Big Road Blues

Show Notes:

For this week’s mix show a typically wide ranging mix of eclectic sides spanning from 1927 to 1976. This week’s shows has a fair dose of vintage country blues and acoustic numbers. Bill Williams was 73 when he made a wonderful debut for Blue Goose. He was a spectacular guitar player and a one time partner of Blind Blake. He died a few years after his debut but thankfully left behind enough material for one more album, “The Late Bill Williams - Blues, Rags and Ballads” which is the source of “Make Me A Pallet On The Floor.” Speaking of Blind Blake we play one of his most famous numbers, the dazzling “Sea Board Stomp.” I never tire of listening to Blake and I highly recommend JSP’s budget priced “All The Published Sides.” Another remarkable acoustic cut is by Roosevelt Charles a prisoner at the infamous Angola Penitentiary who made some field recordings in 1959-60 (many of which have never been issued). His magnificent vocal is heard on “Bye Bye Baby Blues” backed by guitarist Otis Webster. Also recorded in prison, at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, is the aptly name Confiners on the wailing “Harmonica Boogie” featuring some Ike Turner styled guitar from Sammy Walker.

Little Hat Jones

On the vintage country blues front we play a couple of terrific sides by Texas artists Little Hat Jones and the Black Ace. Jones cut ten fine sides at sessions in 1929 and 1931 including the gorgeous “Bye Bye Baby Blues” one of my all time favorite country blues tracks. He lived until 1981 but unfortunately never recorded again. B.K. Turner AKA Black Ace played National steel guitar on his lap with a slide like his mentor Oscar “Buddy” Woods.” He cut six sides in 1937 and an excellent album for Arhoolie in 1960 (the CD reissue includes the Arhoolie album with unissued sides plus the six early cuts). And then there’s Frenchy’s String Band on the terrific “Texas And Pacific”, good time music featuring trumpet and banjo. This one was the only 78 they cut with the flip being “Sunshine Special.”

We spotlight a few fine blues ladies including the bawdy Barrelhouse Annie. She cut five sides in 1937 including our selection, the salacious “If It Don’t Fit Don’t Force It.” If you’re wondering how this got past the censors the answer is it didn’t, it was never issued and neither was “Think You Need A Shot” or “Love Operation.” Speaking of forthright women there’s Little Esther on the sultry “I’m A Bad, Bad Girl” from her second session in 1951. She went on to record as Esther Phillips and was marvelous singer who recorded soul, country, pop and blues during her short, tragic life. When she sang the blues, however, there’s were few better and she remains vastly underrated. We’ll be spotlighting her in a future show. Memphis Minnie needs no introduction. Her recording career began in 1929 and here we catch up with her in 1953 still sounding fine on “In Love Again” with strong support from her husband, guitarist Ernest Lawlars (Little Son Joe) and pianist Little Brother Montgomery.

Also worth noting are some more recent cuts, relativity speaking, including Son Seals’ swinging “Four Full Seasons of Love” from 1976’s “Midnight Son”, my favorite album by him. Then there’s Luther Johnson heard on the 1966 cut “Creepin’ Snake.” This come from an interesting album on Victoria Spivey’s Spivey label titled “The Bluesmen of the Muddy Waters Chicago Blues Band” featuring Otis Spann, Sammy Lawhorn, George Smith, Victoria Spivey and Muddy Waters (listed as Main Stream no doubt because of contract issues).

We also dip into a little soul with Eddie Bo’s “A Heap See (But A Few Know)” from 1964. Talk about underrated! Bo’s recording career, stretches from the mid-50’s on, starting out in New Orleans R&B and moving on, in the mid-60’s to soul and funk. He made more 45’s than any artist has in New Orleans other than Fats Domino. While he made plenty of his own records he was also a major producer, arranger and collaborator on scores of other records. He produced records for Irma Thomas, Robert Parker, Art Neville, Chris Kenner, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson and Johnny Adams. And yes Eddie Bo is still active! Speaking of New Orleans we also slip in a track by Willie Tee who passed away on Sept. 11.