Classic Blues Artwork From the 1920's - Vol. 18

Various
Classic Blues Artwork From the 1920's - Vol. 18
Blues Images

This is the latest Blues Calendar put together by collector John Tefteller. Like past editions, this Calendar for 2021 brings together for each month twelve stellar images taken from rare photographs and record company advertisements that appeared in African American newspapers. For each month, the accompanying CD includes a recording by the artist depicted by the picture or ad. There is also brief biographical information for that artist. The accompanying CD also included recordings by other artists or previously unissued test recordings.

Until recently, the compilation only included pre-World War II recordings. This year we still have twelve recordings relating to the Calendar illustrations. All extra selections are all by one artist, pianist-singer Lost John Hunter. Hunter's eleven songs include the first Blues Session that Sam Phillips recorded at his Memphis Recording Service, the legendary Sun Records Studio. While there is no mention if the recordings on this CD were restored using the American Epic series process, the sound is outstanding.

The first selection is a rowdy string band number by Peg Leg Howell and His Gang, "Too Tight Blues." That number showcases the down-in-the-alley fiddling of Eddie Anthony. Bertha Henderson, accompanied by Blind Blake, delivers a brooding, melancholy vocal on "Terrible Murder Blues," about killing another woman so she "can't stay here no more." Murder is also the theme of pianist Walter Roland's "Cold Blooded Murder," a fine blues in a Leroy Carr manner (think Carr's "Mean Mistreater") with Josh White adding some exquisite guitar. Josh White's guitar is also heard supporting the great Buddy Moss on Moss' superb East Coast blues, "Undertaker Blues." The interplay between White and Moss is sublime.

Meade Lux Lewis' "Honky Tonk Train Blues" is one of the greatest piano blues ever recorded. Tefteller obtained a new store stock copy of the original Paramount 78 (he would rerecord it frequently), and it is a pleasure to hear this legendary recording in such clean condition. It is followed by another blues classic, John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson's "Good Morning School Girl." On this often covered classic recording, Williamson's vocal and harmonica is accompanied by Robert Lee McCoy (aka Robert Nighthawk) and Big Joe Williams. Next up is Lead Belly's "New Black Snake Moan," which showcases his forceful singing and driving twelve-string guitar on a commercially released recording. Next up is a recording, "Pneumonia Blues"  by Lead Belly's one-time musical partner, Blind Lemon Jefferson.

Willard "Ramblin'" Thomas's superb slide guitar is displayed on a terrific "Hard To Rule Woman Blues." It is followed by Victoria Spivey's "Witchcraft Blues," a previously unissued recording from her last Vocation recording session in 1937. Her strong vocal about hoodooing her man is backed by a vibrato-heavy saxophonist and a plodding drummer.  Blind Boy Fuller's "Rag, Mama, Rag," with Reverend Gary Davis on second guitar and washboard, is one the finest Piedmont Blues with superlative fingerstyle guitar and a wonderful vocal. A rambunctious performance by Rev D.C. Rice, "The Angels Rolled The Stone Away," opens with his hellfire preaching before he leads his congregation in enthusiastic song. It concludes the Calendar portion of the accompanying disc.

Lost John Hunter's real name was Lindell Woodson. He was born blind and became the pianist and organ player at the Church of Gold in Christ in Memphis. He changed his name to Lost John Hunter so he would not rile up members of the congregation who were not fans of Devil's music. With guitarist Herman Green and a couple of other friends, he formed a group Lost John Hunter and His Blind Bats, and they made the 11 selections, all of which were previously unissued. His second session produced recordings that were released on the West Coast 4 Star Records.

Hunter was a gravelly, hoarse singer with a rough barrel-housing piano style backed by Green's guitar in a manner that has a feel to some of Sunnyland Slim's late 40s and early 50s recordings with Robert Lockwood Jr., if not quite as accomplished. There are two takes of "Miss Thelma Mae," a song similar to Detroit bluesman Baby Boy Warren's "Hello Stranger." Other selections include a boisterous instrumental, "Lost John's Pinetop's Boogie," and two takes of another slow blues, "You Gotta Heart of Stone." Another track is an early alternate of "Boogie For Me Baby." He would rerecord it at his second session, and that recording would be issued on 78. Musically, this song suggests an attempt to capture some of the boogie-woogie success of Cecil Gant. This selection has some of his best piano playing among the tracks by him, which add to the value of this year's Calendar and CD.

While this year's Calendar is available at other sources, you can get more information at BluesImages.com, including details on previous Calendars and some previous CDs, along with t-shirts and posters.

I purchased the Calendar and CD. Here is the back cover.

It's The Best Stuff Yet! Great Piedmont Blues

Various Artists
It's The Best Stuff Yet
Frog Records UK

This is a double CD set of rare Piedmont blues packaged in a DVD sized box with a 32-page booklet. One CD is a collection of rare sides, unissued tests, clean originals and field recordings of classic Piedmont blues. The second CD contains the entire 1956 sessions by Blind Willie McTell (The Last Session) that was recorded by Ed Rhodes that includes material that was not included in the original Prestige release of such material. The handsomely illustrated 32-page booklet includes essays from Paul Swinton and Chris Smith, along with full discographical information.

The first disc includes some spectacularly wonderful performances of Piedmont blues with a spotlight primarily, but not exclusively, on the blues of Atlanta. It opens with a wonderful duet by Ruth Willis and Blind Willie McTell, "Talkin' to You Wimmin About the Blues," followed by McTell accompanying a vocal by her. Then comes the sublime first recording by McTell, "Mamma, T'aint Long Fo' Day'," with a wonderful vocal and superlative 12-string slide guitar. Performances like this as much as the better-known "Statesboro Blues" explain why McTell is regarded as among the greatest blues artists who ever played. Also included on this disc is McTell's Library of Congress recording of "Delia's Gone," about a 14-year-old girl shot by her 14-year-old boyfriend.

The McTell sides are not the only brilliant performances here. There is Blind Blake's "West Coast Blues" from his initial recording session, as well as a previously unissued test by Blind Boy Fuller of "Rag, Mama, Rag #1." This superb, animated performance had the great Fuller supported by Gary Davis on guitar and Bull City Red on washboard. Then there are two terrific performances by Prince Moore about who little is known and two wonderful performances from unissued tests by Buddy Moss. "Red River Blues #2" is another fabulous Piedmont fingerpicked blues. Curley Weaver, with harmonica player Eddie Mapp, deliver a bit of hokum on the title track, while there are two dynamic songs from Barbecue Bob with his robust vocals and 12-string guitar playing. Also, there is a radio aircheck of Josh White performing "John Henry," as well as short unexpurgated party disc of "Darktown Strutters," that definitely is not radio-friendly. The great Virginia Piedmont blues artist, John Jackson is heard on two stunning selections from private recordings that show the influence of Blind Blake.

The remaining selections on this first disc are of similar interest and merit. If this was issued as a single disc, one would recommend it highly. The second disc contains the entirety of the recordings, both songs, and interview segments, that Ed Rhodes made with Blind Willie McTell and issued in part as "The Last Session." as we hear him tell stories about the instrumental "Kill It Kid Rag," and "The Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues." There are surprising songs like "Pal of Mine," 'Salty Dog," "My Blue Heaven," and "Wabash Cannonball," along with McTell's remembrances of his early life and more. This second disc is not only a historical document but contains more exquisite blues and folk songs. In addition to this, there is an interview by Larry Cohn of Ed Rhodes discussing Mctell and the recordings produced by Rhodes decades later.

There have been some extremely important releases of historical blues material this year. "It's The Best Stuff Yet!" is as good as any of them and would make a terrific holiday gift to the blues fan in your world, or simply a marvelous gift for oneself. For more information on this release visit Frog Records at their website: https://www.frog-records.co.uk/products/its-the-best-stuff-yet. Frog Records has a superb catalog of vintage blues and jazz reissues including what is generally considered the best sounding reissue of Bessie Smith's music (on 8 CDs).

I purchased this.