Take 5 - Going Down Slow - Songs of illness and death

Given the devastation and disruption caused by COVID-19, today's Take 5 presents five songs with the theme of disease and death. We start with Victora Spivey's classic recording about TB, "T.B. Blues." John Erby is on piano and Lonnie Johnson on this 1927 recording.

Josh White recorded "Silicosis is Killing Me," under the name of Pinewood Tom.

Memphis based bluesman Big Lucky Carter recorded "AIDS Is Killing Me," about a recent plague.

While some folks equate COVID-19 with the seasonal flu, COVID-19 is worse. But the Flu itself is a dangerous virus as Albert Collins sang  in "Dyin' Flu."

Next up to close out this Take 5 is the original recording of the classic blues about dying from a disease, "Going Down Slow," by St. Louis Jimmy.

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.

Heritage of the Blues Reissues - Charles Brown and Josh White

With recordings in much of Europe becoming public domain after 50 years, there has been a prolific amount of reissues of classic blues recordings at very economical prices. Heritage of the Blues is a series of reissues of such material on the Blue Orchard label. Among the reissues on this label are double CDs by Charles Brown and Josh White.

Charles Brown’s Cryin’ Mercy presents 55 tracks by the pioneering pianist and blues balladeer. It ranges from the early Philo-Aladdin recordings by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers to 1956 recordings with many of the greats on so many Rock and Roll sessions present. There is a generous selection of material here with supporting musician's including Maxwell Davis, Oscar Moore, Don Wilkerson, Clifford Solomon, Pete ‘Guitar’ Lewis, Plas Johnson, Lee Allen, Red Tyler, and Earl Palmer. the notes provide the contours of Brown’s career and achievements and also give full personnel information. It is a solid overview of the period of his greatest popularity and includes classic recordings such as Drifting Blues, Get Yourself Another Fool, Black Night, Trouble Blues, Honey Sipper, and Fool’s Paradise and with good sound easily recommended.

Josh White, Blood Red River, is an even more varied release ranging from Wing Wang Harmonica Blues in 1929; the classic Piedmont blues, Blood Red River, in 1932; This Heart of Mine by Josh White as the Singing Christian; School Boy Blues accompanying pianist Walter Roland; Silicosis Is Killing Me as Pinewood Tom; Careless Love with Sidney Bechet & Wilson Meyers; Liza Jane with Woody Guthrie & Pete Seeger; Hold On with the Union boys (Tom Glazer,Pete Seeger, Burl Ives, and Brownie McGhee); a cover of Strange Fruit; the highly influential The House of the Risin’ Sun; John Henry, and One Meatball. As can be seen its a varied setting for solo blues with wonderful Piedmont fingestyle guitar to sophisticated performances that were at the core of the rise of modern folk music in the cities. White was a sophisticated performer and sang sometimes in a manner that some would consider bland, yet certainly was highly influential and entertaining and this 2-disc set is invaluable in helping to document this very important and greatly overlooked artist.

This review appeared originally in the May-June 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 293). I probably received my review copies from that publication. I believe these are still available.

Smithsonian Folkways' Classic Appalachian Blues

As Jeff Place, who with Barry Lee Pearson compiled Classic Appalachian Blues (Smithsonian-Folkways) states, the ‘Classic’ series on Smithsonian Folkways aims to draw attention to significant recordings from the Folkways and Smithsonian collections. Classic Appalachian Blues “features musicians from the region known as the Southern Appalachians. It includes musicians from deep in the mountains as well as from the foothills leading up to them.” The Folkways label had a number of fine recordings in its catalog of performers in this tradition by the likes of Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry and Pink Anderson and adding recordings from the Folklife Festival collection by John Jackson, Big Chief Ellis and others makes this a particularly valuable collection.

Tracks by Stick McGhee, whose voice and guitar is joined by the harmonica of Sonny Terry and J.C. Burris, open and close this CD. McGhee is heard on the upbeat My Baby’s Gone, as well as a spirited reprise of his hit recording Wine Blues (Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee). There is a fine performance by Stick’s brother, Brownie McGhee, on a 1945 recording Pawnshop Blues, an adaptation of a Blind Boy Fuller number. At the time of these recordings both had relocated to New York as had Reverend Gary Davis, certainly amongst the greatest acoustic blues guitarists, he is represented here by a stunning 1957 instrumental rendition of Hesitation Blues. Another Piedmont legend who established himself was Josh White who had gone from a singing evangelist and Piedmont Tom to Cafe Society by the time he performed the solid Move to the Outskirts of Town heard here.

Not all of the Appalachian masters moved to New York. Pink Anderson stayed in South Carolina and is heard on a fine You Don’t Know My Mind. Sonny Terry’s nephew, J.C. Burris moved to California . He is heard on Blues Around My Bed, with just his harp (sounding like his uncle) accompanying his strong vocal. Arhoolie issued a full album of his music. The lovely One Dime Blues is from a 1992 Barns of Wolf Trap performance by Etta Baker who charmed so many with her agile guitar picking and warm manner. Baby Tate, who was friends with Pink Anderson, was another artist influenced by Blind Boy Fuller, and his rendition of See What You Done Done, echoes Red River Blues and Crow Jane, in its accompaniment that is part of a first-rate performance.

The Washington DC area was a destination for many folks. Phil Wiggins and the late John Cephas met through Alabama pianist Big Chief Ellis who formed the Barrelhouse Rockers and back backing pianist Big Chief Ellis on Louise Blues, from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1976 with Wiggins driving harp accompaniment contrasting with Ellis’ understated boogie piano. John Jackson was prominent in the Washington DC area for the last four decades of his life and is heard on a fine rendition of the bad-man ballad Railroad Bill. The late Archie Edwards was another Washington DC area treasure, and is represented by a 1978 Folklife Festival rendition of his signature song, My Road Is Rough and Rocky, his tribute to Mississippi John Hurt, his boyhood idol and later good friend. It is a performance with an affable vocal and wonderful rolling guitar.

The Appalachian area was one where there was considerable interaction between Black and White musicians despite the fact of segregation and Doc Watson is heard on a lively Sitting On Top of the World, taken at a bit brisker tempo than usual. I have fond memories of Watson and John Jackson playing at Folklife Festivals. Another performance crossing racial lines is Roscoe Holcomb who brings a mountain guitar approach to Mississippi Heavy Water Blues, originally recorded by Atlanta bluesman Barbecue Bob. Then there is E.C. Ball from Rugby, Virginia and mentor of guitarist (and luthier) Wayne Henderson. Ball is a marvelous player and heard on Blues in the Morning His cited influences include Riley Puckett, Chet Atkins, Sam McGee and Maybelle Carter.

John Jackson was among the greatest of the finger style guitarists along with Blind Blake and Reverend Gary Davis. Another on that level was Bill Williams, born in Richmond, Virginia but who moved to Kentucky and who actually teamed up with Blind Blake in Bristol, Tennessee. Williams was briefly ‘rediscovered’ and made some recordings (some for Yazoo’s Blue Goose subsidiary). His 1971 Folklife Festival, performance Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down, is a song that crossed racial lines, with Williams providing a driving accompaniment here. In contrast to many solo performances here, is a fine string band performance by Martin, Bogan and Armstrong with Carl Martin’s mandolin and vocal and Howard Armstrong’s violin standing out in their string band blues, Hoodoo Blues. 

Others heard on this include Leslie Riddle, who is best known as having been a friend of the Carter Family (Mother Maybelle Carter learned her guitar style from him). He is heard from 1976 on the Appalachian blues standard Red River Blues, with steady guitar and vocal. Also from 1976, was the veteran medicine show performer Peg Leg Jackson with just his vocal and harmonica on a spirited Walking Cane. The Foddrell Brothers, Marvin and Turner, were from Stuart, Virginia and were wonderful traditional blues performers as illustrated by their 1977 Folklife Festival rendition of I Got a Woman. Also from 1977 comes a nice performance from John Tinsley, Girl Dressed in Green. 

With twenty-one performances and about 66 minutes of music, Classic Appalachian Blues offers considerable value as well much excellent music. Inclusion of many artists who made few recordings which are often hard-to-find as well as a generous selection of performances from the Smithsonian’s Folklife Archives adds to the value as does the excellent and informative booklet by compilers Jeff Place and Barry Lee Pearson.

I was provided a download of a review copy from Smithsonian-Folkways from whom one can purchase this (as well as the booklet I refer to).

Josh White and Big Bill Come Visiting and Singing

Empire Musicwerks issued back in 2007, Josh White Comes A-Visiting Big Bill Broonzy Comes A-Singing, which makes available on CD music originally issued on two 10-inch LPs originally issued on the Period label. The album notes calls the two among the greatest exponents of the folk-blues idiom and that would not be unfair description of these discs as both artists are quite urbane in their presentation.


White, who had gone from a Piedmont blues and gospel singer-guitarist to a member of the emerging folk scene in the post-World War II era is heard backed by a small rhythm combo as well as a vocal chorus that included his daughter Beverly. Material ranges from the opening Bonbons, Chocolates, and Chewing Gum; Bury Me High and She’s Too Much For Me, which are very ably performed with deft musicianship and very appealing vocals.


The Big Bill Broonzy selections were recorded in Paris and include a rendition of Baby, Please Don’t Go (miscredited to Broonzy) along with Do Right Blues, Backwater Blues, and Hollerin’ and Cryin’ the Blues, all wonderfully sung and played with some crisply delivered guitar, if perhaps the vocals are taken with a certain self-consciousness.


I suspect no one call these performances by either essential, but certainly there is quite a bit that is very enjoyable.


This review originally appeared in the August 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 296) and that publication likely sent me the review copy of the CD. This is shown as still available on amazon.