Big Road Blues

Show Notes:

Today’s show reflects a number of things I’ve been listening to lately including some new collections, some that I finally got around to listening to and and few older ones I’ve be reexamining. I keep buying those budget priced JSP box sets which the label churns out so frequently I have a hard time keeping up. In fact I literally had a stack of them that I finally got around to, several of which are featured on today’s program. I have mixed feelings about JSP; on one hand these 4 and 5 CD sets are very cheap and you do get lots of great music for your buck and they’re nicely packaged with usually decent notes. The remastering, particularly on the pre-war collections, vary greatly from set to set but are often a sonic upgrade to Document but usually can’t compare to labels like Yazoo and Revenant. There’s also some evidence that they’ve simply pilfered the transfers from other collections, most notoriously on their Charlie Patton box set which was clearly lifted from Revenant’s masterful Screamin’ And Hollerin’ The Blues: The Worlds of Charlie Patton. Also the sets feature troubling errors like wrongly titled tracks and the omission of certain tracks on sets that claim to be the complete recorded output of a particular artist.

All that being said today’s show features tracks from the following recent JSP sets: Lightnin’ Special, Volume 2 of the Collected Works, Ma Rainey - Mother of the Blues, Sunnyland Slim & His Pals - The Classic Sides (1947-53), Memphis Blues - Important Postwar Blues and When the Levee Breaks - Mississippi Blues (Rare Cuts - 1926-41). I think Ma Rainey - Mother of the Blues ranks as one of JSP’s more important efforts, boasting a fair amount of sonic improvement over Document. This is important because Rainey suffers from the double problem of being on Paramount, notorious for their bad pressings, and for recording a good chunk of her recordings in the acoustic recording era (pre-1926). Perhaps because of these problems Rainey hasn’t been well served on the reissue market which makes this set especially valuable. Rainey was remarkably consistent, had a magnificent voice, great songs and was backed by high caliber musicians like Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds , Coleman Hawkins and Tampa Red. When the Levee Breaks is an unbeatable collection of Mississippi blues with very good sound featuring artists like Garfield Akers, Blind Joe Reynolds, Geeshie Wiley, Freddy Spruell, Son House and many more. I’ll be spotlighting JSP box sets on the January 27th show.

Speaking of pre-war collections I also pulled Screamin’ And Hollerin’ The Blues: The Worlds of Charlie Patton off the shelf for the first time in quite awhile. This 7-CD box is probably the most lavish ever devoted to a blues artist and the remastering, particularly on the Patton sides, is astonishing. On today’s show I played two tracks from the set: Patton’s “Tom Rushen Blues” and Willie Brown’s “Make Me A Pallet On The Floor.” Also on the Revenant label is American Primitive, Vol. II an eclectic, fascinating collection of early blues, gospel and country. Mattie May Thomas is a remarkable singer who was recorded by Alan Lomax at the sewing room of the Woman’s Camp, at the notorious Parchman Farm. Another memorable singer from the set is Pigmeat Terry, who possesses a high, whsipery, moaning voice, a bit reminiscent of the popular Joe Pullum. His “Black Sheep Blues” is worth quoting:

My mother’s gone to glory
My father died of drinking in his sins
My sister won’t notice me, she’s to proud to take me in
I’m a black sheep in my family, and how they dog me around
Someday I’ll get lucky and won’t be found around

Also from the set is William Harris’ marvelous version of “Kansas City Blues.” Harris was a terrific singer and guitarist but virtually nothing is known about him.

Featured on today’s show are two sets revolving around Tampa Red and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Tampa plays guitar on Big Maceo’s beautiful “County Jail Blues.” The two made some wonderful recordings together in the early to mid-40’s and this track has always been a favorite. Tampa again plays a supporting role, this time on piano, on Pete Franklin’s terrific “Down Behind The Rise.” This was part of a four song session cut for Victor in 1949. Franklin, as Guitar Pete Franklin, cut a self titled album for Bluesvile in 1961, a couple of stray 1963 cuts that appeared on a Flyright anthology and unfortunately never recorded again. From 1934 it’s Tampa out front with the spooky “Witchin’ Hour Blues”which reminds me a bit of Lonnie Johnson’s “Blue Ghost Blues.”

1964’s”Live At The Bird Lounge” finds Hopkins in fine form as evidenced on “Leave Jike Mary Alone.” Hopkins was a genius at weaving compelling stories from everyday life and this number is a prime example. I don’t believe this one is available on CD. An associate of Lightnin’ Hopkins, L.C. Williams cut sides with Hopkins in 1947-48 for Gold Star and again in 1951 for Sittin’ In With. Williams also cut a handful of sides for Eddie’s, Freedom and Mercury. “Boogie All the Time” is an infectious Hopkins like boogie featuring some humorous spoken asides by Williams. It’s Hopkins in a supporting role backing one time partner Thunder Smith on the driving “Little Mama Boogie.” Smith traveled to to Los Angles with Hopkins and they recorded several sides for Aladdin together. He also cut sides in 1947-48 for the Gold Star and Down Town labels. Smith faded into undeserved obscurity while Hokins became a star.

A few other numbers worth mentioning are two that feature Earl Hooker: “Don’t Have To Worry” comes from the out of print Bluesway album of the same name while Hooker is heard on 1952’s “Johnny Feels The Blues” backing Johnny O’Neal who sounds quite a bit like Roy Brown. Speaking of Bluesway we spotlight Johnny Young’s “Deal The Cards” off the Bluesway album “I Can’t Keep My Foot From Jumping.” This is one of Young’s best outings and it’s a shame, like most of the Bluesway catalog, it’s been long out of print.