1994 Roots N'Blues Reissues - Columbia / Legacy

 Roots N'Blues Reissues - Columbia / Legacy

The latest batch of Columbia/Legacy's Roots N'Blues reissues maintain the level of the earlier issues. Double disc releases by Blind Willie McTell and Brownie McGhee are of particular interest.

The Blind Willie McTell set is entitled "The Definitive," which is not completely accurate as it omits such essential McTell recordings as Statesboro Blues, which was recorded for Victor. Still, the forty-one selections, some with Ruth Willis on vocals, and others with Curley Weaver or Buddy Moss on second guitar, are magnificent sides. There's the exuberant "Georgia Rag," a brisk reworking of a Blind Blake number, the jaunty "Stomp Down Rider" and "Broke Down Engine." Whether playing a bottleneck or not, McTell displays considerable fluidity on the 12-string guitar and sang convincingly with warmth and feeling. This has all of McTell's Columbia Vocalion, and Okeh recordings, and the booklet has an essay by David Evans that will be the standard source for information on McTell in the future. If not definitive, this is essential.

Two discs collect "The Complete Brownie McGhee." Despite his celebrity, in part a result of his long partnership with Sonny Terry, many blues fans are unaware of his commercial recordings for the African-American, then rhythm and blues market. This collection compiles 47 recordings originally waxed for Columbia's Okeh subsidiary, and while some have been reissued overseas, much of this has never been issued. The Kentucky-born McGhee had moved to the rich blues territory of North Carolina when he was discovered by talent scout, J.B. Long. Between August 1940 and October 1941, McGhee recorded the 47 sides (some alternate takes) included here. While distinct from Fuller, McGhee's recordings with Jordan Webb's harp, and either Bull City Red or Washboard Slim ón washboard carried some of the same flavor. Reworking "Digging My Potatoes" as "Picking My Tomatoes," doing "Step It Up and Go," memorializing Fuller in "Death of Blind Boy Fuller," or an early version of "Key to the Highway," these recordings are marked by McGhee's clean articulated vocals, fluid guitar playing and relaxed group swing. Highly recommended.

A single disc of Bukka White's complete Columbia, Okeh and Vocalion recordings is available on "The Complete Bukka White." One of the major Delta blues artists, White's hoarsely shouted vocals were backed by his percussive, barrelhouse bottleneck guitar. Also, White was a blues lyricist of considerable power whose songs often reflected his own experiences. A dozen of these 14 titles were recorded in 1940 after he was released from Parchman Farm, and the time he spent there is echoed in the intense imagery of "When Can I Change My Clothes" (referring to his prison uniform). The sessions also produced "Fixin' to Die Blues," with its morbid imagery, the barrelhouse dance number, Bukka's "Jitterbug Swing," and "Special Streamline," a half-spoken, half-sung train blues with a suggestive slide accompaniment. Prior to being imprisoned, Bukka recorded "Shake 'Em On Down," another classic that became a delta blues standard. These recordings were discussed at length by Sam Charters in his book "The Bluesmen" over 25 years ago, and they stand up as a cornerstone of a country blues collection. Incidentally, all of these titles were previously issued on Ip and cd, but this is newly mastered.

Tampa Red, "The Guitar Wizard," is a single disc with 17 early recordings by one of the most prolific and important early blues artists. One cannot exaggerate the importance or influence of Hudson 'Tampa Red' Whittaker. One would be hard-pressed to name any blues guitarist (particularly slide) who doesn't bear his imprint, nor has one of his songs in his repertoire. While most of his recording career was spent with Victor, this exemplary collection derives from recordings for Okeh and Vocalion. A number of them include Georgia Tom Dorsey on the piano including an accompaniment to "Papa Too Sweet," on a version of "It's Tight Light That." In addition, there are several fine blues presaging his later recordings and influence, including two versions of "Sugar Mama," and his reworking of Lucille Bogan's "Sweet Black Angel." The fact of Bogan's earlier recording is not mentioned in Mark Humphrey's otherwise informative annotation. The music is first-rate, with plenty of Tampa Red's clean, precise slide and bittersweet vocals. Highly recommended.

"Cajun Dance Party • Fais Do Do" is the second collection of vintage cajun music recordings Larry Cohn has compiled for this series. Covering the years 1929 to 1934, this collection is oriented to the recordings of cajun accordion pioneers such as Amédée Breaux, Amédée Ardoin, Dewey Segura and Joseph Falcon. It opens with Amédée Breaux's "Ma Blonde est Partié," the earliest recording of what would be known as "Jolie Blonde." This set is important for its inclusion of six recordings by the pioneer creole accordionist, Ardoin, who influenced both cajun and creole musicians. "Jolie Blonde" is not the only cajun classic whose first recording is collected here. While the musical form here is basically two steps and waltzes, the use of the diatonic accordion and cajun fiddle, along with the high lonesome, crying vocals have a bluesy tonality. While the lyrics may be incomprehensible to many, the soulfulness of this music, which is far removed from the more country-influenced cajun, or R&B flavored zydeco music of today, the music here is quite powerful, although some may find it difficult to listen to this complete in one sitting. But when the accordion gets rocking on a riff and the violin waxes over it, the music can be mesmerizing.

Part of the Contemporary Blues Masters series in Roots N'Blues, a new album, "Stompin' at the Penny," reissues a rare Canadian album of Lonnie Johnson with Jim McHarg's Metro Stompers. This album captures the legendary blues guitarist and vocalist at Toronto's Half Penny backed by a spirited "trad' band. There's a mix of songs associated with Johnson's fellow New Orleans' native, Louis Armstrong, "Dippermouth Blues" and "West End Blues," with Johnson taking a sprite solo on the latter. In fact, his electric guitar playing on this number, the relaxed R&B flavored "Bring It On Home Mama," or the rocking "Go Go Swing," illustrate the continuity between his innovative playing in the twenties and the modern electric guitar style most associated with B.B. King, who acknowledged Johnson as an influence. "Go Go Swing" is particularly fascinating as the Metro Stompers riff like a hot R&B band horn section. This is mostly instrumental and the vocals here show as often as not Johnson's predilection for ballads ("My Mother's Eyes"), a fact not often appreciated by Johnson's blues admirers. Still, this is a highly entertaining collection that is, in all honestly, of most interest to trad jazz enthusiasts but having enough of Johnson's playing to make it of wider interest.

I likely received review copies from Columbia Records. This review appeared in Jazz & Blues Report in 1994. I note that these should be available in some form, including from Amazon.

Take 5 With Lonnie Johnson

Last week I had a short playlist of some of Lonnie Johnson's recordings as the featured artist. This week we have him with other performers.

First up we have him performing with Louis Armstrong. Here is Mahogany Hall Stomp.

Next up is a duet with Eddie Lang, Midnight Call Blues.

Lonnie also recorded some popular duets with some of the early women blues singers like Clara Smith. Here they are on You're Getting Old On Your Job. Alex Hill is the pianist.

Another early woman singer Johnson recorded duets with was Victoria Spivey. Here they are heard on. Here is "Lonnie Johnson & Victoria Spivey - You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now Pt. 1.

 We close this playlist with Lonnie Johnson accompanying Texas Alexander on Deep Sea Blues.

Take 5 with Lonnie Johnson

Lonnie Johnson was one of the pioneers of blues whose influence was vast. As blues balladeer, he was a popular artist from the twenties until his passing, while as a guitarist he transcended genres, recording with Eddie Lang, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. He also was in duets with Victroia Spivey and Clara smith as well as accompanied the free-floating vocals of Texas Alexander. On today's Take 5, we focus on his own recordings. His jazz accompaniments and vocal duets will be the subject of another post.

First up is "Blue Ghost Blues" from 1927.

Next up is "Careless Love" from 1928.

From 1939" we have "She's Only a Woman."

In 1947 he had a commercial hit with "Tomorrow Night."

While his commercial career may have ended, he was a beneficiary of the folk-blues revival, touring Europe and spending some time in Toronto. I recommend Mark Miller's, "Way Down That Lonesome Road: Lonnie Johnson in Toronto, 1965-1970"for an account of his last years. There is also Dean Alger's biography "The Original Guitar Hero and the Power of Music: The Legendary Lonnie Johnson." To close this edition of the blog, we have a performance from when he toured as part of the Amercian Folk Blues Festival, "Another Night To Cry."

Classic Blues Artwork from the 1920s - Vol. 17

Various
Classic Blues Artwork from the 1920s - Vol. 17
Blues Images

This is the latest Blues Calendar put together by collector John Tefteller. Like past editions, this Calendar for 2020 brings together for each month twelve stellar images taken from rare photographs and record company ads. 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 CD also includes recordings from other artists that are from rare 78s or test recordings that never been issued before.

Until recently, this series of recordings had a focus on pre-World War II recordings. This year includes a good number of post-World War II rarifies. The cover photo for this year's Calendar is a previously unseen photo of B.B. King at the microphone of WDIA. The accompanying CD opens with one of the King's early recordings, "Got the Blues." There are also publicity photos of Queen Victoria Spivey and Jim Jackson from the set of King Vidor's "Hallelujah." Spivey is represented by a superb "Blood Thirsty Blues" with Lonnie Johnson on guitar, while Jackson's two-part 78, "I'm Going To Move to Kansas City," is included.

Others included on the CD are The Mississippi Sheiks, Bo Carter, Texas Alexander, Charlie Spand, Leola Wilson with Blind Blake on guitar, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, Bessie Jackson, and Mississippi Sarah and Daddy Stovepipe. The music includes many superb blues, including the Sheiks blues waltz "Baby Keeps Stealin' Love On Me," Carter's "Howling Tom Cat Blues," pianist Spand's "Ain't Gonna Stand For It," and Jefferson's "Bad Luck Blues." Also heard is Lonnie Johnson's "She's Making Whoopee in Hell Tonight" (with spectacular guitar) and the issued recording of "Shave 'Em Dry" by Lucille Bogan (released under the name Bessie Jackson).

Included on CD are additional selections including three previously unissued demonstration records by Juke Boy Bonner under the name Juke Boy Barner, including two versions of a solid slow blues, "Life is a Cheater," and the lively "I Go Hip To It." Then there is early Virginia songster Willie Moore's "Tillie Lee," along with the other sides of 78s by Leola Wilson with Blind Blake and the Mississippi Sheiks. Then there are both sides of 78s by Blues Boy Bill and Joe Stone. I was not familiar with Blues Boy Bill, but his songs "Come On Baby," and "Little Boy Blue," are well-performed covers of recordings Robert Lockwood had recorded on Bluebird. "Come On Baby" is a rebranded rendition of "Take a Little Walk With Me." Joe Stone is a name for Jaydee Short, and the release of the recently discovered 78 by him is an event. The music by this St. Louis bluesman is top-notch. "It's Hard Time" is a driving performance based on a guitar riff familiar to some from Henry Spaulding's "Cairo Blues." The other side of the 78, "Back Door Blues" is an equally compelling down-home blues performance.

The sound on most of these songs is flawless as Tefteller employed the system employed in the "American Epic" television series to extract every nuanced audio from the original recordings. There are a couple of songs such as Moore's "Tillie Lee," where there is some background hiss. This is because of the condition of source 78s, but this is a minor hindrance, and Moore's actual performance is easy to appreciate. The Calendar includes information on previous Calendars, CDs from those Calendars, posters, T-shirts, and other items for sale. I do wish that information was included on the performers of the artists who are not included in the Calendar. This is a minor complaint about what is another stellar Calendar and CD. This will be a wonderful gift for the blues lover on your gift list as well as a gift to yourself.

This is available from various mail-order sources as well as direct from BluesImages.com.

I purchased my copy.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all. here are a few videos for you to enjoy.

From Lightnin' Hopkins

and from Blind Lemon Jefferson

and from Charlie Jordan

and Lonnie Johnson

and a little Charles Brown

and from Roy Milton a New Years Resolution

And let us remember auld lang syne

First Bobby Timmons with the late Butch Warren on bass

Next Jim Cullen

and Dejan's Olympia Brass Band

and finally Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians

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.

Taking the Blues Time Machine Back to January 1977

This is my blues column from the January 1977 Buffalo Jazz Report which had Lee Konitz on the cover. The column had my review of the best blues releases of 1976, and there were not nearly as many back then as today so it was a bit more manageable as well as hoping for more live blues to actually be brought to Buffalo. There would be no column for February issue as the Blizzard of 1977 would paralyze the city around the time the issue came out. I have noted the first 58 issues of Buffalo Jazz Report (now Jazz & Blues Report) have been digitized and can be downloaded from the University of Buffalo Library system. The website for these archived issues is: http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/BuffJazz. Note that the Living Blues mailing address has not been valid for many years, and the vinyl LPS I mention are no longer in print (with the exception of Sweet Blood Call as an expanded CD).

For this column I'd like to first go over what I consider the best blues albums of 1976. The best was perhaps Robert Jr. Lockwood and the Aces, Blues Live in Japan (Advent 2807) featuring Lockwood's stunning jazz-blues guitar and enthusiastic readings of blues standards. Mr. Johnson's Blues (Mamlish 3807) is the first American lp devoted to reissuing the classic and innovating work of Lonnie Johnson whose place in blues and jazz history is underappreciated. The best album by a previously unrecorded artist is Good Rockin' Charles (Mr. Blues MB 7601). This a fine set of Chicago blues with relaxed yet gritty singing and harp from Charles.

Honorable mentions for outstanding albums go to the two Joe Turner albums Nobody in Mind and In the Evenin' (Pablo). Otis Rush Cold Day in Hell (Delmark), When Women Sang the Blues (Blues Classics), Windy City Blues:The Transition and Detroit Ghetto Blues (Nighthawk), and Louisiana Red Sweet Blood Call (Blue Labor). As can be seen most of the finest al-bums were on small collectors labels (the major exception being the Joe Turners on Pablo). The big names in blues turned out either disco blues, Albert King with a pleasant album on Utopia, empty endless boogie, the Iive James Cotton album, or a Iive jam which never really ignited (B.B. King and Bqbby Bland). The small labels can turn out more interesting music perhaps because they don't expect to sell a gold album and don't compromise the music for sales. And the blues can progress as Jimmy Dawkins' has proved without losing its identity in a disco or funk setting.

1977 could be a year of some very fine recordings. Alligator records promises a Son Seals album, Delmark has re-issues of early Junior Wells among others ready, RCA's Utopia subsidiary has a Clifton Chenier in the can, Trix has Robert Jr.· Lockwood playing twelve-string coming soon and hopefully much more. Of course I will let you know what is available, and what it sounds like. 

Other items of interest. Living Blues continues to be a source of interesting informative articles, reviews and interviews. The Record Runner carries current issues and a years subscription (6 issues) costs $4.00 sent to Living Blues Publications, 2615 N. Wilton Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60614. 

It is possible that live blues may soon be coming to Buffalo in a format similar to the Tralfjazz series with perhaps comparable prices (depending on the act). for the entire night, etc. I would be curious about reader response.as any indication of support for this before it is undertaken is important. Artists being contemplated include Robert Jr. Lockwood, Sleepy John Estes and Hammie Nixon, Otis Rush, JohnnyShinesand others. Please write me in care of the BJR with your comments and suggestions. There has been Iittle Iive blues brought to Buffalo in the past few years and such places where blues was typically booked, an example being the Coffeenouse series at UB, haven't had blues in a year and a half. Imagine a series on American folk music which ignored the most basic American folk music. Blues can be brought and brought in an imaginative fashion. WBFO's David Benders, when head of the Coffeehouse, brought in not only folk blues but also a working Chicago Band, Son Seals, who played in the Rathskellar. It is to be hoped that the Coffeehouse committee at UB shows more imagination this year (1977) than in the past year and a half and brings blues both as pari of the Coffeehouse Circuit and as more than token representatives at the folk festival. I am willing to assist any organization that brings live blues to Buffalo and can be reached at either WBFO or the BJR. (David Benders incidentally hosts. Codfish Every Friday on WBFO at 10 PM to 11 PM which has blues featured about once a month.

A Blues Time Machine From August 1976

The Jazz & Blues Report is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with the March-April 2014 issue. I started writing for it in 1976 and here is my first column Blues that I wrote for it. before I started writing reviews. I wish I was still so pithy instead of long-winded. :) It was originally the Buffalo Jazz Report and the first 58 issues have been digitized and can be downloaded from the University of Buffalo Library system. The website for these archived issues is: http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/BuffJazz. I believe the only recordings mentioned in the column that are still available is Otis Rush's Cold Day in Hell and Hound Dog Taylor's Beware of the Dog. 

 

This is the first of a series of columns which will include both live blues in the area, and recent recordings. WBFO-FM provides the Buffalo area with the only regular blues pro- gramming. Shades of Blue with Babe Barlow is heard Saturdays from 10 PM to Midnight. I do both Bon Ton Roulet as part of This is Radio on Wednesdays (3 PM) and Ramblin' with the Blues on Thursday evenings from 10 to 11. Other folk pro- grams on WBFO do have feature blues (though not exclusively). Listed in this column will be any regular blues programs in any city the BJR services.

The Belle Starr is the only place in the Buffalo area that isbringing in blues bands from out of town. The Buddy Guy-Junior Wells band appeared in May, and Muddy Waters was there in early July. Both groups played well and were well received. Hopefully some Buffalo bars may follow the Belle Starr and bring in some Chicago bands. Locally Shakin' Smith continues at the Buena Vista Wednesday and Saturday evenings. 

1976 has seen the release of a number of very fine albums. Robert Jr. Lockwood and the Aces, Blues Live in Japan (Advent 2807) is the finest of the three albums that Lockwood headIines. Formerly a guitarist with Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter, as well as being Robert Johnson's stepson, Lockwood is a brilliant blues guitarist, playing in a jazz-flavored style, and sings in a straight forward fashion that brings new life to such standards as 'Stormy Monday' and 'Worried Life Blues'. An added treat is Louis Myers vocals, slide guitar on Anna Lee and his harp playing on Little and Low behind Lockwood's vocal.

Mr. Johnson's Blues (Mamlish S-3807) is the only American release of Lonnie Johnson's recordings from the 20s and 30s. A well-programmed album, it provides variety in material and setting. Lonnie Johnson is featured both as a singer and accompanist and plays not only guitar,but piano and violin. Also heard are Eddie Lang, Texas Alexander, Clara Smith and Victoria Spivey. An extremely important release which should make many familiar with one of the pioneers in jazz and blues. 

Among other albums, Otis Rush's 1st album in 8 years Cold Day in Hell (Delmark DS-638) is one of the finest blues albums in recent years. Rush sings and plays with incredible intensity. Highly recommended to fans of B.B. King-styled blues. Hound Dog Taylor's posthumously released live album Beware of the Dog (Alligator 4707) captures the infectious quality of his rocking blues and boogie. He will be missed. The James Cotton Band's Live and on the Move(Buddah BDS 5661-2) also is an album of boogie which also should have wide appeal. I find the album a Iittle too frantic and the music too hurried though many of you will probably find it to your liking.

Five early blues guitar gems

There is a 'blues revue" called "Ghosts of the Blues" whose notion of blues is pretty unimaginative and seems tailored for blues that weenie rock fans might have heard of and like. Well here are five examples of early blues featuring guitar that certainly need exposure. I mean do we need another mediocre rendition of Crossroads or Red House.

First up is Blind Blake with Police Dog Blues. One of the premier guitarists of early blues recordings, this song was also a favorite of the late John Jackson. Blake's recordings should be pretty easy to find.

Next up is Big Bill Broonzy, who we know was influenced by Blake and whose early recordings displayed his marvelous approach to the guitar. Mississippi River Blues (from 1934) is a melodic precursor of Key To The Highway, and one is surprised that folks don't delve into this and cover it as opposed to the more familiar blues standard.

Lonnie Johnson was a significant influence on Robert Johnson (who used to claim he was one of the Johnson boys). He was a brilliant guitarist who was not only a popular recording artist but also recorded with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Here is a gem of his early recordings.

It is easy to forget just how accomplished and great Blind Lemon Jefferson was. His Matchbox Blues was be adapted by a number of blues and rock artists with its line about wondering if a matchbox would hold his clothes. His self-accompaniment is stunning.

We close this blog entry with Robert Wilkins' marvelous song about a night at a down home juke joint Old Jim Canaan's. Wilkins would give up the blues for the church. He would take one of his most famous recordings That's No Way To Get Along, and make it a gospel number, The Prodigal Son, that the Rolling Stones would cover. My friend, Memphis Gold, grew up in the Memphis Church of God in Christ Church that Wilkins was associated with and was one of those who mentored my friend's musical development.

Bluesland Portrait of a Music

BLUESLAND

A Portrait in American Music 
Masters of American Music
EUROARTS DVD 

Euro-Arts has reissued on CD the 1993 documentary, Bluesland- A Portrait in American Music, that was part of the American Masters series. A mix of performances (some in short clips), interviews and commentary from pundits Robert Palmer and Albert Murray, this was an exploration of blues music as both a musical idiom and it's transformation as a way of coping with the things in everyday life that give one the blues.  

The mixing of quotes from Willie Dixon and Otis Spann, clips of performances and recordings and the pundits interpretations (and Murray and Palmer have very distinct perspectives). Palmer terms W.C. Handy the father of the blues industry while Murray refers to him as father who helped the music spread and regards it as part of jazz. This perspective can be discerned by their writings on blues as well as their comments here. Palmer deals with the facts of the people playing blues while Murray is more about the allegorical aspects of blues.

The perspective is tied together by a narration from actor Avery Brooks and has bits and performances from Bessie Smith, Lonnie Johnson (great blues ballad from TV) and recordings from Charlie Patton and Louis Armstrong. The classic recording of the latter's West End Blues, precedes Murray distinguishing folk art and fine art in the blues idiom, which leads to minimizing the achievement of the "folk" bluesman. So Basie epitomizes the blues as fine art, as a video of One O'Clock Jump, is shown, but at the same time the Basie Band and vocalist Jimmy Rushing (seen singing) had a definite impact on B.B. King. 

The perspectives of Murray and Palmer have points of agreement as opposed to those of disagreement, both both making cogent observations. Palmer, noting some blues is described as primitive suggests that Mozart, with it's very simple rhythm, might be called primitive, segues into Murray's discussion of African talking drums. Regardless of whether one is more sympathetic to Murray or Palmer, Bluesland, provides an enlightening overview of blues music and it's expression within jazz. It remains fresh and illuminating over a decade and a half after it's initial broadcast. Recommended.


This review originally appeared (I have made minor changes) in the June 2010 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 326). I received my review copy from the publication.

Classic New Orleans Sounds on Smithsonian Folkways

Another in Smithsonian-Folkways “Classic” series, the anthology Classic Sounds of New Orleans from Smithsonian Folkways compiles a variety of recordings that were issued by Folkways when it was under the auspices of the late Moses Asch. This compilation by Robert H. Cataliotti mines the recordings of New Orleans music by Frederick Ramsey, Jr., and Samuel Barclay Charters along with other recordings make for a varied grouping of performances, that includes jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, gospel, spirituals and other roots music expressions.

The music on this opens and closes with the Eureka Brass Band who kick things off with the classic hymn, Just a Closer Walk With Thee, and ends with their propulsive rendition of Lord, Lord, Lord. The latter number may be familiar to fans of todays Crescent City Brass Band such as the Tréme Brass Band that have recorded it, but the performances by Eureka harken back to what many would think of the classic traditional New Orleans Jazz sound. Eureka Brass Band was an amazing group and I would recommend either of their releases on the American Music label. Also representing the Brass Band tradition is the late Doc Paulin’s renditions of We Shall Walk Through The Streets of the City, both as a dirge and as a march with a second line rhythm. The melody is the same as Red River Valley, and Doc Paulin’s sons still carry on the family tradition in the Paulin Brothers Band.”

Street music is represented by an anonymous shoeshine boy vocals and hand slapping on Shine - Hambone, the solo harmonica rendition of Tiger Rag by Freddie L. Small, and Dora Bliggen’s call of a fruit vendor on the streets, Blackberries! It is followed by Red White and Blue Got the Golden Band, by Mardi Gras Indians from assorted tribes. Certainly this 1956 recording is amongst the earliest of this tradition. It is followed by several spirituals/gospel performances including Dark Was the Night by Reverend Lewis Jackson and Charlotte Rucell.

New Orleans Jazz is represented with Kid Punch Miller (with Sam Charters on piano) doing Bucket’s Got a Hole In it, and an absolutely brilliant drum solo, Spooky Drums #1 by Baby Dodds. Clarinetist Emile Barnes leads an enthusiastic rendition of Milenberg Joys, while The Six and Seventh Eighths String Band of New Orleans are heard on Clarinet Marmalade, which should delight fans of skittle bands. Two celebrated New Orleans guitarists, Snooks Eaglin and Lonnie Johnson, are heard on celebrated New Orleans classics. Eaglin turns the classic High Society Rag, into a brilliant solo guitar showcase while Johnson does a nice Careless Love, recorded in 1967, long after he had left his native city. Billie and De De Pierce, another couple mainstays of the New Orleans scene in the fifties and sixties are heard on a nice blues Lonesome Road, warmly sung by the pianist Billie Pierce. It is followed by Kid Clayton’s Corrine, Corrina, with the famed pianist Sweet Emma Barrett part of his group.

After these performances, another Snooks Eaglin performance, of Saint James Infirmary, makes the transition to the blues although this recording and other contemporaneous ones of Eaglin gave the mistaken impression that he was a solo street singer when he know he played rhythm and blues and contemporary jazz at the time. In any event Eaglin’s guitar playing is marvelous, even if acoustic. A medley of pianist HJ Boiusseau provides a glimpse into a the period between ragtime and jazz. Like Lonnie Johnson, Champion Jack Dupree left his home city when young, yet the influence of some of the pianists who taught him was always evident in his playing including the second line rhythms in Rattlesnake Boogie. In contrast to Dupree, the great Roosevelt Sykes grew up in Arkansas and Delta and moved to St. Louis, becoming one of the greatest of all blues pianists, but he moved to New Orleans in1962 where he became a fixture of the music scene. His adaptation of Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone, displays a technical facility and sophistication that many celebrated blues pianists would be unable to match.

A nice Jimmy’s Blues by trumpeter Kid Clayton has some fine clarinet from Albert Burbank, tailgating trombone from Kid Avery and barrelhouse piano from Sweet Emma, followed by another splendid solo performance by Lonnie Johnson, C.C. Rider. Another staple of the traditional New Orleans repertoire, Shake It and Break It, is heard in a performance by Billie Pierce, with Lawrence Tocca, not her husband De De, on trumpet. Sam Charters noted at the time this recording was first issued that it was one of the most exciting recordings done in new Orleans in years.

All in all, this is a splendid compilation of a wide range of New Orleans music. In includes a marvelous booklet with a concise overview of the collection as well as observations on all of the included recordings. It is a terrific introduction to traditional New Orleans music.


Smithsonian Folkways provided an electronic download for my review.

St. Louis' Rich Blues History Beautifully Recalled

Devil at the Confluence: The Pre-War Blues Music of St Louis Missouri
Authored, Illustrated & Designed by Kevin Belford
2009: Virginia Publishing, St. Louis Missouri.

Devil at the Confluence: The Pre-War Blues Music of St Louis Missouri
Authored, Illustrated & Designed by Kevin Belford
2009: Virginia Publishing, St. Louis Missouri.

 I remember a LP compilation of pre-World War II blues, “Lake Michigan Blues,” that was on the Nighthawk label. It collected a nice mix of 16 recordings, many of which presaged what we would know as Chicago blues. Reading the liner notes in discussing folks like John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson, Yank Rachell, Robert Lee McCoy (Aka Nighthawk) and Henry Townsend, I observed the fact that these folks were living in St. Louis at the time they went up to Chicago to record some sides that became a strong part of the foundation of the post-war Chicago Blues. Still, the important role of St. Louis based artists in blues history has been generally ignored or not given much attention.

A new book “Devil at the Confluence: The Pre-War Blues Music of St Louis Missouri,” specifically aims to address this neglect of blues history. This book brings together the history of St. Louis blues artists and their musical contributions. Furthermore, this book is a visual feats as well. Kevin Belford did not simply draft the text, but laid-out and marvelously illustrated this volume in which his discussion of the history and artists is complemented by collages of photos, painting, press clippings and more. It is on most striking books visually as well as being an important contribution to the blues literature.

St. Louis is where the two largest rivers in the United States, the Missouri and the Mississippi, join and flow south. Its placement made it ideal for development of new ideas and musical creation. Traditional music research often focuses on the primal source (ideally one) and overlooks St. Louis’ pivotal role in the blues and other forms of American music. This simplistic focus on mythical sources then leads Henry Townsend’s birth and few months in Mississippi as more important to characterizing his music than the rest of his life lived in Cairo, Illinois and St. Louis. Townsend didn’t start playing until he heard Lonnie Johnson as a pre-teenaged boy. It is this imbalance that Belford corrects. “Adding the St. Louis part of the blues story should not mean rewriting American musical history” but rather provide a more complete history and understanding of the music. St. Louis’ importance in the rise of pre-blues and pre-jazz is widely acknowledged, but the blues history overlooked and that is aim he has here.

The early part of the book focuses on St. Louis pre-blues music which includes a discussion of the concert bands, ragtime players and composers, as well as noting three infamous murders that become crafted into folk ballads that are well known from “Duncan and Brady” (also known as ‘Looking For the Bully”); “Frankie and Johnny;” and “Staggerlee.” While the former number never made it to Tin Pan Alley’s publishing machines, the latter did. Besides mentioning these songs, the actual stories behind them are revealed. St. Louis, Missouri and the surrounding area are well known for their importance of ragtime, which mixed folk and formal music. Also early St. Louis jazz is discussed, noting historical accounts of jazz was played before what are considered the first jazz records and the musicians, both Black and White, whom played in the bands in St. Louis. In 1923, Kansas City bandleader Bennie Moten came to St. Louis to record along with singer Ada Brown and Mary Bradford, but despite the word blues in most song titles, most of these sides are not considered part of the blues legacy by many blues historians, and neither are some of the white bands like Gene Rodemich who recorded a number of titles with blues in them.

“The first recordings of St. Louis blues are of female singers mostly and a few of the great St. Louis jazz bands.” From the slums, Josephine Baker emerged and starting at the Booker T. Washington Theater where she played for tips, she became an international celebrity in Paris. Katherine McDonald recorded two songs with a pianist, Miles Davis (unrelated to the jazz icon); while Priscilla Stewart made a number recordings, many with the great pianist Jimmy Blythe. Eva Taylor started at St. Louis’ Orpheum Theater before marrying pianist and Clarence Williams and moving to New York where she made numerous recordings. Virginia Liston recorded with Louis Armstrong and Clarence Williams before returning to St. Louis. Then there was Irene Scruggs, whose two page spread provides a concise summary of her recordings and career including that she toured on the TOBA circuit performing with Lonnie Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery and the King Oliver Band and in the fifties moved to Europe and likely died overseas. We learn that she was also known as Little Sister, Dixie Nolan, and Chocolate Brown. In addition to a reproduction of her image from a record ad, their are reproductions of an Okeh ad for “My Daddy’s Calling Me” and “You Got What I Want,” which was issued as by “Chocolate Brown.

At this time you had bands working on the steamboats going up and down the Mississippi such as Fats Marable and they produced such important musicians and bandleaders as Dewey Jackson and Charlie Creath. Creath’s Jazz-O-Maniacs included at different times William Blue, Pops Foster and Gene Sedric (of Fats Waller Band fame). What is important is that a variety of artists from St. Louis, jazz bands and female singers of all stripes from St. Louis recorded and nearly every session by them included at least one blues-titled song. An impressive factor as was that the performers were not lone wolfs but “seem to have known and worked with each other in a camaraderie of diverse styles that today is divided into vaudeville or jazz or blues categories.”

St. Louis blues itself arose from “artists [who] grew up listening to piano players at house parties or guitarists in poolhalls and barbershops. The typical musician worked a regular job and played their blues with a network of clubs, parties and bands around the city.” Belford doesn’t simply discuss the musicians. he notes facilitators like Jesse J. Johnson, who opened a record store, managed bands and was the connection between the musicians (including his brother James Stump Johnson and wife Edith) and the record companies. Johnson was the person who helped Victoria Spivey, Lonnie Johnson and so many to get recorded and promoted. Lonnie and his brother James moved to St. Louis after a flu epidemic. In 1925, Lonnie won a blues contest for months on running at the Booker T. Washington Theatre leading to what would be a prodigious recording career. Victoria Spivey’s career took off after she came to St. Louis to audition for Jesse Johnson and in addition to a short summary of her and Lonnie’s careers, Belford discusses pseudonyms they may have used on other recordings and some of the musicians they were associated with.

It is easy to get caught in the details and lose the sense of the story being told. There will be performers he discusses that should be known to knowledgable blues enthusiasts like Henry Townsend, Charlie Jordan, Henry Brown, Roosevelt Sykes, Mary Johnson, Clifford Gibson, Peetie Wheatstraw, Big Joe Williams, Speckled Red, Walter Davis,Teddy Darby, and St. Louis Jimmy, as well lesser known names like Alice Moore, Edith Johnson, JD Short, and The Sparks Brothers. Robert Nighthawk lived in St. Louis when the Victor Recording Company had him, Big Joe Williams, Henry Townsend and John Lee ‘Sonny Boy Williamson’ travel to Chicago to make recordings that foreshadowed the post-war Chicago blues style. While Dr. Clayton is included in Belford’s discussion as having lived in St. Louis, Belford may have been unaware that (as he told me) Robert Lockwood, Jr., was living in St. Louis at the time and traveled with Dr. Clayton for a session after which Lockwood recorded under his own name for Bluebird on this trip. Belford cogently notes that St. Louis artists Roosevelt Sykes, Lonnie Johnson, Peetie Wheatstraw and Walter Davis among the most prolific recording blues artists of the pre-World War 11 era.

In the latter pages there is a brief of the post-war scene, although perhaps not in the same detail, and there is an appreciation of the role of Charlie O’Brien, a police officer, and Bob Koester, then a college student and jazz fan, in uncovering and documenting the blues history summarized here. A 14-track CD, “The St. Louis Blues Legacy,” is included with selections from the Delmark catalog presenting some of the artists discussed by Belford. “Devil at the Confluence” accomplishes its intended purpose of bringing to the front and center the great contributions of artists associated with St. Louis on the blues tradition. “Devil at the Confluence” is a significant contribution to the blues literature.

I believe this book is a limited edition. I purchased it from amazon.com.

Storyville's Nicely Varied "The Blues Box"

“The Blues Box” is a 7CD compilation of a variety of mostly downhome blues that has appeared on the Scandinavian Storyville label over the decades. The recordings were made by touring blues artists and mostly date from the sixties and early seventies and include some of the most important artists alive at the time. The overwhelming majority of these recordings are solo or duo, or in a few cases there are small groups. the overall flavor is intimate recordings although using the word intimate with a rambunctious barrelhouse performer like the great pianist Speckled Red seems like an oxymoron.

One complaint in a written review I have seen is that they should have included the complete Storyville Recordings of the artists presented (they may have done so with respect to Lonnie Johnson). I do not disagree with that assessment, but can also appreciate the sense of bringing together a wide group of performers as they have done here. I should point out that some of the recordings by Lonnie Johnson, Otis Spann, Roosevelt Sykes, Sippie Wallace and Sleepy John Estes have been issued in the United States after being licensed from Storyville. I am not sure what may be currently readily available stateside although I believe Roosevelt Sykes and John Estes sides may be on CD reissues on Delmark.

Here is a brief summary of what you get here. CD One provides 13 sides by Lonnie Johnson, accompanied by Otis Spann on all but one with a remake of “Tomorrow Night,” and a mix of blues and ballads. there are also 8 excellent performances by Spann including a terrific “Trouble in Mind,” where Johnson backs him as well as a nice rendition of Johnson’s “Jelly Roll Baker. CD Two features 13 terrific piano blues by Speckled Red with his barrelhouse renditions of “The Dirty Dozen,” and “St. Louis Stomp,” along with Sunnyland Slim’s eight strong tracks including moving renditions of his Aristocrat single “Johnson Machine Gun,” and Leroy Carr’s “Prison Bound Blues.” Both pianists often provide brief spoken introductions that enliven the superb performances. CD Three brings together recordings by two of the greatest blues pianists Roosevelt Sykes (9 selections including a remake of “44 Blues”), and 5 tracks by Little Brother Montgomery and the two of them provide accompaniments to 8 of the nine excellent Sippie Wallace vocals. Sippie accompanies herself on “Up the Country Blues.”

CD Four shifts the focus to blues guitarists with 10 energetic and exuberant Delta blues by Big Joe Williams whose “El Paso Blues,” is clearly inspired from “Sweet Home Chicago” and “Kokomo Blues.” Sleepy John Estes and his long-time associate Hammie Nixon are heard on 7 songs with Estes crying vocals and Nixon’s sympathetic harmonica with “Diving Duck Blues,” being a highlight. the final 7 selections are by Robert Pete Williams in his mesmerizing style. CD Five has the earliest selections here, live 1956performances from Copenhagen’s legendary Club Montmartre by Big Bill Broonzy as well as 6 1964 recordings by John Henry Barbee, a solid if unspectacular bluesman influenced by Broonzy among others turning in a rendition of “Dust My Broom.”

More piano is featured on CD 6 which opens up with 11 selections by Memphis Slim including a nice “Fattening frogs For Snakes.” Champion Jack Dupree performs seven selections, some solo and some with a small group including Leroy Carr’s “Blues Before Sunrise.” Eddie Boyd and Jay McShann each have three selections. Boyd reprises “Five Long Years,” while McShann performs “Kansas City Blues,” which is credited here to Little Willie Littlefield and not Lieber & Stoller. Littlefield has long claimed to have written the song (originally issued as “K.C. Lovin’” on Federal) and sold it to the more famous duo. CD Seven shifts the focus to harmonica (well not entirely) and 9 recordings by the second Sonny Boy Williamson, some with Matt Murphy’s guitar and Memphis Slim’s piano of which the quasi-autobiographical “The Story of Sonny boy Williamson perhaps demonstrates his surreal blues poetic lyricism. The remaining 10 selections are by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and are strong performances by the pair.

There is also a bonus DVD which open with some excellent vintage and intimate performances by Champion Jack Dupree and Sonny Boy Williamson. Then there are performances by Robert Lockwood, Jr., James Booker, Henry Gray, Boogie Bill Webb & Harmonica Slim, and Cousin Joe that are excerpted from a series of videos recorded at the Maple Leaf in New Orleans that I believe were filmed around the time of the ill-fated New Orleans World Fair.

There is a generous amount of music in the box with the bonus DVD. The performances are never less than good and many are exceptional and provide a wide variety of musical performances and styles.

The Original Guitar Wizard still sounds great

Lonnie Johnson was a pioneer guitarist who was influential in jazz as well as blues. he was not simply a marvelous singer, songwriter and deft, inventive guitarist, but also he was quite a balladeer. Proper Records issued a marvelous 4 CD box several years ago, The Original Guitar Wizard, with 95 choice recordings (some are two part) that range from 1924's "Mr. Johnson Blues" with James Johnson on piano and Alonzo (his real name) on violin to his post-war blues and ballads for King Records, including the hit "Tomorrow Night." Included are several accompaniments of Victoria Spivey, recordings with Louis Armstrong (including the celebrated "Hotter Than That") and Duke Ellington ("Misty Mornin'"). Then thee are the duets with Eddie Lang (or Blind Willie Dunn) such as "Blue Guitars" and "Bullfrog Moan" and even one side as part of Blind Willie Dunn's Gin 4 which included Joseph 'King' Oliver. There is the two part duet "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now" with Victoria Spivey (I believe a number B.B. King recorded in the sixties), as well as his "She's Making Whoopee in Hell Tonight," that King Solomon Hill waxed as "Whoopee Blues." He would sing about floods in "Backwater Blues," and tornadoes in "St. Louis Cyclone Blues," boast that "I Got the Best Jelly Roll in Town," and warn in "Racketeers Blues." Despite dating back as far as 85 years ago, his music still sounds modern today and as typical with proper, there is an excellent booklet that provides an overview of his life and recordings. Robert Johnson reportedly claimed to be one of the Johnson boys to pull on the more famous Lonnie Johnson's coattails, although I do not believe that the Lonnie Johnson recordings that he adapted are included in this compilation. Well on 4 CD's you can't include everything by one of the blues' most influential and pioneering performers. Bluebeat Music (www.bluebeatmusic.com) apparently still carries it.