Big Road Blues

I’ve been listening to quite a bit of country blues recorded in the 1960’s and 1970’s. There of course are the big names, the fabled blues rediscoveries of Son House, Skip James, Furry Lewis, Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White among others. A parallel to this was a large body of recordings, in many case field recordings, of less famous artists who never had the opportunity to record before. Again there were acclaimed discoveries like Mississippi Fred McDowell and Robert Pete Williams but also a slew of lesser known worthy performers like Roosevelt Holts, Shirley Griffith, Houston Stackhouse, Jack Owens and many others. Unfortunately many of these recordings haven’t fared well in the reissue market which is the case with the recordings on Storyville’s Blues Scene USA Vol. 4 also issued as Blues Roots: The Mississippi Blues Vol. 1.

The recordings were made by noted writer, researcher and Testament label owner Pete Welding who had this to say about these performances: “…The music has been revealed as a living continuum, thanks to recordings - such as this album - made in the Sixties which have introduced the music of a large number of carriers of the state’s characteristic musical traditions. The most notable new performer of this blues renaissance was the gifted, exciting Fred McDowell, who sang and played as though time stood still, so fully had his powerful music been shaped by the old precepts. And after him comes a large body of singers, guitarists, harmonica players, violinists, etc., all of whose music is firmly allied to the oldest strains of the Mississippi blues. …For them, music was largely something to be self-generated in the family circle or for friends and neighbors; moreover, the music they created was by and large still shaped by the older traditions.”

These recordings were made circa 1964-1965 mainly in St. Louis and Chicago where many of these performers had migrated. The big names here are Johnny Young, Big Boy Spires, who made a batch of highly regarded sides in the 1950’s, and the prodigiously recorded Big Joe Williams who had a recording career stretching back to 1935. The rest will only be known to the most seasoned collector: Bert Logan, Russ Logan, Roosevelt Charles, Coot Venson, Avery Brady, Willie Lee Harris, Jimmy Brewer, Ruby McCoy, Jimmy Brown, Big John Henry Miller, Jimmy Lee Miller

Big Joe Williams appears on six of the cuts taking vocals on the sturdy “Long Road Blues” a loose variation of “Big Road Blues” with Coot Venson on harmonica. Backed by Big Joe, Venson takes the vocal on “Sugar Mama”(Big Joe played on the original by Sonny Boy Williamson I in 1937) laying down some fine down home harp. “Goin’ Back Home” and”I Can See My Baby In My Dreams” are wonderful numbers that hark back to the old string band sound with Big Joe supported by violinist Jimmy Brown and harmonica blower Willie Lee Harris who both take vocal chores. Big Joe also backs the wonderful, raw voice Ruby McCoy on “Rising Sun Blues” who’s singing, Welding accurately notes, “conjures up the ghost of Bessie Tucker.” Big Joe’s Uncles, Bert and Russ Logan, are featured on the ancient sounding, ramshackle, yet compelling “Four O’Clock in the Morning.”

Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Spires cut a handful of brilliant down home sides for Checker and Chance in the 1950’s and unissued sides in the 1960’s for Testament before arthritis cut his career short. His burnished voice sounds marvelous on the gently propulsive “21 Below Zero” backed by Johnny Young on guitar. His Testament sides were cut at the same session and it’s a shame they haven’t been released. Johnny Young turns in a superb solo version of “Pony Blues” showing off his deep roots.

Chicago residents Avery Brady and Jimmy Brewer both hailed from Mississippi and still retained strong roots to their home state. The sadly under recorded Brady waxed only a handful of sides and sounds terrific playing throbbing, rhythmic guitar on “I Don’t Want You No More” featuring his strong, plaintive vocals. Brewer delivers the albums’ tour-de-force, a surging, powerhouse version of Tommy Johnson’s “Big Road Blues.” It’s a beautifully sung number as Brewer plays percussive, intricate guitar, snapping the strings for added intensity. It also underscores just how influential Tommy Johnson was, something that became especially evident with the field recording of the 1960’s, in particular the recordings made by David Evans. Brewer cut two full length albums both unfortunately out of print.

Big John Henry Miller was another Mississippi performer who’s sole recording, “Down Here by Myself”, is a hypnotic, powerfully sung number that makes one wish he had recorded more. Perhaps the finest singer in the collection is Roosevelt Charles. This track appears to be an anomaly having been recorded by Harry Oster in 1960 at Angola Prison. Charles was prolifically recorded in 1959-1960 by Oster although many sides were never issued. Charles was a modest guitar player but a magnificent vocalist with a deep, burnished voice employed to gorgeous effect on “Bye Bye Baby Blues.” Charles is featured on several prison anthologies and on the long out of print Vanguard album “Blues, Prayer, Work & Trouble Songs.”

Jimmy Brewer - Big Road Blues (MP3)

Roosevelt Charles - Bye Bye Baby Blues (MP3)