Big Road Blues

Show Notes:

Today’s show is the third installment of an ongoing series of programs built around a particular year. The bulk of the information for today’s show notes comes from the books Recording The Blues (reprinted along with two other titles in Yonder Come The Blues) by Robert M.W. Dixon and John Godrich and Blues & Gospel Records, 1890-1943 by Robert M.W. Dixon, John Godrich and Howard Rye.

The first year we spotlighted was 1927 which was the beginning of a blues boom that would last until 1930; there were just 500 blues and gospel records issued in 1927 and increase of fifty percent from 1926 a trend that would continue until the depression. The average blues or gospel record had sales in the region of 10,000. In 1928 the figure was 1,000 or so lower which was still a thriving market. Paramount, the market leader at the time, brought talent up to their northern studios. To feed the demand other record companies conducted exhaustive searches for new talent, which included making trips down south with field recording units. Between 1927-1930 Atlanta was visited seventeen times, Memphis eleven times, Dallas eight times, New Orleans seven times and so on. The record companies advertised their record in black newspapers, mainly in the Chicago Defender, which was the nation’s most influential black weekly newspaper.

During 1929 Victor and Bluebird were involved in field recording in Dallas where they recorded Jesse Thomas, Bessie Tucker among others and in Memphis where they recorded the Memphis Jug Band, Frank Stokes, Cannon’s Jug Stompers and others and in Atlanta they recorded Blind Willie McTell among a couple others. Columbia and Okeh headed into the field and stopped in Atlanta where they recorded Lillian Glinn, Peg Leg Howell, Barbecue Bob, Sloppy Henry, Hambone, Ed Bell,  Willie Newbern, and in San Antonio they recorded Texas Alexander, Little Hat Jones, Whistlin’ Alex Moore,  Oak Cliff T-Bone (T-Bone Walker) and others. Brunswick and Vocalion ventured in the field to record Leola Manning in Knoxville, Tennessee, Furry Lewis, Speckeld Red, Garfield Akers, Jim Jackson and Joe Callicott in Memphis and Lottie Kimbrough and others in Kansas City, Kansas.

Tampa Red’s  “It’s Tight Like That” was a huge hit in 1928 and was played and copied everywhere. He was in such demand that in 1929 he had 17 new records issued, all on Vocalion. According to Recording The Blues: “Victor and Columbia continued to concentrate on their country blues artists, and gave no signs of noticing that a new urban style was sweeping Chicago. But Paramount, as always, lost no time in exploiting the new craze. They created a group called ‘The Hokum Boys’ (first recorded in December 1928, only a week or two after It’s Tight Like That was released) that had a variable personnel and specialized in Tampa-Red-type numbers – tunes like “Beedle Um Bum”, “Somebody’s Been Using That Thing” and  “It’s All Worn Out.”

Tampa’s nearest rivals were Blind Blake and Leroy Carr, with 10 apiece, and Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson, who had 9 each. Tampa was also a much in demand Session artist, heard on today’s program backing Lil Johnson on “House Rent Scuffle” and Romeo Nelson on “Head Rag Hop.” From the year’s other popular artists we spin Blind Blake “Georgia Bound”, Leroy Carr’s “Naptown Blues” and Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “That Crawlin’ Baby Blues.”

The most recorded artist of 1929 was Charlie Patton for Paramount. Paramount’s New york studio having closed down in 1926, artists continued to record in Chicago until, in 1929 new studios were opened in Grafton, Wisconsin; by the end of the year all recordings were made here. Paramount recorded some of the greatest blues performances of the era and full credit should go to talent scouts like Henry C. Spier, a music store owner from Jackson, Mississippi. Speir scoured the south for talent and was responsible for getting Son House, Skip James and Charlie Patton on record. Paramount asked Gennett to record 14 tunes by Patton at their Richmond, Indiana studio in June 1929. “Pony Blues” b/w “Banty Rooster Blues” was the first issued. The coupling was a hit and Paramount labeled his second release, “Screamin’ And Hollerin’ The Blues”, as by The Masked Marvel. The advert bore a drawing of a blindfolded singer and the clue that this was an exclusive paramount artists. Anyone guessing his identity would get a free Paramount record of their choice.  In all, Patton recorded 38 numbers for Paramount in 1929,  some issued the following year, with two gospel songs issued under the pseudonym Elder J.J. Hadley.

Among the notable artists who made their debut in 1929 were Clifford Gibson who recorded 10 sides for QRS and 12 sides for Victor later in the year. “Don’t Put That Thing On Me” from his November 1929 session was advertised in the April 26th, 1930 edition of the Chicago Defender.  Also debuting that year was Garfield Akers backed by Joe Callicott who waxed the classic “Cottonfield Blues” Pts. 1 & 2 for Vocalion which was advertised in the February 2nd, 1930 Chicago Defender. Don Kent praised “Cottonfield Blues,” saying “only a handful of guitar duets in all blues match the incredible drive, intricate rhythms and ferocious intensity.” He also called Akers “one of the greatest vocalists in blues history.” Other debuts included the mysterious but excellent Gene Campbell, terrific barrelhouse  players Romeo Nelson and Montana Taylor and  singer Lil Johnson among others. Others who made their debut will be spotlighted on a follow-up show including Roosevelt Sykes, Henry Townsend, Speckled Red, Sleepy Johns Estes and others. 1929 was a very good year for barrelhouse piano and in addition to those mentioned, we also play classic performances by Bob Call, Blind Leroy Garnett, Lonnie Clark and Eddie Miller. Others will be spotlight on sequels including Cow Cow Davenport, Will Ezell, Wesley Wallace, Pine Top Smith and several others.