LATEST ADDITIONS  03/29/2017

BOOKS
PSEUDONYMS ON AMERICAN RECORDS, 1892-1942
THE BLUEBIRD DISCOGRAPHY VOL. 1

COMPACT DISCS
LUTHER ALLISON

RAY ANDERSON
EDDIE BO & CHRIS BARBER
THE CARTER SISTERS & MOTHER MAYBELLE
TOMMY COLLINS
EDNA GALLMON COOKE
THE CRICKETS
ERNIE K. DOE
CHAMPION JACK DUPREE
DAVID "HONEYBOY" EDWARDS
THE INDEPENDENTS

TOMMY LADNIER
JIMMY MCCRACKLIN
PATSY MONTANA
MOZAIK
TEX OWENS
THE RANDALL SISTERS
DON RICH & THE BUCKAROOS
THE SKATALITES
THE STANLEY BROTHERS
HOWARD TATE
DAVE VAN RONK
VARIOUS ARTISTS
O.V. WRIGHT


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Since our Second Time Around listings are so popular this list includes some great releases which have been out for a while but you may have missed them the first time we listed them.To avoid you getting possible duplicates we have added  asterisks (**) after these particular titles.
 

BOOKS

 
VINTAGE PHONOGRAPH ADVERTISING 1895-1925: From The Mainspring Archives by Allan Sutton ● BOOK $39.98
Softcover, 286 pages, counts as seven CDs for shipping
Drawn from the Mainspring Press archives this book presents some of the most interesting phono-related ads of the acoustic era, covering products from the commonly encountered to the impossibly rare.. You'll find the famous brands here - the Berliners, Edisons, Columbias, Victors, Zonophones, and the like - but also a fascinating array of long-forgotten (and now highly collectible) products, pictured in more than 280 professionally restored black-and-white ads, with informative captions. Chapters include: Phonographs for the Home; Import and Export Phonographs; Special-Use Machines; Phonograph and Record Cabinets; Cylinder and Disc Records and more.

 
THE BLUEBIRD DISCOGRAPHY VOL. 1: The 1800, B-4900,B-5000 A Nd B-6000 Series by John Bolig ● BOOK $45.98
Softcover, 442 pages, counts as nine CDs for shipping
The Bluebird Discography covers the first five years of domestic releases in RCA's popular budget-priced line (1932-1936). The data in this discography were compiled from the original Victor Talking Machine Co., RCA Victor, and Gramophone Company recording ledgers and production files. To preserve the integrity of this original company data, no undocumented, speculative, or anecdotal material appears. This volume also includes details for all Victor source recordings (in the case of reissued material) as well as all authorized issues on corresponding subsidiary, client, and foreign labels in 78-rpm format, including Electradisk, Montgomery Ward, Sunrise, Timely Tunes, Regal-Zonophone, and His Master's Voice, among others. Pirated reissues are not included. Other data include recording and release dates, recording locations and studio names, master and take numbers, details of dubbed recordings, identification of pseudonymous or uncredited artists, composer and show/film credits, medley contents, and other fine details. With an illustrated history of Bluebird and the other RCA budget labels, user's guide, and artists and title indexes. During this period the label issued thousands of recordings of blues, jazz, old time country and details of all these recordings is included her.

   

COMPACT DISCS

 
LUTHER ALLISON Inak 9015 Hand Me Down My Moonshine ● CD $15.98 $8.98
12 tracks, recommended
Best known for his high energy electric blues this set shows that Luther was also fine in a more traditionally oriented setting. Most of the tracks here were recorded in 1992 in Luther's living room with Luther singing and playing acoustic guitar accompanied on acoustic bass and occasional second guitar or harmonica. Luther's singing and playing are fine throughout - I particularly like some of the slower numbers like Lightning Bolt and Stay With Me where his playing has echos of the acoustic playing of Eddie Taylor or Jimmy Rogers. Most of the songs are originals - his cover of Rogers' You're The One features some nice slide guitar by son Bernard. (FS)

 
RAY ANDERSON B.A.C.M. 553 With The Tennesseee Mountaineers & The Homefolks ● CD $14.98
26 tracks, highly recommended
Splendid collection of honky tonk country from West Virginia born Ray Anderson recorded for a variety of labels between 1950 and 1958. Ray was an excellent singer and songwriter, strongly influenced by Hank Williams (hard to go wrong with that!) and although many of the songs here are originals he does fine versions of Hank's Take THese Chains From My Heart and Ramblin' Man. There are a couple of fine topical novelties in the form of Stalin Kicked The Bucket and Sputniks and Mutniks and his recitation The World Lost A Star is a tribute to his hero Hank Williams. Personnel on most of the sessions is unknown but there is fine fiddle, guitar and mandolin playing featured and a couple of tracks are known to feature Bobby & Sonny Osborne and Wayne Raney. (FS)
RAY ANDERSON: (I Finally Found) The Girl Of My Dreams/ At Last/ Building On The Sands/ Cryin' A River/ Death Is Only A Dream/ Don't Wait No Longer (Poor Sinner)/ Draft Board Blues/ Dreaming/ Forgotten Grave/ I'm Gonna Leave You/ I'm Lonely Because/ It's A Doggone Shame/ Just Wait And See/ Living Too Fast/ No Good At Lyin'/ Once Sweethearts/ Ramblin' Man/ Sputniks And Mutniks/ Stalin Kicked The Bucket/ Take These Chains From My Heart/ The World Lost A Star/ Those Old Hands/ What Would The Profit Be/ When The Saints Go Marching In/ You Can't Break A Heart That's Been Broken/ You're The Two Timing Kind

 
EDDIE BO & CHRIS BARBER Last Music Co. 203 The 1991 Sea-Saint Sessions ● CD $15.98
9 tracks, highly recommended
In 1991, while in town backing Dr. John, legendary British band leader Chris Barber got together with New Orleans stalwart Eddie Bo for two impromptu sessions to cut these songs. The tapes sat in Barber's archive until 2015 and this release. Including remakes of Tell it Like it Is and Every Dog Got His Day from Bo's Ric & Ron days, this is a lively collection of tunes with enthusiastic playing from the crack Crescent City musicians (including Wayne Bennett on guitar) and Barber on Trombone, and Bo's still expressive voice in the forefront. Bo lets it all hang out vocally on Careless Love/ Every Dog Got His Day, and Wake Up, while his version of You Are So Beautiful gives Joe Cocker a run for his money. This CD may not change anyone's life, but R&B fans should rejoice in its' rescue from archive obscurity and pick up a copy. (GMC)

 
THE CARTER SISTERS & MOTHER MAYBELLE B.A.C.M. 176 LE: Complete Original Recordings, 1949-1952** ● CD $14.98
27 tracks, 74 mins, highly recommended
Country Routes have reissued three CDs of radio transcriptions by this fine group but this is the first of two CDs to feature all their commercial recordings featuring 27 tracks recorded between February 1949 and November 1952. The earlier sides feature the distinctive guitar work of Chet Atkins. The last seven tracks recorded in 1952 features the group performing fine versions of songs from the Carter Family repertoire with Mother Maybelle on autoharp and also providing some of her distinctive and highly influential guitar playing. Their renditions of He's Solid Gone and You Are My Flower are highlights here. (FS)
THE CARTER SISTERS & MOTHER MAYBELLE: (This Is) Someone's Last Day/ A Picture A Ring And A Curl/ A Trinket Of Shiny Gold/ Blue Skies And Sunshine/ Columbus, GA/ Don't Wait/ Down On My Knees/ Fair And Tender Ladies/ Foggy Mountain Top/ God Sent My Little Girl/ Gotta Find Me Somebody To Love/ He's Solid Gone/ I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow/ I Never Will Marry/ I've Got A Home Up In Glory/ I've Got My Share Of Trouble/ Little Orphan Girl/ Sun's Gonna Shine In My Back Door/ The Day Of Wrath/ The Day They Laid Mary Away/ Walk A Little Closer/ Weep, Dear Willow?/ Wildwood Flower/ Willow, Will You Weep For Me/ You Are My Flower

 
TOMMY COLLINS B.A.C.M. 165 Think It Over Boys** ● CD $14.98
25 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
Splendid collection of honky tonk country, novelty songs and the occasional gospel number from this brilliant singer and songwriter and pioneer of the Bakersfield sound. Recorded between 1953 and 1956 and accompanied by musicians like Buck Owens, Roy Nichols, Ralph Mooney, "Fuzzy" Owen and others he performs songs (nearly all self written) like Let Me Love You/ High On A Hilltop/ No Love Have I/ I'll Be Gone/ What Kind Of Sweetheart Are You/ Those Old Love Letters From You/ Feet Of The Traveler/ Think It Over Boys/ Upon This Rock and others. This set also includes his worst song - the utterly stupid Boob I Lak but one dud out of 25 isn't bad. (FS)
TOMMY COLLINS: A Man We Ought To Know/ Are You Ready To Go/ Boob I Lak/ Feet Of The Traveler/ High On A Hilltop/ I Always Get A Souvenir/ I Guess I'm Crazy/ I Love You More And More Each Day/ I Think Of You Yet/ I Wish I Had Died In My Cradle/ I'll Always Speak Well Of You/ I'll Be Gone/ Let Down/ Let Me Love You/ Love A Me S'il Vous Plait/ No Love Have I/ Smooth Sailin'/ That's The Way Love Is/ There'll Be No Other/ Think It Over Boys/ Those Old Love Letters From You/ Untied/ Upon This Rock/ Wait A Little Longer/ What Kind Of Sweetheart Are You

 
EDNA GALLMON COOKE Gospel Friend 1511 Rare Recordings, 1948-1966 ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, very highly recommended
Edna Gallmon Cooke was a truly superb gospel singer from Columbia, South Carolina who recorded prolifically between 1949 and hear death in 1967. Her delicate high soprano influenced a legion of singers and was once labeled "The Gospel Queen Of The Potomac". A skilled practitioner of the song-sermonette, Madame Cooke could and did create eerie exhortations to virtue centering on illness, gambling, and death. Her musical parables were often accompanied by illustrious quartet backing, either by the Radio Four, The Singing Sons and others. Some time ago Acrobat put out a two CD set of Madame Edna's recordings (Acrobat 3133 - $16.98) and this superb set duplicates only a couple of cuts. THis set opens with her two earliest sides cut for the obscure Merit label in 1948 and then continues on with sides for DeLuxe, Regal, Gospel (with superb backing from the Young People's Choir of Springfield Baptist Church), Republic and Nashboro where she remained until her premature death in 1967. Most of the tracks are from the period 1948 through 1957 but the set ends with three tracks from her last LP from 1966 showing that she was still an incredibly powerful and compelling singer including a gorgeous rendition of Thomas Dorsey's Remember Me with some fabulous improvisation around the melody line. Excellent sound and informative 12 page booklet round out another great album from this adventurous Swedish label. (FS)

 
THE CRICKETS Jasmine 939 Please Don't Ever Change, 1961-1962 ● CD $14.98
34 tracks, very good
The recordings here were made for Liberty between 1961 and '65 by which time they were a long way, stylistically, from their Buddy Holly days. The basic line up features Jerry Naylor/ vocals, Sonny Curtis/ guitar, Glen D. Hardin/ pno and Jerry Allison/ dms with various other musicians dropping in on various tracks. The songs are a mixture of rock 'n roll standards (What'd I Say/ Blueberry Hill/ Summertime Blues/ Love Is Strange) and more contemporary material, some of which were big hits in England (My Little Girl/ Don't Ever Change/ I'm Not A Bad Guy, etc. Many of the songs have a limpid "pop" feel to them thanks to producer Snuff Garrett's love of soppy strings. In addition to the Crickets own tracks there are songs backing Bobby Vee, Jerry Naylor's solo sides and more. (FS)

 
ERNIE K. DOE Playback 8506 Don't Kill My Groove - The Complete Duke Singles, 1964-1970 ● CD $14.98
18 tracks, highly recommended
Everyone knows Ernie K-Doe from his work with New Orleans whiz-kid Allen Toussaint during the early 60's recorded for the Minit, Janus, and Instant imprints. However, this compilation represents the first time K-Doe's singles recorded for Duke have been collected on CD. After he split from Toussaint in 1964, he signed with Don Robey's Duke label and cut these nine singles, one of which, Later For Tomorrow, became a Top 40 R&B hit in 1967. As good as the latter song is, there's no reason why the likes of Little Bit of Everything (backed with the old - fashioned sounding Someone), Don't Kill My Groove/ Until the Real Thing Comes Along, and How Sweet You Are shouldn't have similarly clicked with the R&B buying public. Regardless, this collection is a valuable piece of Ernie K-Doe's recording legacy and it's nice to have all his Duke sides in one place. NB, some of these tracks have appeared across the "Duke of Soul" series of CDs. (GMC)

 
CHAMPION JACK DUPREE Made In Germany 90742 Live At Rockpalaast - Cologne 1980 ● CD $21.98
DVD+ 2 CDs, 18 tracks, 120 mins, recommended
 In 1959 the great singer and piano player Champion Jack Dupree left the USA to make his home in Europe where he was not subject to the racism so prevalent in his home country. He toured throughout Europe for the rest of his life (he died in 1992) playing concerts and recording prolifically and becoming much loved figure with his fine music and his lively and, sometimes raunchy, sense of humor. This DVD/ CD set was recorded live at the Rockpalaast in Cologne, Germany in July 1980. Jack is in typcally fine form with a mix of barrelhouse blues, boogie, stories and jokes. The material is a mix of originals and covers of blues favorites that become totally Jack's own. Songs include I Don't Know/ Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee/ Jack's Pinetop Boogie/ Bad Luck/ Down By the Riverside/ It's Now Or Never and more. He is accompanied on electric guitar by his regular playing companion of the time Kenn Lending who does a fine job but who's presence seems unnecessary - we're not talking Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell here. For Salt Pork, West Virginia they are joined by Ramblin' Jack Elliot on acoustic guitar and vocals. Overall a good set with the ability to actual watch Jack in performance being its prime asset. (FS)

 
DAVID "HONEYBOY" EDWARDS Omnivore 1410 I'm Gonna Tell You Something I Know - Live At The G Spot ● CD $21.98
DVD - 10 tracks, 79 mins/ CD - 10 tracks, 64 mins, strongly recommended
David "Honeyboy" Edwards who died in 2011 at the age of 96 was the last of the Mississippi country bluesmen who grew up in the 1920s and knew people like Charley Patton and Robert Johnson. He spent much of life in Chicago where he was regular performer. The live set was recorded in 2010 when David was 95 - he performs solo and with a small group doing a selection of Mississippi and Chicago blues standards - Ride With Me Tonight/ Little Boy Blue/ Goin' Down Slow/ Catfish Blues Sweet Home Chicago, etc. Considering Honeyboy's advanced years his playing is fine - a bit erratic at times - but the real down home blues. The accompanying band do a solid and sympathetic job. The DVD and CD are mostly the same but the DVD includes a delightful 20 minute segment at the end where Honeyboy talks about life, his music and the many people he knew. The CD includes a bonus version That's Alright with the band. (FS)

 
THE INDEPENDENTS Kent CDKEND 448 Just As Long - The Complete Wand Recordings, 1972-74 ● CD $18.98
22 tracks, highly recommended
The Independents were a 70's R&B vocal group formed by songwriter/producers Charles Jackson and Marvin Yancy (they were later best known for Natalie Cole's 1975 breakthrough LP "Inseparable"), and based in Chicago. Prior to forming the Independents, Jackson and Yancy were part of Jerry Butler's Black Writers Workshop and had contributed songs to Butler's post-Gamble & Huff solo albums. The group clicked with the public immediately through their first single, Just as Long as You Need Me, which hit #8 on the R&B charts in 1972. From there the hits kept on coming: I Just Want to Be There/ Baby I've Been Missing You/ It's All Over, and The First Time We Met all did well on the R&B charts and had some Top 40 action. However, the group's only #1 R&B hit, Leaving Me, was their only Top 20 pop hit. The group's style was typical of 70's soul vocal groups: ballad heavy with lots of orchestral sweetening and spoken passages, ala The Chi-Lites, but the addition of a female voice-courtesy of Helen Curry - did make them stand out a bit from the pack. The group only cut two LPs - "The First Time We Met" (1972) and "Chuck, Helen, Eric, Maurice" (1973) - and all the tracks from both are here, along with a 1975 remix of the B-side of Leaving Me, the proto-Disco I Love You, Yes I Do. These cuts are tasty mid-70's R&B/soul and would be a welcome addition to any soul fan's music library. (GMC)

 
TOMMY LADNIER Fabulous 2061 The Tommy Ladnier Collection, 1923-1939 ● CD $9.98
Two CDs, 47 tracks, strongly recommended
Although Tommy Ladnier may not be a familiar name - he only recorded a few sides as a leader - he was a superb New Orleans trumpeter and cornetist - said by some to be second only Louis Armstrong. This set opens up with him a member of Ollie Powers' Harmony Syncopaters on Play That Thing. He then joined the great group led by pianist Lovie Austin as member of her Blues Serenaders along with clarinetist Jimmy O'Bryant and in addition to their instrumentals are also featured accompanying blues singers Ida Cox, Edmonia Henderson (her Black Man Blues is a real gem), Ma Rainey & Priscilla Stewart. Between 1926 and '32 he was in The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, The Dixie Stompers, Noble Sissle and His Orch., and The New Orleans Feetwarmers. He was largely absent from recording during the mid 30s but in 1938 he worked with Mezz Mezzrow & His Orch., his own orchestra (with Mezzrow, Sidney Bechet, Teddy Bunn and others), the Mezzrow/ Ladnier Quintet and in January, 1939 appeared at the Spirituals To Swing Concert with J.P. Johnson & His Hep Cats accompanying blues singer Rosetta Crawford. These were to be his last recordings as he died four months later of a heart attack at the early age of 39. A fine collection marred only by rough sound on some of the earliest sides. Includes informative notes and discographical details. (FS)

 
JIMMY MCCRACKLIN Jasmine 3080 Hear MY Story - Selected Recordings, 1956-1962 ● CD $17.98
Two CDs, 58 tracks, essential
First - a couple of minor quibbles. The title indicates that the recordings here cover the period 1956 through 1962 - however it includes 18 tracks from 1952, '54 and '55. Also the tracks are presented more or less in reverse chronological rather than in chronological order. None of this takes away from the quality of the music here which is utterly superb. Jimmy McCracklin was a wonderful and underrated bluesman - a fabulous singer, fine piano player and brilliant songwriter (all but a handful of tracks here are original compositions). McCracklin started recording in 1945 and was an active performer until a few years before his death in 2012 and continued his popularity with an African-American audience through the 1980s. He adapted his style to suit the times but without straying very far from the blues. Many of his early recordings through 1955 are featured on the four CD set JSP 7789 ("Blues Blasters Boogie" - $28.98) which is equally indispensible. About a dozen cuts on this set duplicate the JSP. Jimmy is accompanied by tremendous bands which usually includes Willie Kizart or Wild Willie Moore on tenor sax, Johnny Parker on alto sax and the incredible guitarist Lafayette Thomas who provides some spactacular guitar solos. The earliest sides here from 1952 and 1954 were recorded for Peacock - all ten issued sides and seven originally unissued - all superb. Between 1955 and 1961 he recorded for the great Bay Area producer Bob Geddins on a variety of different labels at different times including his R&B his Just Got To Know. In 1957 and '58 he recorded for the Chess subsidiary Checker where he had his biggest hit with the dance song The Walk which crossed over into the pop charts. He made a few unsuccesful attempts to duplicate the success of The Walk with similarly dance themed numbers but most of his Checker was typically fine McCracklin blues and R&B. In 1958 he joined Mercury where he stayed for a couple of years - these are the least satisfying recordings here - recorded in New York without his usual band it's clear that Mercury tried a little too hard to repeat the chart success of The Walk. These are not bad, by any means, just not up to the standard of the rest of the recordings here. Sound quality is excellent and there are informative notes by Bob Fisher and full discographical details. (FS)

 
PATSY MONTANA B.A.C.M. 174 I'm Heading West To Texas** ● CD $14.98
26 tracks, 72 mins, highly recommended
26 fine sides by the original "cowboy's sweetheart" herself ranging from her 1933 recording Homesick For My Old Cabin from one of her first sessions when she was recording under her real name of Rubye Blevins to her 1948 recording of Slap 'Er Down Again, Paw. The material her features both commercial recordings and radio transcriptions - the former feature top notch accompaniments from The Pairie Ramblers, The Sons Of The Pioneers or The Light Crust Doughboys. Sidemen on the 1945 transcriptions are unknown but do a fine job. (FS)
PATSY MONTANA: A Cowboy Honeymoon/ A Rip Snortin' Two Gun Gal/ Big Moon/ Blanket Me With Western Skies/ Blazin' The Trail/ Deep In The Heart Of Texas/ Dream On Little Cowboy/ Give Me A Home In Montana/ Goodbye Little Pinto/ Homesick For My Old Cabin/ I Don't Want Anyone But You/ I Found My Cowboy Sweetheart/ I'll Be Waiting For You Darlin'/ I'll Keep On Wishing For You/ I'll Wait For You/ I'm A Ridin' Up Old Kentucky Mountain/ I'm Goin' West To Texas/ I'm Gonna Have A Cowboy Wedding/ Old Black Mountain Trail/ Ridin' Old Paint/ Slap 'Er Down Again Paw/ Sunny San Antone/ That's Where The West Begins/ When I Found You In Montana/ Yellow Moon Keep Shining/ Your Own Sweet Darling Wife

 
MOZAIK Compass 4468 Changing Trains** ● CD $16.98
10 tracks, very highly recommended
Second (and sadly last) album by this outstanding multi-national folk group is a studio recordings. The blend of nations provides a richly textured and original sound and though I'm not always fond of multi cultural collaborations these folks get it right with effortless and always appropriate transitions between musical styles. There are five vocals by Andy whose voice seems to have lost none of the power, beauty and expressiveness that it had 35 years earlier when his career was first starting, two by Bruce Molsky and one by Donal. Andy's O'Donoghue's find Andy revisiting his early days in Dublin and the pub where he and so many other great musicians would hang out and play - a lovely and whimsical tribute. I don't think Donal has taken lead vocal very often but his performance of the Gaelic song Siun Ni Dhuibhir is a real gem and the instrumental passages in the song are exquisite. (FS)

 
TEX OWENS B.A.C.M. 551 Live On Red Horse Ranch Radio Shows, 1935 ● CD $14.98
40 tracks, recommended
Tex Owens was a fine Western singer and songwriter - best known for composing and making the first recording of the much recorded Cattle Call. He only recorded a few cuts commercially and these were available on a now out of print Bear Family CD. The recordings here are drawn from a series of radio shows broadcast over KMBC in Chicago. Most of the cuts feature Tex alone with his guitar on a selection of traditional western songs along with some originals (including two performances of Cattle Call ) and some covers of other artist's songs. Tex was a very appealing vocalist and songs featured include A Rustler's Warning/ Down That Rocky Mountain Trail/ Yodeling Ranger/ Rockin' Alone In An Old Rockin' Chair/ The Girl I Left Behind Me/ On The Banks Of A Lonely River and more. A number of performances are incomplete - hence the large number of titles. Sound quality is generally good though the presence of digital noise reduction artifacts is annoying. Detailed notes by Kevin Coffey. (FS)
TEX OWENS: A Beautiful Life/ A Rustler's Warning/ A Slice Of Bacon/ An Empty Cot In The Bunkhouse Tonight/ At The Head Of The Drawl/ Beautiful Colorado/ Blarney In The Chicken Coop/ Bring Back My Buddy To Me/ Broken Engagement/ Cattle Call-1/ Cattle Call-2/ Climbing Up The Golden Stairs/ Cookie's Blues (v. Eddie “Cookie” Edwards)/ Down That Rocky Mountain Trail-1/ Down That Rocky Mountain Trail-2/ Fornortaling Town (Old Grey Mare-1)/ Fornortaling Town (Old Grey Mare-2)/ Get Along Home Cindy/ Good Old Turnip Greens/ I'll Remember You Love In My Prayers/ Johnny Much Ado/ Nellie Dare (two Lovers)/ New Strawberry Roan/ Nickety Nakkety Now/ On The Banks Of A Lonely River/ On The Old Circle B/ Red Roses Bring Memories Of You/ Ridin’ Down That Old Texas Trail/ Rockin’ Alone In An Old Rockin' Chair/ Roll On Silvery Moon/ Slow Up Dogies/ Swanee River/ The Girl I Left Behind Me/ The Lone Cowboy/ Train Whistle Blues-1/ Train Whistle Blues-2/ When The Cactus Is In Bloom/ Yodel/ Yodel Blues/ Yodeling Ranger

 
THE RANDALL SISTERS B.A.C.M. 552 AKA Aaron Sisters - On Air, 1934 ● CD $14.98
37 tracks, strongly recommended
A delightful and fascinating collection. The Randall Sisters were a trio from Mississippi featuring Ora Shirley, Bonnelle Geneva and Mary Ruth Aaron. They made a handful of recordings in 1932 as The Aaron Sisters but by the time of these radio transcriptions they had adopted the name The Randall Sisters. The group was not strictly speaking a country group though they did some country songs - sometimes with an annoying exaggerated Southern accent. They also did blues and pop songs and stylistically they are probably closer to The Boswell Sisters than The Girls of The Golden West though lacking the improvisations of the Boswells. Most of the tracks are either acapella or just accompanied by acoustic guitar. Songs include I Like MOuntain Music/ Peek A Boo/ She Came Rolling Down The Mountain/ St. Louis Blues/ Hand Me Down My Walking Cane/ Stormy Weather/ Dear Old Daddy/ Old Pal Of Yesterday, etc. Sound quality is excellent and there are informative notes by Kevin Coffey. (FS)
THE RANDALL SISTERS: A Cowboy's Life/ Broadway's Gone Hillbilly/ Careless Love/ Dear Old Daddy/ Down The Trail Of Dreams/ Goodbye My Darlin' I Must Leave You/ Hand Me Down My Walking Cane/ How'm I Doin'/ I Like Mountain Music/ I Love You Best Of All/ In A House At The End Of The Lane/ In My Dear Old Southern Home/ In That Good Old Country Town/ It's Time To Sing Sweet Adeline Again/ I’m Gettin' Ready To Go/ I’m So Glad/ Left My Gal In The Mountains/ Little Shack In The Lane/ Meet Me Somewhere In Dreams/ My Arkansas Sweetheart/ My Blue Ridge Mountain Home/ Oh Monah/ Old Pal Of Yesterday/ Old Virginia Moon/ Peek A Boo/ Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet/ She Came Rollin' Down The Mountain/ She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain/ Sippin' Cider/ St Louis Blues (Handy)/ Stormy Weather/ That Naughty Waltz/ The Last Roundup/ Tie Me To Your Apron Strings Again/ Twenty One Years/ Underneath A Pagan Moon/ When You're Looking Through The Window

 
DON RICH & THE BUCKAROOS Sundazed 11091 Country Pickin' - The Don Rich Anthology** ● CD $17.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
When he was 18, guitarist/ fiddler/ singer Rich teamed up with Buck Owens & would eventually lead The Buckaroos for the rest of his short life. He died in a bike accident in '74 at the age of 32, which was the beginning of Buck's spiral down, not to be picked up again until he teamed with another young buck, Dwight Yoakum. Rich's sound was the sound of The Buckaroos, & this set highlights Rich's showcases on the multitude of Buckaroos solo LPs, as well as the hit instrumental Buckaroo with the boss present. Whether honky-tonk vocals, hot guitar instrumentals or fiddle breakdowns, Rich's distinctive style shines through on such tunes as I'm Layin' It On The Line/ Happy-Go-Lucky Guitar/ Tim-Buck-Too/ Bakersfield Breakdown/ Round Hole Guitar, etc. Many tributes to Don written by Buck, Merle Haggard, Chris Hillman & the Buckaroos. (GM)

 
THE SKATALITES Studio One 006 Foundation Ska ● CD $19.98
2 CDs, 32 tracks, essential
A supergroup comprising the cream of Jamaica's music scene during the 50's and early 60's, the Skatalites only lasted 14 months or so from their formation in 1964. However, their influence on ska music, which later mutated into rocksteady and then reggae, is immense-and the seeds of that influence is contained on these 32 songs. Under the guidance of Jamaican producing legend Coxsone Dodd, the group recorded instrumentals under their own name as well as backed others like Bob Marley and the Original Wailers, Ken Boothe, Roland Alphonso, and Jackie Opel. Christine Keeler/ Simmer Down (with Marley), Fidel Castro/ Addis Ababa, and Scandal Ska are just the tip of the iceberg and demonstrate the musicians' skills admirably. Although the Skatalities reformed in 1983 and continue to this day (with none of the original members), it is this time period and these recordings that cement their reputation. And even though this is not a definitive Skatalites compilation (as it contains none of their Treasure Isle work), it is still an essential primer on the true sound of ska music. NB. This collection was originally issued in 1997 and this version has had some tracks removed and some added; and although some important tracks were removed, the overall integrity of the set is preserved. (GMC)

 
THE STANLEY BROTHERS Rebel 1110 Long Journey Home** ● CD $13.98
16 tracks, 37 mins, very highly recommended
Fabulous collection of recordings from 1964 made for the Baltimore label Wango and issued as by John's Country Quartet (The Stanleys were under contract to King at the time) and subsequently reissued on County in the early 70s. Traditional bluegrass at its best with most of tracks just featuring Ralph, Carter and the wonderful guitarist George Shuffler who provides some gorgeous flatpick solos. Among the highlights are a spine chilling rendition of Will You Miss Me and a fabulous solo by Ralph on Pretty Polly but it's all great with great performances I'll Be True To The One I Love/ Two More Years And I'll Be Free/ Pig In A Pen/ Nine Pound Hammer/ Wild And Reckless Hobo/ Mountain Pickin' and others. Booklet includes new notes by Bill Vernon. (FS)

 
HOWARD TATE Playback 502 I Learned It All The Hard Way ● CD $14.98
29 tracks, very highly recommended
Howard Tate, despite making his name with Ain't Nobody Home in 1966 and staging a successful comeback in 2001, remains an under-the-radar R&B artist. He's best known by soul collectors for his mid - 60's recordings with producer/songwriter Jerry Ragovoy for Verve. This collection contains the highlights of his original career run from 66' to 1976 - as well as his 2003 remake of his best known recording to a mainstream audience, Get it While You Can - cutting sides for Verve, Turntable, Atlantic, Epic, and HT. Tate possessed a supple voice and a smooth delivery, similar to Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Marvin Gaye and used it to good effect on the likes of Half a Man, the sparkling original version of Get it While You Can/ Ain't Nobody Home/ Baby, I Love You (not Aretha's version), Shoot 'Em All Down , and I Learned it All the Hard Way. Although it's the Verve tracks that are coveted, Tate doesn't lose any of his mojo on the later Turntable and Atlantic cuts, as Where Did My Baby Go and My Soul's Got a Hole in It will attest. And while Hip-O Select issued a definitive collection of the Verve era (long out of print), this is the first compilation to include Tate's later recordings and that is what makes this set more than worth owning if you're a soul fan. (GMC)

 
DAVE VAN RONK Echoes 2078 Live ... Bryn Mawr ● CD $11.98
13 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
Dave Van Ronk is in fine form, raspy and rambunctious, on this 1978 broadcast on WIOQ 102.1 FM of a February live performance at the legendary club The Main Point in Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania. Van Ronk is playing solo, with just his acoustic guitar; he's loose, joking with the audience and in no hurry to get to one song from the last, occasionally out of tune, but always sincere. So basically just the kind of live recording that you want from him. Highlights include Pastures of Plenty/ Head Inspector/ As You Make Your Bed (boy, he beats up his guitar on this one) 2-19 Blues, and Sportin' Life Blues. Plus this includes the original DJ intro and outro, which I love hearing. CD comes with extensive liner notes, and some rare photos, though it would be nice to see a Dave Van Ronk CD come out that didn't mention Bob Dylan or have pictures of the two of them together, Van Ronk's legend in strong enough without always bringing up his famous and more successful friends. (JM)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1488 Chartbusters USA - Special Country Edition ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
The latest edition of the Chartbusters USA series puts the spotlight on crossover Country hits from the years 1964 to 1969. Each of these 24 tracks was a Billboard Top 100 chart entry, with a handful making it into the Top 40. Of course, it goes without saying that each was also a hit on the Country charts; some were even massive hits. However, it's telling that some of the greatest Country chart successes - as in #1 or top 5 placings - just scraped into the Hot 100, George Jones' immortal The Race is On and Jerry Lee Lewis' What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me) for example. And then there's the songs with undeniable pop appeal that couldn't miss, such as Jeannie C. Riley's sassy and zeitgeist catching Harper Valley PTA, The Statler Brothers' endlessly catchy Flowers On the Wall, and Roger Miller's irrepressible Chug-A-Lug - all were Top 10 pop smashes. And while the likes of Merle Haggard's satiric Okie From Muskogee, Glen Campbell's poignant I Wanna Live, and Henson Cargill's morality tale Skip A Rope were middling Top 40 successes, the quality of each should have guaranteed more mainstream acceptance. And that's true of many of the songs here; who can say why Roger Miller clicked with a funny story song and Del Reeves (with his similarly amusing Girl on the Billboard) barely scraped the Top 100. In the end, perhaps it doesn't matter because what we have here is a solid collection of certified mid to late 60's Country hits that happened to appeal to pop music buyers on some level, that sounds great and is worth owning. (GMC)
EDDY ARNOLD: Make the World Go Away/ CHET ATKINS: Yakety Axe/ BOBBY BARE: Miller's Cave/ GLEN CAMPBELL: I Wanna Live/ HENSON CARGILL: Skip a Rope/ JOHNNY CASH: Understand Your Man/ TOMMY CASH: Six White Horses/ JIMMY DEAN: The First Thing Ev'ry Morning (And the Last Thing Ev'ry Night)/ MERLE HAGGARD: Okie from Muskogee/ DAVID HOUSTON: Almost Persuaded/ GEORGE JONES: The Race Is on/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)/ ROGER MILLER: Chug-A-Lug/ BUCK OWENS: I've Got a Tiger By the Tail/ CHARLEY PRIDE: All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)/ DEL REEVES: Girl on the Billboard/ JIM REEVES: Distant Drums/ JEANNIE C. RILEY: Harper Valley P.T.A/ MARTY ROBBINS: Begging to You/ BILLIE JO SPEARS: Mr. Walker, It's All Over/ THE STATLER BROTHERS: Flowers on the Wall/ PORTER WAGONER: The Carroll County Accident/ HANK WILLIAMS JR.: Long Gone Lonesome Blues/ TAMMY WYNETTE: Singing My Song

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1491 Rock and Roll Music! - The Songs Of Chuck Berry ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, very highly recommended
Some called Chuck Berry the real King of Rock 'n' Roll (as opposed to that upstart Elvis Presley) and it's hard not to agree when one considers his songwriting catalog: Roll Over Beethoven/ Sweet Little Sixteen/ Back in the USA/ No Money Down/ You Never Can Tell/ No Particular Place to Go and on and on. And here on this compilation are twenty-four examples of the man's genius as interpreted by other artists; everyone from contemporaries (Jerry Lee Lewis putting his unmistakable imprint on Little Queenie; Buddy Holly galloping through Brown Eyed Handsome Man) to British Invasion disciples (The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Hollies) and 60's Garage bands (The Remains, Syndicate of Sound) to Country artists (Dwight Yoakam, Marty Robbins) and rockabilly revivalists (Dave Edmunds, Sleepy LaBeef). If nothing else, this set proves how adaptable Berry's songs are to different genres, whether it's Ken Colyer's skiffle take on Down Bound Train or Ian Gomm's New Wave brooding on Come On. Biggest surprises: Don Covay giving Memphis a reggae shuffle, Elvis with a tidy sprint through Too Much Monkey Business, and Santana's Latin spin on Havana Moon with Booker T. Jones on vocals. Sure there's a dud or two (Jay & the Americans provide a rather lifeless Johnny B. Goode and I've always found the Beach Boys' version of Rock and Roll Music kinda pedestrian), but the good far outweighs the bad and this is a solid representation of a master songwriter/ guitarist/ performer who, as of this writing, has passed into the Promised Land. God Bless Chuck Berry. (GMC)
THE BEACH BOYS: Rock and Roll Music/ THE BUNCH: Nadine (Is It You)/ KEN COLYER'S SKIFFLE GROUP: Down Bound Train/ THE COUNT BISHOPS: Beautiful Delilah/ DON COVAY: Memphis Tennessee/ HELENE DIXON: Roll Over Beethoven/ DAVE EDMUNDS: The Promised Land/ IAN GOMM: Come On/ JOHN HAMMOND: No Money Down/ THE HOLLIES: Sweet Little Sixteen/ BUDDY HOLLY: Brown-Eyed Handsome Man/ JAY AND THE AMERICANS: Johnny B Goode/ SLEEPY LABEEF: You Can't Catch Me/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Little Queenie/ MC5: Back in the USA/ ELVIS PRESLEY: Too Much Monkey Business/ THE PRETTY THINGS: Oh Baby Doll/ JOHN PRINE: You Never Can Tell/ THE REMAINS: I'm Talking About You/ MARTY ROBBINS: Maybellene/ CARLOS SANTANA (VOCAL: BOOKER T): Havana Moon/ THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS: Around & Around/ SYNDICATE OF SOUND: Almost Grown/ DWIGHT YOAKAM: Run Rudolph Run

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat 7108 America's Greatest Hits of 1942 ● CD $24.98
4 CDs, 85 tracks, 262 mins, highly recommended
"What makes a lady of 80 go out on a loose? What makes the gander meander in search of a goose? What puts the kick in the chicken, the magic in June?" it's just Elmer's Tune, by Glenn Miller, which you would know if you had this collection of 1942's greatest pop hits. How can you resist such songs as You Made Me Love You by Harry James & His Orchestra, White Cliffs of Dover by Kay Kyser & His orchestra featuring Harry Babbit, or White Cliffs of Dover by Glenn Miller & Orch. feat. Ray Eberle, or maybe White Cliffs of Dover by Kate Smith. Then there's Deep in the Heart of Texas By Alvino Rey & His Orch. with Arthur Skeets Herfurt and Bill Schallen, or Deep in the Heart of Texas By Bing Crosby with Woody Herman & His Woodchoppers. You get idea: lots of classic versions of timeless tunes that ruled the airwaves from L.A. to New York From Phoenix Arizona all the way to the boys (and women) fighting overseas. Other favorites of mine here include Strip Polka by The Andrews Sisters, A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) by Kay Kyser & His orch., I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen by Charlie Spivak & His Orchestra, Mister Five By Five by Freddie Slack & His orch. Feat. Ella Mae Morse, Der Fuehrer's Face by Spike Jones & His City Slickers, etc. Over four hours of fabulous nostalgia is waiting for you. Praise The Lord, we're all between Perdition and the deep blue sea, indeed. (JM)
BING CROSBY: Shepherd Serenade/ White Christmas/ JIMMY DORSEY & HIS ORCH.: My Devotion/ I Remember You/ Tangerine/ TOMMY DORSEY & HIS ORCH. WITH FRANK SINATRA &: Daybreak/ Just As Though You Were Here/ There Are Such Things/ TOMMY DORSEY & HIS ORCH. WITH FRANK SINATRA: This Love Of Mine/ BENNY GOODMAN & HIS ORCH.: Idaho/ Jersey Bounce/ Somebody Else Is Taking My Place/ Take Me/ WOODY HERMAN: Blues In The Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me)/ HARRY JAMES & HIS ORCH.: Sleepy Lagoon/ Strictly Instrumental/ You Made Me Love You/ He's My Guy/ I Don't Want To Walk Without You/ I Had The Craziest Dream/ Manhattan Serenade/ Mister Five By Five/ One Dozen Roses/ SPIKE JONES & HIS CITY SLICKERS WITH CARL GRAY: Der Fuehrer's Face/ SAMMY KAYE: Remember Pearl Harbor/ I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen/ KAY KYSER & HIS ORCH.: A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)/ He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings/ Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland/ Praise The Lord & Pass The Ammunition/ Jingle Jangle Jingle/ White Cliffs Of Dover/ Who Wouldn't Love You/ JIMMIE LUNCEFORD & HIS ORCH.: Blues In The Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me) (Part One)/ ABE LYMAN & HIS CALIFORNIANS: Amen/ TONY MARTIN: Tonight We Love/ FREDDY MARTIN & HIS ORCH.: Piano Concerto In B Flat/ JOHNNY MERCER: Strip Polka/ GLENN MILLER & HIS ORCH.: A String Of Pearls/ Kalamazoo/ Always In My Heart/ Chattanooga Choo Choo/ Dearly Beloved/ Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)/ Elmer's Tune/ Everything I Love/ Juke Box Saturday Night/ Moonlight Becomes You/ Moonlight Cocktail/ Serenade In Blue/ Skylark/ Sweet Eloise/ VAUGHN MONROE & HIS ORCH.: When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)/ ALVINO REY & HIS ORCH. WITH BILL SCHALLEN & SKE: Deep In The Heart Of Texas/ ALVINO REY & HIS ORCH. WITH YVONNE KING: I Said No/ DINAH SHORE: Blues In The Night/ Miss You/ FREDDIE SLACK & HIS ORCH. WITH ELLA MAE MORSE: Cow-Cow Boogie/ KATE SMITH: Rose O'Day (The Filla-ga-dusha Song)/ CHARLIE SPIVAK & HIS ORCH.: I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen/ This Is No Laughing Matter

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat 7109 The Greatest Country Hits of 1957 ● CD $24.98
Four CDs, 120 tracks, highly recommended
Another great collection of the most popular country records of a given year - this time it's 1957 and this set features every record to make the Country Top 15 during the year. A whole heap of great music with some crossovers from the pop chart - most notably, Elvis, who is here a lucky 13 times. The Everly Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis also made contributions. This was the year that Johnny Cash started making inroads into the pop charts with I Walk The Line/ Next In Line and Home Of The Blues along with others that only made the country charts. THis year there quite a few crossovers from the country to the pop charts with Marty Robbins' Singin' The Blues and A White Sport Coat, Sonny James with Young Love, Jim Reeves with Four Walls and others. There some fine honky tonk from long time residents of the charts like Ray Price, The Louvin Brothers, Kitty Wells, George Jones Webb Pierce and others. There are only a few new names - Benny Barnes with his great Poor Man's Riches who didn't have another hit for five years, Leroy Van Dyke has the novelty The Auctioneer - he was to be fairly regular visitor to the charts over the next 20 years, Bobby Helms with Fraulein and Marvin Rainwater with his superb Gonna Find Me A Bluebird as well as a few more. Excellent sound and 40 page booklet has detailed notes on all the songs. (FS)
BENNY BARNES: Poor Man's Riches/ JIM ED & MAXINE BROWN: Money/ JIM EDWARD, MAXINE & BONNIE BROWN: I Heard The Bluebirds Sing/ JOHNNY CASH: Don't Make Me Go/ Give My Love To Rose/ Home Of The Blues/ I Walk The Line/ Next In Line/ There You Go/ Train Of Love/ PATSY CLINE: Poor Man's Roses/ Walkin' After Midnight/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Bye Bye Love/ Wake Up Little Susie/ BONNIE GUITAR: Dark Moon/ Mister Fire Eyes/ BOBBY HELMS: Fraulein/ Jingle Bell Rock/ My Special Angel/ JOHNNY HORTON: I'm Coming Home/ Woman I Need/ FERLIN HUSKEY: Gone/ FERLIN HUSKY: Prize Possession/ SONNY JAMES: First Date, First Kiss, First Love/ You're The Reason I'm In Love/ Young Love/ GEORGE JONES: Don't Stop The Music/ Too Much Water/ Uh, Uh, No/ Yearning/ BILL JUSTIS: Raunchy/ BRENDA LEE: One Step At A Time/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Great Balls of Fire/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/ HANK LOCKLIN: Geisha Girl/ Livin Alone/ THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: Cash On The Barrel Head/ Don't Laugh/ Plenty Of Everything But You/ You're Running Wild/ JIM LOWE: Talkin' To The Blues/ WARNER MACK: Is It Wrong/ GEORGE MORGAN: There Goes My Love/ JIMMY NEWMAN: Fallen Star/ CARL PERKINS: Your True Love/ WEBB PIERCE: Don't Do It Darlin'/ Holiday For Love/ Honky Tonk Song/ I'm Tired/ It's My Way/ Missing You/ Some Day/ Oh, So Many Years/ ELVIS PRESLEY: All Shook Up/ Any Way You Want Me/ Don't Be Cruel/ Hound Dog/ Jailhouse Rock/ Love Me/ Love Me Tender/ Loving You/ Mean Woman Blues/ Playing For Keeps/ Teddy Bear/ Too Much/ Treat Me Nice/ RAY PRICE: Crazy Arms/ I'll Be There/ I've Got A Brand New Heartache/ My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You/ Wasted Words/ MARVIN RAINWATER: Gonna Find Me A Bluebird/ So You Think You Got Trouble/ JIM REEVES: According To My Heart/ Am I Losing You/ Four Walls/ Two Shadows On Your Window/ Waitin For A Train/ Young Hearts/ MARTY ROBBINS: I Can't Quit/ Knee Deep In The Blues/ Please Don't Blame Me/ Same Two Lips/ Singing The Blues/ Teenage Dream/ The Story Of My Life/ White Sport Coat/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Honeycomb/ Kisses Sweeter Than Wine/ RUSTY & DOUG: Love Me To Pieces/ JIMMIE SKINNER: I Found My Girl In The USA/ CARL SMITH: Before I Met You/ Why Why/ You Can't Hurt Me Anymore/ HANK SNOW: My Arms Are A House/ Stolen Moments/ Tangled Mind/ HANK THOMPSON: I Was The First One/ Rockin' In The Congo/ Tears Are Only Rain/ ERNEST TUBB & WILBURN BROTHERS: Mister Love/ LEROY VAN DYKE: Auctioneer/ PORTER WAGONER: I Thought I Heard You Call My Name/ BILLY WALKER: On My Mind Again/ KITTY WELLS: I'll Always Be Your Fraulein/ I'm Counting On You/ Repenting/ Searching/ Three Ways/ THE WILBURN BROTHERS: Go Away With Me/ FARON YOUNG: I Miss You Already/ I'm Gonna Live Before I Die/ Love Has Finally Come My Way/ Sweet Dreams/ The Shrine Of St. Cecilia/ Turn Her Down

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat 7110 The 1951 R&B Hits Collection ● CD $24.98
Four CDs, 97 tracks, strongly recommended
1951 was big year in R&B - it was the year that Jackie Brenston's Rocket 88 became which some claim to be the first rock 'n' roll record, it was the year when Muddy's waters recordings moved from the solo with bass recording of Louisiana Blues to the small band featured on My Fault with Little Walter on harmonica and also the year that B.B. King first made the charts with Three O'Clock Blues and when vocal groups started getting a harder edge that was to become doo wop as exemplified by The Cardinals' Shouldn't I Know. Plenty of other great blues & R&B records came out that year including Bad Bad Whiskey by Amos Milburn, Lonesome Christmas Parts 1 & 2 by Lowell Fulson, Black Night by Charles Brown, "T" 99 Blues by Jimmy Nelson, The Glory of LOve by The Five Keys and more by Dinah Washington, The Johnny Otis Show, Piano Red, Joe Morris & His Orch., Lloyd Glenn, Johnny Hodges & His Orch., Roscoe Gordon, The Larks, Tommy Edwards and many more. All these and many more are included on this set which was intended to include every record that made the R&B Top Ten that year but they were restricted from using the nine King/ Federal titles that charted that year which is a bit of a frustration. Also frustrating is the sound quality which is variable - many tracks sound fine but quite a few lack clarity and a couple sound downright awful (Rockin' Blues by Johnny Otis Band and Stacked Deck by Billy Wright). Apart from that there is a lot of great music here for a reasonable price. The 40 page booklet has useful introductory notes along with a discussion of each track. (FS)
GENE AMMONS & HIS SEXTET: Jug/ JACKIE BRENSTON: Rocket "88"/ CHARLES BROWN: Black Night/ Seven Long Days/ ROY BROWN: Bar Room Blues/ RUTH BROWN: I Know/ I'll Wait For You/ CHARLES BROWN AND HIS BAND: I'll Always Be In Love With You/ ROY BROWN AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Big Town/ THE CARDINALS: Shouldn't I Know'/ RAY CHARLES: Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand/ THE CLOVERS: Don't You Know I Love You/ Fool, Fool, Fool/ NAT "KING" COLE: Jet/ Too Young/ BIG BOY CRUDUP: I'm Gonna Dig Myself A Hole/ MARGIE DAY (WITH THE GRIFFIN BROTHERS ORCHESTRA: Little Red Rooster/ FLOYD DIXON (WITH JOHNNY MOORE'S THREE BLAZERS: Telephone Blues/ FATS DOMINO: Rockin' Chair/ BILLY ECKSTINE: I Apologize/ TOMMY EDWARDS: All Over Again/ ELLA FITZGERALD: Smooth Sailing/ THE FIVE KEYS: The Glory of Love/ THE FOUR BUDDIES: I Will Wait/ LOWELL FULSON: I'm A Night Owl (Part 1)/ Lonesome Christmas (Parts 1 and 2)/ LLOYD GLENN: Chica Boo/ JOHN GODFREY TRIO: Hey Little Girl/ ROSCOE GORDON: Saddled The Cow ( And Milked The Horse)/ THE GRIFFIN BROTHERS: Weeping And Crying/ Pretty Baby/ Hoppin'/ Tra-La-La/ JIMMY GRISSOM: Once There Lived A Fool/ PEPPERMINT HARRIS: I Got Loaded/ ROY HAWKINS: The Thrill Is Gone/ AL HIBBLER: What Will I Tell My Heart'/ JOHNNY HODGES AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Castle Rock/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: I'm In The Mood/ CAMILLE HOWARD & HER TRIO: Money Blues (If You Got No Money)/ HOWLIN' WOLF: How Many More Years/ Moanin' At Midnight/ GRANT JONES WITH BROWN'S BLUES BLOWERS: I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water (And Sleep In A Hollow Log)/ LOUIS JORDAN AND HIS TYMPANY FIVE: Lemonade/ Tear Drops From My Eyes/ Weak Minded Blues/ B.B. KING: Three O'Clock Blues/ THE LARKS: Eyesight To The Blind/ Little Side Car/ JOE LIGGINS AND HIS "HONEYDRIPPERS": Frankie Lee/ Little Joe's Boogie/ LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD (AND LITTLE LORA WIGGINS): I've Been Lost/ PERCY MAYFIELD: Lost Love/ Prayin' For Your Return/ Strange Things Happening/ What A Fool I Was/ STICK MCGHEE AND HIS BUDDIES: Tennessee Waltz Blues/ MEMPHIS SLIM AND HIS HOUSE ROCKERS: Mother Earth/ AMOS MILBURN AND HIS ALADDIN CHICKENSHACKERS: Bad, Bad Whiskey/ Let's Rock A While/ Tears, Tears, Tears/ LUCKY MILLINDER (FEAT. ANNISTEEN ALLEN AND BIG: I'll Never Be Free/ ROY MILTON: Best Wishes/ I Have News For You/ It's Later Than You Think/ Oh Babe/ T-Town Twist/ JOE MORRIS AND HIS ORCHESTRA (FEATURING LAUR: Don't Take Your Love Away From Me/ MUDDY WATERS & HIS GUITAR: Honey Bee/ Long Distance Call/ My Fault/ Still A Fool/ JIMMIE NELSON AND HIS PETER RABBIT TRIO: T-99 bLUES/ JOHNNY OTIS: All Nite Long/ Mambo Boogie/ Gee Baby/ Rockin' Blues/ LES PAUL & MARY FORD: How High The Moon/ PIANO RED: Just Right Bounce/ Layin' The Boogie/ Red's Boogie/ Rockin' With Red/ The Wrong YoYo/ JOHNNY RAY: Cry/ TAB SMITH (HIS FAMOUS ALTO AND ORCHESTRA): Because of You/ TAMPA RED: Pretty Baby Blues/ THE TRENIERS: Go! Go! Go!/ JOE TURNER: Chains of Love/ Chill Is On/ DINAH WASHINGTON: Cold, Cold Heart/ Harbor Lights/ I Won't Cry Anymore/ My Heart Cries For You/ MUDDY WATERS & HIS GUITAR: Louisiana Blues/ JAMES WAYNES: Tend To Your Business/ BILLY WRIGHT: Heh, Little Girl/ Stacked Deck

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Finbarr 16 The Finbarr Rock 'n' Roll Party, Vol. 4 ● CD $12.98
24 tracks, 59 mins, highly recommended
The newest volume in this lively series features possibly the best bunch of tracks yet. Rip roaring right out of the gate you get the Four Teens with Go, Little Go Cat, then you get such hot little numbers like Midnighter by The Champs, Mercy by (the not quite grown up Collins Kids) Larry & Lorrie Collins, Henrietta and You're Late, Miss Kate by Jimmy Dee & The Offbeats, Willie Did The Cha Cha by Johnny Otis, Shirley Purley by Ray Peterson, You Mostest Girl by Bobby Lee Tramell, Stalkin' by Duane Eddy, Somethin' Baby by The Dazzlers, these and many more fireballs of freedom to flamb‚ up your hi-fi. A rockin' good time will be had by all who pick this baby up. (JM)
THE AQUATONES: She's The One For Me/ THE CHAMPS: Midnighter/ LARRY & LORRIE COLLINS: Mercy/ FLOYD CRAMER: Flip Flop & Bop/ THE DAZZLERS: Somethin' Baby/ JIMMY DEE & THE OFFBEATS: Henrietta/ You're Late, Miss Kate/ DON & DEWEY: Koko Joe/ DUANE EDDY: Stalkin'/ THE FOUR TEENS: Go, Little Go Cat/ Spark Plug/ BOBBY FREEMAN: Shame On You Miss Johnson/ JOHNNY OTIS: Willie Did The Cha Cha/ RAY PETERSON: Shirley Purley/ THE PLAIDS: My Pretty Baby/ MARVIN RAINWATER: (Ther's Always) A Need For Love/ EDDIE REARDON: Who's Eddie/ JODY REYNOLDS: Tight Capris/ RONNIE SELF: Big Blon' Baby/ THE TABS: Still Love You Baby/ BOBBY LEE TRAMELL: You Mostest Girl/ CONWAY TWITTY: Make Me Know You're Mine/ DALE VAUGHN: How Can You Be Mean To Me/ DARRYL VINCENT & HIS FLARES: Mercy Me

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Kent CDKEND 461 Pied Piper - Finale ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, very highly recommended
This third compilation (after "Pied Piper - A New Concept in Soul" - Kent 389 and "Pied Piper: Follow Your Soul" - Kent 429 - $18.98 each) of cuts from Jack Ashford and Shelley Haims' Pied Piper Productions is supposed to be the last one, and they're going out with a bang. Collecting sides cut in 1966 and 1967 that were recently retrieved from Ashford's vaults, things kick off with the driving The Bari Sax (aka This Heart is Lonely) from The Pied Piper Players. From there, things range from the previously unreleased Ease My Mind by Lorraine Chandler and Willie Kendrick's American Dollar to LP tracks from The Hesitations (the gorgeous You'll Never Know and You Can't By Pass Love) and Freddy Butler (the sophisticated I Like Your Style and Deserted). There isn't a wasted track on this set-it bests the Follow Your Soul CD by a wide margin-and it's an excellent example of non-Motown Detroit soul. (GMC)
REGGIE ALEXANDER: It's Better/ YVONNE BAKER: I Can't Change/ FREDDY BUTLER: Deserted/ I Like Your Style/ THE CAVALIERS: We Go Together (Rap Intro)/ LORRAINE CHANDLER: Ease My Mind/ She Don't Want You (Alt)/ JOE DOUGLAS: Crazy Things (Alt)/ THE FOUR SONICS: It Takes Two/ THE HESITATIONS: Soul Superman/ You Can't Bypass Love/ You'll Never Know/ SEPTEMBER JONES: I'm with You/ WILLIE KENDRICK: American Dollar (Alt)/ Watch Yourself (She's Fooling You) (Alt)/ KING LOUIE'S COURT: Toy Boy/ THE METROS: No Baby/ Sweetest One/ THE PERSIANS: That Girl of Mine/ THE PIED PIPER PLAYERS: Bari Track/ I'd Like to Know/ Love Will Find a Way/ What Can I Do/ NANCY WILCOX: Gambler's Blues

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Playback 4401 Lord Have Mercy - The Soulful Gospel of Checker Records ● CD $14.98
27 tracks, highly recommended
During the mid - and late - 60's gospel music artists began secularizing their sound again (after previous the period of gospel/R&B cross pollination from the late 40' to the early 50's), Chess Records, through subsidiary Checker, became the Chicago hub for this music. This collection contains many hard-to-find gospel sides cut by artists from the Checker roster, including legends like the Soul Stirrers, Salem Travelers, the Violinaires, the Harmonizing Four, and more. Highlights include the social commentary of Salem Travelers' Crying Pity and a Shame, The Gospel Classics' You Need Faith, the Soul Stirrers' Don't You Worry, Stevie Hawkins' Same Old Bag, The Meditation Singers' I've Done Wrong, and the Violinaires' Trying to Get Ready". In sum, if you don't mind a little funk with your gospel, then this is the compilation for you. (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Retrieval 79076 Rare and Obscure, 1925-1932: Unissued On 78s ● CD $13.98 $9.98
Another fine collection of unissued tunes and alternate takes. This one includes jazz and hot dance bands including Lloyd Finlay & His Orchestra (seven tracks including one with a Jew's harp!), Fatty Martin's Orchestra, Tony Parenti & His Famous Melody Boys, Seger Ellis (four fine piano solos), Kay Kyser & His Orch., Snooks & His Memphis Ramblers and Roane's Pennsylvanians.

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Rhythm and Blues 025 Rhythm & Blues Chronology 5: 1949 ● CD $37.98
4 CDs, 63 tracks, 312 mins, highly recommended
1949 was the year that Jerry Wexler renamed the Billboard "Harlem Hit Parade" chart to the "Rhythm & Blues Chart," giving it a farther-reaching moniker. The Rhythm and Blues era provided, among other important things, the path to eliminating the God awful "Race Music" term, and it laid the groundwork for the Rock and Roll soon to follow. This compilation features such rockers as: Rock-A-Bye Baby - Roy Brown, Rock a While - Goree Carter, Rock the House - Tiny Grimes & His Rocking Highlanders, Rock and Roll Blues - Erline Harris, Rocking After Midnight - Lowell Fulson, etc. Side note: although many of the songs and artists here were big influences on him, according to Nick Tosches' "Dino" Dean Martin's "Just For Fun" was fourteen-year-old Elvis Presley's favorite song of 1949. Rhythm & Blues, Jump Blues, Rock & Roll: call it what you like, in late 1940s all kinds of fantastic music was being made and radio stations started adding more and more African American artists to their playlists, leading to Memphis's WDIA transition to all-black programming starting in 1948. This compilation reflects that variety of styles, and you get great tracks here from the likes of Sticks McGhee, The Robins, Cootie Williams, John Lee Hooker, Big Bill Broonzy, Wynonie Harris, Johnny Otis, Dinah Washington, Willie Mabon, Big Joe Turner, Fats Domino, Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, and many more. (JM)
MARION ABERNATHY: Ja-Hoosey Baby/ LAVERN BAKER W EDDIE SUGARMAN PENIGAR: Easy Baby/ DUKE BAYOU AND MYSTIC 6 (JACK DUPREE): Rub A Little Boogie/ THE BIG THREE TRIO: Big Three Stomp/ EDGAR BLANCHARD & THE GONDOLIERS: Creole Gal Blues/ EARL BOSTIC: Sugar Hill Blues/ TINY BRADSHAW: Gravy Train/ BIG BILL BROONZY: Five Feet Seven/ CHARLES BROWN: So Mistreated/ CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN: Boogie Rambler/ CLEO BROWN: Cleo's Boogie/ Cook That Stuff/ ROY BROWN: Riding High/ Rock-A-Bye Baby/ RUTH BROWN: Rain Is A Bringdown/ MILT BUCKNER: Milt's Boogie/ GOREE CARTER: I'll Send You/ Rock A While/ EDDIE CHAMBLEE: Back Street/ HARRY CHOATES: Lousiana Boogie/ HARRY CRAFTON: Roly Poly Mama/ ARTHUR "BIG BOY" CRUDUP: Shout Sister Shout/ MAXWELL DAVIS: Hung Out/ THE DELMORE BROTHERS: Blues Stay Away/ FATS DOMINO: She's My Baby/ PANAMA FRANCIS: Scrambled Eggs/ LOWELL FULSON: Baby Won't You Jump With Me/ Rocking After Midnight/ PAUL GAYTEN: Bear Hug/ Doctor Daddy-O/ HENRY GLOVER WITH EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS: Mountain Oysters/ LIL GREEN AND HER BAND: My Be-Bop Daddy/ VIVIANE GREENE: Tonight You're Mine/ LLOYD "TINY" GRIMES: Drinking Beer/ TINY GRIMES & HIS ROCKIN' HIGHLANDERS: Rock The House/ LALO GUERRERO: Marijuana Boogie/ ERLINE HARRIS: Rock And Roll Blues/ WYNONIE HARRIS: I Like My Baby's Pudding/ Triflin' Woman/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Hoogie Boogie/ SAM LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Rollin' Woman Blues/ BULL MOOSE JACKSON: Moosey/ LLLINOIS JACQUET: Adams Alley/ RUSSELL JACQUET: Cross Bones/ BUDDY JOHNSON: Down Yonder/ LONNIE JOHNSON: Trouble Ain't Nothing But The Blues/ THE JOHNSON BROTHERS COMBO: Mellow Woman Blues/ LOUIS JORDAN: Psycho Loco/ KANSAS CITY JIMMY: Cheating Woman/ B.B. KING: Take A Swing With Me/ MARIE KNIGHT: Gospel Train/ JULIA LEE & HER BOYFRIENDS: Don't Come Too Soon/ JAMES 'BLAZER BOY' LOCKS: Blazer Boy Blues/ LONNIE LYONS: Down In The Groovy/ WILLIE MABON: Bogey Man/ THE MAXIM TRIO WITH RAY CHARLES: Ain't That Fine/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: Josephine/ STICK MCGHEE: My Baby's Comin' Back/ STICKS MCGHEE: Venus Blues/ BIG JAY MCNEELY: K & H Boogie/ Willie The Cool Cat/ AMOS MILBURN: Square Dance Boogie/ Walkin' Blues/ GEORGE MILLER: Boogie's The Thing/ JOHNNY MOORE: A New Shade Of Blue/ Blues For What I've Never Had/ How Blue Can You Get/ JOE MORRIS: Beans And Cornbread/ MUDDY WATERS: Little Geneva/ BILL NETTLES: Hadacol Boogie/ CHUBBY NEWSOME: New Orleans Lover Man/ SY OLIVER: Gran'ma Plays The Numbers/ JOHNNY OTIS: Boogie Guitar/ Head Hunter/ The Little Red Hen/ KING PERRY: Fat Mama/ CHRIS POWELL & THE 5 BLUE FLAMES: Rock The Joint/ CHRIS POWELL & THE FIVE BLUE FLAMES: Last Saturday Night/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Hadacol Bounce/ Walk Your Blues Away/ THE RAVENS: Rickey's Blues/ THE RAY-O-VACS: I'll Always Be In Love With You/ TOMMY RIDGLEY: Early Dawn Boogie/ THE ROBINS: Around About Midnight/ If It's So Baby/ HAL SINGER: Midnight Jump/ CHARLIE SINGLETON: Camel Walkin'/ JIMMY SMITH: Ma-Ma/ KANSAS CITY JIMMY SMITH: Saturday Night/ FRANTIC FAY THOMAS: Thinking Of You/ JESSE THOMAS: Let's Have Some Fun/ SONNY THOMPSON: Blue Dreams/ Still Gone Pt. 3/ Still Gone Pt. 4/ The Fish Pt. 1/ The Fish Pt. 2/ JOE TURNER: Jumpin' At The Jubilee/ Moody Baby/ T-TEXAS TYLER: My Bucket's Got A Hole In It/ EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON: No Good Woman Blues/ EDDIE CLEANHEAD VINSON: Sittin' On It All The Time/ DINAH WASHINGTON: Good Daddy Blues/ CROWN PRINCE WATERFORD: Eatin' Watermelon/ COOTIE WILLIAMS: Gator Tail Pt. 1/ Gator Tail Pt. 2/ Let 'em Roll/ L.C. WILLIAMS: Shout Baby Shout/ PAUL WILLIAMS: Jelly Roll Boogie/ EDDIE WILLIAMS & HIS BROWN BUDDIES: Houston Jump/ RALPH WILLIS: I'm Gonna Rock/ JOHNNIE LEE WILLS: Rag Mop/ JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Take Me Back, Baby/ BILLY WRIGHT: After Dark Blues

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Smithsonian Folkways 40221 Classic Piedmont Blues ● CD $12.98
21 tracks, highly recommended
Another splendid survey drawn from the vast archives of Smithsonian Folkways - this one devoted to the blues that originated in the foothills of Southern Appalachia and was carried through the Carolinas and Virginia, north and east through Maryland and Washington D.C. to New York City and back again.. Referred to as Piedmon Blues the music is a cross pollination between rural and urban, black and white, country and coastal. The style's most well known exponents were Sonny Terry & BRownie McGhee who are featured on four tracks, one previously unreissued on CD where they are joined by Sonny's nephew J.C. Burris on second harmonica. Although there are only a handful of tracks not previously on CD those performances by Baby Tate and Pink Anderson are exceptional. The great Virginia bluesman John Jackson is featured on two excellent cuts and other artists featured include Warner Williams (three songs from this Maryland based songster including the humorous Hey Bartender, There's A Big Bug In My Beer), Josh White, Hobart Smith, Elizabeth Cotten, Doc Watson, Reverend Gary Davis (the beautiful instrumental MOuntain Jack), John Cephas and Phil Wiggins and others. The 32 page illustrated booklet has exteneive notes by Piedmont Blues expert Barry Lee Pearson. (FS)
PINK ANDERSON: I Got a Woman 'Cross Town/ Meet Me in the Bottom/ JOHN CEPHAS AND PHIL WIGGINS: Crow Jane/ Mamie/ ELIZABETH COTTEN: Going Down the Road Feeling Bad/ REVEREND GARY DAVIS: Mountain Jack/ ARCHIE EDWARDS: The Road is Rough and Rocky/ ROSCOE HOLCOMB: Sittin’ On Top of the World/ JOHN JACKSON: Red River Blues/ Truckin’ Little Baby/ BROWNIE MCGHEE: Daisy/ Fore Day Creep/ Confusion/ HOBART SMITH: Clog Dance/ BABY TATE: If I Could Holler Like a Mountain Jack/ SONNY TERRY AND BROWNIE MCGHEE: Sweet Woman/ SONNY TERRY, BROWNIE MCGHEE, AND J. C. BURRIS: Dirty Mistreater/ DOC WATSON: The Train that Carried My Girl from Town/ JOSH WHITE: T.B. Blues/ WARNER WILLIAMS AND EDDIE PENNINGTON: Hey Bartender, There’s a Big Bug in My Beer/ WARNER WILLIAMS AND JAY SUMMEROUR: I Ain’t Gonna Pick No More Cotton

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Smithsonian Folkways 40456 Bamboo On The Mountains ● CD $15.98 $8.98
38 tracks, 73 minutes, strongly recommended
Yet another release in Smithsonian Folkways' detailed exploration of the traditional music of Southeast Asia, these field recordings from the 1980's and 1990's document the sounds of the Kmhmu. This people, whose homeland is the highlands of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, rely on bamboo for the construction of their instruments, a variety of reed oboes, panpipes, flutes, mouth organs, and blowing tubes. Kmhmu musical culture is incredibly varied, so much so that the edited recordings on the disk represent only a portion of the styles to be found there. I was particularly charmed by the beautiful singing of Thong Phetdala a 17 year old girl from the Luang Prabang district of Laos. On other tracks, singers hum and whisper lyrics through side blown toot flutes, creating an otherworldly sound like nothing I have ever heard! This album is not easy listening by any means, but repeated play will reward the listener with a very rich and moving musical experience. (DP)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Smithsonian Folkways 40473 Northumberland Rant ● CD $15.98 $8.98
21 tracks, strongly recommended
Excellent collection of traditional instrumental music from England's northeasternmost county. A mix of field, studio and archival recordings covering the period 1954 to 1998 featuring Northumbrian small pipes, fiddle, accordion and other instruments. Includes previously unissued performances by legendary pipe Billy Pigg plus The High Level Ranters, Willie Taylor, Pauline Cato, Joe Hutton, Colin Ross, Anthony Robb and others. Include 36 page booklet with background notes on the music of the region along with a discussion of each track by folklorist Burt Feintuch. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Smithsonian Folkways 40516 Rolas De Aztlan - Songs Of The Chicano Movement ● CD $15.98 $8.98
19 tracks, 70 min., highly recommended
A sort of folk music soundtrack to the Chicano movement ("Movimiento") of the late 1960s, although these songs range from the 1960s to 1998. Compilers pulled most of the cuts from rare independent records that have yet to seen the light of reissue. Flor del Pueblo's Soy Del Pueblo comes from their 1977 LP Musica de Nuestra America, which is probably tough to track down right about now, as is the track from Daniel Valdez's 1974 LP Mestizo, and El Teatro Camesino's cut taken from their 1966 LP. Song subjects include labor disputes, Vietnam, revolution, identity and more, with all lyrics thoughtfully given in Spanish and English in the 38 page booklet--that's where listeners find out that two of the songs (De Colores from 1977 and El Tilingo Lingo from 1978) are by none other than Los Lobos! And the second one is previously unreleased. A fascinating document full of charming acoustic music. (JC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Wergo 1626 Patchwork Europe - Early Recordings** ● CD $24.98
26 tracks, 75 mins, highly recommended
This collection presents a diverse selection of traditional European folk music from different countries-ranging from Ireland to Norway to Portugal to Russia-recorded between the years 1911 and 1954. Celtic reels from Scotland, Fado music from Portugal, Hardanger fiddle music from Norway, a polka from Denmark and Flamenco singing from Spain are just a few of the delights to be sampled here. Sound quality is excellent and the 40 page booklet gives us detailed notes in English and German along with rare photos and illustrations. Once again, the Weltmusik Wergo label from Germany has given us unique insight into Old World music history. (GMC)

 
O.V. WRIGHT Playback 501 Treasured Moments - The Complete Backbeat/ ABC Singles ● CD $18.98
2 CD, 41 tracks, essential
O.V. Wright is revered amongst deep southern soul fans and this two disc set might be the definitive collection of his recordings for Don Robey's Back Beat label. Working with Willie Mitchell and his Memphis musical magicians, Wright cut a series of memorable classics: A Nickel and a Nail/ I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy/ Ace of Spades/ Eight Men and Four Women/ Heartaches, Heartaches, and You're Gonna Make Me Cry to name but a few. This set covers ten years plus between 1965 and 1976 wherein Wright and Mitchell created memorable R&B; in addition to the aforementioned songs, try Monkey Dog/ Poor Boy/ Gone For Good/ Oh Baby Mine, and This Hurt is Real on for size. Wright is one of the most emotional soul singers of all time; when he tells you his baby gave him a "low down dirty deal" you believe it. The songs over these two discs consist of some of the most intensely sung and tightly played R&B this side of Otis Redding, which makes this collection essential for any and all R&B/soul fans. (GMC)

 

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