    Barbecue Bob–    Me And My Whiskey    3:06
23    Barbecue Bob–    Unnamed Blues    3:05
Credits :
Guitar, Voice [Laughing, Speech] – Barbecue Bob (tracks: 3, 4)
Vocals – Nellie Florence (tracks: 3, 4)
Vocals, Guitar – Barbecue Bob (tracks: 1, 2, 5 to 23)