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.

Blind Willie Mctell Pig ‘n Whistle Red

Blind Willie Mctell
Pig ‘n Whistle Red
Biograph

This just-issued compact disc compiles McTell’s 1950 recordings for Regal Records. These were his first commercial recordings since 1937, and he was joined at the session by fellow Atlanta bluesman, Curley Weaver, who contributes lead vocals on several songs. These recordings stylistically are unchanged from his earlier recordings, and show little diminution in his guitar skills or his warmly expressive singing.

Highlights include the jaunty Talkin’ to You Mama, an updated version of Ticket Agent, and East St. Louis - a lively performance using a melody familiar from Red River Blues and Crow Jane. Other songs by McTell, including the sentimental Pal of Mine, and several religious songs that close this disc, give an indication of the breadth of his repertoire. The twenty selections include a couple of alternate takes, and the sound is fine.

This splendid reissue is attractively packaged with a lovely cover illustration, and Don Kent provides concise and informative liner notes, although no photo of McTell is included (although the current ediion of this has a McTell Photo on cover).

I likely received the review copy from Jazz & Blues Report (the review originally appeared in the November 1993 issue (Issue 186)). This is available as a download or used.

Jas Obrecht - Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar

Jas Obrecht
Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar
The University of Minnesota Press

Former editor for "Guitar Player" magazine, Jas Obrecht has written for years on blues guitarists. "Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar" is his most recent volume surveying some important blues guitarists who first recorded the 1920s. Included are portraits of artists including Sylvester Weaver, Papa Charlie Jackson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Lonnie Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt and Tampa Red. While the chapters vary in length (with the Lonnie Johnson chapter being the lengthiest), Obrecht write clearly and concisely to note each person's significance and if these portraits of the performers may originally have appeared in "Guitar Player"decades ago, Obrecht has rewritten and updated them to incorporate the latest information about such artists. For example the chapter on Blind Blake includes discussion of a recently discovered 78 of his as well as the fact he died in Milwaukee. Also, the chapters on McTell, Johnson and Hurt incorporate information from recently published biographies of these pioneering and influential artists. "Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar" is highly readable and recommended.

I purchased this book. This is one of a number of short reviews I have written for the 2015 Holiday Gift Guide edition of Jazz & Blues Report.

Classic Blues Artwork From the 1920s - Vol. 13 from Blues Images

Some of you may be aware that not too long ago a collector purchased a Paramount 78 of legendary Mississippi blues performer Tommy Johnson for $37,000. That collector, John Tefteller, already had a copy of that 78, but the one he purchased was in better condition (he did sell the other 78). While Mr. Tefteller is a collector, he is not one who purchases such rare records to have as trophies. Rather, he gets them mastered using careful techniques for issuance on CDs that he produces that accompany a calendar of blues advertisements and photos of blues legends that he offers on a yearly basis. Now Available is "Classic Blues Artwork From the 1920s - Vol. 13," (Blues Images), which is subtitled "Special American Epic Edition."

American Epic is the name of an upcoming PBS television series and for it, a number of rare recordings of blues, country, cajun, Hawaiian, Native American and other music was remastered employing a most remarkable and costly technology to restore the rare recordings used. This technology is employed for the twenty performances on the accompanying CD. The actual Calendar is handsomely produced with a reproduction of an advertisement of a recording or a portrait of the artist for each month of the year and the first twelve recordings correspond to a graphic for a month. The remaining eight selections include some selections that may be the other side of a 78 along with two rare sides each by Hattie Hyde and J.D. Short. Each month's calendar includes selected holidays and birth and death dates of important blues artists.

For example, for January there is a reproduction of an advertisement that was issued to help sell Jim Jackson's "My Monday Blues," and one can read that Jackson "is the meanest moaner of the blues you've ever heard," while listening to the performance with a lyric that is a mix of "One Thin Dime Blues" and other traditional themes sung rather strongly against a somewhat rudimentary backing. A brief bio of Jackson is given at the bottom of the calendar page. There is some truly spectacular music including the great Blind Willie Johnson, "When the War Was On," with his driving accompaniment and gravelly shouting with his wife providing backing vocals. Not much is known of Charlie Kyle whose "Walking Blues" and "No Baby," was played on a twelve-string and sung in a clear and expressive manner. Included is a clear picture of Kyle and his guitar, probably taken at his sole recording session. Barbecue Bob's wonderful "Atlanta Moan" is the April recording with his picture accompanying a Columbia Records ad and his driving twelve-string playing (using a slide) and singing are top-flight.

For May, there is a portrait of the great Papa Charlie McCoy, shown holding a mandolin who is heard on a stunning mandolin rendition of (Pinetop's) "Boogie Woogie," vocal asides and all. Also on the CD is the other side, a marvelous "Country Guy Blues," again with stunning blues mandolin playing by this remarkable musician. June's music is the sublime vocal duet by Ruth Willis and another terrific Atlanta twelve-string player, Curley Weaver on the lovely "Some Cold Rainy Day," whose melody is similar to "Sitting on Top of the World." July brings us the guitar wizardry of Blind Blake on "Wabash Rag," with his superb finger-style playing and a vocal celebrating the famed Chicago avenue. August includes the ad for one of Blind Lemon Jefferson's most celebrated recordings "'Lectric Chair Blues"/"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," and this writer can not believe he has ever heard Jefferson's high pitched singing or deft playing captured with such clarity.

September's ad is for Jed Davenport and His Beale Street Jug Band and "Beale Street Breakdown," is a spectacular, uninhibited instrumental romp with fiddle, harmonicas and driving rhythm. Not much is known about Spark Plug Smith, who it is suggested is named after cartoon character Barney Google's horse, Spark Plug. His performance, "Vampire Woman," is actually reference to a street walking woman (vamp being 1920s slang for one who takes a man from his wife). Ma Rainey is featured for November where "Georgia Cake Walk," which was the B-side to "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and features a talking duet set against an early jazz accompaniment. The Calendar closes with a fiery sermon "The High Cost of Sin!" by Black Billy Sunday (Rev. Dr. J. Gordon).

 

Small image of representative month.

Also heard on the CD is another fiery sermon "Will You Spend Eternity In Hell," two vocals from a Memphis singer, Hattie Hyde, accompanied by the Memphis Jug Band, the afore-mentioned extra selections from Charlie Kyle, Charlie McCoy, and Blind Lemon Jefferson. The CD concludes with two phenomenal performances by J.D. Short, although they are the worst sounding recordings reproduced here as the original 78 was in terrible condition and is the onlylocated  copy of this 80 year recording. Despite the rough, distorted sound, one can still appreciate Short's brilliance as a guitarist and his singing. There are other reissues of his early recordings available and he was recorded as part of the blues rediscoveries in the 1960s. Placed at the end, it might be skipped by those who find a bit of surface noise acceptable. Those who have listened to some reissues of Skip James and Charlie Patton, with a scrambled eggs sound in the background, should have little problem enjoying his terrific music.

Kudos to John Tefteller and those who were involved in the production of "Classic Blues Artwork From the 1920s - Vol. 13." This will make a wonderful gift for the real blues lover this holiday season. This is available directly from Blue Images which also has previous years Calendars and CDs from previous Calendars, along with posters and t-shirts for sale. You can go their website, www.bluesimages.com, to order directly. This terrific Calendar and CD is also being sold through amazon, Alligator Records and other vendors.

I purchased this Calendar and CD from Blues Images.