Various artists in Blues Music

"Bloodstains on the Wall/Country Blues from Specialty" (09/06/1994) Blues Various Artists, Specialty RecordsCompilation producer: Billy Vera. Recorded at KWKH, Shreveport, Louisiana and in Los Angeles, California between 1952 and 1953. Includes liner notes by Billy Vera. Digitally remastered by Joe Tarantino (1994, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Recording information: 1952-1953. Southern country blues is hardly the first style that one associates with Specialty Records, which was much better known for jump blues, gospel, early R&B and early rock & roll (most notably, Little Richard). But in fact, Art Rupe's label did dabble in country blues, and Bloodstains on the Wall focuses on some of the country blues that Specialty recorded in Los Angeles and Baton Rouge, LA in 1952-53. The best known artist on this collection is Big Joe Williams (not to be confused with jazz singer Joe Williams), who is at his rawest on "Ride My New Car with Me" and Lucille Bogan's "Rather Be Sloppy Drunk." But most of the artists heard on the CD--including Little Temple (b. Mar. 24, 1931, Birmingham, AL), Country Jim Bledsoe, Pete McKinley and Clarence London--are undeniably obscure. Pine Bluff Pete, in fact, is so obscure that when Billy Vera wrote the liner notes for the collection in 1994, he was unable to find out his real name or learn anything about his background. The title song, meanwhile, was a minor hit for Frank "Honeyboy" Patt, whose "Bloodstains on the Wall" single sold about 50,000 copies, according to Vera. (Born in Fostoria, AL on Sep. 1, 1928, Patt shouldn't be confused with Mississippi Delta bluesman David "Honeyboy" Edwards). Generally decent and occasionally excellent, this album isn't for casual blues fans but is worth picking up if you're a serious blues collector. ~ Alex Henderson

"The Goldband Blues Collection, Vol. 1" (03/14/2006) Blues Various Artists, Collectables RecordsIncludes liner notes by Kerry Kudlacek aka Chicago Kerry. As the world of early acoustic blues was morphing into R&B and so-called "race" records, the beat became more prevalent, electric organs and guitars took the forefront, and bar walking saxophonists added an entertainment value. The music was raw, wild, and wooly, as represented on this collection of much lesser known artists who straddled the line of the two musics, but somehow lost their ticket on the gravy train in a sheer numbers crunch (and no small part a racial divide) to more universally accessible and popular big name acts. The most well known musicians here are pianist Katie Webster (as an accompanist) and Juke Boy Bonner, as these recordings provide intriguing preludes to their latter found fame. It's the seminal recordings from Sticks Herman, Clarence Garlow, Shelton Dunaway, Elton Anderson and Big Chenier that set this collection apart, as their pioneering trailblazing through this music forms the rough and ready roots of rock & roll. Their wailing, freewheeling, juke joint jump outcry and facile musicianship, while not as refined as the bluesmen to come, established a foundation for distinctive musicians such as Jimmy Reed and Fats Domino. Listen to their tunes and hear the distinct parallel lines they draw. Despite the Mesozoic production technology of the period, this proves a valuable reference point for what would be popular music of the '50s and '60s. ~ Michael G. Nastos

"The Great Harp Players (1927-1936)" (11/14/2000) Blues Various Artists, Document (USA)Performers include: Ollis Martin, El Watson, Alfred Lewis, Smith & Harper, Palmer McAbee, Ellis Williams, William Francis & Richard Sowell, Blues Birdhead. Contains 28 tracks. Personnel: Alfred Lewis (vocals, guitar, harmonica); El Watson (vocals, harmonica, accordion); Ollis Martin, Robert Cooksey (vocals, harmonica); Smith & Harper (vocals, accordion); Bob Brown (vocals); William Francis, Charlie Johnson , Charlie Johnson (guitar); James "Blues Birdhead" Simons, Ellis Williams (harmonica, accordion); George "Bullet" Williams , Bullet Williams, Palmer McAbee, Richard Sowell, Blues Birdhead (harmonica). Liner Note Author: Howard Rye. Recording information: Atlanta, GA (02/28/1927-06/28/1936); Augusta, GA (02/28/1927-06/28/1936); Birmingham, AL (02/28/1927-06/28/1936); Bristol, TN (02/28/1927-06/28/1936); Chicago, IL (02/28/1927-06/28/1936); Johnson City, TN (02/28/1927-06/28/1936); New York, NY (02/28/1927-06/28/1936); Richmond, VA (02/28/1927-06/28/1936). Unknown Contributor Role: Bubbling Over Five. Although one may think of the blues harp beginning with Little Walter, the first Sonny Boy Williamson, or Sonny Terry, a variety of harmonica players did record in the '20s. Some of their recordings were technical displays that featured them imitating everything from animals to trains, while other players were more blues-oriented. This valuable CD has two selections from the guitar-harmonica team of William Francis and Richard Sowell; Ollis Martin's "Police and High Sheriff Come Ridin' Down"; six pieces by Eli Watson (including "El Watson's Fox Chase"); two cuts apiece by Palmer McAbee, Ellis Williams, Alfred Lewis, and the team of Smith & Harper (which is the only music on this CD recorded after 1930); plus four songs/displays from Blues Birdhead (including "Get up off That Jazzophone") and George "Bullet" Williams (highlighted by "Frisco Leaving Birmingham" and "The Escaped Convict"). Fascinating music. ~ Scott Yanow

"I Can Eagle Rock: Jook Joint Blues Library of Congress Recordings 1940-1941" (01/30/1996) Blues Various Artists, Travelin' Man (U.K.)Personnel: John Cowley (programming). Audio Remasterer: Charlie Crump. Liner Note Author: John Cowley. Recording information: 1940-1941. Photographer: Marion Post Wolcott.

"Chicago Blues, Vol. 2: 1939-1944" (05/20/1996) Blues Various Artists, Document (USA)

"Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!: Vintage Fiddle Music 1927-1935" (04/10/2001) Blues Various Artists, Old Hat EnterprisesIncludes liner notes by Marshall Wyatt. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel: Frank Stokes, Henry "Rubberlegs" Williams, Peetie Wheatstraw, Peg Leg Howell, Walter Vinson, Big Joe Williams (vocals, guitar); Eddie Anthony, Big Bill Broonzy, Bo Chatmon (vocals, violin); Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon, Prince Lavaughn, Alec Johnson, Bob Brown (vocals); Dan Sane (spoken vocals, guitar); Bud Landress (spoken vocals); Nap Hayes, Roland Martin, Jack Kelly , Joe McCoy, Charlie Burse, Cal Smith (guitar); Angelo (12-string guitar); Ikey Robinson (banjo); Charlie McCoy , Matthew Prater (mandolin); Clifford Hayes, Robert Waugh, Dad Tracy, James Cole, Agusto Abreu, Howard Armstrong, Charlie Pierce, Lonnie Chatmon, Lonnie Johnson, Andrew Baxter, Will Batts (violin); Jazz Gillum, Blues Birdhead (harmonica); Darnell Howard (clarinet); Roy Palmer, Ike Rodgers (trombone); William Barbee, Black Bob Hudson, Buddy Burton, Earl Hines (piano); Chasey Collins, Jimmy Bertrand (washboard); Robert Burse (percussion). Liner Note Author: Marshall Wyatt. Recording information: 1927-1935. Photographer: Ben Shahn. While these 24 performances might be most strongly linked to early blues styles, in fact what most strongly links them together is that all of them prominently feature fiddles. It's a reflection of a time when musical borders were not as solidified as they would soon become, and when blues mixed with ragtime, jazz, vaudeville, pop, string bands, and rural folk. The resulting sound is perhaps best characterized, at least from a 21st century perspective, as music that is both old-timey and good-timey. Some of the artists will be pretty well-known to blues fans, including Joe Williams (whose "Worried Man Blues" is perhaps the most down-home bluesy tune here), Peg Leg Howell, the Memphis Jug Band, Peetie Wheatstraw, Frank Stokes, Bo Chatman, and the Mississippi Sheiks, but about half of them will send most people scurrying to their discographies for evidence of the artists' existence. Although the tracks were perhaps selected more from the Memphis blues/jug band crossover idiom than any other, the willingness to draw from several regions and genre mixtures makes this anthology more diverse and hence more interesting than most collections of early blues/folk. "Dance Hall Shuffle" by Clifford Hayes' Louisville Stompers is more early hot jazz, for instance, than either blues or folk; Banjo Ikey Robinson & His Bull Fiddle Band have a minstrel-like early jazz feel; the Tennessee Chocolate Drops' "Knox County Stomp" has a pre-bluegrass lilt; and "I Got a Gal" by James Cole's String Band sweeps unnervingly from major to minor modes. More than by shared musical traits, the CD is tied together by a palpable sense of joy and good spirits on the part of the performers, in both the vivacious playing and (on the non-instrumentals) the jaunty, irascible vocals. ~ Richie Unterberger

"Nothin' But the Blues [Jamey Aebersold]" (06/24/2000) Blues Various Artists, Jamey AebersoldPersonnel: Dan Haerle (piano); Mike Hyman (drums).

"When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 4: That's All Right" (08/20/2002) Blues Various Artists, RCA Records (USA)Compilation producers: Barry Feldman, Colin Escott. Recorded between 1939 & 1955. Includes liner notes by David Evans and Colin Escott. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Bluebird's The Secret History Of Rock & Roll series. Personnel: Ernie Price, Austin Powell, Leonard Caston, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Tampa Red (vocals, guitar); Jimmy Henderson (vocals, tiple); Sonny Terry (vocals, harmonica); Henry "Red" Allen (vocals, trumpet); Eddie Boyd, Memphis Slim, Piano Red, Roosevelt Sykes, Billy Valentine (vocals, piano); Gene Gilmore, Chuck Barksdale, Joseph Bell, Lillian "Lil" Green, Peter J. Clayton, Sunnyland Slim (vocals); Johnny Moore Band, Ollie Crawford, Oscar Moore, Sticks McGhee, Willie James Lacey, Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee (guitar); J.T. Brown (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Albert Dobbins, Don Stovall, L. Johnson (alto saxophone); James Hudson (baritone saxophone); William Mays (trumpet); J.C. Higginbotham (trombone); Ransom Knowling (tuba); John Davis , J. Wimby, William Thompson, Johnnie Jones, Simeon Henry, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson (piano); Odie Payne, William Green (drums); Washboard Sam (washboard). Liner Note Author: Colin Escott. Recording information: Atlanta, GA (06/27/1939-11/07/1955); Chicago, IL (06/27/1939-11/07/1955); Recording Studio #2, New York, NY (06/27/1939-11/07/1955); Studio #1, New York, NY (06/27/1939-11/07/1955); Studio A, Chicago, IL (06/27/1939-11/07/1955); Studio B, Chicago, IL (06/27/1939-11/07/1955); Studio C, Chicago, IL (06/27/1939-11/07/1955); WGST, Atlanta, GA (06/27/1939-11/07/1955). Unknown Contributor Role: Leroy Batchelor. When Muddy Waters declared that the blues had a child and they named him rock & roll, he knew exactly what he was talking about -- rock & roll was very much an outgrowth of the blues. Country, jazz, and gospel all influenced early rock & roll, but the blues were the most important influence of all. And no discussion of rock & roll's blues heritage would be complete without some mention of Chicago, which is where many of the songs on When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 4: That's All Right were recorded. Not everything on this 72-minute compilation (which spans 1939-1955) was recorded in Chi-Town, and not all of the artists had a Windy City address -- in the '30s, '40s, and '50s, Southern bluesman sometimes traveled to Chicago to record. But it is safe to say that Chicago-style blues is a high priority and that all of the artists helped pave the way for the rock & roll revolution of the '50s -- artists like Memphis Slim, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Tampa Red, Roosevelt Sykes, and Big Maceo Merriweather. This disc has its share of songs that became standards, including Merriweather's "Worried Life Blues," Austin Powell's "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water," and Crudup's "That's All Right" (which became a hit for Elvis Presley in the '50s). Other highlights of the disc range from Lil Green's 1941 version of Joe McCoy's "Why Don't You Do Right" (which Peggy Lee didn't embrace until 1943) to Little Richard's 1951 recording of "Get Rich Quick." The latter is downright fascinating. Although "Get Rich Quick" was recorded four years before Richard's commercial breakthrough and isn't as guitar-oriented as his subsequent work, he already had a recognizably flamboyant vocal style. Blues and rock & roll enthusiasts are both advised to give this fine CD a close listen. ~ Alex Henderson

"When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 2: The First Time I Met the Blues" (08/20/2002) Blues Various Artists, Bluebird RCA (USA)Compilation producers: Barry Feldman, Colin Escott. Recorded between 1927 & 1936. Includes liner notes by David Evans and Colin Escott. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Bluebird's The Secret History Of Rock & Roll series. When Bluebird/RCA launched its blues-oriented When the Sun Goes Down series in 2002, it described the compilations as "the secret history of rock & roll." That didn't mean that the series focuses on obscure, lesser-known rock & roll recordings; rather, it spotlights pre-'50s recordings that helped pave the way for the rock & roll explosion. Spanning 1927-1936, When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 2: The First Time I Met the Blues illustrates the diversity of the prewar blues world. The terms "country blues" and "prewar blues" are often used interchangeably, and in fact, a lot of prewar blues did fall into the country blues category (which could be anything from Mississippi Delta blues to Piedmont blues to Memphis blues). But there was also an urban, jazz-influenced school of prewar blues: classic female blues, which was quite popular in the '20s and '30s -- and when this CD is playing, one is reminded of the differences between classic female blues and country blues. Recordings by Victoria Spivey ("Telephoning the Blues") and Lizzie Miles ("I Hate a Man Like You") are the essence of jazz-minded classic blues -- the latter even boasts Jelly Roll Morton on piano -- whereas Bo Carter's "Doubled Up in a Knot" and Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curly Hair" are state-of-the-art country blues. Meanwhile, old-time country singer Jimmie Rodgers (not to be confused with the Jimmy Rogers who recorded for Chess) favors a rural/urban blend on "Blue Yodel No. 9," which boasts Louis Armstrong on cornet. Rodgers' outlook was primarily rural, but "Blue Yodel No. 9" underscores his willingness to incorporate jazz on occasion. Historians will find a lot to admire about this diverse, far-reaching CD. ~ Alex Henderson