One of the most celebrated blues recording is " How Long How Long Blues," most famous from Leroy Carr's recording. It was so popular, Carr recorded a number of sequels. Today, we explore a variety of recordings and performances of this number starting with Carr's hit.
It derives somewhat from Ida Cox's "How Long Daddy" by the great Ida Cox with Papa Charlie Jackson on the accompaniment.
Here is T-Bone Walker doing this classic.
Jimmy Yancey may be my favorite blues and boogie-woogie pianist. Here is his poetical version.
Count Basie with Jimmy Rushing singing.
Here is one by Big Joe Turner, who recorded the song several times.
The great slide guitar master, Kokomo Arnold, an influence on Robert Johnson, recorded this.
The late Lou Rawls did a marvelous rendition.
Last up for this playlist is Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and Leadbelly.
There are many I could have selected, but this gives an idea of the range of interpretations.
Today's blog is devoted to simply presenting a number of renditions of a song most associated with Leroy Carr, How Long, How Long Blues. This was a major hot for Carr and became one of the true blues classics.
First up is Carr's original recording
Second is Tampa Red although I wish we just had the music, not the video and audio of a 78 playing.
Ida Cox's How Long Daddy speaks about that southbound train. It predates Carr's recording. Cox was one of the early blues greatest talents.
Kokomo Arnold also did a terrific rendition of this
Let us not forget some superb instrumental piano renditions including Count Basie
And no instrumemntal rendition touches me as much as that by the great Jimmy Yancey.
A year before he died, Jimmy Yancey did this with Mama Yancey singing wonderfully
Carr' song was a favorite of blues shouters like Jimmy Rushing, Jimmy Witherspoon and Big Joe Turner. Here is the Boss of the Blues singing it from the essential album The Boss of the Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz.
Other singer-pianists have done including Memphis Slim and Champion Jack Dupree. I have included Dupree's rendition from 1945.
It has been a song that jazz performers have interpreted such as Coleman Hawkins. There is a superb duet performance by Archie Shepp and pianist Horace Parlan on the terrific album Trouble in Mind. Here is Coleman Hawkins.
Among recent blues renditions, I consider the best to be from pianist Butch Thompson and guitarist Pat Donohue. Here is Thompson channeling Jimmy Yancey as I close this blog post.
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