MA RAINEY - Mother of the Blues (2007) RM / 5CD BOX SET / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This superb five-disc box set gives a sweeping overview of the hugely influential music of blues legend Ma Rainey. Rainey was already a seasoned performer by the time she made her first recordings in 1923, and though she only recorded for six years she cut over 100 songs, many of which went on to become blues classics. Those tunes, including "C.C. Rider," "Bo Weavil Blues," and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," are here, alongside dozens of other gems. Rainey ranged across styles and settings, from acoustic blues to jazz to jug bands, but her saucy, gritty vocal delivery remained a lynchpin. Given the historical impact of Rainey's output, the set's title--MOTHER OF THE BLUES--is no understatement.  by AllMusic

Disc A : Featuring Tommy Ladnier & Lovie Austin

A-1 Bad Luck Blues

A-2 Boweavil Blues: 1

A-3 Boweavil Blues: 2

A-4 Barrel House Blues

A-5 Those All Night Long Blues: 1

A-6 Those All Night Long Blues: 2

A-7 Moonshine Blues

A-8 Last Minute Blues

A-9 Southern Blues

A-10 Walking Blues

A-11 Lost Wandering Blues

A-12 Dream Blues

A-13 Honey, Where You Been So Long?

A-14 Ya Da Do: 2

A-15 Ya Da Do: 3

A-16 Those Dogs Of Mine

A-17 Lucky Rock Blues

A-18 South Bound Blues

A-19 Lawd, Send Me A Man Blues

A-20 Ma Rainey's Mystery Record

Disc B : Featuring Don Redman, Fletcher Henderson & Louis Armstrong

B-1 Shave 'Em Dry Blues

B-2 Farewell Daddy Blues

B-3 Booze And Blues

B-4 Toad Frog Blues

B-5 Jealous Hearted Blues

B-6 See See Rider Blues, Pt. 1

B-7 See See Rider Blues, Pt. 2

B-8 Jelly Bean Blues

B-9 Countin' The Blues, Pt. 1

B-10 Countin The Blues, Pt. 2

B-11 Cell Bound Blues

B-12 Army Camp Harmony Blues, Pt. 1

B-13 Army Camp Harmony Blues, Pt. 2

B-14 Explaining The Blues, Pt. 1

B-15 Explaining The Blues, Pt. 2

B-16 Louisiana Hoo-Doo Blues

B-17 Goodbye Dady Blues

B-18 Stormy Sea Blues

B-19 Rough And Tumble Blues

B-20 Night Time Blues, Pt. 1

B-21 Night Time Blues, Pt. 2

B-22 Levee Camp Moan

B-23 Four Day Honorary Scat, Pt. 1

B-24 Four Day Honorary Scat, Pt. 2

B-25 Memphis Bound Blues

Disc C : Featuring Buster Bailey, Fletcher Henderson & Coleman Hawkins

C-1 Slave To The Blues

C-2 Yonder Comes The Blues

C-3 Titanic Man Blues, Pt. 1

C-4 Titanic Man Blues, Pt. 2

C-5 Chain Gang Blues

C-6 Bessemer Bound Blues, Pt. 1

C-7 Bessemer Bound Blues, Pt. 2

C-8 Oh My Babe Blues

C-9 Wring And Twisting Blues

C-10 Stack O'Lee Blues

C-11 Breaken Hearted Blues

C-12 Jealousy Blues

C-13 Seeking Blues, Pt. 1

C-14 Seeking Blues, Pt. 2

C-15 Mountain Jack Blues, Pt. 1

C-16 Mountain Jack Blues, Pt. 3

C-17 Down In The Basement

C-18 Sissy Blues

C-19 Broken Soul Blues

C-20 Trust No Man

Disc D : Blind Blake, Kid Ory & Claude Hopkins

D-1 Morning Hour Blues

D-2 Weeping Woman Blues

D-3 Soon This Morning

D-4 Little Low Mama Blues

D-5 Grievin' Hearted Blues

D-6 Don't Fish In My Sea

D-7 Big Boy Blues

D-8 Blues Oh Blues

D-9 Damper Down Blues

D-10 Gone Dady Blues, Pt. 1

D-11 Oh Papa Blues

D-12 Misery Blues

D-13 Dead Drunk Blues

D-14 Slow Driving Moan

D-15 Blues The World Forgot, Pt. 1

D-16 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

D-17 Blues The World Forgot, Pt. 2

D-18 Hellish Rag

D-19 Georgia Cake Walk

D-20 New Bo Weavil Blues

D-21 Moonshine Blues

D-22 Ice Bag Papa

Disc E : Featuring Georgia Tom Dorsey, Tampa Red & Papa Charlie Jackson

E-1 Black Cat Hoot Owl Blues

E-2 Log Camp Blues

E-3 Hear Me Talking To You

E-4 Hustlin' Blues

E-5 Prove It To Me Blues

E-6 Victim Of The Blues

E-7 Traveling Blues, Pt. 1

E-8 Traveling Blues, Pt. 2

E-9 Deep Moaning Blues, Pt. 1

E-10 Deep Moaning Blues, Pt. 2

E-11 Daddy Goodbye Blues

E-12 Sleep Talking Blues, Pt. 1

E-13 Sleep Talking Blues, Pt. 2

E-14 Tough Luck Blues

E-15 Blame It On The Blues

E-16 Sweet Rough Man

E-17 Runaway Blues

E-18 Screech Owl Blues

E-19 Black Dust Blues

E-20 Leaving This Morning

E-21 Black Eye Blues, Pt. 1

E-22 Black Eye Blues, Pt. 2

E-23 Ma And Pa Poorhouse Blues

E-24 Big Feeling Blues

CHARLEY PATTON – Complete Recordings 1929-1934 (2002) RM | 5CD BOX-SET | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

At the end of just the first disc on this five-CD set, the listener may feel like he/she was in the audio equivalent of a visual "white-out," so powerful are the sounds on that disc. From the opening bars of"Pony Blues," Charley Patton becomes a gigantic musical presence, who gets even bigger as his work goes on; with a guttural, stentorian voice that paves the way for everyone from Louis Armstrong to early Bob Dylan -- but especially for Howlin' Wolf -- he cuts through the poor condition surviving Paramount pressings like a call from the Great Beyond, almost unnaturally powerful and expressive in its smallest gesture. What's more, Patton must have broken more than his share of strings, because his playing also comes through on these sides better than almost any artist that ever recorded for Paramount, even on ruined masters like "Pea Vine Blues." This is all a lot more than a trip through history for the scholar, and some sides are just too close to some classics of the future to ignore -- "Down In The Dirt Road Blues," which could be where Willie Dixon got the idea for "Down In The Bottom," and the notion that Howlin' Wolf was the man to record it; similarly, "Some Summer Day," from the other end of Patton's career, could easily have been the demo for "Sittin' On Top Of The World" -- actually, the geneology of both songs is a lot more complicated than that, but each of these could easily have been a key part of the evolutionary chain for one or the other. And there is a raw, primordial power to Patton's music that not only grabs the listener but leaves them wanting more; that's why this box makes perfect sense, even for the casual blues listener -- the man never recorded a second-rate side or one that didn't offer at least a few of the attributes that made his best work so powerful. On a cautionary note, however, the producers have actually been a bit misleading by presenting this set as 92 sides by Charley Patton -- there are actually 63 sides by Patton, and the rest, appended to each disc, are recordings by other artists and are believed to have featured Patton, playing and singing or just playing, and people who were featured on Patton's sides; the latter two groups include Son House, Louise Johnson, Henry "Son" Sims, and Willie Brown, with the Big Delta Four filling out the last disc. And these sides offer some fascinating sounds, including killer tracks by Son House in his prime, and oddities like Brown's "Future Blues," which lifts part of its content from Jimmie Rodgers' repertory. The audio is remarkably consistent and, in fact, the whole set is so rewarding, that it raises an interesting notion -- might JSP or another enterprising label consider doing a series of Paramount Records boxes, assembling the surviving sides, blues, gospel, or whatever, in chronological order, as Bear Family did with Sun Records a few years back?  Bruce Eder 

 

 Disc: 1

1. Pony Blues

2. Spoonful Blues

3. Down The Dirt Road Blues

4. Prayer Of Death

5. Prayer Of Death

6. Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues

7. Banty Rooster Blues

8. Tom Rushen Blues

9. It Won't Be Long

10. Shake It And Break It (But Don't Let It Fall Mama)

11. Pea Vine Blues

12. Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues

13. Lord I'm Discouraged

14. I'm Goin' Home

15. Snatch It And Grab It

16. Rag Blues

17. How Come Mama Blues

18. Voice Throwin' Blues

Disc: 2

1. Hammer Blues

2. I Shall Not Be Moved

3. High Water Everywhere

4. High Water Everywhere

5. I Shall Not Be Moved

6. Rattlesnake Blues

7. Going To Move To Alabama

8. Hammer Blues

9. Joe Kirby

10. Frankie And Albert

11. Magnolia Blues

12. Devil Sent The Rain Blues

13. Runnin' Wild Blues

14. Some Happy Day

15. Mean Black Moan

16. Green River Blues

17. That's My Man

18. Honey Dripper Blues: No. 2

19. Eight Hour Woman

20. Nickel's Worth Of Liver Blues: No 2

Disc: 3

1. Some Of These Days I'll Be Gone

2. Elder Green Blues

3. Jim Lee

4. Jim Lee

5. Mean Black Cat Blues

6. Jesus Is A-Dying

7. Elder Green Blues

8. When Your Way Gets Dark

9. Some Of These Days I'll Be Gone

10. Heart Like Railwood Steel

11. Circle Round The Moon

12. You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die

13. Be True Be True Blues

14. Farrell Blues

15. Tell Me Man Blues

16. Come Back Corrina

Disc: 4

1. Some Summer Day

2. Bird Nest Bound

3. Future Blues

4. M & O Blues

5. Walkin' Blues

6. My Black Mama

7. My Black Mama

8. Preachin' The Blues

9. Preachin' The Blues

10. Dry Spell Blues

11. Dry Spell Blues

12. All Night Long Blues

13. On the Wall

14. All Night Long Blues

15. By The Moon And Stars

16. Long Ways From Home

Disc: 5

1. Dry Well Blues

2. Moon Going Down

3. We All Gonna Face The Rising Sun

4. Moaner Let's Go Down In The Valley

5. Jesus Got His Arms Around Me

6. God Won't Forsake His Own

7. I'll Be Here

8. Where Was Eve Sleeping

9. I Know My Time Ain't Long

10. Watch And Pray

11. High Sheriff Blues

12. Stone Pony Blues

13. Jersey Bull Blues

14. Hang It On The Wall

15. 34 Blues

16. Love My Stuff

17. Poor Me

18. Revenue Man Blues

19. Troubled 'Bout My Mother

20. Oh Death

21. Yellow Bee

22. Mind Reader Blues

 Credits :
Baritone Vocals – Will Mosely (faixas: 5-3 to 5-10)
Bass Vocals – Archie Smith (faixas: 5-3 to 5-10)
Lead Vocals – Wheeler Ford (faixas: 5-3 to 5-10)
Tenor Vocals – Ivory Lou Allen (faixas: 5-3 to 5-10)
Vocals – Bertha Lee (faixas: 5-19 to 5-22)
Vocals, Fiddle – Henry Sims (faixas: 3-13 to 3-16)
Vocals, Guitar – Walter Hawkins (faixas: 1-15 to 1-18), Charley Patton (faixas: 1-1 to 1-3, 1-7 to 1-11, 1-13, 1-14, 2-1 to 2-16, 3-1 to 3-12, 4-1, 4-2, 5-1, 5-2, 5-11 to 5-20), Elder J J Hadley (faixas: 1-4, 1-5), Son House (faixas: 4-5 to 4-11), The Masked Marvel (faixas: 1-6, 1-12), Willie Brown (faixas: 4-3, 4-4)
Vocals, Piano – Edith North Johnson (faixas: 2-17 to 2-20), Louise Johnson (faixas: 4-12 to 4-16)

KOKOMO ARNOLD — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 1 : 1930-1935 | DOCD-5037 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

All of Kokomo Arnold's 1930s recordings have been made available on four Document CDs. Vol. 1 features the singer/guitarist on two songs from 1930 (recorded in Memphis, TN, as "Gitfiddle Jim") and then the first 22 selections that he cut in Chicago during 1934-1935, two of which were previously unreleased. Best known is "Milk Cow Blues," but the memorable and sometimes haunting blues singer also performs such numbers as "Old Original Kokomo Blues," "Front Door Blues," "Back Door Blues," "Chain Gang Blues," and "Hobo Blues." Blues collectors will definitely want all four CDs in this perfectly done series. Scott Yanow

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Putting a bottleneck onto the little finger of the fretting hand and ‘sliding’ it up and down the strings of a guitar to produce a spine-chilling and almost vocal sound is a trick employed by many blues players. From Bukka White to Joe Louis Walker, many blues players have made startling use of the style, two of the most famous being Elmore James and James Kokomo Arnold. Kokomo, often placing his guitar in his lap Hawaiian-style and ran a glass across the strings. He was left-handed and had a somewhat erratic sense of time – but he was probably the fastest bottleneck guitarist ever to record.

On 17 May 1930 he was in Memphis, Tennessee, cutting a record for Victor under the pseudonym of Gitfiddle Jim. The two sides were outstanding – and, in the early depression, went nowhere. One was his own blues Rainy Night Blues and the other, Paddlin’ Blues, a manic, breakneck display piece with a vocal loosely based on the popular song “Paddling Madelaine Home”. Unimpressed by his own debut, Kokomo went back to Chicago and it was here that Kansas Joe McCoy, some-time husband of Memphis Minnie, heard him and introduced him to Mayo ‘Ink’ Williams who was producing records for Decca. Despite a lack of interest on the part of Kokomo, who was reluctant to leave his basement bootlegging business unattended, they finally got him into a studio on 10th September 1934 when he recorded four tracks. The first coupling released from this session produced a two sided hit. Old Original Kokomo Blues, a tune he remembered from a Jabo Williams recording, gave him his nickname and supplied the model for dozens of later variants, the most famous being Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago” in which form it remains a blues standard to this day. Equally prolific was Milk Cow Blues which spawned no less than four more versions by Kokomo himself and saw reanimation in the rock and roll repertoires of Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran in the fifties. Sagefield Woman Blues utilises the same tune as “Milk Cow” but includes the line “I believe I’ll dust my broom” another thread stretching between Arnold, Robert Johnson and Elmore James. To complete the session Arnold cut Charlie Spand’s Back To The Woods picking like a mad-man. The unexpected success of these recordings ensured that Mayo Williams got Kokomo back into the studio at the first opportunity – and kept him there for the next four years.

Of the remaining recordings offered here, revel in the elaborate threats of You Should Not ‘A Done It and pay particular attention to the rollicking versions of The Twelves (The Dirty Dozens) and Monday Morning Blues (which sees the first appearance of ‘John Russel’). Things ‘Bout Coming My Way, is a reading of the staple “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” and there are two tracks that were not released until microgroove age; the railroad blues Lonesome Southern Blues and the classic depression song Hobo Blues. DOCD-5037
Tracklist :
1    Gitfiddle Jim–    Rainy Night Blues    2:55
2    Gitfiddle Jim–    Paddlin' Madeline Blues    3:16
3    Kokomo Arnold–    Milk Cow Blues    3:07
4    Kokomo Arnold–    Old Original Kokomo Blues    2:50
5    Kokomo Arnold–    Back To The Woods    3:03
6    Kokomo Arnold–    Sagefield Woman Blues    3:01
7    Kokomo Arnold–    Old Black Cat Blues (Jinx Blues)    3:20
8    Kokomo Arnold–    Sissy Man Blues    3:07
9    Kokomo Arnold–    Front Door Blues (32 20 Blues)    3:20
10    Kokomo Arnold–    Back Door Blues    3:22
11    Kokomo Arnold–    The Twelves (Dirty Dozens)    3:09
12    Kokomo Arnold–    Feels So Good    3:12
13    Kokomo Arnold–    Milk Cow Blues - No. 2    3:05
14    Kokomo Arnold–    Biscuit Roller Blues    3:10
15    Kokomo Arnold–    Slop Jar Blues    2:57
16    Kokomo Arnold–    Black Annie    2:58
17    Kokomo Arnold–    Chain Gang Blues    3:02
18    Kokomo Arnold–    Monday Morning Blues    3:01
19    Kokomo Arnold–    How Long, How Long Blues    3:10
20    Kokomo Arnold–    Things 'Bout Coming My Way    2:44
21    Kokomo Arnold–    You Should Not A'Done It (Gettin' It Fixed)    3:13
22    Kokomo Arnold–    Lonesome Southern Blues    3:02
23    Kokomo Arnold–    Black Money Blues    3:03
24    Kokomo Arnold–    Hobo Blues    3:09
Credits :
Vocals, Guitar – Kokomo Arnold

SYLVESTER WEAVER — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 2 • 1927 | DOCD-5113 (1992) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Document's second volume devoted to the (nearly) complete recordings of blues guitarist Sylvester Weaver covers the second half of his brief recording career, beginning with three titles waxed on August 31, 1927 and filling the rest of the picture with 18 sides cut three months later on November 26, 27, and 30. Opening with the last two solo records he is known to have made, this tasty collection gathers in all of Weaver's collaborations with guitarist Walter Beasley, blended with five titles featuring a young vocalist by the name of Helen Humes. Like Weaver a native of Louisville KY, Humes was only 14 years old when she recorded these salty sides with titles like "Cross Eyed Blues," "Garlic Blues," and "Nappy Headed Blues." Although Weaver is said to have "discovered" her, Humes' recording debut actually took place more than half a year earlier in April at the age of 13! The Weaver/Beasley duo was a fine unit that compares and contrasts nicely with that of Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang, who would begin making records together in November 1928 with Lang billed as Blind Willie Dunn in an attempt by the record company to mask his whiteness. Many of the Weaver/Beasley duets were issued under Weaver's name, and in fact the only titles released as by Walter Beasley were "Georgia Skin" and "Southern Man Blues." Four titles were recorded as by Weaver and Beasley: "Soft Steel Piston," "St. Louis Blues," "Bottleneck Blues," and the delectable "Me and My Tapeworm," subtitled "Hungry Blues," which the squeamish management at OKeh left unissued for some unaccountable reason. Taken at face value, a song about an intestinal parasite occupies a special niche in musical history alongside the "Mean Old Bedbug Blues," Memphis Minnie's report on her bout with meningitis and other bracingly honest testimonials describing problems that make the usual interpersonal relationship woes pale by comparison. Think about it. What could bring on the blues more viscerally than discovering that you are playing host to your very own tapeworm? Years later, Alan "Duke of Ook" Seidler made a valiant effort to explore this thorny issue with his "Oozing Cyst Blues," and dozens of equally gross examples have probably surfaced since then in the blues and other fecund genres. arwulf arwulf   

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Document’s second volume devoted to the (nearly) complete recordings of blues guitarist Sylvester Weaver covers the second half of his brief recording career, beginning with three titles waxed on August 31, 1927 and filling the rest of the picture with 18 sides cut three months later on November 26, 27, and 30. Opening with the last two solo records he is known to have made, this tasty collection gathers in all of Weaver’s collaborations with guitarist Walter Beasley, blended with five titles featuring a young vocalist by the name of Helen Humes. Like Weaver a native of Louisville KY, Humes was only 14 years old when she recorded these salty sides with titles like Cross Eyed Blues, Garlic Blues, and Nappy Headed Blues. Although Weaver is said to have “discovered” her, Helen Humes‘ recording debut actually took place more than half a year earlier in April at the age of 13! The Weaver/Beasley duo was a fine unit that compares and contrasts nicely with that of Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang, who would begin making records together in November 1928 with Lang billed as Blind Willie Dunn in an attempt by the record company to mask his whiteness. Many of the Weaver/Beasley duets were issued under Weaver’s name, and in fact the only titles released as by Walter Beasley were Georgia Skin and Southern Man Blues. Four titles were recorded as by Weaver and Beasley: Soft Steel Piston, St. Louis Blues, Bottleneck Blues, and the delectable Me And My Tapeworm, subtitled Hungry Blues, which the squeamish management at OKeh left unissued for some unaccountable reason. Taken at face value, a song about an intestinal parasite occupies a special niche in musical history alongside the Mean Old Bedbug Blues, Memphis Minnie‘s report on her bout with meningitis and other bracingly honest testimonials describing problems that make the usual interpersonal relationship woes pale by comparison. DOCD-5113

Tracklist :
1 Can’t Be Trusted Blues
2 Penitentiary Bound Blues
3 Soft Steel Piston
4 Chittlin Rag Blues
5 Cross-Eyed Blues
6 Garlic Blues
7 Railroad Porter Blues
8 Me And My Tapeworm
9 Rock Pile Blues
10 Devil Blues
11 Polecat Blues
12 Alligator Blues
13 Nappy Headed Blues
14 Race Horse Blues
15 Bottleneck Blues
16 St. Louis Blues
17 Georgia Skin
18 Southern Man Blues
19 Toad Frog Blues
20 Sore Feet Blues
21 Black Spider Blues
Credits :
Guitar – Sylvester Weaver, Walter Beasley (tracks: 3 to 21)
Vocals – Helen Humes (tracks: 5, 6, 12 to 14), Sylvester Weaver (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7 to 11, 21), Walter Beasley  (tracks: 17 to 20)

IDA COX — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order • Volume 2 (1924-1925) DOCD-5323 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Unlike most of her contemporaries, who spent at least part of their time singing vaudeville-type material and pop songs, Ida Cox stuck throughout her career to the blues. On the second of four Document CDs that reissue all of her 1920s material (although some of the many alternate takes are bypassed), Cox is mostly accompanied by either Lovie Austin's Blues Serenaders (which usually includes cornetist Tommy Ladnier and clarinetist Jimmy O'Bryant, although the great Johnny Dodds is on six selections) or, on one date, members of Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra. The recording quality of these Paramount 78s (which cover a 13-month period) is erratic, but there are a few classics here, including "Chicago Monkey Man Blues" (which has some lyrics that would later be used for "Going to Chicago"), "Blues Ain't Nothin' Else But," "Wild Women Don't Have the Blues" and "Death Letter Blues." Throughout, Ida Cox (who was second to Bessie Smith at the time) is quite consistent, making the most of her limitations. Recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1 Mean Lovin' Man Blues (Take 3)  2:49
Accompanied By – The Pruit Twins
Banjo – Milas Pruitt
Guitar – Miles Pruitt
Vocals – Ida Cox
2 Down The Road Bound Blues (Take 2)  3:20
Accompanied By – The Pruit Twins
Banjo – Milas Pruitt
Guitar – Miles Pruitt
Vocals – Ida Cox
3 Last Time Blues (Take 2)  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
4 Worried Any How Blues  3:04
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
5 Chicago Monkey Man Blues (Take 1)  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
6 Chicago Monkey Man Blues (Take 2)  2:52
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
7 Mean Papa Turn Your Key  3:03
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
8 Blues Ain't Nothin' Else But! (Take 2)  3:13
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Unknown Artist
Piano – Lovie Austin
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Ida Cox
9 Worried In Mind Blues (Take 1)  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone [Poss.] – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant, Stump Evans
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
10 My Mean Man Blues (Take 1)  2:42
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone [Poss.] – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant, Stump Evans
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
11 Kentucky Man Blues  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
12 Cherry Picking Blues  3:19
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
13 Wild Women Don't Have The Blues  2:27
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
14 Worried In Mind Blues (Take 3)  3:00
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
15 Death Letter Blues  3:04
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
16 My Mean Man Blues (Take 4)  2:36
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
17 Those Married Man Blues  2:52
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Elmer Chambers
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
18 Misery Blues  3:13
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Elmer Chambers
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
19 Graveyard Bound Blues  3:20
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Howard Scott 
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
20 Mississippi River Blues  3:12
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Howard Scott 
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
21 Georgia Hound Blues  3:12
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Howard Scott 
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
Whistle – Unknown Artist
22 Blue Kentucky Blues  2:54
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Elmer Chambers
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
23 Black Crepe Blues  2:53
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Serenaders
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
24 Fare Thee Well Poor Gal  2:50
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Serenaders
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox

WILLIAM HARRIS & BUDDY BOY HAWKINS — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order • 1927-1929 | DOCD-5035 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two early singer/guitarists have their entire output reissued on this typically definitive release by the European Document label. Actually, William Harris had originally recorded 14 selections but five were unable to be located for this CD; one would later be rediscovered and reissued on a sampler. With the exception of "I'm Leavin' Town," Harris is heard performing solo and, despite his obscurity, he was a fine second-level blues and folksong performer. Among his better numbers (dating from 1927-1928) are "Kansas City Blues," "Early Mornin' Blues," and "Hot Time Blues." Buddy Boy Hawkins' 12 solos from 1927-1929 find him performing in a similar vein and at a slightly higher level. His "Voice Throwin' Blues" (which over "Hesitatin' Blues" finds Hawkins having a call and response between two of his voices, including one allegedly being a ventriloquist's dummy) is a bit odd. Other selections include "Jailhouse Fire Blues," "Raggin' the Blues," "A Rag Blues," and "Snatch It and Grab It." Both Harris and Hawkins deserved more opportunities to record but at least these formerly rare recordings (which are in pretty good shape, except for Harris' "Electric Chair Blues") keep them from being totally lost to history. Scott Yanow

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Nothing is known about William Harris and Buddy Boy Hawkins as individuals, and field research has uncovered almost no details of their lives; what we know of them is a fragment of information or two, and the rest has to be deduced from their songs. From the evidence of his guitar style, with its emphasis on rhythmic complexity rather than on single-string work, William Harris may have come from the Mississippi Delta. He was an impressive performer, singing in his firm voice with a marked vibrato. He may have been inspired to make Electric Chair Blues by hearing Blind Lemon Jefferson’s record, and the poor state of the rare 78 suggests that even as gloomy a theme as this had its appeal to some listeners. On Bull Frog Blues and Leavin’ Town he suspends the resolution of the line by repeating a phrase, but in other respects his blues are unsophisticated, with lines that fail to rhyme on for example, Early Mornin’ Blues. Buddy Boy Hawkins was a singer about whom we know even less than Harris. He mentions Jackson, Mississippi several times on A Rag Blues where he says the piece came from, but stated on Snatch It Back that “these my blues I brought ‘em all the way from Birmingham”. It’s possible that, as Workin’ On The Railroad suggests, he had laid track; trains, especially Number Three figure in other blues. Yet Hawkins too, may have worked the shows: How Come Mama is a rural version of a vaudeville song, while Voice Throwin’ Blues is an uncommon example of attempted ventriloquism on record, the singer performing a standard “Hesitating Blues” with an assumed “second voice” set against his normal vocal style. His accomplished guitar work, with more than a hint of Spanish flourishes, reinforce the impression of a travelling performer. Like Harris he was most at home with the blues, of which his masterpiece is Jailhouse Fire on which he entreats the jailer to release his woman and save her from burning. The internal evidence of the few recordings made by William Harris and Walter “Buddy Boy” Hawkins points to an active blues link between Jackson, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama, by way of the old Great Southern railroad and the travelling minstrel and medicine shows. Not only do the records reveal two great, if little-known blues singers; they also tell us something of the way in which the blues was circulated in the early years. DOCD-5035
Tracklist :
1    William Harris–    I'm Leavin Town 2:59
Guitar, Voice [Speech] – Joe Robinson
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
2    William Harris –    Kansas City Blues 3:01
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
3    William Harris–    Kitchen Range Blues 3:08
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
4    William Harris–    Keep Your Man Out Of Birmingham 2:52
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
5    William Harris–    Electric Chair Blues 2:58
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
6    William Harris–    Bullfrog Blues 3:06
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
7    William Harris–    Leavin' Here Blues 3:09
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
8    William Harris–    Early Mornin' Blues 2:46
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
9    William Harris–    Hot Time Blues 2:51
Vocals, Guitar – William Harris
10    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Shaggy Dog Blues 2:31
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
11    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Number Three Blues (Take 2) 2:47
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
12    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Jailhouse Fire Blues 2:28
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
13    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Snatch It Back Blues 3:00
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
14    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Workin' On The Railroad 2:41
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
15    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Yellow Woman Blues 2:46
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
16    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Raggin' The Blues 2:26
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
17    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Awful Fix Blues 2:28
Vocals, Guitar – Buddy Boy Hawkins
18    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    A Rag Blues 2:53
Vocals, Guitar, Voice [Speech] – Walter Hawkins
19    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    How Come Mama Blues 3:00
Vocals, Guitar – Walter Hawkins
20    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Snatch It And Grab It 3:04
Vocals [Poss.] – Charlie Patton
Vocals, Guitar – Walter Hawkins
21    Buddy Boy Hawkins–    Voice Throwin' Blues 2:56
Guitar – Walter Hawkins

BESSIE SMITH - The Complete Recordings Vol. 2 (1924-1925) 2CD (1991) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Bessie Smith, even on the evidence of her earliest recordings, well deserved the title "Empress of the Blues" for in the 1920s there was no one in her league for emotional intensity, honest blues feeling, and power. The second of five volumes (the first four are two-CD sets) finds her accompaniment improving rapidly with such sympathetic sidemen as trombonist Charlie Green, cornetist Joe Smith, and clarinetist Buster Bailey often helping her out. However, they are overshadowed by Louis Armstrong, whose two sessions with Smith (nine songs in all) fall into the time period of this second set; particularly classic are their versions of "St. Louis Blues," "Careless Love Blues," and "I Ain't Goin' to Play Second Fiddle." Other gems on this essential set include "Cake Walkin' Babies From Home," "The Yellow Dog Blues," and "At the Christmas Ball." by Scott Yanow

 Tracklist 1:

1. Frankie Blues 3:34

2. Moonshine Blues 3:19

3. Lou'siana Low-Down Blues 3:25

4. Mountain Top Blues 3:14

5. Work House Blues 3:23

6. House Rent Blues 3:08

7. Salt Water Blues 3:29

8. Rainy Weather Blues 3:38

9. Weeping Willow Blues 3:12

10. The Bye Bye Blues 3:20

11. Sing Sing Prison Blues 3:06

12. Follow the Deal on Down 3:18

13. Sinful Blues 3:11

14. Woman's Trouble Blues 3:07

15. Love Me Daddy Blues 3:16

16. Dying Gambler's Blues 3:00

17. The St. Louis Blues 3:12

18. Reckless Blues 3:05

19. Sobbin' Hearted Blues 3:01

Tracklist 2:

1. Cold In Hand Blues 3:15

2. You've Been a Good Ole Wagon 3:30

3. Cake Walkin' babies (From Home) 3:11

4. The Yellow Dog Blues 3:05

5. Soft Pedal Blues 3:21

6. Dixie Flyer Blues 3:11

7. Nashville Woman's Blues 3:45

8. Careless Love Blues 3:27

9. J.C. Holmes Blues 3:05

10. I Ain't Goin' to Play Second Fiddle 3:23

11. He's Gone Blues 3:11

12. Nobody's Blues But Mine 2:53

13. I Ain't Got Nobody 3:11

14. My Man Blues 3:32

15. New Gulf Coast Blues 3:23

16. Florida Bound Blues 3:15

17. At the Christmas Ball 3:26

18. I've Been Mistreated and I Don't Like It 2:55

BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON — Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order ★ Volume 1 : 1925-1926 | DOCD-5017 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

90 performances by Blind Lemon Jefferson were reissued in chronological sequence as his "complete recorded works" by the Document label in 1994. The songs were parceled out neatly so that material from each successive year of his short recording career occupied a separate disc, with volume one containing 23 selections recorded between December 1925 and December 1926. Those who feel prepared to shed the shackles of convention and jettison preconceived notions of what the blues or music in general is supposed to sound like should seriously consider obtaining all four volumes, for listening to nearly every record known to have been made by Blind Lemon Jefferson can be a moving and transformationally rewarding experience. Born near the end of the 19th century in the village of Couchman, south of Dallas between Mexia and Corsicana in Freestone County, TX, he came up in a racially segregated environment where blindness lowered his already rock-bottom social status as a member of the African American underclass. The name Lemon, which is believed to have been bestowed upon him at birth, was a reference to the shape of his head. (A few years later, this playful aspect of the culture would cause saxophonist Coleman Hawkins to be dubbed "Bean" by his fellow musicians because they felt that his cranium resembled a haricot bean.) Legend has it that Lemon and the slightly younger Blind Willie Johnson, who grew up in Marlin a few miles southeast of Waco, would sometimes perform publicly on the streets of Marlin at the same time. This would have made for an intriguing if inadvertent near-rupturing of the socially constructed barrier between the sacred and the secular, for Willie sang nothing but spirituals and Lemon, who hung out with gamblers, hooch peddlers, pimps, and prostitutes, was and has since been solidly identified with the hedonistic genre of the blues. Lemon, however, cannot be so easily categorized, and the first record he ever cut was "I Want to Be Like Jesus in My Heart" b/w "All I Want Is That Pure Religion." Although historians usually pronounce these to be puzzling non-sequiturs, the obvious lesson is that Lemon sang exactly the songs that he felt he ought to sing, and that the profoundly spiritual component that exists in the heart and marrows of African-American culture continues to be underestimated and misunderstood by those who seek to evaluate the music from their own points of reference outside of that culture. As for the listening experience itself, bear in mind that these deliciously scratchy, acoustically recorded Paramount platters were meant to be experienced as single playbacks heard on a windup phonograph, not as nearly two dozen consecutive segments on a disc that takes about an hour to play through. What the CD compilation does accomplish, however, is to enable the listener to relax and surrender to what comes to resemble a sort of early 20th century African-American oratorio made up of beautifully honest reflections on what it's like to live in the world. Lemon's guitar and voice are utterly captivating, and an hour spent in his very special company can be positively magical. Those who yearn for "cleaner" audio should go directly to JSP's 94-track four-CD set, issued in 2003. And there's nothing wrong with consulting both sets so as to be able to compare differently remastered takes. arwulf arwulf

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. Pianist Sammy Price is credited with bringing Jefferson to the attention of Mayo Williams of Paramount Records, who were looking for other male blues artists to follow up their initial success with Papa Charlie Jackson. Curiously, these were two old spirituals which were later issued under the pseudonym ‘Deacon L. J. Bates‘. Perhaps the idea was to test the market for this unusual-sounding performer, however the recordings were held back for release until the following autumn. Certainly they lack the impact of Lemon’s blues performances. A more passionate version of Pure Religion was recorded by Blind Gussie Nesbit in 1930 (Columbia 14576-D) while the 1927 recording of I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Heart by Mississippi blues singer Sam Collins (Gennett 6291), with slide guitar accompaniment, offers a useful comparison with Lemon’s recording. Early in 1926 Blind Lemon Jefferson was recalled to the studio to record some blues. The four sides from this session were used for his first two records. Booster Blues and Dry Southern Blues were issued around the beginning of April and sales were obviously good as Paramount quickly issued Got the Blues and Long Lonesome Blues. This second record was phenomenally successful, tapping a market thirsty for Southern-styled blues. Within a few weeks Got The Blues and Long Lonesome Blues were remade at the Marsh Laboratories and these new recordings were used for later pressings of Paramount 12354. Lines and verses from Jefferson’s songs crop up in many later blues recordings. Robert Johnson adapted v.2 and v. 3 of Dry Southern Blues for his Love In Vain Blues and Walking Blues. The tremendous success of Lemon’s Black Horse Blues probably inspired Tommy Johnson‘s Black Mare Blues and Charlie Patton to record his Pony Blues. Jefferson himself drew on the blues tradition extensively. Corinna Blues uses the tune and first verse of See See Rider, while Jack O’Diamonds is a straight version of an old gambling ballad, with Lemon playing knife-style slide guitar in an open tuning, for the only time on record. Another old-time number he recorded was Beggin’ Back, a variant of the piece recorded by Frank Stokes as Take Me Back (Victor V-38531) in 1928, but composed as far back as 1898 by B. McMahon. In Old Rounders Blues, a celebration of dissolute living which opens with an ear-splitting cowboy yell, Lemon sings “ain’t goin’ to marry, ain’t gonna settle down”. However, he did have a wife down in Texas, Roberta, and one wonders what she made of lines like “I got a girl for Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday too” (in Chock House Blues) as Blind Lemon Jefferson spent more and more time up north in Chicago. (Furry Lewis and Jim Jackson also made use of the “girl for every day in the week” idea on record.) Perhaps he was thinking of her when he sang (in Stocking Feet Blues) the striking verse “Somebody just keeps on followin’ me, she got hair like a mermaid on the sea”. That Black Snake Moan, with its strong sexual imagery, was a pre-Christmas hit, giving Lemon 6 successful releases in 1926. Victoria Spivey always claimed, with some justification, that Jefferson based his song on her Black Snake Blues (OKeh 8338). However, Lemon’s song stands on its own merits and its popularity was such that he made no less than three later versions of the theme. Blind Lemon’s first 1927 release coupled Wartime Blues, composed of floating verses but with a title verse that harked back to World War 1, and Booger Rooger Blues, which mentions various Dallas neighborhoods where he had lady friends. In March Paramount released Bad Luck Blues and Broke And Hungry, which probably inspired Sleepy John Estes‘ first Victor recording, Broken-Hearted, Ragged And Dirty Too, in September, 1929. In April Paramount put out the first Blind Lemon Jefferson record that bore the slogan “electrically recorded”. Rabbit Foot Blues, which opens with the immortal line, “blues jumped a rabbit, run him one solid mile”, and Shuckin’ Sugar Blues, with its attractive melody and catchy title refrain. Jefferson’s uncompromising approach and consistently high standard of performance ensured that his records continued to sell in large quantities until the end of the decade. DOCD-5017
Tracklist :
1    Deacon L. J. Bates–    I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Heart 3:02
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
2    Deacon L. J. Bates–    All I Want Is That Pure Religion 3:11
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
3    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Got The Blues 2:50
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
4    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Long Lonesome Blues 2:54
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
5    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Booster Blues 2:47
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
6    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Dry Southern Blues 2:48
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
7    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Black Horse Blues 2:54
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
8    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Corinna Blues (Take 2) 3:05
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
9    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Got The Blues 3:02
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
10    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Long Lonesome Blues 3:08
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
11    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Jack O' Diamond Blues (Take 1) 2:30
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
12    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Jack O' Diamond Blues (Take 2) 2:45
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
13    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Chock House Blues 2:37
Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon Jefferson
14    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Beggin' Back 2:50
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
15    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Old Rounders Blues 2:43
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
16    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Stocking Feet Blues (Take 1) 3:04
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
17    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    That Black Snake Moan (Take 2) 3:04
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
18    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Wartime Blues 3:00
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
19    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Broke And Hungry (Take 2) 2:58
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
20    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Shuckin' Sugar Blues (Take 2) 3:02
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
21    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Booger Rooger Blues 2:47
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
22    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Rabbit Foot Blues 2:55
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
23    Blind Lemon Jefferson–    Bad Luck Blues 2:49
Guitar, Vocals – Blind Lemon Jefferson
Credits :
Blind Lemon Jefferson (as by Deacon L. J. Bates), Vocal / Guitar
Blind Lemon Jefferson, Vocal / Guitar