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BLUES & GOSPEL
Andrew McMahon -> Memphis Slim

 

JAY MCSHANN Acrobat 126 Kansas City Blues ● CD $9.98
22 tracks, highly recommended
A fine collection featuring the great jazz pianist and bandleader in a blue mood leading small groups and mostly accompanying blues singers like Julia Lee, Jimmy Witherspoon, Numa Lee Davis, Crown Prince Waterford and maxine Reed as well as some bluesy and boogie instrumentals. Session musicians include Tommy Douglas, Walter Page, Eddie Gregory (later Sahib Shibab), Al "Cake" Wichard, Jesse Price, Tiny Webb and others. A complete delight. (FS)

 
JAY MCSHANN WITH DUKE ROBILLARD Stony Plain 1237 Hootie's Jumpin' Blues ● CD $15.98
12 tracks, 67 min., highly recommended
A long time hero of Michael John "Duke" Robillard, Jay McShann has been recording since the 1940s, recordings that fans consider cornerstones of Jump Blues. For this 1996 recording, Duke & Jay recreate 6 tracks from McShann's 1941/1942 Decca sessions, including "'Fore Day Rider", "Jumpin' The Blues", and "Confessin' The Blues". Keeping the spirit of the era, most of the solos go to tenor saxophonist Gordon Beadle and trumpeter Bob Tildesley, with Duke keeping the rhythm & mostly (always?) playing acoustic. One particular highlight is "Profoundly Blue", a tasty duet version of the 1941 Edmond Hall-Meadle Lux Lewis Blue Note recording, with Duke playing acoustic ala Charlie Christian (who by the way also played acoustic (!) on the original). As a bonus, a 22-minute interview with producer Holger Petersen has been included, featuring McShann's solo piano on "Hootie's Kansas City Boogie" and "Hootie's Blues For Big Miller", his tribute to the late Clarence Miller (1922-1992). At 80 years old, Jay McShann is still in fine form. (EL)

 
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL Atlantic 82366 Atlanta Twelve String ● CD $12.98
Country blues singer Blind Willie McTell was perhaps the greatest 12-string guitarist of all time, and his considerable talents are more obvious on these 15 solo cuts recorded for Atlantic. Originally released as Blues Original, Vol. 1 in 1972 (Atl. 7224), these 1949 recordings were some of his last. Sometime gospel singer, McTell's religious recordings here include I Got To Cross The River Jordan/ Ain't It Grand To Live Like A Christian/ You Got To Die/ Pearly Gates. He also covers familiar territory in Blind Lemon Jefferson's Last Dime Blues and Pinetop's Boogie Woogie to which he of course adds his own unique flashes of brilliance, making each song his own. But the best cut is probably Little Delia, a story-song that feels like it could have been written 200 years ago or yesterday. Good stuff. (JC)
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: Aint't It Grand To Live A Christian/ Blues Around Midnight/ Broke Down Engine Blues/ Dying Crapshooter's Blues/ I Got To Cross The River Jordan/ Kill It Kid/ Last Dime Blues/ Little Delia/ On The Cooling Board/ Pearly Gates/ Pinietope's Boogie Woogie/ Soon This Morning/ The Razor Ball/ You Got To Die/ motherless Children have A Hard Time

 
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL Biograph 30171 Pig 'n Whistle Red ● CD $13.98
20 tracks, 54 mins, highly recommended
Previously issued as Biograph 126. The 20 tracks here were recorded for Regal in Atlanta in 1950. Only three 78s were issued but Biograph turned up the rest of the sides when going through Regal's vaults some years ago and the material was issued on two LPs (12008 and 12035). McTell's vocals and magnificent 12 string guitar work are accompanied by another great Georgia singer/ guitarist - Curley Weaver. Weaver takes the vocals on 3 songs and they duet on several. The material includes remakes of songs McTell recorded in the 20s and 30s (Love Changin' Blues/ Savannah Mama/ Talkin' To You Mama, etc) along with some they had not recorded elsewhere (Don't Forget It/ You Can't Get Stuff No More/ Pal Of Mine, the gruesome A To Z Blues, etc) and several gospel numbers. The singing and playing are a joy to listen to throughout and only marginally less exciting than their pre-war recordings. Good notes by Don Kent and superb remastering by Dr. Toby Mountain. (FS)
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: A To Z Blues/ Brown Skin Woman/ Climbing High Mountains/ Don‘t Forget It/ East St. Louis/ Good Little Thing/ Hide Me In Thy Bosom/ Honey It Must Be Love/ I Keep On Drinkin‘/ It‘s My Desire/ Lord Have Mercy If You Please/ Love Changin‘ Blues/ Pal Of Mine (tk. 1)/ Pal Of Mine (tk. 2)/ Savannah Mama/ Sending Up My Timber (tk. 1)/ Sending Up My Timber (tk. 2)/ Talkin‘ To You Mama/ Wee Midnight Hours/ You Can‘t Get Stuff No More

 
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL Blues Documents BDCD 6001 Complete Library Of Congress Recordings ● CD $15.98
Complementing the 3 CDs of his early recordings on Document 5006, 5007 & 5008  this disc features the songs and monologues recorded for the Library Of Congress in 1940. Interestingly, practically none of songs had been recorded previously by Willie. It includes some beautiful spirituals sung with lovely slide work on his 12 string guitar (Climbing High Mountains, Trying To Get Home/ old Time Religion/ I Got To Cross De River O'Jordan and a gorgeous instrumental version of Amazing Grace which brings to mind Blind Willie Johnson's masterpiece Dark Was The Night), some early folk songs (Boll Weavill/ Delia) and, of course, blues (Dying Crapshooters/ Murderers Home Blues/ Chainey, etc). There are also interesting comments on many of the songs by Willie along with several interesting monologues on blues (with musical illustrations form Willie), his recording career and his life. Sound quality is unexceptional but listenable and there are brief, but informative, notes by Alan Balfour. Excellent. (FS)
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: Amazing Grace/ Boll Weevil/ Chainey/ Climbing High Mountains, Tryin' To Get Home/ Delia/ Dying Crapshooter's Blues/ I Got To Cross De River O'Jordan/ I Got To Cross The River Jordan/ Just As Well Get Ready, You Got To Die/ Kill-It-Kid Rag/ King Edward Blues/ Monolgue On Old Songs; Old Time Religion, Amen/ Monologue On Accidents/ Monologue On Himself/ Monologue On History Of The Blues/ Monologue On Life As Maker Of Records/ Murderer's Home Blues/ Will Fox

 
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL Columbia 53234 The Definitive Blind Willie McTell ● CD $19.98
2 CDs, 41 tracks, 125 min., recommended
Perhaps the greatest 12-string bluesman of them all, McTell was the leading practitioner of the Atlanta blues school. His rag-influenced guitar work and clear, articulate vocal style changed little over the years, but much of his finest was recorded for Columbia, OKeh, and Vocalion between 1929-33, and it's all here. At least everything that still exists (as far as the researchers at Columbia were able to find). Recording under such pseudonyms as Blind Sammie and Georgia Bill, McTell's classics like Broke Down Engine Blues/ Traveling Blues/ Come On Around To My House, Mama stand as a convincing testament to his talent. His sides with Mary Ruth Willis, aka Ruth Day, are included, as is a lengthy and exhaustively researched bio, several previously unissued alternate takes, and songs previously unissued on 78rpms. A winner. (JC)
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: Atlanta Strut/ B & O Blues No. 2 # 1/ B & O Blues No. 2 # 2/ Bell St. Lightnin'/ Broke Down Engine/ Broke Down Engine Blues/ Broke Down Engine No. 2/ Come On Around To My House Mama/ Death Cell Blues/ Death Room Blues # 1/ Death Room Blues # 2/ Dirty Mistreater/ Don't You See How This World Made A Change/ East St. Louis Blues/ Experience Blues/ Georgia Rag/ It's A Good Little Thing/ It's Your Time To Worry Rag/ Kind Mama/ Lord Have Mercy If You Please/ Lord Send Me An Angel # 1/ Lord Send Me An Angel # 2/ Love Makin' Mama # 1/ Love Makin' Mama # 2/ Low Down Blues/ Low Rider's Blues/ My Baby's Gone/ Painful Blues/ Razor Ball/ Rough Alley Blues/ Runnin' Me Crazy/ Savannah Mama/ Scarey Day Blues/ Southern Can Is Mine/ Southern Can Mama/ Stomp Down Rider/ Talking To Myself/ Travelin' Blues/ Warm It Up To Me/ Weary Hearted Blues/ You Was Born To Die

 
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL Document DOCD 5007 Complete Recorded Works Vol. 2, 1931 - 1933 ● CD $15.98
The second volume features 24 tracks recorded between October, 1931 and September, 1933 including 4 accompaniments to Ruth Willis. Includes Rough Alley Blues/ Painful Blues/ Georgia Rag/ Rollin' Mama Blues/ Mama, Let Me Scoop For You/ Warm It Up To Me/ It's A Good Little Thing/ Lord have Mercy If You Please/ Savannah Mama/ Broke Down Engine #2/ Love-Makin' Mama/ Death Cell Blues, etc.
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: Broke Down Engine/ Broke Down Engine No. 2 (take 3)/ Death Cell Blues/ Death Room Blues (take 2)/ Don't You See How This World Made A Change/ It's A Good Little Thing/ It's Your Time To Worry/ Lonesome Day Blues/ Lord Have Mercy If You Please/ Lord, Send Me An Angel (take 1)/ Love-Makin' Mama (take 1)/ Low Rider's Blues Georgia Rag/ Mama, Let Me Scoop For You/ My Baby's Gone/ Rollin' Mama Blues/ Savannah Mama/ Searching The Desert For The Blues/ Warm It Up To Me/ You Was Born To Die (w. Curley Weaver)/ RUTH WILLIS: Experience Blues (Ruth Willis, vcl)/ Low Down Blues (Ruth Willis, vcl)/ Painful Blues (Ruth Willis, vcl)/ Rough Alley Blues (w. Ruth Willis, vcl)

 
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL JSP JSPCD 7711 The Classic Years 1927-40 ● CD $28.98
4 CDs, 84 tracks, essential
The true king of the 12 string guitar, with one of the most distinctive voices in blues, Blind Willie's pre-war recordings were recently reissued as a 3 CD set from Catfish [The Definitive Blind Willie McTell, KATCD 229]. The Catfish set is attractively packaged and has generally excellent sound quality, but is not without faults. East St. Louis Blues plays five seconds of another track before reverting to the correct song, the introduction to You Was Born To Die is also rather odd, and Come On Around To My House Mama has a marked echo. The Catfish set is hardly definitive therefore, but does provide a reference point in considering this new JSP reissue. Compared to the Catfish box five tracks, Dirty Mistreater and alternate takes of Love-Makin' Mama/ Death Room Blues/ Broke Down Engine No.2 and Lord, Send Me An Angel are missing from this set: the loss of Dirty Mistreater is not significant because it is a Curley Weaver performance on which Willie's contribution is minimal, but the omission of the remaining four tracks is disappointing, especially as alternate takes are included for some other titles. The extra disc here is of Willie's 1940 Library of Congress session (otherwise available on Blues Documents BDCD 6001).
The first disc contains some of McTell's best work, including the magnificent blues of the Victor sessions and virtuoso ragtime performances for Columbia. The next two CDs feature superbly executed duets with Ruby Glaze, tasty guitar interplay with Curley Weaver, earnest religious pieces and compelling blues, notably Savannah Mama and the wonderful 1933 version of Broke Down Engine. There are also remakes of earlier songs like Southern Can Mama as Willie switched companies to get recording dates during the Depression. While Drew Kent's booklet notes are a little superficial, the final disc, covering the Library of Congress session, provides a fuller picture of McTell the man. The monologues by Willie on his life and recording career confirm him as an intelligent, sensitive and likeable individual. His songs were not his commercial repertoire, but included folk ballads and gospel performances with powerful slide work which echoed that of his friend Blind Willie Johnson. The highlight though is his final masterpiece, Dying Crapshooter's Blues. Presented in significantly better sound than the Blues Documents CD, this disc will be a major plus point for many collectors. To return to the comparison with the Catfish box, both sets are pretty much crackle and pop free, but on those tracks where differences in sound quality are apparent, particularly the early Victor sides, the Catfish transfers have a cleaner, fuller sound. On the other hand the three tracks with specific faults on the Catfish reissue are properly presented on the JSP set, and consequently sound much more natural. Overall a pretty good effort from JSP, if not quite up to the very high standard they have established with some of their previous releases. (DPR)
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: Ain't It Grand To Be A Christian/ Amazing Grace/ Atlanta Strut/ B And O Blues, No. 2/ B And O Blues, No. 2 (alternate)/ Bell Street Blues/ Bell Street Lightnin'/ Boll Weevil/ Broke Down Engine/ Broke Down Engine Blues/ Broke Down Engine, No. 2/ Chainey/ Climbing High Mountains, Tryin' To Get Home/ Cold Winter Day/ Come On Around To My House Mama/ Cooling Board Blues/ Dark Night Blues/ Death Cell Blues/ Death Room Blues/ Delia/ Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around/ Don't You See How This World Made A Change/ Drive Away Blues/ Drying Crapshooter's Blues/ Dying Gambler/ East St. Louis Blues (fare You Well)/ Experience Blues/ Georgia Rag/ God Don't Like It/ Hillbilly Willie's Blues/ I Got Religion, I'm So Glad/ I Got To Cross The River Jordan/ I Got To Cross The River Of Jordan/ It's A Good Little Thing/ It's Your Time To Worry/ Just As Well Get Ready, You Got To Die/ Kill-it-kid Rag/ Kind Mama/ King Edward Blues/ Lay Some Flowers On My Grave/ Let Me Play With Yo' Yo-yo/ Lonesome Day Blues/ Lord Have Mercy If You Please/ Lord, Send Me An Angel/ Love Changing Blues/ Love-makin' Mama/ Loving Talking Blues/ Low Down Blues/ Lowrider's Blues/ Mama, 'tain't Long Fo' Day/ Mama, Let Me Scoop For You/ Monologue On Accidents/ Monologue On Old Songs/ Monologues On: The History Of The Blues/life As Maker Of Records/on Himself/ Mr. Mctell Got The Blues/ Mr. Mctell Got The Blues (alternate)/ Murderer's Home Blues/ My Baby's Gone/ Old Time Religion, Amen/ Painful Blues/ Razor Ball/ Rollin' Mama Blues/ Rough Alley Blues/ Runnin' Me Crazy/ Savannah Mama/ Scarey Day Blues/ Searching The Desert For The Blues/ Southern Can Is Mine/ Southern Can Mama/ Statesboro Blues/ Stole Rider Blues/ Stomp Down Rider/ Talkin' To Myself/ Teasing Brown/ This Is Not The Stove To Brown You Bread/ Three Women Blues/ Ticket Agent Blues/ Travelin' Blues/ Warm It Up To Me/ We Got To Meet Death One Day/ We Got To Meet Death One Day (alternate)/ Weary Hearted Blues/ Will Fox/ Writin' Paper Blues/ You Was Born To Die/ Your Time To Worry

 
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL Original Blues Classics 517 Last Session ● CD $11.98
Blind Willie McTell was one of the greatest of all country blues singer with a career dating back to the late 20s. These recordings from 1956 , his last, are among the few that he made in the post war era and find him to be still in fine voice singing and playing his 12 string guitar with power and authority. The material is, for the most, part hokum flavored stuff but Willie lends dignity to this normally unexciting genre. Some of the songs are versions of songs he had recorded earlier while others were not recorded elsewhere.
BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: A married man's a fool/ A to Z blues/ Baby it must be love/ Beedle um bum/ Broke down engine blues/ Don't forget it/ Early life/ Goodbye blues/ Kill it kid/ Pal of mine/ Salty dog/ That will never happen no more/ The dyin' crapshooter's blues/ Wabash cannonball

 
JACK MCVEA Delmark 756 McVoutie's Central Avenue Blues ● CD $14.98
23 tracks, 71 minutes, essential
The title says it all! Like the other Apollo performer reviewed in this issue, Illinios Jacquet, Jack was a member of the great Lionel Hampton Orch, on baritone, & later went on to JATP. Unlike Jacquet, McVea here is mostly in the singers' back-up band blowing some fine solos, along with trumpeter Teddy Buckner, on these Apollo sides recorded in 1945. Heard most here is singer Rabon Tarrant, but the best known is Wynonie Harris on Gone With The Wind & Baby Look At You. Also heard from include Cee Pee Johnson, Bob Mosley & Duke Henderson, along with 3 McVea instrumentals. Around this time McV recorded with Slim Gaillard & by the next year he would record a little tune called Open The Door Richard (not on this set). (GM)

 
THE MEDITATION SINGERS Specialty 7032 Good News ● CD $15.98
23 tracks, 56 min., recommended
This is the most favorably acclaimed in the second batch of Specialty 50's gospel reissues (which comprise 22 releases in all). The group, centered around the vocal dynamism of founder Ernestine Rundless, often featured the young Della Reese and Laura Lee, who both became popular music luminaries later on. Piano backing and sporadic lead by the late James Cleveland. Lots of fervent singing. This brings together for the first time the complete, though few in number, 1953-59 sides by this roof-raising group. (OLN)

 
THE MELLOW FELLOWS Alligator 4793 Street Party ● CD $16.98
The Mellow Fellows carry on after the death of frontman Larry "Big Twist" Nolan, led by saxman Gene Barge. 11 cuts.

 
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND Frog 15 Volume 1 ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, essential
Ever wondered what the 78s on your reissue CDs really sounded like? With remastering by John R T Davies, who worked on this three volume set (two of which were originally issued by JSP), you get as close as possible to finding out. Davies isn't concerned with removing all traces of surface noise but with preserving the information on the original discs; and in doing so he really brings this great music to life. Volume one covers the band's first twenty sides (from February 1927 to February 1928) and includes a further four tracks of solo performances by Will Weldon and Vol Stevens. (These solo tracks are otherwise found on Wolf WBCD 004.) Excellent notes by Neil Slaven sketch the social context in which the band operated as well as providing a critical commentary on each recording session. Not that this is music to be listened to in a high state of critical awareness - so what if the band occasionally sounds like it's falling apart, that's part of the fun. Sit back and enjoy Charlie Polk's 'richly flatulent emissions' and the rest of the gang as you've never heard them before. A full discography completes the picture. (DPR)
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: Beale Street Mess Around/ Bob Lee Junior Blues/ Coal Oil Blues/ Evergreen Money Blues/ I'll See You In The Spring When The Birds Begin To Sing/ I'm Looking For The Bully Of Thetown/ Kansas City Blues/ Memphis Boy Blues/ Memphis Jug Blues/ Newport News Blues/ Packed My Suitcase Started To The Train/ Papa Long Blues/ Peaches In The Springtime/ She Stays Out All Night Long/ Snitchin' Gambler Blues/ Sometimes I Think I Love You/ State Of Tennessee Blues/ Stingy Woman Blues/ Sun Brimmers Blues/ Sunshine Blues/ VOL STEVENS: Baby Got The Rickets Mama's Got The Mobile Blues/ Vol Stevens Blues/ WILL WELDON (CASEY BILL): Hitch Me To Your Buggy And Drive Me Like A Mule/ Turpentine Blues

 
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND Frog 16 Volume 2 ● CD $18.98
23 tracks, essential
Volume two of the chronological reissue covers MJB's recordings between September 1928 and October 1929. The band are now hitting their stride, and this disc contains some of their most memorable performances, including Lindberg Hop, Stealin' Stealin' and the beautiful K. C. Moan. As in volume one there is great variety in both material and mood - from the wildly exuberant to the sombre and downbeat. We even get two waltzes! This volume also includes two solo titles apiece by Will Shade and Hattie Hart otherwise found on Wolf WBCD 004. Detailed notes on the performances by Neil Slaven. The full discography is particularly valuable with an ever changing group like this, and sound quality is again exemplary. (DPR)
HATTIE HART: Won't You Be Kind To Me?/ You Wouldn't, Would You, Papa?/ THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake/ Feed Your Friend With A Long Handled Spoon/ I Can Beat You Plenty (that Hand You Tried To Deal Me Will)/ Jug Band Waltz/ K.c. Moan/ Lindberg Hop/ Memphis Yo Yo Blues/ Mississippi River Waltz/ On The Road Again/ Stealin' , Stealin'/ Sugar Pudding/ Taking Your Place/ Tired Of You Driving Me/ Whipped My Woman With A Single-tree/ Whitewash Station Blues/ WILL SHADE: Better Leave That Stuff Alone/ I Can't Stand It/ She Stabbed Me With An Ice-pick/ What's The Matter?/ MINNIE WALLACE: Dirty Butter/ The Old Folks Started It

 
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND Frog 18 Volume 3 ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, essential
The third volume starts with the band's session of May 1930, in the wake of the Wall Street Crash and with record sales already in sharp decline. Even so the band managed to cut a further twenty titles in the year, over nine short recording sessions. Highlights include Cocaine Habit, Meningitis Blues with vocal by Memphis Minnie, Going Back To Memphis and the sparkling final sessions in November which produced such classics as You Got Me Rollin'. Despite personnel changes Will Shade had managed to preserve a fairly consistent sound to his group during nearly four years of recording, a fact underlined by the alternate takes of titles from the earlier volumes which fill out this CD. (These alternate takes are otherwise found on Wolf WBCD 004.) It was to be four years before the band recorded again, but they certainly went out on a high. Excellent notes again by Neil Slaven, a full discography and very decent sound. If only all reissues were like this set! These three volumes cover Memphis Jug Band's complete recordings in the period 1927-30. The band's later recordings are on Blues Documents BDCD 6002. (DPR)
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues/ Bumble Bee Blues/ Cave Man Blues/ Cocaine Habit/ Everybody's Talking About Sadie Green/ Fourth Street Mess Around/ Going Back To Memphis/ Got A Letter From My Darlin'/ He's In The Jail House Now/ It Won't Act Right/ Jim Strainer Blues/ Lindberg Hop/ Meningitis/ Move That Thing/ Newport News Blues/ Oh Ambulance Man/ Papa's Got Your Bath Water On/ Round And Round/ Snitchin' Gambler Blues/ Spider's Nest Blues/ Stingy Woman Blues/ Stonewall Blues/ Sun Brimmers Blues/ You Got Me Rollin'/ You May Leave But This Will Bring You Back

 
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND Frog 62 Vol. 4 ● CD $18.98
Complementing Frog 15, 16 & 18 this completes the reissue of all this great Jug Band's recordings in style with all of their Vocalion and OKeh recordings from 1934 plus 9 never before reissued alternate takes from their 1927-1930 Victor sessions from rare test pressings.

 
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND JSP JSPCD 7745 And Cannon's Jug Stompers With Gus Cannon ● CD $28.98
4 CDs, 98 tracks, essential..that is if you haven't already got this stuff on Document or Frog
The first three discs are a straight reprint of the Memphis Jug Band's 1927-30 recordings, as originally issued on JSP and subsequently made available on DGF 15, 16 and 18. The fourth CD of Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers was most recently part of a JSP two CD set with Sleepy John Estes' first recordings. The Memphis Jug Band discs include all the tracks on the Document reissues (DOCD 5021-23 - now out of print) plus twelve - four alternate takes and two performances each by Will Shade, Vol Stevens, Will Weldon and Hattie Hart - which otherwise appeared on Wolf WBCD 004. The Stompers' disc (they recorded 1928-30 not in 1928 only, as the packaging and discographical details here suggest) includes all their output except an alternate take of Viola Lee Blues reissued on DOCD 5032. Two titles by Cannon and Woods on DOCD 5033 are also omitted. All four discs were remastered by the great John R. T. Davis from pristine 78s, which means the sound quality is superb - although there is a little background hiss, you get the full range of the original recordings, making the kazoos and jugs sound surprisingly musical. These are absolutely definitive reissues supported by the original, excellent sleeve notes from Neal Slaven and Keith Briggs, so that if you are building a blues collection this set will be the bargain of the year. For established collectors though it is difficult to avoid thinking that it also represents a missed opportunity. JSP could have made this box irresistible to all blues fans if they had added an extra disc covering MJB's 1932-34 output. (These later recordings have been reissued on Blues Document BDCD 6002, but the sound is nowhere near as good.) Reviews of the three MJB discs appeared in Newsletter 123. The Jug Stompers are generally considered the best of all the jug bands, and they were certainly more musically accomplished and focused than Will Shade's outfit. The informality of the Memphis Jug Band though offers more humour, a greater variety of material and moods, and more warmth. Their best performances like K.C. Moan run Gus' band mighty close, but what can rival the beautiful (and probably mistitled) Going To Germany? Really it's all great, and quite wonderfully presented here. (DPR)

 
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND Memphis Archives 7019 State Of Tennessee Blues ● CD $12.98
18 tracks, 61 min., recommended
Yazoo, Document, JSP, and even RCA itself have all reissued at least some of the music of Will Shade and the Memphis Jug Band before now. So, I can only presume that a sense of label identity motivated the folks at Memphis Archives to try their hand at it. Be that as it may, they have done a decent enough job of it. Sound quality is quite good, and cover photo and inside liner notes are both well done. The program itself focuses on eight late 20's sessions, and includes Sun Brimmer Blues, State of Tennessee Blues, Evergreen Money Blues, Peaches in the Springtime, Feed Your Friend with a Long Handled Spoon, Tired of You Driving Me, and I Whipped My Woman with a Single-Tree. (DH)

 
THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND Yazoo 2059 The Best Of The Memphis Jug Band ● CD $15.98
Newly remastered collection featuring 23 of the finest sides of this great jug band - Tired Of You Driving Me/ Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues/ On the Road Again/ K.C. Moan/ Cocaine Habit Blues/ You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back/ Memphis Shakedown/ Meningitis Blues/ Stealin' Stealin'/ He's In the Jailhouse Now/ Ambulance Man/ Going Back To memphios/ Insane Crazy Blues and more.

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE & OTHERS Biograph BCD 124 Early Rhythm & Blues ● CD $14.98
16 tracks, 45 mins, essential
Back in stock. A wonderful collection of sides recorded for New Jersey label Regal Records in 1949. Only a few of these were originally issued on 78 rpm - the rest turned up some years ago when Biograph were going through Regal tapes and subsequently appeared on various Biograph LPs. There are 5 sides by the great Memphis Minnie including two very different takes of Night Watchman Blues. Although Minnie was no longer a big blues name she is in top form singing with as much power as ever and playing a more contemporary plangent electric guitar style. She punctuates her vocals with squeals, asides and some of the most lacivious chuckles you have ever heard. She was obvisouly having a good time and you will two. Jimmy Rogers is here with a pre Chess version of his great Ludella There are four tracks by St. Louis Jimmy accompanied by a fine small group. Jimmy was one of the great blues songwriters and this is well in evidence here. Other artists include Sunnyland Slim, Little Brother Montgomery and fine Louisiana down home singer guitarist Pee Wee Hughes. Every track is fine, sound is superb and there are informative notes by Brett Bonner. (FS)
PEE WEE HUGHES: Shreveport Blues/ Suga Mama Blues/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Down Home Girl/ Kid Man Blues/ Night Watchman Blues (Tk.1)/ Night Watchman Blues (Tk.2)/ Why Did I Make You Cry/ LITTLE BROTHER MONTGOMERY: A & B Blues/ After Hour Blues/ Vicksburg Blues/ JIMMY ROGERS: Ludella/ ST. LOUIS JIMMY: Hard Work Boogie/ I Sit Up All Night/ State Street Blues/ Your Evil Ways/ SUNNYLAND SLIM: When I Was Young

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Blues Documents BDCD 6008 Complete Recorded Works 1935-1941 - Vol. 1 (1935) ● CD $15.98
Having reissued all of Minnie's early recordings (1929-34) on Document DOCD 5028 through 5031 Blues Documents picks up the story in 1935. This is the first of five volumes featuring her recordings made between 1935 and '41. Having separated from husband Kansas Joe with whom she had recorded most of her previous efforts her music took a somewhat more urban approach with the addition of a piano player and later on a bass player. Her voice was as strong as ever as was her guitar playing though her guitar was now somewhat in the background. Somewhat surprising are her only two gospel recordings Let Me Ride and When The Saints Go Marching In with male and female accompanying vocals - these were issued as by Gospel Minnie. There are several tracks featuring Minnie accompanied by an unknown and unexceptional guitarist including some originally issued under the pseudonym of Texas Tessie. Most of the last 8 tracks feature her in the company of the magnificent Black Bob on piano and Bill Settles on string bass and includes two tributes to boxer Joe Louis who had recently had a triumphant victory over Italian Primo Carnera. On When The Sun Goes Down, Part 2 the group is joined by steel guitarist Casey Bell Weldon who provides some nice licks. Sound is generally excellent and there are brief notes by Howard Rye. (FS)
MEMPHIS MINNIE: Ball And Chain Blues/ Dirty Mother For You/ Doctor, Doctor Blues/ Down In New Orleans/ He's In The Ring (take A)/ He's In The Ring (take B)/ Hustlin' Woman Blues/ I'm Waiting On You/ Jockey Man Blues/ Joe Louis Strut/ Keep On Goin'/ Let Me Ride/ Reachin' Pete (take A)/ Selling My Pork Chops/ Sylvester And His Mule Blues/ Weary Woman's Blues/ When The Saints Go Marching Home/ When The Sun Goes Down - Part 2/ When You're Asleep/ You Can't Give It Away/ You Wrecked My Happy Home

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Blues Documents BDCD 6009 Complete Recorded Works 1935-1941 - Vol. 2 (1935-1936) ● CD $15.98
The second collection of mid period Minnie recordings features 21 songs recorded between December, 1935 and November, 1936 plus 3 expendable alternate tkes. Most of the tracks feature her in a somewhat more urban setting with most cuts featuring the piano of the great Black Bob and an unknown bass player. Some cuts feature a second guitarist (probably her third husband Little Son Joe) and some feature the effective trumpet of "Mr Sheiks". On the delightful New Orleans Stop Time she is joined on vocals by Bumble Bee Slim and some nice steel guitar work which sounds more like Casey Bill Weldon than Minnie herslf. On six songs from May, 1936 the piano is further in the background and an unknown musician is featured on woodblocks and these are some of the finest performances her with particularly expressive vocals from Minnie on I'm A Bad Luck Woman/ Caught Me Wrong Again/ Black Cat Blues and 3 others. Sounds is good and there are brief notes by Howard Rye. (FS)
BUMBLE BEE SLIM & MEMPHIS MINNIE: New Orleans Stop Time/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Ain't Nobody Home But Me (take 2)/ Ain't Nobody Home But Me (take1)/ Biting Bug Blues/ Black Cat Blues (take 1)/ Black Cat Blues (take 2)/ Caught Me Wrong Again/ Dragging My Heart Around/ Good Morning/ Haunted House (take 1)/ Haunted House (take 2)/ Hodoo Lady/ I Don't Want You No More/ I'm A Bad Luck Woman/ I'm A Gamblin' Woman/ Ice Man (come On Up)/ If You See My Rooster/ It's Hard To Be Mistreated/ Man You Won't Give Me No Money/ Minnie's Lonesome Song/ Moonshine/ My Strange Man/ Out In The Cold/ You Ain't Done Nothing To Me

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Blues Documents BDCD 6010 Complete Recorded Works 1935-1941 - Vol. 3 (1937) ● CD $15.98
The third collection of mid period Minnie recordings features 20 songs (58 minutes) recorded at four sessions between June and December, 1937 including 4 expendable alternate takes. She is accompanied by piano player Black Bob or Blind John Davis on piano and Fred Williams on drums or Ransom Knowling on bass. The first session features some very effective trumpet work from "Mr Sheiks" (Alfred Bell) and the fourth has the fine Arnett Nelson on clarinet. Lots of great singing and agressive lyrics from Minnie. Good sound and brief, somewhat pedantic, notes by Howard Rye. (FS)
MEMPHIS MINNIE: Blues Everywhere/ Down In The Alley (take 1)/ Down In The Alley (take 2)/ Hot Stuff (take 1)/ Hot Stuff (take 2)/ I'm Going Don't You Know/ Keep On Sailing/ Living The Best I Can/ Look What You Got (take 1)/ Look What You Got (take 2)/ My Baby Don't Want Me No More (take 1)/ My Baby Don't Want Me No More (take 2)/ New Caught Me Wrong Again/ No Need You Doggin' Me/ Please Don't Stop Him/ Running And Dodging Blues (take 1)/ Stop Lying On Me/ Walking And Crying Blues/ Wants Cake When I'm Hungry/ You Can't Rule Me

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Blues Documents BDCD 6011 Complete Recorded Works 1935-1941 - Vol. 4 (1938-1939) ● CD $14.98
23 tracks, 63 mins, recommended The fourth collection of mid period Minnie recordings features 23 songs recorded at three sessions in June 1938 and February 1939 including all 6 songs recorded by her then husband Little Son Joe (Ernest Lawler). Minnie is in fine strident form on the 1938 session which includes Black Bob on piano, Charlie McCoy on mandolin and Ransom Knowling on bass. Her 1939 sides recaptures some of the feel of her earlier recordings with less aggressive vocals and the two guitar sound of her and Joe. There are some great songs here like the risque Good Soppin', Poor And Wondering Woman Blues with some wonderful moaning from Minnie, Bad Outside Friends and others. Joe is an unexceptional singer and guitarist but his songs are often lyrically interesting. Good sound and brief notes by Howard Rye. (FS)
LITTLE SON JOE: A.b.c. Blues/ Bone Yard Blues/ Diggin' My Potatoes/ Key To The World/ My Black Buffalo/ Tuff Luck Blues/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: As Long As I Can See You Smile/ Bad Outside Friends/ Black Widow Stinger/ Call The Fire Wagon/ Don't Lead My Baby Wrong/ Good Biscuits/ Good Soppin'/ Has Anyone Seen My Man?/ I Hate To See The Sun Go Down/ I'd Rather See Him Dead/ I've Been Treated Wrong/ Keep On Eating/ Keep On Walking/ Keep Your Big Mouth Closed/ Low Down Man Blues/ Poor And Wandering Woman Blues/ Worried Baby Blues

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Blues Documents BDCD 6012 Complete Recorded Works, 1935-41 : Vol 5 ● CD $14.98

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Document DOCD 5029 Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol 2 : ● CD $15.98 $11.98
The second collection features 23 songs recorded between June, 1930 and January, 1931. All but two of the tracks feature the exquisite dual guitars of Joe and Minnie - 10 solo vocals by Minnie (including two with a jug band), 9 solo vocals by Joe and 4 vocal duets. The performances are consistently superb with the highlight being Joe's rendition of My wash Woman's Gone with both Joe and Minnie playing slide guitar - they rarely played slide. Other songs include Memphis Minnie-Jitis Blues/ Plymouth Rock Blues/ Bumble Bee No. 2/ New Bumble Bee/ She Put Me Outdoors/ Grandpa & Grandma Blues/ North Memphis Blues/ Shake Mattie, etc. Wonderful! (FS)
KANSAS JOE: Beat Lt Right/ I Called You This Morning/ My Mary Blues/ My Wash Woman's Gone/ Pile Drivin' Blues/ Preachers Blues/ Shake Mattie/ She Put Me Outdoors/ What's The Matter With The Mill?/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Botherin' That Thing/ Bumble Bee No. 2/ Cherry Ball Blues/ Frankie Jean (that Trottin' Fool)/ Garage Fire Blues/ Georgia Skin Blues/ Good Girl Blues/ Grandpa And Grandma Blues/ I'm Talking 'bout You No. 2/ Memphis Minnie-jitis Blues (take A)/ New Bumble Bee/ New Dirty Dozen/ North Memphis Blues/ Plymouth Rock Blues

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE & KANSAS JOE Document DOCD 5030 In Chronological Order Vol. 3, 1931 - 1932 ● CD $15.98
The third volume in this series is another magnificent collection - all but one track featuring the twin guitars of Minnie and Joe. The duo seem to be at its peak here and there are some incredibly powerful vocals by Minnie, particularly on the intense Crazy Cryin' Blues with it's "crying" verse endings and moaned choruses. There are two rare instrumentals including the churning Let's Go To Town and the slide piece Pickin' The Blues. Good sound and informative notes by Alan Balfour make for another essential collection. (FS)
KANSAS JOE & MEMPHIS MINNIE: Let's Go To Town/ Pickin' The Blues/ Somebody's Got To Help You/ MEMPHI MINNIE: After While Blues/ Fishin' Blues/ Jailhouse/ Joliet Bound/ Kind Treatment Blues/ Outdoor Blues/ Socket Blues/ Soo Cow Soo/ Stranger's Blues/ Trouble Blues/ Where Is My Good Man/ You Know You Done Me Wrong/ You Stole My Cake/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Crazy Cryin' Blues/ Don't Bother It/ Hard Down Lie/ I Don't Want That Junk Outa You/ Lay My Money Down (if You Run Around)/ Today Today Blues/ Tricks Ain't Walking No More

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Document DOCD 5031 Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol 4 ● CD $15.98
The fourth volume in this marvelous series features 20 songs recorded between November 1933 and September 1934 by which time their personal and professional relationship ended. 8 of the songs are solos by Minnie including the raunchy My Butcher Man, the driving Chickasaw Train and the magnificent Too Late which features some of Minnie's finest guitar work. There are 3 outstanding cuts by Joe accompanied by his brother Charlie including a reworking of Skip James' Devil Got My Woman as Evil Devil Woman. And of course there are some fine duets including the two part You Got To Move and the salty Hole In The Wall. Sound is satisfactory and there are brief informative notes by Alan Balfour. Further reissues will document (!) Minnie's later recordings. (FS)
MEMPHIS MINNIE: Ain't No Use Trying To Tell On Me/ Banana Man Blues (I Don't Want That Thing)/ Chickasaw Train Blues (Low Down Dirty Thing)/ Drunken Barrel House Blues/ Evil Devil Woman Blues/ Give It To Me In My Hand (Can I Go Home With You)/ Going Back Home Blues/ Hole In The Wall/ I Got To Have A Little More/ Keep It To Yourself/ Keep It To Yourself (Alt.)/ Meat Cutter Blues/ Moaning The Blues/ My Butcher Man/ Someday I'll Be In The clay/ Squat It/ Stinging Snake Blues/ Too Late/ You Got To Move - Part 1/ You Got To Move - Part II

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Fremeaux & Associes FQ2CD 259 The Queen Of The Blues, 1929-1941 ● CD $24.98
MEMPHIS MINNIE: Black Widow Stinger/ Can I Do It For You?/ Caught Me Wrong Again/ Chickasaw Train Blues/ Crazy Cryin' Blues/ Doctor Doctor Blues/ Don't Turn The Card/ Don't Want No Woman/ Drunken Barrelhouse Blues/ Frankie Jean/ Frisco Town/ Georgia Skin Blues/ I Am Sailin'./ I Never Told A Lie/ I'd Rather See Him Dead/ I'm A Bad Luck Woman/ I'm Not A Bad Gal/ It Was You Baby/ It's Hard To Be Mistreated/ Looking The World Over/ Ma Rainey/ Memphis Minnie-jitis Blues/ Moaning The Blues/ New Bumble Bee Blues/ New Orleans Stop Time/ Nothing In Rambling/ Plymouth Rock Blues/ Poor And Wandering Woman Blues/ Soo Cow Soo/ Squat It/ This Is Your Last Chance/ Today Today Blues/ Too Late/ Weary Woman's Blues/ What's The Matter With The Mill?/ Worried Baby Blues

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE JSP JSPCD 7716 Queen Of The Country Blues ● CD $28.98
5 CDs, 124 tracks, essential
JSP's latest box set features the bulk of the pre war work of one of the blues world's most colorful and influential characters. When she was not using her guitar to beat up anyone who crossed her, Minnie was an accomplished musician, a talented songwriter and superb all round entertainer whose forthright contralto perfectly matched her material. The "All The Published Sides" tag here though is pretty meaningless, since JSP have followed the convention used by discographers of excluding those titles where her playing partner and second husband Joe McCoy took the lead vocal. This means that compared to the corresponding reissues of her early work on Document (DOCD 5028 - 31) some 20 titles are missing, 15 of which are titles where Minnie provides guitar accompaniment. Joe McCoy was certainly a less interesting vocalist than Minnie, but the loss of tracks like When The Levee Breaks and Pile Drivin' Blues is disappointing, if understandable in terms of space limitations. (On the other hand alternate takes missing from the original Document series are included.) It also seems odd to end this compilation in 1937 - Minnie's pre war recordings continued until 1941 - but JSP are planning a second set which will cover the rest of her career. In all other respects this is a very satisfying reissue, supported by excellent notes from Neil Slaven. The first two discs include versions of Bumble Bee, the hit which launched Minnie's career, the famous duets with Joe McCoy which feature some of Minnie's best guitar picking, and the charm and humor of songs like Plymouth Rock Blues which draw on her early experiences of rural life. The third disc sees the last duet with Joe, great solo efforts such as Chickasaw Train Blues, and a different aspect to Minnie's lyric writing skills as she conjures a vivid picture of desperate isolation in Outdoor Blues. By the period covered by the fourth disc (1935) Minnie, like Big Bill Broonzy, had simplified her guitar style to accommodate a greater emphasis on rhythm and "swing", and was recording regularly with a bass and piano accompaniment. Two engaging tributes to the boxing champion Joe Louis include some lovely piano from Black Bob on Joe Louis Strut, while New Orleans Stop Time, a duet with Bumble Bee Slim, is also very enjoyable. The small band format also does result in some less memorable sides however, and the addition of a trumpet player on the fifth disc doesn't really help. As if to demonstrate that Minnie was at her best with more limited accompaniment, two outstanding sessions at the beginning of the final disc find her in top form and producing classics such as Hoodoo Lady. The sound quality of Memphis Minnie reissues has generally been good, but this set probably represents the best all round remastering effort to date. Corresponding tracks match the excellent "Hoodoo Lady" compilation on Columbia (CK 46775), while elsewhere sound is equally good or better than other reissues, so that for example the occasional crackles on the Document/ Blues Document transfers have been removed. Another essential collection. (DPR)
BUMBLE BEE SLIM: New Orleans Stop Time/ MINNIE MCCOY: I'm Going Back Home/ MEMPHIS JUG BAND: Bumble Bee Blues/ Meningitis Blues/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: 'Frisco Town/ After While Blues/ Ain't No Use Trying To Tell On Me/ Ain't Nobody Home But Me (take 1)/ Ain't Nobody Home But Me (take 2)/ Ball And Chain Blues/ Banana Man Blues (i Don't Want That Thing)/ Biting Bug Blues/ Black Cat Blues (take 1)/ Black Cat Blues (take 2)/ Bumble Bee/ Bumble Bee/ Bumble Bee, No. 2/ Can I Do It For You, Pt. 1/ Can I Do It For You, Pt. 2/ Caught Me Wrong Again/ Chickasaw Train Blues (low Down Dirty Thing)/ Crazy Cryin' Blues/ Dirt Dauber Blues/ Dirty Mother For You/ Doctor, Doctor Blues/ Don't Bother It/ Don't Want No Woman/ Down In New Orleans/ Dragging My Heart Around/ Drunken Barrel House Blues/ Fishin' Blues/ Frankie Jean (that Trottin' Fool)/ Garage Fire Blues/ Georgia Skin/ Georgia Skin Blues/ Give It To Me In My Hand (can I Go Home With You)/ Goin' Back To Texas/ Good Girl Blues/ Good Morning/ Grandpa And Grandma Blues/ Hard Down Lie/ Haunted Blues (take 1)/ Haunted Blues (take 2)/ He's In The Ring (doing That Same Old Thing) (take A)/ He's In The Ring (doing That Same Old Thing) (take B)/ Hole In The Wall/ Hoodoo Lady/ Hot Stuff (take 1)/ Hot Stuff (take 2)/ Hustlin' Woman Blues/ I Called You This Morning/ I Don't Want No Woman I Have To Give My Money To/ I Don't Want That Junk Outa You/ I Don't Want You No More/ I Never Told A Lie/ I'm A Bad Luck Woman/ I'm A Gamblin' Woman/ I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuits/ I'm Talking 'bout You, No. 2/ I'm Talking About You/ I'm Waiting On You/ Ice Man (come On Up)/ If You See My Rooster (please Run Him Home)/ It's Hard To Be Mistreated/ Jailhouse Trouble Blues/ Jockey Man Blues/ Joe Louis Strut/ Keep It To Yourself/ Keep It To Yourself (alt. Track)/ Keep On Goin'/ Kind Treatment Blues/ Lay My Money Down (if You Run Around)/ Let Me Ride/ Let's Go To Town/ Living The Best I Can/ Look What You Got (take 1)/ Look What You Got (take 2)/ Man, You Won't Give Me No Money/ Memphis Minnie-jitis Blues (take A)/ Memphis Minnie-jitis Blues (take B)/ Minnie's Lonesome Song/ Mister Tango Blues/ Moanin' The Blues/ Moonshine/ My Butcher Man/ My Strange Man/ New Bumble Bee/ New Dirty Dozen/ No Need You Doggin' Me/ North Memphis Blues/ Out In The Cold/ Outdoor Blues/ Pickin' The Blues/ Plymouth Rock Blues/ Reachin' Pete (take A)/ Reachin' Pete (take B)/ Selling My Pork Chops/ She Put Me Outdoors/ She Wouldn't Give Me None/ Socket Blues/ Somebody's Got To Help You/ Soo Cow Soo/ Squat It/ Stinging Snake Blues/ Sylvester And His Mule Blues/ Today Today Blues/ Too Late/ Tricks Ain't Walking No More/ Weary Woman's Blues/ What Fault You Find Of Me, Pt. 1/ What Fault You Find Of Me, Pt. 2/ What's The Matter With The Mill?/ When The Saints Go Marching Home/ When The Sun Goes Down, Pt. 2/ When You're Asleep/ Where Is My Good Man/ You Ain't Done Nothing To Me/ You Can't Give It Away/ You Can't Rule Me/ You Dirty Mistreater/ You Got To Move, Pt. 1/ You Got To Move, Pt. 2/ You Stole My Cake/ You Wrecked My Happy Home

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE JSP JSPCD 7741 Queen Of The Delta Blues, Volume 2 : 1937-1953 ● CD $28.98
5 CDs, 121 tracks, essential
Memphis Minnie Volume 1 (JSP 7716 - $28.98) was one of the best reissues of 2004, and this second set, covering the rest of the great singer guitarist's career, provides plenty more to enjoy. Compared to corresponding reissues on Wolf, JSP have restricted the sometimes numerous alternate takes of Minnie's later recordings, which makes the set a good deal easier to listen to. A less understandable omission is the exclusion of four songs she recorded for Chess in 1952 (they were reissued on Wolf WBCD -010). Sides where Minnie is supporting husband Ernest Lawlars (Little Son Joe) are included. The first disc picks up the story in 1937, by which time Minnie was recording with small groups which included talented pianist Blind John Davis. With titles like Keep On Sailing/ Keep On Eating and Keep On Walking, there is something of a production line feel to these early sides (although the first is a droll reworking of Bumble Bee Slim's Sail On, Sail On Blues), but they are lifted out of the ordinary by Minnie's fine singing and forceful personality, and nice touches like Charlie McCoy's mandolin. The next four sessions which make up disc two are among the high points of Minnie's career. Tracks like Nothing In Rambling/ Ma Rainey/ In My Girlish Days and of course Me and My Chauffeur Blues are rightly regarded as classics, but the overall standard is superb. Call The Fire Wagon is a delightful echo of her early guitar style, while the evocative Lonesome Shack Blues highlights Minnie's gift for projecting a fantasy - in this case having a shack to escape to from an abusive relationship. Disc three, which opens with Minnie's last pre war session, starts promisingly with I'm Not A Bad Girl, and includes Looking The World Over, a song she reputedly sung to win one of her famous blues contests against Big Bill. The rest of this disc and the first session on disc four though represent a difficult transitional period. After a three year break from recording Minnie was trying to update her sound but the results were disappointing, with some mediocre material, an unbalanced sound on some sessions and Minnie's voice (a shade heavier and sounding almost like her husband's) straining against electric guitars or being worn out by repeated takes. Thankfully by her last 1946 session she is singing and playing much better, and new songs like Daybreak Blues from the following year represent an emphatic return to form. The final disc may give a flavour of Minnie's nightclub act, a mixture of popular songs and blues. The popular songs are not really suited to her style or personality, but the Chicago style blues are often very good, even if Sweet Man and Kidman Blues look back to Bumble Bee and Mr.Tango from 1930. World Of Trouble is also Minnie in top form, only the overcooked Night Watchman Blues jarring a little. The set ends with Little Son Joe, whose best moment was Black Rat Swing, trying to sound like Robert Nighthawk: a sign of the times. Minnie's last two private recordings from 1959 have never been found. Sound quality is generally very good with only a handful of tracks having any appreciable noise and even here listening is always comfortable. Compared to previous reissues sound is as good as on compilations from Columbia, Indigo and Charly, and the noisier tracks are better presented than on Blues Document. Neal Slaven again delivers some nicely judged and informative notes, having space to discuss the music as well as providing biography. Although Volume 2 is a little more uneven than its predecessor, it still contains a lot of wonderful, timeless performances. Listen to Volume 1 as well and you just might suspect that in her time Memphis Minnie made more outstanding records than any other blues singer. (DPR)
LITTLE SON JOE: A Little Too Late/ A.b.c. Blues/ Black Rat Swing/ Bone Yard Blues/ Diggin' My Potatoes/ Ethel Bea/ I'd Write A Letter/ Just Had To Holler/ Key To The World/ My Black Buffalo/ Tuff Luck Blues/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: (i Hope) Luck Will Change Some Day (take 2)/ (i Hope) Luck Will Change Some Day (take 3)/ (oh) Believe Me/ As Long As I Can See You Smile/ Bad Outside Friends/ Black Widow Stinger/ Blues Everywhere/ Boy Friend Blues/ Call The Fire Wagon/ Can't Afford To Lose My Man/ Daybreak Blues (blue Monday Blues) (take 3)/ Daybreak Blues (take 2)/ Don't Lead My Baby Wrong/ Don't Turn The Card/ Down By The Riverside/ Down Home Girl/ Down In The Alley (take 1)/ Down In The Alley (take 2)/ Fashion Plate Daddy/ Finger Print Blues/ Fish Man Blues (take 2)/ Fish Man Blues (take 3)/ Good Biscuits/ Good Soppin' (take 3)/ Got To Leave You (no. 1) (take 1)/ Got To Leave You (no. 1) (take 4)/ Got To Leave You (no. 2) (take 1)/ Got To Leave You (no. 2) (take 2)/ Has Anyone Seen My Man/ Hold Me Blues (no. 2)/ Hold Me Blues (take 1)/ Hold Me Blues (take 2)/ Hold Me Blues (take 3)/ Hold Me Blues (take 4)/ I Am Sailin'/ I Got To Make A Change Blues/ I Hate To See The Sun Go Down/ I'd Rather See Him Dead/ I'm Going Don't You Know/ I'm Not A Bad Girl/ I'm So Glad/ I've Been Treated Wrong/ In Love Again/ In My Girlish Days/ It Was You Baby/ It's Hard To Please My Man/ Jump Little Rabbit/ Keep On Eating/ Keep On Sailing/ Keep On Walking/ Keep Your Big Mouth Closed/ Kidman Blues (take 1)/ Kidman Blues (take 2)/ Killer Diller (take 1)/ Killer Diller Blues (no. 2)/ Killer Diller From The South (take 4)/ Kissing In The Dark/ Lean Meat Won't Fry (take 1)/ Lean Meat Won't Fry (take 3)/ Lonesome Shack Blues/ Looking The World Over/ Love Come And Go/ Low Down Man Blues/ Ma Rainey/ Me An My Chauffeur Blues/ Mean Mistreater Blues/ Million Dollar Blues/ Moaning Blues (no. 1) (take 1)/ Moaning Blues (no. 1) (take 3)/ Moaning Blues (no. 1) (take 4)/ Moaning Blues (no. 2)/ My Baby Don't Want Me No More (take 1)/ My Baby Don't Want Me No More (take 2/ My Gage Is Going Up/ My Man Is Gone Again (take 1)/ My Man Is Gone Again (take 3)/ New Caught Me Wrong Again/ Night Watchman Blues/ Night Watchman Blues/ Nothing In Rambling/ Pig Meat On The Line/ Please Don't Stop Him/ Please Set A Date/ Poor And Wandering Woman Blues/ Remember Me Blues/ Running And Dodging Blues (take 1)/ Running And Dodging Blues (take 2)/ Shout The Boogie (take 3)/ Shout The Boogie (take 4)/ Stop Lying On Me/ Sweet Man/ Tears On My Pillow/ The Man I Love (take 3)/ The Man I Love (take 4)/ The Man I Love (take 5)/ This Is Your Last Chance/ Three Times Seven Blues/ Tonight I Smile With You/ True Love/ Walking And Crying Blues/ Wants Cake When I'm Hungry/ Western Union/ What A Night/ When My Man Comes Home/ When You Love Me/ Why Did I Make You Cry/ World Of Trouble/ Worried Baby Blues/ You Got To Get Out Of Here/ You Need A Friend

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Wolf WBCD 08 The Complete Post-War Recordings Vol. 1, 1944-1946 ● CD $11.98
27 tracks, 68 mins, good
The first of 3 volumes presenting all of Minnie's post-war recordings from 1944 through 1953. Some great music but a bit excessive as there are up to 7 takes of some songs, some of them incomplete and many of them not different enough to warrent including them all. Still, being a CD, it is easy enough to program them out. In all 12 different songs (27 tracks) including Fashion Plate Daddy/ Please Set A Date/ Love Come And Go/ When My Man Comes Home/ Hold Me Blues/ Moaning Blues, etc. (FS)
MEMPHIS MINNIE: Fashion Plate Daddy/ Got To Leave You (take 1)/ Got To Leave You (take 2- Incomplete)/ Got To Leave You (take 3- Incomplete)/ Got To Leave You (take 4)/ Hold Me Blues (take 1)/ Hold Me Blues (take 2)/ Hold Me Blues (take 3-incomplete)/ Hold Me Blues (take 4-incomplete)/ Hold Me Blues (take 5)/ Hold Me Blues (take 6-incomplete)/ Hold Me Blues (take 7)/ I'm So Glad/ Killer Diller (take 1)/ Killer Diller (take 2 - Incomplete)/ Killer Diller (take 3-incomplete)/ Killer Diller (take 4)/ Love Come And Go/ Mean Mistreater Blues/ Moanin' Blues (take 1)/ Moanin' Blues (take 2 - Incomplete)/ Moanin' Blues (take 3)/ Moanin' Blues (take 4)/ Please Set A Date/ True Love/ When My Man Comes Home/ When You Love Me

 
MEMPHIS MINNIE Wolf WBCD 09 The Complete Post-War Recordings Vol. 2, 1946-1947 ● CD $11.98
MEMPHIS MINNIE: Daybreak Blues (blue Monday Blues) (take 3)/ Daybreak Blues (take 1- Incomplete)/ Daybreak Blues (take 2)/ Fish Man Blues (take 1- Incomplete)/ Fish Man Blues (take 2)/ Fish Man Blues (take 3)/ Got To Leave You (no. 2) (take 1)/ Got To Leave You (no. 2) (take 2)/ Hold Me Blues (no. 2)/ Killer Diller Blues (no. 2)/ Lean Meat Won't Fry (take 1)/ Lean Meat Won't Fry (take 2)/ Man I Love (take 1- Incomplete)/ Man I Love (take 2)/ Man I Love (take 3)/ Man I Love (take 4)/ Man I Love (take 5)/ Million Dollar Blues/ Moanin' Blues (no. 2)/ My Man Is Gone Again (take 1)/ My Man Is Gone Again (take 2- Incomplete)/ My Man Is Gone Again (take 3)/ Shout The Boogie (take 1- Incomplete)/ Shout The Boogie (take 2- Incomplete)/ Shout The Boogie (take 3- Incomplete)/ Shout The Boogie (take 4)/ Three Times Seven Blues/ Western Union

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Blue City 816 The Ultimate Memphis Slim Hits Collection ● CD $17.98
A collection of 29 tracks by the popular and prolific Memphis Slim - mostly from the 40s and early 50s with some of later vintage. In spite of the title, two of his biggest hits Blue And Lonesome and The Come Back are not included!. This is a decent introduction to Slim's music but the total lack of notes or discographical information doesnt do the neophyte collector any favors.

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Candid 79023 Memphis Slim's Tribute To Big Bill Broonzy & Others ● CD $11.98
Back in print. CD issue of LP originally issued in 1961. Slim pays homage to some of the great artists who influenced him or were his contemporaries with a selection of songs and tunes from the repertoire of Big Bill Broonzy, Leroy Carr, Cow Cow Davenport, Curtis Jones and Jazz Gillum. He is joined on guitar and harmonica by Arbee Stidham and Jazz Gillum respectively with Stidham taking two vocals and Gillum one.

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Candid 79024 Memphis Slim, U.S.A. ● CD $11.98
Reissue of rare Candid label recordings with Jazz Gillum and Arbee Stidham. 14 tunes totaling 47 minutes.
MEMPHIS SLIM: Bad Luck And Troubles/ Blue And Disgusted/ Born With The Blues/ El Capitan/ Harlem Bound/ I Believe I'll Settle Down/ I Just Landed In Your Town/ I'd Take Her To Chicago/ John Henry/ Just Let Me Be/ Late Afternoon Blues/ Memphis Slim U.S.A./ New Key To The Highway/ Red Haired Boogie

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Collectables 2892 Messin' Around With The Blues - The Very Best ● CD $15.98
Fine collection of 27 sides recorded in Chicago for Hy-Tone and Miracle between 1946 and 1948 including all his early R&B hits - Messin' Around/ Frisco Bay/ Blue And Lonesome/ Help Me Some and Angel Child. Fine vocals and piano from Slim with superb Chicago sidemen like Alex Atkins, Ernest Cotton, Big Crawford and others. Great music with decent sound though for a more comprehensive look at his 40s recordings you should check out the three volumes on Blues Collection (158 032, 159 862 and 160 142 - $11.98 each) which features all his 40s recordings in chronological order.
MEMPHIS SLIM: A Letter Home/ Angel Child/ Believe I'll Settle Down/ Blue And Lonesome/ Cheatin' Around/ Country Girl/ Darling I Miss You So/ Don't Ration Love/ Frisco Bay/ Grinder Man Blues/ Harlem Bound/ Help Me Some/ Kilroy Was Here/ Lend Me Your Love/ Life's Like That/ Little Mary/ Messin' Around/ Midnight Jump/ Mistake In Life/ Motherless Child/ Nobody Loves Me/ Now I Got The Blues/ Pacemaker Boogie/ Rocking The House/ Slim's Boogie/ Throw This Poor Dog A Bone/ Timsy's Whimsy

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Delmark 710 Memphis Slim USA ● CD $14.98
Some of Slim's finest recordings cut for United in 1954 with stunning guitar by Matt Murphy. Includes four previously unissued alternate takes.
MEMPHIS SLIM: Backbone Boogie/ Banana Oil/ Blue And Lonesome/ Blue And Lonesome (alternate)./ Blues All Around My Head/ Blues All Around My Head (alternate)/ For Years Of Torment/ Got To Find My Baby/ Got To Find My Baby/ Jive Time Bounce/ Little Piece Of Mind/ Memphis Slim Usa/ Memphis Slim Usa (alternate)/ Sassy Mae/ She's Alright/ She's Alright (alternate)/ Slim Was Just Kiddin'/ Two Of A Kind/ Wish Me Well

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Delmark 762 The Come Back ● CD $14.98
20 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
Delmark's second compilation of Slim's recordings for the United label in 1952 and '53 features the first two sessions for that label in their entirety plus two auditions. It includes 11 previously unissued tracks which are every bit as good as the issued sides. Throughout Slim's singing and piano work are powerful and expressive joined by the magnificent guitar work of Matt Murphy and hot sax work from Jim Conley. This set includes the first recorded vocal by Matt Murphy - the superb Cool Down Baby featuring a stunning guitar intro and outstanding vocals - too bad he didn't record any more vocals for many years. The two audition songs are fascinating and include an unusual and very effective treatment of the traditional Stewball. Superb sound and insightful notes by Dick Shurman round out an exceptional package. (FS)
MEMPHIS SLIM: 5 O'clock Blues/ 5 O'clock Blues (alternate Take)/ Back Alley/ Call Before You Go Home/ Cat Creeps (unissued)/ Come Back/ Come Back (alternate Take)(unissued)/ Cool Down Baby (unissued)/ I Love My Baby/ Living The Life I Love/ Midnight (unissued)/ Nat Dee Special/ Only A Fool Has Fun(unissued)/ She's Alright (alternate Take)(unissued)/ Shuffleboard (unissued)/ Smooth Sailin'/ St. Louis Woman (alternate Take)(unissued)/ Stewball (unissued)/ This Is My Lucky Day/ Two Of A Kind (alternate Take)(unissued)

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Fantasy 24705 Rainin' The Blues ● CD $17.98
Two Bluesville LPs from 1960 combined for this CD - one session with guitarist Lafayette Thomas and bass player Wendell Marshall and the other with Buster Brown on harmonica.
MEMPHIS SLIM: Angel Child/ Baby Doll/ Beer Drinking Woman/ Blue Brew/ Blue and Disgusted/ Brenda/ Darling, I miss you so/ Don't Think You're Smart/ Fast And Free/ Hey Slim/ Just Blues/ Lonesome Traveler/ Lucille/ Motherless Child/ My Baby Left ME/ Nice Stuff/ No Strain/ Rack 'em Back Jack/ Raining The Blues/ Teasing the Blues/ The I.C. Blues/ When Your Dough Roller Is Gone/ You're Gonna Need My Help One Day

 
MEMPHIS SLIM & SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON Hip-O DVD 03135 Live In Europe ● DVD $15.98
DVD, Black & White, 60 minutes, essential
As with their previous DVD releases, Experience Hendrix and Hip-O have again maintained their high standards. Ten of these performances were done in Brussels in 1963 for a television show with a backdrop 'staged' to resemble a nightclub. Memphis Slim is backed by Matt Murphy's riveting guitar and the rock steady drumming of Bill Stepney and is superb doing The Blues Is Everywhere/ All By Myself and Wish Me Well, among others. From the same taping, Sonny Boy Williamson offers I'm A Lonely Man/ Keep It To Yourself/ Your Funeral And My Trial, and a gripping solo rendition of Bye Bye Bird. Slim also contributes Rockin' The House and I'll Just Keep Singing The Blues from 1962 and '63 from AFBF performances (although not issued previously). Sonny Boy also hands in Who's Gonna Take Care Of You/ It's Raining Outdoors, and JFK Blues (from a Swedish short film), and while he is remarkable, he was saddled with two less than capable sidemen. Bonus footage includes Mae Mercer's Careless Love plus Otis Spann from Newport in 1960 doing Boogie Woogie Blues/ Slow Sweet Blues, and St. Louis Blues - supported by James Cotton, Pat Hare, Andrew Stephenson, and Francis Clay. While the quality of Spann's footage is less than pristine, the piano genius is in brilliant form. Essential viewing for all blues aficionados. (CR)

 
MEMPHIS SLIM & ROOSEVELT SYKES Maison De Blues 982 242 Double-Barreled Boogie ● CD $15.98
12 tracks plus conversation, 54 mins, highly recommended
What a delight! Two old friends and giants of blues piano siting in a studio in Paris reminsicing about old times in the South and Chicago and playing some wonderful piano duets - some with vocals by Slim and some by Sykes as well as a couple of driving instrumentals. The music is wonderful - the two work really well together on a a selection of mostly their own tunes as well as St. Louis Jimmy's Going Down Slow and the conversatio is full of wit and humor and some of the information might prove useful fodder to blues historians. This was originally issued on Barclay in 1970 and seems to have disappeared very quickly. This CD has a bonus track and includes notes by original producer Philippe Rault as well as transcriptions of the songs and conversations. A treasure! (FS)

 
MEMPHIS SLIM & BUDDY GUY Maison De Blues 982 274-3 Southside Reunion ● CD $15.98
10 tracks, 46 mins, highly recommended
Reissue of 1971 Barclay album with two bonus cuts. An excellent set of Chicago blues featuring singer/ pianist Memphis Slim accompanied by a solid band fronted by Buddy Guy with A.C. Reed appearaing on tenor sax on some cuts and Junior Wells providing some fine harp fills on others. The songs are mostly Slim originals along with a couple of blues standards and Buddy joins in on vocals on a couple of tracks as well as providing some tough guitar work. (FS)

 
MEMPHIS SLIM & CANNED HEAT Maison De Blues 982 274 Memphis Heat ● CD $15.98
Reissue of 1974 Barclay album where Slim is joined by Canned Heat and The Memphis Horns on songs like When I Were Young/ Black Cat Cross My Trail/ Down That Big Road/ Mother Earth/ Five LOng Years and more. This reissue includes a bonus unissued tune and a previously unissued alternate take of Five Long Years.

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Original Blues Classics OBCCD 507 All Kinds Of Blues ● CD $12.98
Recorded in 1961, this album was originally issued on Bluesville 1053, and features Memphis Slim alone with his piano. Three of the ten songs were written by Peter Chatman (Slim's real name); the other seven are traditional. Three instrumentals, Three In One Boogie/ The Blacks/ Frankie And Johnny Boogie are all strong and show off Slim's varied keyboard technique to best effect. Churnin' Man Blues is an extended sexual metaphor made so graphic that sailors and Prince fans will be made to blush like virgins. And If You See Kay, which spells trouble if you say it just fast enough, is a playful number that starts with the opening strains of Dragnet. As if that isn't enough, the excellent liner notes by LeRoi Jones (author of Blues People) have been reproduced from the original album. (JC)
MEMPHIS SLIM: 3-in-1 Boogie/ Blues is Troubles/ Churnin' Man Blues/ Frankie and Johnny Boogie/ Grinder Man Blues/ If You See Kay/ Letter Home/ Mother Earth/ The Blacks/ Two of a Kind

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Original Blues Classics 523 Steady Rolling Blues ● CD $12.98
1961 solo session with Slim playing organ on four cuts.
MEMPHIS SLIM: Big Legged Woman/ Celeste's Boogie/ Goin' Down Slow/ Mean Mistreater Mama/ Mr Freddie Boogie/ Rock Me Baby/ Soon This Morning/ Steady Rolling Blues/ Sweet Root Man/ Three Women Blues

 
MEMPHIS SLIM & WILLIE DIXON Original Blues Classics OBCCD 582 In Paris ● CD $12.98
13 tracks, 46 min., recommended
This 1962 live Paris recording by Memphis Slim & Willie Dixon features Dixon prominently, including his vocals on 8 original compositions. The titles include the intriguing (Do The) African Hunch With a Boogie Beat, and Do The Do, originally recorded about two months before by The Howlin' Wolf. As a treat, they also performed a version of Rockin' The House (retitled Rock And Rolling The House), a 1946 recording that represented the first time they recorded together. This French Polydor album, originally reissued in North America on Bill Grauer's Battle label, is finally available again after 30+ years of obscurity. It should be seriously considered by all you Willie Dixon fans. (EL)
MEMPHIS SLIM & WILLIE DIXON: African Hunch With A Boogie Beat/ All By Myself/ Baby Please Come Home/ Bay, Baby, Baby/ Cool Blooded/ Do De Do/ How Come You Do Me Like You Do/ Just You And I/ New Way To Love/ Pigalle Love/ Rock And Rolling The House/ Shame Pretty Girls/ The Way She Loves A Man

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Smithsonian Folkways 40128 The Folkways Years, 1959-1973 ● CD $15.98
A collection of 21 tracks recorded by this fine and prolific performer for Folkways between 1959 and 1973. Solo sides and collaborations with Willie Dixon, Arbee Stidham, Jazz Gillum, Matt Murphy and Pete Seeger. It features three previously unissued tracks including a boogie instrumental on the Hammond organ!

 
MEMPHIS SLIM Sunny Side 3025 Paris Mississippi Blues ● CD $19.98
2 CDs, 30 tracks, 115 minutes, highly recommended
A nicely packaged 2-CD compilation of Slim's works from between 1962 and 1975 with a lengthy list of major names accompanying. With Roosevelt Sykes, Sonny Criss, Willie Dixon, Mickey "Guitar" Baker, Buddy Guy, Peter Green, Canned Heat, Freddy King, and others stepping in to offer support, Memphis Slim's booming voice is out front while the track listing features Rock And Roll The House/ Baby Please Come Home/ Wish Me Well/ Black Cat Cross My Trail/ When Buddy Guy Comes To Town and many more. Originally issued on Barclay, Blue Star, Fontana and other imprints, this is a superb (near) two-hour set with complete session details and liner notes from Sebastian Danchin. (CR)

 

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