LATEST ADDITIONS  04/20/2015

DVD
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS
DOC WATSON

COMPACT DISCS
LOUIS ARMSTRONG

CODY BLACK
ROY BROWN
CLIFTON CHENIER
SYLVESTER COTTON/ ANDREW DUNHAM
THE CRICKETS
RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT
THE FALCONS
ARETHA FRANKLIN
THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS
COOT GRANT & KID WILSON

BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS
PEPPERMINT HARRIS
ERNIE K-DOE
LEAD BELLY
LEON'S LONE STAR COWBOYS
LONNIE MACK
EDDIE MILLER & HIS OKLAHOMANS
GARNET MIMMS
LEW PRESTON
THE PRISONAIRES & MARIGOLDS
MARTY ROBBINS
CARSON ROBISON & HIS PIONEERS
SLIM HARPO
FIDDLIN' ARTHUR SMITH
BIG MAMA THORNTON
VARIOUS ARTISTS
BIG JOE WILLIAMS & FRIENDS


IMPORTANT NOTE: We currently do not have a shopping cart. The company who handled our cart has gone out of business. However we are still handling orders and are keeping our web site up to date with new releases. You may place your orders by email (roots@toast.net), phone (toll free in USA 1-888-ROOTS-66, Elsewhere: 510-965-9503) or by mail P.O. Box 837, El Cerrito, CA 94530, USA

 
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. We have also included some choice sale items.

DVD

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Vestapol 13022 Rare Performances, 1960-1979** ● DVD $22.98
19 songs, 58 mins, black & white/ color, essential
Now on DVD. Although the great Texas country bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins was fairly prolific on record and in person, after he was "rediscovered" in 1959, his appearances on film and TV were few and far between, so this collection is particularly welcome. It opens with the earliest known footage shot by a German filmmaker in 1960 featuring Lightnin' in great form doing a song on the streets of Houston and in a bar. There are 5 performances from 1967 - three from University Of Washington and two from the Seattle Folklore Society including one of his wonderful topical songs Hurricane Beulah. There 8 songs from a 1970 TV show in Los Angeles - Lightnin' is relaxed and jokes with the audience in between some wonderful performances including the beautiful Shining Moon which Mark Humphrey describes in the enclosed booklet as being "one of Lightnin's most luminously poetic works" - yes indeed. Finally from 1979 we have an uptown version of Lightnin wearing a jacket with "LH" in sequins, playing a Stratocaster and accompanied by bass and drums. He even adds a wah-wah pedal on a couple of songs! Video comes with a 32 page booklet with a biography, discussion of the songs, tributes and some fine photos. A must! (FS)

 
DOC WATSON Vestapol DVD 13023 Rare Performances, 1963-1981** ● DVD $22.98
60 min., highly recommended
A solid look at the film footage available of this country/folk giant in performance. The program opens with a grainy, black and white look at the Hootenanny television series in 1963, with Doc singing Deep River to his own accompaniment. Subsequent early installments include Nine Pound Hammer and St. James Hospital, both filmed with minimal audiences in 1967, and Shady Grove and Black Mountain Rag, filmed in Los Angeles in 1970. But the heart of the program from both a visual and an aural point of view, are the nine numbers taken from a 1978 Austin City Limits program, with son Merle and other sympathetic friends performing Way Downtown, Lonesome Road, I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, and Tennessee Stud before a warmly enthusiastic audience. Well worth seeing. (DH)

 

COMPACT DISCS

 
LOUIS ARMSTRONG Fabulous 2049 Collection, Vol. 1: The First Decade, 1923-1932 ● CD $9.98
2 CDS, 48 tracks, 158 mins, essential
I'm not sure what I can say about the great Louis Armstrong that hasn't already been said by music writers who are far better than I. So, I will just stick to the facts of this collection; it covers his first decade of Louis Armstrong's recording career, as a musician with band leaders like King Oliver, and Fletcher Henderson, as a side man for Jazz and Blues vocal greats like Bessie Smith, and Clarence Williams, then as the front man for his own legendary acts like his Hot Five, Hot Seven, Savoy Ballroom Five, Orchestra, etc. All in all, this is some of the best, if not THE best music of the era, and there's plenty of it here for you to enjoy. It is pretty amazing to listen to some of these songs that are almost 100 years old, and think about how vital they still sound. I know that there are people out there that think that Jazz has never gotten any better than these recordings and it is hard to argue different on many of the tracks. Collection features excellent sound throughout, deep liner notes, as well as near complete track by track recording session info. (JM)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG: (What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue/ 12th Street Rag/ Ain't Misbehavin'/ All of Me/ Basin Street Blues/ Blue Yodel No. 9 (Standin' On The Corner)/ Body And Soul/ Buddy's Habit/ Cake Walkin' Babies From Home/ Chattanooga Stomp/ Chimes Blues/ Coal Cart Blues/ Cold In Hand Blues/ Copenhagen/ Cornet Chop Suey/ Don't Forget To Mess Around/ Froggie Moore/ Go 'Long Mule/ Heebie Jeebies/ Hotter Than That/ I Miss My Swiss/ I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas/ Just Gone/ Knockin' A Jug/ Livin' High Sometimes/ Lonesome Blues/ Mahogany Hall Stomp/ Melancholy Blues/ Muggles/ Muskrat Ramble/ Potato Head Blues/ Savoy Blues/ Skid-Dat-De-Dat/ St Louis Blues/ St. James Infirmary/ Star Dust/ Struttin' With Some Barbecue/ Sweethearts On Parade/ Tell Me Dreamy Eyes/ Texas Moaner Blues/ Tiger Rag/ Tight Like This/ Weather Bird/ West End Blues/ Wild Man Blues/ Willie The Weeper/ Working Man Blues/ You Can't Shush Katie

 
CODY BLACK Spoonful 1002 The Many Labels Of Cody Black ● CD $16.98
21 tracks, highly recommended
In the late 50's and on into the 60's, Cincinnati turned out as many R&B journey men as Detroit did, and this is the story of one such artist. Cody Black started out knocking around with a local group until he got drafted, and then went solo when his hitch was up. After two failed attempts in Cincinnati, Black relocated to Detroit and ended up on the D-Town label which is where this CD takes up his story. While with D-Town, Black worked mostly in A&R and as a songwriter, but he finally got a chance to cut a handful of singles in 1964 and 1965: Move On (with its' lively flip-side These Chains of Love), Mr. Blue (long a Northern Soul favorite), and the lush ballad Would You Let Me Know. After cutting I Will Give You Love for Wheelsville in 1966, Black moved onto another Detroit indie, Ram-Brock, and cut three more singles in 1967: local hit, Going Going Gone, The Night a Star Was Born, and Reap What You Sow. He returned to Cincinnati to cut "I'm Slowly Moulding" for King in 1968, and then wound up signing to Ted White's (aka Mr. Aretha Franklin) label Ston-Roc in 1969. His lone single for Ston-Roc was the funky I Still Love You, which caught the ear of Capitol Records who released Ain't No Love Like Your Love in 1970. After the latter release flopped, Black spent most of the 70's playing nightclubs until he launched his own label, Detroit Renaissance in 1977 and issued Keep On Trying and Sweet Love. It's with those last two songs that this chapter of the Cody Black story ends; he might have been a label jumper, but his talent continued to shine wherever he ended up and these cuts still hold up against any Detroit soul of the era. (GMC)

 
ROY BROWN Ace CDTOP 1423 Payday Jump - Later Sessions ● CD $21.98
24 tracks, essential
About five years later than expected comes the second volume devoted to the DeLuxe recordings of the great and influential blues shouter Roy Brown. Like the first volume (Ace CDCHD 1072 - $18.98) these recordings are mastered from the original 16" acetates and sound incredible. The first volume stopped at the end of 1947 when the AFM strike took effect and this volume picks up in January 1949 and ends in mid 1951. It includes a great selection of hard driving rockers and soulful slow blues including many hits like Rockin' At Midnight/ Miss Fanny Brown/ Boogie At Midnight/ Love Don't Love Nobody and others as well as other great sides that didn't chart including his outrageous two part "Butcher Pete" with Roy telling about the exploits of Pete with enthusiastic response from his band members - "hacking and whacking and smacking." There are several superb unissued songs and alternate takes rounding out this set. The 12 page booklet by Tony Rounce goes into detail about the recordings and features great label shots and advertising material. A third volume is in the works which will complete the reissue of all of Roy's DeLuxe recording - let's hope we don't have to wait more than five years for that one! (FS)
ROY BROWN: Boogie At Midnight/ Butcher Pete Part 1/ Butcher Pete Part 2/ Cadillac Baby/ China Blues/ Dreaming Blues/ End Of My Journey/ Fanny Brown's Wedding Day/ Good Man Blues/ Hard Luck Blues/ I Feel That Young Man's Rhythm/ Judgement Day Blues/ Love Don't Love Nobody/ Mighty Mighty Man (Take 3 - Remake)/ Miss Fanny Brown (Take 2 - Master - Remake)/ New Rebecca (Take 2)/ Pay Day Jump (Wine, Women And Song) (Take 1)/ Pay Day Jump (Wine, Women And Song) (Take 2)/ Rockin' At Midnight (Take 4 - Master)/ Special Kind Of Treatment/ Special Lesson # 1 (Take 3 - Remake)/ Sweet Peach/ The Blues Got Me Again/ Too Much Lovin' Ain't No Good

 
CLIFTON CHENIER SPV 65872 Shake 'Em Up Baby ● CD $16.98
18 tracks, 52 mins, highly recommended
Clifton Chenier may not have invented Zydeco music but he certainly reinvented IT for the mid 20th century with his use of amplified accordion and his seamless integration of blues, R&B and Cajun music into his sound. With the help of Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records he made his unique sound known to the world. These recordings were made in 1966 and '67 for the infamous Huey Meaux and were originally issued as singles on Meaux's Teardrop and Crazy Cajun labels. Though not quite as strong as his Arhoolie recordings this is a fine set with powerful singing and playing from Clifton and solid accompaniment from his band (probably Elmore Nison/ piano, Cleveland Keys/ guitar and RObert St. Julien/ drums). Many of the songs here were also recorded for Arhoolie but there are a few that are unique to this collection including a couple of strange sides with vocals by Grandma Gee Gee who, I suspect, is Meaux. Clifton sings in English and Creole French and songs include Say Too Koreck/ You Promised Me Love/ Shake 'Em Up Baby/ Worried Life Blues/ Big Mamou/ Don't Touch My Leg and others. (FS)

 
SYLVESTER COTTON/ ANDREW DUNHAM Ace CDCHD 869 Detroit Downhome Recordings, 1948-1949** ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 75 mins, highly recommended
Terrific collection of down home blues recorded in Detroit in 1948 and 1949 for entrepreneur Bernie Bessman who was responsible for recording John Lee Hooker's first hits. Most of these tracks were not originally issued on 78 rpm - some were subsequently issued on LPs on kent and Krazy Kat and a number are making their first appearance ever. Both artists are biographical mysteries. Cotton was a fine singer, a limited but effective guitarist playing a steel bodied guitar and a truly brilliant lyricist. Cotton's songs were probably improvised on the spot and seem to deal with his own personal experiences culminating in the brilliant I Tried where he talks about his feelings about making a recording. Other remarkable songs include Three Cent Stamp Blues/ Ugly Woman Blues/ Big Chested Mama Blues/ Sak-Relation Blues/ Waitin' Blues and more. The five tracks by Dunham are also pretty remarkable - he was a fine singer and played some very anarchic and almost dissonant sounding guitar - his bizarre one chord reworking of Kansas City Blues called She Don't Walk could almost considered to be "punk blues". More of Dunham's work will be appearing on a future Ace release - something well worth waiting for! Sound quality is excellent and booklet has informative notes by Chris Smith. (FS)

 
THE CRICKETS Jasmine 161 I Fought The Law** ● CD $13.98
30 tracks, 66 mins, highly recommended
Although The Crickets were never to achieve the greatness that they had when Buddy Holly was their leader they continued to turn out some mighty fine records and helped to perpetuate the style that Holly created. This features all the recordings made by the group between 1958 and 1960 along with some solo performances by various members. When Holly and The Crickets split in 1958, Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin brought in Buddy's long time friend and playing associate Sonny Curtis who became the group creative center with his fine singing, guitar playing and considerable songwriting talent (he wrote many of the songs here) and Earl Sinks as lead vocalist. Earl Sinks, who was strongly influenced by Holly is featured as lead on most of the group tracks here including the Holly song Love's Made A Fool Of You, the lovely doo-wop style ballad Deborah and one of the groups most well known songs I Fought The Law - a Sonny Curtis composition that has become an iconic rock 'n' roll classic. Sonny Curtis was a better singer so it's shame he only sang lead occasionally and is featured on two oustanding songs here - Baby My Heart and More Than I Can See. He also provides excellent lead guitar on most other cuts. David Box is the lead singer on two songs and is the weakest singer here though his performances are fine. The solo cuts are a mixed bag - the best is the rocking It's All Over by Nikki Sullivan who had been a member of the original Crickets for a while. The songs by Curtis and Earl Sinks (under the name of Earl Henry) are pleasant, if unmemorable. The two novelty cuts by Jerry Allison as Ivan are appallingly bad and are included for completeness. Sound quality is excellent and the booklet has informative notes. (FS)
THE CRICKETS: A Sweet Love/ After It's Over/ Baby, My Heart/ Baby, My Heart (Alt Take)/ Deborah/ Don't Cha Know?/ Great Balls Of Fire/ I Fought The Law/ Just This Once/ Love's Made A Fool Of You/ More Than I Can Say/ Peggy Sue Got Married/ Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu'/ Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu' (Alt Take)/ Smooth Guy (Fast Version)/ Smooth Guy (Slow Version)/ So You're In Love/ So You're In Love (Alt Take)/ Someone, Someone/ Time Will Tell/ Ting-A-Ling/ When You Ask About Love/ Why Did You Leave/ SONNY CURTIS: Red Headed Stranger/ Talk About My Baby/ EARL HENRY: My Suzanne/ What'cha Gonna Do?/ IVAN: Frankie Frankenstein/ That'll Be Alright/ NIKKI SULLIVAN: It's All Over

 
RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT Real Gone Music 159 Six Classic Albums ● CD $13.98
4 CDs, 73 tracks, 208 mins, highly recommended
Here's a great, no frills way to get a whole mess of Ramblin' Jack Elliott's music without having to shell out too much dough. This compiles six of his early records, released 1958-1962, all digitally remastered. There's "Jack Takes the Floor/ Ramblin' Jack Elliott in London/ Jack Elliott Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie/ Ramblin' Jack Elliott/ Country Style/ and Jack Elliott at the Second Fret." Woody Guthrie pops in for the track "New York Town" early on, a few unnamed backing musicians pop up on a track or two, and John Herald and Ralph Rinzler join in on the Ramblin' Jack Elliott LP, but otherwise this is all pure Ramblin' Jack with his guitar, harmonica, and not much else. Elliot rambles through traditional songs, originals, songs by Jimmie Rodgers, Jesse Fuller, Rev. Gary Davis, Leadbelly, and of course Guthrie, etc. You get just a ton of Folk, Blues, and Country/ Cowboy songs, done in Elliot's indomitable, energetic fashion. Ramblin' Jack Elliott's rural credentials have always been a little suspect, but his talent and passion for the music can't be denied. "Jack Elliott at the Second Fret," might be the most fun of all of the albums, a live album that includes Elliot providing song introductions and between song banter. (JM)
RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOT: 1913 Massacre/ Arthritis Blues/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/ Bed Bug Blues/ Black Baby/ Boll Weevil/ Boll Weevil/ Candy Man/ Chisholm Trail/ Cocaine/ Cool Water/ Detour/ Diamond Joe/ Dink’s Song/ Dust Storm Disaster/ East Virginia Blues/ Fifteen Cents And A Dollar/ Git Along Little Doggies/ Grand Coulee Dam/ Grey Goose/ Hard Traveling/ Hobo’s Lullaby/ How Long Blues/ Howdido/ I Belong To Glasgow/ I Ride An Old Paint/ In The Willow Garden/ Intro To Talking Miner/ Intro To Talking Sailor/ Jack O’ Diamonds/ Lovesick Blues/ Low And Lonely/ Mean Mama Blues/ Mule Skinner Blues/ Mule Skinner Blues/ New York Town/ New York Town/ Night Herding Song/ Old Shep/ Ol’ Riley/ Philadelphia Lawyer/ Pretty Boy Floyd/ Railroad Bill/ Riding In My Car/ Rock Island Line/ Rocky Mountain Belle/ Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms/ Rusty Jiggs And Sandy Sam/ Sadie Brown/ Sadie Brown/ Salty Dog/ Salty Dog/ San Francisco Bay Blues/ San Francisco Bay Blues/ So Long/ South Coast/ Take Me Back And Love Me One More Time/ Talking Blues/ Talking Columbia/ Talking Dust Bowl/ Talking Miner/ Talking Sailor/ Tennessee Stud/ The Cuckoo/ The Last Letter/ The Soldier’s Last Letter/ The Wreck Of The Old 97/ This Land Is Your Land/ Those Brown Eyes/ Tom Joad/ Tramp On The Street/ Tyin’ Knots In The Devil’s Tail/ Wabash Cannonball

 
THE FALCONS History Of Soul 20 The Definitive Falcons Collection ● CD $29.98
4 CDs, 124 tracks, essential
Just when we thought the collection on Jasmine (You're So Fine 1956-1961) was going to be the definitive word on this seminal doo wop/ soul group, along comes this four CD set. This set claims to have all known recordings by the original group (with all three lead singers, Eddie Floyd, Joe Stubbs and Wilson Pickett), including alternate takes, guest appearances, cover versions, and songs musically supervised or written by members of the group. In addition, solo recordings by the members-cut between 1956 and 1963, while the group was still together-are also included. Each disc highlights a different part of the group's career: disc one has the classic tracks recorded in 1962 and '63 for Atlantic, Lupine, Flic, etc. (You're So Fine/ Just For Your Love etc.) and the solo sides from the same period (Eddie Floyd's Set My Soul on Fire, Joe Stubbs' What's My Destiny, Mack Rice's Baby I'm Coming Home, and Wilson Pickett's My Heart Belongs to Me are the standouts); disc two covers tracks-both issued and unissued-cut for Robert West's LuPine label between 1959 and 1963 by the group and other artists supported one way or another by the group, and includes performances by Benny McCain & the Ohio Untouchables, Eddie Kirkland (with the Falcons), Bobby Williams as well as various alternate mixes; disc three sports later recordings from the revamped group, a slew of unissued demos, Falcons covers by Dorothy Berry and Maxine Davis, and unissued tracks by Eddie Floyd; and disc four covers the group's early era with Floyd on lead vocals, recording for Mercury, Kudo, Chess, United Artists, and Flick among others. The material here is an embarresment of riches, but there's no doubt that there are many outstanding tracks - Fine Fine Girl/ Oh Baby (cut in 1963 for Atlantic), Sent Up/ You Must Know I Love You/ You're Mine/ Take This Love I've Got - and the enclosed 36 page booklet is very thorough documenting the group's career and the post group activities of the members and has loads of photos and label shots as well as full discographical info. With such a wealth of material from such an important group in the evolution of R&B into Soul music, surely this CD must be the final statement on the Falcons which makes it a necessary addition to any good R&B or Soul collection. (GMC)

 
ARETHA FRANKLIN Rhino 79926B Let Me In Your Life** ● CD $11.98
11 songs, highly recommended
After a run of brilliant albums in the early 70's - "Spirit in the Dark" (1970), "Amazing Grace" (1972), "Live at the Fillmore West"(1971), and "Young, Gifted and Black" (1972) - Aretha Franklin stumbled a bit with 1973's Quincy Jones-produced "Hey Now Hey: The Other Side of the Sky," which was mostly a throwback to the jazzy pop she recorded for Columbia in the early 60's. "Let Me in Your Life" continues in the vein of Hey Now Hey for its first half, with lush ballads with jazzy overtones (Let Me in Your Life/ I'm in Love) taking center stage. The second half, starting with the luminous hit single, Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) delves more into the territory familiar to fan's of Aretha's "Lady Soul" period. With Pen in Hand/ Eight Days on the Road/ If You Don't Think/ Oh Baby, and a churchy version of Leon Russell's A Song For You all have the Atlantic magic that made her a superstar during 1967-68. Bearing in mind that this is a straight Rhino re-issue (no bonus material), this album is worthy of purchase as it's the last Franklin album cut before Disco and her own ennui took over. (GMC)

 
THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS Document DOCD 8067 And Associates, Vol. 1: 1924-March 1927 ● CD $16.98
23 tracks, highly recommended
The first of four volumes featuring the complete recordings of this outstanding string band from the 1920s along with various affiliated groups. This volume opens with 10 tracks from 1924 by Bill Chitwood (fiddle) and Bud Landress (banjo & vocal) who would form the core of the Yellow Hammers. Fine vocals and playing but limitations of the acoustic recording reduce their effectiveness. Then from 1927 we hear gospel quartet Calhoun Sacred Quartet and old timey duo Phil Reeve & Ernest Moody - both of whom would appear at various times with The Yellow Hammers. Then we get to the full four member group with four tracks from February 1927 recorded for Victor and their sound really coalesces with wonderful playing and great singing including harmony singing for all four members. A month later pretty much the same group recorded for OKeh as Bill Chitwood & His Georgia Mountaineers and there are six catchy and memorable numbers including the delightful Preacher Blues which paints a less than favorable picture of preachers. Except for the acoustic recordings the sound quality is generally fine and the eight page booklet has detailed notes by old time country expert Tony Russell. (FS)
CALHOUN SACRED QUARTET: Life’s Railway to Heaven/ The Church in the Wildwood/ BILL CHITWOOD & BUD LANDRESS: Fourth of July/ Furniture Man/ Hen Cackle/ Howdy Bill/ I Got Mine/ Jerusalem Mourn/ Johnny Get Your Gun/ Over the Sea/ Pa Ma and Me/ Whoa Mule/ THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS: Bill Chitwood & His Georgia Mountaineers/ Fourth of July at a Country Fair/ Fourth of July at a Country Fair/ Going To Ride That Midnight Train/ How I Got My Wife/ I Had But Fifteen Cents/ It Won’t Happen Again for Months/ Johnson’s Old Grey Mule/ Pass Around the Bottle/ Preacher Blues/ Smiling Watermelon/ PHIL REEVE & ERNEST MOODY: Down Where the Watermelon Grows

 
THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS Document DOCD 8068 And Associates, Vol. 2: August, 1927- February, 1928 ● CD $16.98
22 tracks, highly recommended
More fine old timey string band music. The best tracks here are the 11 that were actually by The Georgia Yellow Hammers with fiddler Bill Chitwood replaced by guitarist Clyde Evans and Bud Landress switching to fiddle. Their performances here are fabulous including the first recordings of songs that have become old timey standards - Going To Raise A Rucus Tonight (that's how they spell it) and The Picture On The Wall. "Rucus" was big hit - selling over 115,000 copies. Other great songs by them include All Old Bachelors Are Hard To Please/ I'm S-A-V-E-D/ G Rag/ Song Of The Doodle Bug and others. Two of the group, Phil Reeve and Ernest Moody do three songs together which are fine if not up to the standard of the whole band and the group drops their instruments and bring in J. Max Bamette on organ to do two fine gospel songs issued as by The Turkey Mountain Singers. Bill Chitwood reappears with his Georgia Mountaineers which may, or may not, include other members of thee Yellow Hammers for four rowdy songs - two of them renamed versions of songs that The Yellow Hammers had recorded previously and the set is rounded out by two comedy sketches by Uncle Bud Landress with The Georgia Yellow Hammers which are not as entertaining as sketches by some other old time musicians. (FS)
BILL CHITWOOD & HIS GEORGIA MOUTAINEERS: Bill Wishes He Was Single Again/ Kitty Hill/ Raise Rough House Tonight/ When Married Folks Are Out of Cash/ THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS: All Old Bachelors are Hard to Please/ G Rag/ Going to Raise a Rucus Tonight/ I'm S-A-V-E-D/ Mary Don t You Weep/ My Carolina Girl/ My Eyes Are Growing Dimmer Every Day/ Song of the Doodle Bug/ Tennessee Coon/ The Moonshine Hollow Band/ The Picture on the Wall/ UNCLE BUD LANDRESS WITH THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS: Candy Pulling at Moonshine Hollow/ Christmas Time at Moonshine Hollow/ PHIL REEVE & ERNEST MOODY: Bees Are Humming around the Flowers/ Rock All Our Babies To Sleep/ Sweet Evelina/ THE TURKEY MOUNTAIN SINGERS: He Loves Me/ I m Bound for the Promised Land

 
THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS Document DOCD 8069 And Associates, Vol. 3: February 1928 - November, 1928 ● CD $16.98
More details next time

 
THE GEORGIA YELLOW HAMMERS Document DOCD 8070 And Associates, Vol. 4: 1929 - 1931 ● CD $16.98
More details next time

 
COOT GRANT & KID WILSON Document DOCD 5563 Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 - March 1925 to Novem. 1928 ● CD $15.98 $10.98
23 tracks, 65 mins, strongly recommended
Great collection of black vaudeville and blues featuring the talented Leola B. "Coot" Grant and "Kid" Wesley Wilson. The duo pieces are witty and humorous and the duo are accompanied by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Buster Bailey, Shirley Clay, Rex Stewart and others as well as Wesley's own piano playing. There are a number of excellent solo blues by Grant issued under her married name of Leola B. Wilson - several featuring the beautiful guitar work of Blind Blake. Musically and historically this deserves a higher rating than recommended but the sound quality leaves a bit to be desired on many of the tracks. Several of the performances have such a high level of surface noise as to make for very difficult listening and many of the others have that shrill thin sound of acoustic recordings which could possibly be improved with sophisticated equalization but, as it stands, is pretty tiring to listen to after more than a few songs. It's too bad as the music is great! (FS)
GRANT & WILSON: (take 1)/ (take 2)/ Ashley St. Blues/ Black Biting Bee Blues/ Come On Coot Do That Thing/ Crying Won't Make Him Stay/ Dishrag Blues/ Down The Country/ Ducks/ Dying Blues/ Find Me At The Greasy Spoon (if You Miss Me Here)/ Find Me At The Greasy Spoon (if You Miss Me Here)/ Have Your Chill, I'll Be Here When Your Fever Rises/ Key Hole Blues/ Mama Didn't Do It And Papa Didn't Do It/ Rasslin' 'till The Wagon Comes/ Rock, Aunt Dinah, Rock/ Rollin' Mill Blues/ Scoop It/ Speak Now Or Hereafter Hold Your Peace/ State Street Men Blues/ Stevedore Man/ When Your Man Is Going To Put You Down (you Never Can Tell)/ Wilson Dam/ You Dirty Mistreater

 
BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS One Day 281 Rock Around The Clock ● CD $11.98
2 CDs, 50 tracks, 127 mins, highly recommended
Certainly not the most original name for a Bill Haley collection, but for the price and amount of material we can ignore the clunky title. Every Rock N' Roll fan should have a good Bill Haley & His Comets collection, and if you are looking for an affordable collection with all of the hits and much more, then this would be perfect. Rock Around The Clock/ See You Later Alligator/ R-O-C-K/ Don't Knock The Rock/ Crazy Man Crazy/ Shake Rattle And Roll/ Thirteen Woman, and many, many more great tracks are included. Mostly Decca sides along with some of his earlier rockin' sides with The Saddlemen. (JM)
BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS: (You Hit The Wrong Note) Billy Goat/ A.B.C. Boogie/ Birth Of The Boogie/ Burn That Candle/ Choo Choo Ch'Boogie/ Corrine, Corrina/ Crazy Man Crazy/ Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stocking)/ Dim, Dim The Lights/ Don't Knock The Rock/ Farewell, So Long, Good-Bye/ Forty Cups Of Coffee/ Fractured/ Green Tree Boogie/ Hot Dog Buddy Buddy/ I Got A Woman/ I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter/ Joey's Song/ Jukebox Cannonball/ Lean Jean/ Live It Up/ Mambo Rock/ Now And Then There's A Fool Such As I/ Pat-A-Cake/ R-O-C-K/ Razzle Dazzle/ Real Rock Drive/ Rip It Up/ Rock A Beatin' Boogie/ Rock Around The Clock/ Rocket 88/ Rockin' Through The Rye/ Rocking Chair On The Moon/ Rudy's Rock/ See You Later, Alligator/ Shake, Rattle And Roll/ Shaky/ Skinnie Minnie/ Skokiaan/ Spanish Twist/ Stop Beatin' Around The Mulberry Bush/ Teenager's Mother/ The Saint's Rock 'n' Roll/ Thirteen Women/ War Paint/ Whoa Mabel!/ BILL HALEY WITH THE SADDLMEN: Caldonia/ Rock The Joint/ The Dipsy Doodle/ Two Hound Dogs

 
PEPPERMINT HARRIS Airline 57515 Bad Bad Whiskey - The Jewel Records Sessions ● CD $16.98
21 tracks, 57 mins, highly recommended
Rhythm & Blues great Peppermint Harris's most successful recordings both musically and commercially were done for the Sittin' In With, Modern, and Aladdin record labels, but Harris still had plenty of gas in his tank by the time he was recording for Jewel in the mid 1960s. You get a fantastic Jump Blues number that harkens back to Peppermint Harris' glory days in Mama Mama, but most of the collection features up-tempo downtown Blues like Bad Bad Whiskey/ Wait Until It Happens To You, and the borderline Rock & Roll of Little Girl, or slow burn Blues like Bad Bad Woman and Raining In My Heart. CD also includes fine covers of Jimmy Nelson's Nighty Night (T-99 Blues), and Big Bill Broonzy's Key To The Highway. (JM)

 
ERNIE K-DOE Airline 357 516-2 You Got To Love Me - The Greatest Hits Collection ● CD $16.98
21 tracks, highly recommended (with a caveat)
New Orleans R&B mainstay, Ernie K-Doe gets the Fuel treatment (Airline appears to be the new name for Fuel): like Fuel's earlier collection for Aaron Neville ("For the Good Times: The Allen Toussaint Sessions" - Fuel 62004 - $14.98), these selected tracks echo very strongly a 2 CD set that Charly Records put out in 2011 ("Here Come the Girls: A History 1960-1970" - Charly 634 - $17.98). However, if one doesn't have that collection-or any Ernie K-Doe for that matter-then this is an excellent primer on the self-proclaimed "Emperor of the Universe". Recorded between 1959 and 1963 with production, arrangements and some writing by the ubiquitous Allen Toussaint, K-Doe proves his mettle on cuts like T'Aint it the Truth/ A Certain Girl/ Stoop Down/ Here Come the Girls/ Back Street Lover, and Whoever is Thrilling You (Is Killing Me). And just to tempt completists, there's a couple of live versions of T'Aint it the Truth and his biggest hit, Mother-in-Law tacked on at the end. So, as with the Aaron Neville set, this CD is an excellent introduction to one of the mainstays of Crescent City R&B.but only if you don't already have the Charly set. (GMC)

 
LEAD BELLY BGO BGOCD 403 Huddie Ledbetter's Best** ● CD $16.98
12 tracks, essential
CD issue of Capitol T-1821 (now deleted in the USA) originally issued in 1963. This features some of my favorite Lead Belly recordings. Recorded in October, 1944 these were the last studio recordings of the great singer and 12 string guitarist and features fine renditions of some of his most popular songs including a particularly rousing version of his most famous song Goodnight Irene plus Rock Island Line/ Ella Speed/ Western Plain/ Sweet Mary Blues, etc. There are also two wonderful tracks featuring Lead Belly playing some lovely ragtime flavored blues piano. Many of the tracks feature Paul Howard on zither - an instrument not normally associated with the blues but which is remarkably effective here (FS)

 
LEON'S LONE STAR COWBOYS B.A.C.M. 478 Recorded 1932-1937 ● CD $14.98
28 tracks, 79 mins, highly recommended
Louisiana born Leon Chappelear started as a solo artist performing in the Jimmie Rodgers style and the first two tracks feature him in that role. Unfortunately these two tracks have so much digital noise reduction that it's hard to tell that the instrument he is playing is a guitar! Things pick up after that with the rest of the disc in much better sound featuring the superb western swing band Leon's Lone Star Cowboys which he formed in 1934. These recordings feature a varied selection of musicians with hot fiddle, clarinet, steel guitar and more. The group's material is a mix of Chappelear originals (Mistreated Blues/ Weary Blues/ I Know I Love You, But I Don't Know Why/ New Do Right Daddy) as well western swing rendition of pop and jazz songs (Mama Don't Allow It/ Tiger Rag/ IU'm Sitting On Top Of The World/ Four Or Five Times/ You're A Million Miles From Nowhere, etc.). Set includes in-depth notes from the highly knowledgeable Kevin Coffey. (FS)
LEON'S LONE STAR COWBOYS: 31st Street Blues/ Dinah/ Four Or Five Times/ Goin' Up To Dallas/ I Know I Love You, But I Don't Know Why/ I'd Like To Be In Texas For The Round-Up In The Spring/ I'll Never Say Never Again, Again/ I'm Serving Days/ I'm Sitting On Top Of The World/ In A Little Red Barn/ Just A Blue Eyed Blonde/ Little Joe The Wrangler/ Mama Don't Allow It/ Mistreated Blues/ My Gal Sal/ My Little Girl/ My Mother's Rosary/ New Do Right Daddy/ Prairie Rose/ Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia/ She's Runnin Around/ Sweet Sue - Just You/ That Old Sweetheart Of Mine/ Tiger Rag/ Toodle-Oo Sweet Mama/ Travelin' Blues/ Weary Blues/ You're A Million Miles From Nowhere

 
LONNIE MACK Ace CDCHD 847 Still On The Move** ● CD $18.98
26 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
This is a revised version of Ace 352 that was issued in 1992 and was more or less a straight reissue of a Trip double album which featured some of Lonnie's Fraternity singles along with previously unissued masters. For this CD Ace have been able to work from the original master tapes for superior sound. They have left off a couple of tracks (which can be found on the other Mack issues on Ace 713 and 807) and have added in ten tracks including a few previously unissued alternate takes. Mack was one of the finest and least self-indulgent guitar heroes - he could burn ferocious lines up and down the neck of his Gibson Flying V, yet he was such a soulful singer/ writer that chops never got in the way of the songs. There are quite a few covers here, often instrumental versions like his rockin' workout on Ray Charles' Sticks & Stones or his soulful rendering of Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Another winner from Lonnie Mack and Ace! (FS)
BEAU DOLLAR & THE COINS: Soul Serenade/ LONNIE MACK: Cry Cry Cry/ Don't Make My Baby Blue/ Dorothy On My Mind/ Florence Of Arabia/ Florence Of Arabia (alternate Take)/ I Found A Love/ I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water/ I've Had It/ Men At Play/ Money (that's What I Want) (alternate Take)/ Oh Boy!/ Oh I Apologise/ Omaha/ One Mint Julep/ Sa-ba-hoola/ Shotgun/ Snow On The Mountain/ Stand By Me/ Sticks And Stones/ The Circus Song Aka A Good Woman's Love/ Tonky Go Go/ When I'm Alone/ Wildwood Flower/ Lonnie On The Move (aka For Kicks Aka Turn On Your Lovelight)

 
EDDIE MILLER & HIS OKLAHOMANS B.A.C.M. 219 Release Me** ● CD $14.98
27 tracks, highly recommended
Fine collection of sides by this fairly obscure but important artist from Oklahoma. Miller was co-composer of several songs that have become country standards like Release Me/ There She Goes/ Thanks A Lot and others. he was also an important figure on the Nashville scene having founded the Acadamy Of Country Music and co-founded the Nashville Songwriters Association International. The material here, recorded here between 1947 and 1956 is a mix of western swing and honky tonk with engaging vocals from Miller plus occasional vocal contributions from Tiny Colbert, Bob Gene and Jimmy McGraw and fine instrumental work from a varied assortment of musicians. It includes his original 1949 recording of Release Me along with its slightly risque flip Motel Time plus I Love You Honey/ Nothin' To Lose But the Blues/ Cab DRiver's Blues/Knowin' You Don't Care/ Those Tantalising Blues/ I Like What You've Got/ Married Man's Lies/ Patty Cake Man/Ghost Town, etc. The last four sides from 1956 are pretty much straight rock 'n' roll. Exvellent sound and fine notes from Kevin Coffey. (FS)
EDDIE MILLER & HIS OKLAHOMANS: Annie, The She Buckaroo/ Baby Boy's Prayer/ Behind Closed Doors/ Bus Station Stomp (instr.)/ Cab Driver's Blues/ Don't Break My Heart Anymore/ Ghost Town/ Hidin' Out/ Honey Baby (I Was Wrong)/ I Like What You've Got/ I Love You Honey/ Knowin' You Don't Care/ Lo And Behold/ Married Man's Lies/ Motel Time/ No Stars In My Heaven/ Nothin' (instr.)/ Nothin' To Lose But The Blues/ Nothing But Troubles/ Patty Cake Man/ Please Don't Laugh/ Pull Down The Night Shades/ Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)/ Slow Down Baby/ Those Tantalising Blues/ Unwanted/ You Walked Away

 
GARNET MIMMS Kent CDTOP 423 Looking For You ● CD $18.98
28 tracks, very highly recommended
Philadelphia R&B singer Garnet Mimms is best known to pop audiences for his 1963 hit Cry Baby, but to soul aficionados he is worth so much more. Working with Bert Berns and Jerry Ragovoy, Mimms had a run of R&B hits during the mid-60's: Baby Don't You Weep/ Tell Me Baby/ One Girl/ A Quiet Place/ Look Away, and I'll Take Good Care of You. As good as the aforementioned songs are, even better are the ones that got away: the outstanding It Was Easier to Hurt Her, and Looking For You, both from 1965, were inexplicable failures that deserved attention. The time Mimms spent on United Artists and its' Veep subsidiary-1963 to 1967-represent a high light of 60's soul featuring as they do impeccable singing and arrangements. Now, with all those recordings on one CD for the first time, we can hear for ourselves what hardcore soul fans have known for years: that Garnet Mimms was one of the soul greats. (GMC)

 
LEW PRESTON B.A.C.M. 479 And HIs Men Of The Range ● CD $14.98
29 track collection of sides recorded in the 1940s by group led by Texas vocalist and guitarist Lew Preston. A mix of Western harmonby style vocals and Western Swing flavored material. Many original songs by Preston. Includes There Ain't Gonna Be No Me (Without You)/ Honey Babe Mine/ Doin' THings On The Farm/ Some Glad Day/ Maid Of Mexico/ Sweet Mother/ Panhandle Rag/ I Hate Myself For Loving You, etc.
LEW PRESTON & HIS MEN OF THE RANGE: Lovesick Blues/ Rose Of Santa Fe/ Arizona In The Morning/ Convict's Prayer/ Doin' It Right/ Doin' Things On The Farm/ Goodbye Little Blue Eyes, Don’t Cry/ Hallelujah I'm A Bum/ Hawaiian Skies/ Hearts Are A Dime A Dozen To You/ Honey Baby Mine/ I Hate Myself For Loving You/ I'll Get Mine (Instr.)/ I'm Riding Home/ I've Got The Blues In My Heart/ It May Be Too Late/ Maid Of Mexico/ My Darling Clementine/ My Grandfather's Clock/ Panhandle Rag (Instr.)/ Short'nin' Bread (Instr.)/ Soldier Boy Stomp (Instr.)/ Some Glad Day/ Sweet Mother/ The Gal You Got For Not'n/ There Aint Gonna Be No Me (To Welcome You)/ Trouble Blues/ Troubled Mind/ We've Said Our Last Goodbye

 
THE PRISONAIRES & MARIGOLDS Bear Family BCD 16893 Only Believe** ● CD $21.98
28 tracks, 77 mins, essential
I have long shouted the praises of the Prisonaires and their leader Johnny Bragg, truly one of the great-underrated artists of the last 100 years. Mostly known for being the group of actual prisoners that recorded on of the early records released on Sun Records, but they should be celebrated for so much more than that. That great first record Just Walkin' In The Rain a modest hit for them and a bigger hit for Johnny Ray, is here in a live recording that, with 11 other songs is being released for the first time ever now. These live recordings, taken from various concerts given at the Tennessee State Penitentiary, feature other beautiful ballads as well Prisoners Prayer, and Gentle Hands, as well as some lively versions of Bony Maronie, and Caldonia. Also featured here are a half-dozen Prisonaires recordings taken from unissued Sun masters, making their first appearance here. Then a handful of tracks each for different incarnations that Johnny Bragg and company recorded under: the Marigolds and The Solotones. These other 1950's recordings have been released a couple of times, but are fantastic and help fill out the story. The Marigolds' Rollin' Stone should have also been a big hit, it's one of my favorite Vocal group recording ever. All of this great material is accompanied by beautiful packaging and extensive liner notes, making for probably the finest release yet done for the Prisonaires. (JM)

 
MARTY ROBBINS Acrobat 3121 Complete U.S. Hits, 1952-1962 ● CD $16.98
2 CDs, 34 tracks, 90 mins, highly recommended
Like many of you out there, some of the first Country music I loved as a kid was Johnny Horton's history songs and Marty Robbins' gunfighter ballads, both of which I get great enjoyment out of hearing to this day. It seems like I have known the words to El Paso, Big Iron, and Devil Woman all of my life. Later on, I would grow fond of his songs like Singing The Blues, Don't Worry, and his cover of Chuck Berry's Maybelline, though I never really got into his more "sophisticated" stuff, like White Sport Coat and The Story Of My Life. All of those songs and many, many more are here, and aside from some of the deeper album cuts on the gunfighter albums, you get pretty much all of the songs that you would want from this period of Robbins' career. Marty Robbins continued to have hits up until 1970, and solid outings on the Country charts throughout the 1970s, but to most of us, this ten year period is the definitive Marty Robbins, and this is the collection that you will want to pick up that covers it. (JM)
MARTY ROBBINS: A White Sport Coat/ Ain't I The Lucky One/ Ballad Of The Alamo/ Big Iron/ Call Me Up (And I'll Come Calling On You)/ Cap And Gown/ Devil Woman/ Don't Worry/ El Paso/ Five Brothers/ I Can't Quit (I've Gone Too Far)/ I Couldn't Keep From Crying/ I Told The Brook/ I'll Go On Alone/ Is There Any Chance/ It's Your World/ Jimmy Martinez/ Just Married/ Knee Deep In The Blues/ Love Can't Wait/ Maybellene/ Please Don't Blame Me/ Pretty Words/ Ruby Ann/ She Was Only Seventeen/ Singing The Blues/ Sometimes I'm Tempted/ Stairway Of Love/ Teen-Age Dream/ That's All Right/ The Hanging Tree/ The Same Two Lips/ The Story Of My Life/ Time Goes By

 
CARSON ROBISON & HIS PIONEERS B.A.C.M. 481 Radio Shows From The 1930s, Vol. 1 ● CD $14.98
33 songs, 75 mins, strongly recommended
This is the sixth compilation from B.A.C.M. devoted to the music of the popular and prolific Carson Robison - this time featuring his appearances on radio shows. Carson was very popular in England and three of the five radio shows here were recorded in England in the mid 30s sponsored by English washing powder company Oxydol. Each show had half a dozen songs - many of them performed in a close harmony style with Carson taking lead on some as well as doing solo numbers and each show featured a song by Pearl Pickens - a singularly unappealing singer. They perform a varied selection of songs - An Old Spinning Wheel/ My Texas Home/ Abraham/ Goodnight Ladies/ Whoopie-Ti-Yi-Yo/ Red River Valley and many more. These shows are very entertaining with some fine performances and some lively patter between the performers. In adddition there are five fine sides taken from his voluminous commercial recordings. Considering the age of these radio shows the sound quality is excellent. Lots of fun! (FS)
1. Programme 1: An Old Spinning Wheel - Missouri Waltz - Prairie Lullaby - My Texas Home - Listen To The Mocking Bird, 2. Bonus track (New York 1942): The Old Grey Mare Is Back Where She Used To Be, 3. Programme 2: Tuck Me To Sleep In My Old Kentucky Home - Abraham - Swanee River Moon - Goodnight Ladies - Didn't He Ramble, 4. Bonus track (London 1932): Way Out West In Kansas, 5. Programme 3: Treasure Island - There's A Heart In The Heart Of Texas - Whoopie-Ti-Yi-Yo - A Home In Wyoming - Happy Go Lucky - Red River Valley, 6. Bonus track (London 1936):My True Love Has Gone, 7. Programme 4: Somebody Loves You - Swing Low Sweet Chariot - When I Lost You - Old Faithful - Old Chisholm Trail - When I Was A Boy From The Mountains, 8. Bonus track (London 1932):The Old Man Of The Mountain, 9. Programme 5: Long Long Ways From Home - I Was Born In Old Wyoming - My Heart Is Where The Mohawk Flows Tonight - Short'nin' Bread - In The Valley Of The Moon - Hand Me Down My Walking Cane, 10. Bonus track (New Yok 1930): So I Joined The Navy

 
SLIM HARPO Bear Family BCD 17339 Buzzin' The Blues - The Complete Slim Harpo ● CD $115.98
5 CDs in an LP sized box with 100 page hardbound book, 142 songs, almost 7 hours, essential
It's now here and it's everything I've been hoping for - the complete recordings of the great Louisiana bluesmen Slim Harpo in the best possible presentation. When I first started collecting blues in the early 60s Slim Harpo ,was always one of my favorites with his warm nasal drawl and basic, but effective, harmonica playing he was an immensly engaging performer. The first two discs features all the singles and LP tracks issued by Slim Harpo during his too brief lifetime (he died if a heart attack at the age of 46 in 1970). He started his career after being steered towards Crowley, LA producer Jay Miller by Lightnin' Slim with a song that would later be covered by many white groups I'm A King Bee. Although not a nation wide hit it was immensely popular in Louisiana prompting two sequels Buzz Me Babe and My Little Queen Bee (Got A Brand New King). He hit the big time in 1961 when his lovely swamp pop style blues ballad Raining In My Heart climbed the R&B charts and even crossed over into the pop charts resulting in Slim being invited to play white clubs and college campuses. Slim wasn't to have another hit until 1966 with his clever Baby Scrtach My Back which topped the R&B charts and also crossed over into the pop charts. Subsequent catchy dance songs like Tip On In and Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu also made the R&B charts. All these are here on the first two discs along with other great songs like the fabulous flip of King Bee - I Got Love If You Want It, the mournful Strange Love and many more including, of course, his wonderful talking blues Blues Hangover.
Discs 3 and 4 features unissued songs, alternates and his out of contract four track session for Imperial. These two discs include the many tracks discovered when Bruce Bastin explored the Jay Miller's vaults in the 1970s and 80s - many not on CD before as well as recordings discovered since then. The alternate takes are sometimes close to the issued versions and sometime quite different. There are a slew of great songs that never saw issue on Excello like the fabulous slow blues This Ain't No Place For Me and the storming That Ain't Your Business. Other great unissued songs include Things Gonna Change? What's Going On/ Wild About My Baby Baby You Got What I Want and others.
The fifth disc features a rare live performance from 1961 featuring Slim with his regular band and although the sound isn't the greatest the performances are superb and being live gives the musicians a chance to stretch out and features some stunning harp work from Harpo and magnificent guitar work from Rudy Richards. The performance includes many songs not recorded elsewhere including Jimmy Reed's You Know I Love You and Big Bossman, fellow Excello artist Lazy Lester's Sugar Coated Love, Little Walter's Everybody Needs Somebody and I Don't Play and others. Curiously only King Bee/ I Got Love If You Want and Raining In My Heart come from his own recordings. His sessions through 1966 were all recorded at Jay Miller's studios in Crowley with accompanying musicians like Matthew Jacobs (aka Boogie Jake), Leroy Washington, Clarence "Jockey" Etienne, Rudy Richard. Katie Webster and other superb musicians. Later sessions were cut in Memphis, Nashville and other locations and find the recordings moving in a more commercial direction but are still distinctly Slim Harpo.
Being Bear Family the sound quality is superb and the book is a masterpiece in it's own right. Printed on heavy paper it includes a newly researched and detailed biography of Slim by Martin Hawkins plus a discussion of every recording session by Slim and a profile of Jay Miller who is such an important figure in Slim's career and a completely revised discography of all of Slim's recordings. The book also includes many photos including some wonderful full page portraits of Slim, label shots and other ephemera as well as a gallery of photos of musicians who have worked with Slim. At the end of Martin's notes is an interesting teaser that he has written a book about Slim and the Baton Rouge blues scene to be published next year - something to lok forward to - as is the reference to a documentary film about Slim that is in the works. If you love the music of Slim Harpo or Louisiana blues in general this is an absolutely indispensible set. (FS)
DISC 1; I'm A King Bee/ I Got Love If You Want It/ Wondering And Worryin'/ Strange Love/ You'll Be Sorry One Day/ One More Day/ Buzz Me Babe/ Late Last Night/ What A Dream/ Blues Hangover/ Don't Start Cryin' Now/ Rainin' In My Heart/ Snoopin' Around (Instrumental)/ Bobby Sox Baby/ Dream Girl/ My Home Is A Prison/ Moody Blues (Instrumental)/ I Love The Life I'm Living/ Buzzin' (Instrumental)/ My Little Queen Bee (Got A Brand New King)/ I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis)/ We're Two Of A Kind/ Still Rainin' In My Heart/ What's Goin 'On Baby/ Sittin' Here Wondering/ Harpo's Blues/ Please Don't Turn Me Down/ Baby Scratch My Back/ I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil)/ Shake Your Hips/ Midnight Blues/ I'm Your Breadmaker, Baby/ Loving You (The Way I Do) DISC 2: Tip On In (Part 1)/ Tip On In (Part 2)/ I'm Gonna Keep What I've Got/ I've Got To Be With You Tonight/ Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu/ Mailbox Blues/ Mohair Sam/ I Just Can't Leave You/ That's Why I Love You/ Just For You/ Folsom Prison Blues/ Mutual Friend/ I've Got My Finger On Your Trigger/ The Price Is Too High/ My Baby She's Got It/ I'm So Sorry/ I've Been A Good Thing For You/ Hey Little Lee/ Jody Man/ Rainin' In My Heart (Overdubbed)/ Stick Your Chest Out Baby/ The Music's Hot/ You Can't Make It/ The Hippy Song/ Dynamite/ Boogie Chillun/ Rock Me Baby/ Baby Please Come Home DISC 3: One Of These Days/ That Ain't Your Business/ I'm A King Bee (Alt)/ This Ain't No Place For Me/ I Got Love If You Want It (Alt)/ Things Gonna Change/ Wondering And Worryin' (Alt -1)/ Strange Love (Alt -1)/ Wondering And Worryin' (Alt -2)/ One More Day (Alt -1)/ Late Last Night (Alt -1)/ Cigarettes/ One More Day (Alt -2)/ Bobby Sox Baby (Alt)/ Buzz Me Babe (Alt)/ Late Last Night (Alt -2)/ That Ain't Your Business/ Things Gonna Change/ Talking Blues (Aka Blues Hangover)/ What's Goin'on/ You Ain't Never Had to Cry (aka Don't Start Cryin' Now)/ That's Alright (You'll Be Sorry One Day)/ That's Alright (Alt)/ Yeah Yeah Baby/ Dream Girl (Alt)/ Don't Start Cryin' Now (Alt)/ Blues Hangover (Alt) DISC 4: Moody Blues (Instrumental) (Alt)/ Rainin' In My Heart (Alt -1)/ Rainin' In My Heart (Alt -2)/ Wild About My Baby/ That's Alright Baby (Don't Start Cryin Now)/ Lover's Confession/ Something Inside Me/ Still Rainin' In My Heart/ A Man Is Crying/ Tonite I'm Lonely/ I Love The Life I'm Living (Alt -1)/ Buzzin' (Instrumental) (Alt)/ I Love The Life I'm Living (Alt -2)/ My Little Queen Bee (Alt)/ Little Sally Walker/ Boogie Chillun/ Blueberry Hill/ I'm Waiting On You Baby (-1)/ We're Two Of A Kind (Alt)/ I'm Waiting On You Baby (-2)/ You'll Never Find A Love (As True As Mine)/ I Don't Want No One (To Take You Away From Me) (-1)/ Baby Scratch My Back (The Scratch) (Alt)/ I Don't Want No One (To Take You Away From Me) (-2)/ Baby You Got What I Want/ Your Love For Me Is Gone/ I Gotta Stop Loving You/ Stop Working Blues/ I Just Can't Leave You/ There's Nothing As Sweet As Making Up DISC 5 - LIVE: Star Time - Theme And Introduction/ Hold Me Tenderly/ Little Liza Jane -1/ I'm A King Bee (-1)/ Buzzin'/ I Got Love If You Want It (-1)/ You Know I Love You/ Lottie Mo/ Everybody Needs Somebody/ Big Boss Man/ I'll Take Care Of You/ Boogie Chillun/ Moody Blues (Instrumental)/ Sugar Coated Love/ Last Night/ Matilda (Unk. Vocalist)/ Talk To Me Baby (Unk. Vocalist)/ Star Time - Theme And Introduction (Second Set)/ I'm A King Bee (-2)/ I Don't Play/ I Got Love If You Want It (-2)/ Little Liza Jane -2/ When The Saints Go Marchin' In/ Rainin' In My Heart

 
FIDDLIN' ARTHUR SMITH B.A.C.M. 215 Give Me Old Time Music** ● CD $14.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific collection of sides by this superb and extremely influential fiddler and singer whose style and repertoire have have been much covered. The first 17 tracks are from commercial recordings made between 1935 and 1940 and find him in the company of musicians like The Delmore Brothers, Howdy Forrester, Billy Byrd, Clyde Moody and others on a selection of songs and tunes including Spring Street Waltz/ There's More Pretty Girls Than One (and it's answer song)// Beautiful Memories/ Give Me Old Time Music (a secular reworking of Give Me That Old Time Religion)/ Smith's Waltz/ Hen Pecked Husband Blues/ That's The Love I Have For You and others. The remaining seven sides are from 1946 MacGregor radio transcriptions featuring Arthur accompanied by Jimmy Wakely and his band (he appeared frequently on Wakeley's shows and performed in many of Wakely's western movies) and includes Orange Blossom Special/ It's Hard To Please Your Mind/ Beautiful Brown Eyes, etc. For more by this great and important performer be sure to check out County 3526 ("Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners" - $15.98), and JSP 7761 ("Appalachian Stomp Down" - four CD set with one disc devoted to Smith). (FS)
FIDDLIN' ARTHUR SMITH: Across The Blue Ridge Mountains/ Answer To There's More Pretty Girls Than One/ Beautiful Memories/ Beautiful, Beautiful Brown Eyes/ Farmer's Daughter/ Give Me Old Time Music/ Hen Pecked Husband Blues/ Her Little Brown Hand/ I Miss You Since You've Been Gone/ I Wish I'd Never Learned To Love You/ I'm Lonesome I Guess/ It's A Weary World/ It's Hard To Please Your Mind/ Love Letters/ Orange Blossom Special/ Smith's Breakdown/ Smith's Waltz/ Spring Street Waltz/ Sweet Heaven/ That's The Love I Have For You/ The Crazy Blues/ There's More Pretty Girls Than One/ Walking In My Sleep/ Why Should I Wonder

 
BIG MAMA THORNTON Arhoolie 9056 In Europe** ● CD $9.98
17 tracks, 79 mins, highly recommended
Terrific collection of sides recorded in England in 1965 during the American Folk Blues Festival tour of Europe. This is a reissue of Arhoolie 1028 with three previously unissued songs, two alternate takes and a fascinating 15 minute interview with Arhoolie's founder Chris Strachwitz. Big Mama was in great form belting out songs as only she could backed on most tracks by a tough little band including Buddy Guy (in fine form), Eddie Boyd and others. On three tracks she is accompanied only by Fred McDowell on slide guitar which are truly sublime and show that as powerful as her vocals can be she could also sing with remarkable subtlety and sensitivity. The CD comes with a 12 page booklet with new notes by Strachwitz and some great photos taken on the tour. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat 7084 The Greatest Country Hits Of 1958 ● CD $24.98
4 CDs, 120 tracks, 281 mins, highly recommended
I loved the year by year collections that Acrobat were doing, and am thrilled that they have not only revived the series, but expanded it to a 4-disc set. Perfect timing, the 1958 Country charts definitely had at least 4 discs worth of quality material. 1958 was a great year for Country music. To me it represents the sweet spot between Rock & Roll coming in and firing everybody up and countrypolitan coming down and smoothing everything out. 1958 saw huge breakout years for Jerry Lee Lewis and Ricky Nelson, saw the second giant year in a row for The Everly Brothers, and saw George Jones revving up to take off in 1959. Established Country stars like Webb Pierce, Bill Monroe, Kitty Wells, Marty Robbins, Carl Story, etc. all had successes in the year that grew their legends. While some like Don Gibson, Faron Young, Hank Locklin, and Jim Reeves had some of the biggest hits of their careers. 1958 was also an important year for the Country charts, which combined the three original Country charts into one that would cover record sales, jukebox plays, and DJ spins all together. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Skeeter Davis, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, the Delmore Brothers, and Marvin Rainwater all had excellent songs on the charts in 1958 as well, and they are all here for you to enjoy. Whew! If that's not enough, you get early Mel Tillis (when he was still good), The Wilburn Brothers, Hank Snow, Ray Price, Roy Acuff, and too many more to name off in this space. (JM)
THE BROWNS: Would You Care/ JOHNNY CASH: All Over Again/ Big River/ Come In Stranger/ I Guess Things Happen That Way/ The Ways Of A Woman In Love/ What Do I Care/ You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven/ Ballad Of A Teenage Queen/ BOBBY DARIN: Splish Splash/ SKEETER DAVIS: Lost To A Geisha Girl/ DUANE EDDY: Rebel-'Rouser/ JIMMY EDWARDS: Love Bug Crawl/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: All I Have To Do Is Dream/ Bird Dog/ Claudette/ Devoted To You/ Should We Tell Him/ This Little Girl Of Mine/ BOB GALLION: That's What I Tell My Heart/ DON GIBSON: Blue Blue Day/ Give Myself A Party/ Look Who's Blue/ Oh Lonesome Me/ BOBBY HELMS: Jacqueline/ Just A Little Lonesome/ JOHNNY HORTON: All Grown Up/ FERLIN HUSKY: I Will/ SONNY JAMES: Uh-Huh-mm/ JOHNNIE & JACK: Lonely Island Pearl/ Stop The World (And Let Me Off)/ GEORGE JONES: Color Of The Blues/ If I Don't Love You (Grits Ain't Groceries)/ Treasure Of Love/ BILL JUSTIS: Raunchy/ THE KALIN TWINS: When/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Breathless/ Great Balls Of Fire/ High School Confidential/ I'll Make It All Up To You/ You Win Again/ HANK LOCKLIN: Blue Grass Skirt/ It's A Little More Like Heaven/ Send Me The Pillow You Dream On/ WARNER MACK: Is It Wrong (For Loving You)/ JIMMY MARTIN: Rock Hearts/ BILL MONROE: Scotland/ RICKY NELSON: Believe What You Say/ My Bucket's Got A Hole In It/ Poor Little Fool/ Stood Up/ Waitin' In School/ EDDIE NOACK: Have Blues Will Travel/ JAMES O'GWYNN: Blue Memories/ Talk To Me Lonesome Heart/ THE OSBORNE BROTHERS & RED ALLEN: Once More/ CARL PERKINS: Pink Pedal Pushers/ WEBB PIERCE: Cryin' Over You/ Falling Back To You/ Tupelo County Jail/ You'll Come Back/ One Week Later/ PEREZ PRADO: Patricia/ ELVIS PRESLEY: Don't/ Don't Ask Me Why/ Doncha' Think It's Time/ Hard Headed Woman/ I Beg Of You/ One Night/ Wear My Ring Around Your Neck/ RAY PRICE: City Lights/ Curtain In The Window/ Invitation To The Blues/ It's All Your Fault/ MARVIN RAINWATER: Nothin' Needs Nothin' (Like I Need You)/ Whole Lotta Woman/ JIM REEVES: Anna Marie/ Blue Boy/ I Love You More/ Overnight/ MARTY ROBBINS: Ain't I The Lucky One/ Just Married/ She Was Only Seventeen (He Was One Year More)/ Stairway of Love/ The Story Of My Life/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Are You Really Mine/ Make Me A Miracle/ Oh-Oh, I'm Falling In Love Again/ Secretly/ RUSTY & DOUG: Hey Sheriff/ JEAN SHEPARD: I Want To Go Where No One Knows Me/ JIMMIE SKINNER: I Found My Girl In The USA/ What Makes A Man Wander/ CARL SMITH: Walking The Slow Walk/ Your Name Is Beautiful/ HANK SNOW: A Woman Captured Me/ Big Wheels/ Whispering Rain/ GENE SULLIVAN: Please Pass The Biscuits/ HANK THOMPSON: How Do You Hold A Memory/ Squaws Along The Yukon/ MEL TILLIS: The Violet And A Rose/ ERNEST TUBB: Deep Purple Blues/ Half A Mind/ House Of Glass/ Hey, Mr. Bluebird/ CHARLIE WALKER: Pick Me Up On Your Way Down/ JUNE WEBB: A Mansion On The Hill/ KITTY WELLS: He's Lost His Love For Me/ I Can't Stop Loving You/ Jealousy/ She's No Angel/ Touch And Go Heart/ FARON YOUNG: Alone With You/ Every Time I'm Kissing You/ I Hate Myself/ That's The Way I Feel

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS B.A.C.M. 480 Country Music Ladies Of The 1950s, Vol. 2 ● CD $14.98
26 tracks, strongly recommended
Complementing B.A.C.M. 366 this is another excellent collection of some lesser known female country singers who were active singers - mostly recording for small local labels. The set opens with six tracks from Texas singer Dixie Rogers who is probably the most impressive singer here. Accompanied by a fine honky tonk group she performs six original songs - the first four have a jaunty flavore to them but the fifth World Of Broken Hearts is a real gem. With a tune based on Knoxville Girl and a sad lyric that sounds like something Hank Williams might have written - the final songs Only You is another superb cut. I also really like the three songs by Lucy Traylor - though not as impressive as Roberts her singing has a real haunting quality that really draws you in. There are also two excellent sides by Inez Hellman who is one of the few artists here to have more than a handful of releases and she sure is good. Other artists include Peggy Upton, Marilyn Whitt, Monie Bing, Billie High and others. Sound is generally excellent and there are brief notes on the artists by Phillip Tricker. (FS)
MONIE BING WITH DUSTY TAYLOR’S RAINBOW VALLEY: Just Rumors/ LORRIE BLACK: I've Kissed You My Last Time/ There's Poison In Your Heart/ INEZ HELLMAN: The Lonely Side Of Town/ Who's Shoulder Will You Cry On/ BILLIE HIGH & M. E. ELLIS’ STRING BAND: I Almost Cried Today/ I Guess I'll Wait A Little Longer/ VIRGINIA HILL: Please Don't Divorce Me/ LIL MONTGOMERY & HER TEXAS MELODIERS: Just Before My Wedding Starts/ You Waited Too Long/ TERESA RECTOR & BOB TAYLOR’S TEXAS RHYTHM RANGE: Just A Hand-Me-Down/ MARILYN RICKERT WITH SAM AMMONS & PLEASANT VALLE: Alone And In Love/ DIXIE ROGER: (When The) Frost Is On The Punkin’/ I Will Miss You/ Only You/ Our First Date/ What Then Will You Say/ World Of Broken Hearts/ LUCY TRAYLOR: Repenting/ Searching/ Thinking Of You All The While/ PEGGY UPTON: My Prince Charming/ San Juan/ Say You Love Me/ Sweet Sugar Bugger/ MARILYN WHITT: I'm The Loneliest Gal In Town

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS B.A.C.M. 482 Country Gospel, Vol. 3 ● CD $14.98
32 tracks, recommended
Complementing B.A.C.M. 323 and 461, this is B.A.C.M.'s third venture into country gospel music. All tracks here are from the Loyal label run by Walter Bailes of the Bailes Brothers in the 60s and early 70s. This is not as strong as previous - much of it fairly standard country gospel with only a few tracks standing out - most notably the four by Rabe Perkins who is an exceptional vocalist with an intense soulful style. Martin Hicks and The Sullivan Family turn in some fine bluegrass gospel performances. Other artists featured include The Hall Singers, Patsy Prescott, Sanford Williams & The Laymen and others. (FS)
THE CHRISTIANAIRES: I Have A Desire To Live For Jesus/ It's Nearer Than You Think/ Mother's Footsteps Guide Me On/ MARSHALL FILLINGIM & MARGIE SULLIVAN & THE SULLIV: Jesus Is The Loving Saviour/ The Unseen Friend/ BILL FRANKLIN: Mr. K And Mr. D/ THE HALL SINGERS 'JIMMIE & LILLIAN': Follow The Golden Rule/ I Bowed My Knees And Cried Holy/ I'll Never Be Lonesome/ I'll Shout And Shine/ Light In The Sky/ You Can't Cheat Me Out Of Heaven/ MARTIN HICKS: Jesus Saviour/ Memories Of The Old Country ChurcH/ Pilot Me/ RABE PERKINS: He Will Calm The Troubled Waters/ I Saw A Man/ My Title To A Mansion/ Paul's Ministry/ PATSY PRESCOTT: Avenue Of Prayer/ Land Where Living Water Flows/ My God Is Real/ Standin' In The Need Of Prayer/ There's No Disappointment In Heaven/ THE SULLIVAN FAMILY: Does The World See Jesus In You/ Give Mother My Crown/ I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map/ Travelling The Highway Home/ Walking My Lord Up Calvary's Hill/ SANFORD WILLIAMS AND THE LAYMEN: I'll Fly Away/ Lord, I'm Coming Home/ My God Is Real/ Teach Me Lord

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS BGP CDBGPD 288 Grits & Gravy - The Best Of The Fame Gang ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, highly recommended
Of course most of the famous record labels had a house band: think of Motown and the Funk Brothers, Stax and Booker T. & the MGs, or Philadelphia International and MFSB. It turns out FAME, the label and studio owned by Rick Hall, had a house band and like some lucky ensembles, they got to make their own records. The Fame Gang, as they became known, had three incarnations; although the most renowned line up was the second-with Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, David Hood, Junior Lowe, Spooner Oldham, and Barry Beckett-it was the third that cut the recordings on this CD. Fame Gang number three-Jesse Boyce, Mickey Buckins, Harrison Calloway, Ronnie Eades, Clayton Ivey, Freeman Brown, Junior Lowe, Harvey Thompson, Aaron Varnell, and Travis Wammack-were coveted by Hall as being the most accommodating set of musicians he had employed: with these men he had a Nashville-trained and jazz -schooled brass section, a funky rhythm section in Brown and Boyce, a seasoned and open-minded keyboard player in Ivey, and stalwart Lowe (who was the constant in all three versions of the band) on guitar. The skills of these musicians is well displayed on band originals like Grits and Gravy/ Crime Don't Pay/ Soul Feud/ Turn My Chicken Loose, and Shufflin', while their interpretive chops are put to the test on the Isley Brothers' It's Your Thing, Sly & the Family Stone's Stand, Curtis Mayfield's Choice of Colors, and Herbie Hancock's Canteloupe Island. Seriously, there are some tasty licks contained herein and any self-respecting soul fan that doesn't check this CD out needs to have their head examined. (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Buda 82222 Ethiopiques, Vol. 10 - Tezeta** ● CD $15.98
13 tracks, 75 min., highly recommended
Volume 10 in the Buda Records (1969-1978) reissue program turns its attention to music for dark nights of the soul. The subtitle is "Ethiopian Blues & Ballads," and the selections do possess a wistfulness and melancholy that transcends language, although the lyrics appear in English in the booklet. One song contains the line, "I have lost my health; you are my disease." Another says, "Everyone trips you, but no-one helps you to pick yourself up." Cheery stuff. Blame it on love. One of the standouts here, Mahmoud Ashmed's proto-downtempo Tezeta clocks in at 12:25 and still leaves listeners wanting more. It's a miniature soundtrack to despair that brings magical relief for the miserable. Ahmed himself is described in the booklet notes as "the Ethiopian artist least unknown to the western public." Yes. Nicely put. Other artists include Frew Hayloe, Alemayehu Eshete, Menelik Weesnatchew, Getatchew Kassa, Muluqen Mellesse, among others. Impressive. (JC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Document DOCD 5700 We're Sisters Under The Skin ● CD $16.98
23 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
Excellent collection of urban female blues singers recorded in the 1940s. The set opens with four tracks featuring the fine singer, pianist and bandleader Christine Chatman - it includes the instrumental Naptown Boogie where Christine gets to show her boogie woogie piano chops and one track Hurry Hurry featuring vocals by Mabel Smith - later to be known as Big Maybelle. There are 12 tracks recorded for Savoy in 1944 and '45 by the outstanding Viola Wells aka Miss Rhapsody. Viola started her career in the late 20s along with many other female vocalist but missed out on getting recorded at the time though she eventually got a job as a vocalist with the Count Basie Band before striking out on her own with these recordings. Viola was a powerful and expressive vocalist and her material is varied including old style blues (Bye Bye Baby/ Down Hearted Blues), jazzy numbers (My Lucky Day/ Groovin' The Blues, etc.) and romping R&B numbers (Hey Lawdy Mama/ Sweet Man, etc.) - all of it excellent. She is accompanied by some fine bands with sidemen like Emmette Berry, Cozy Cole, Frankie Newton, Slam Stewart, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and others. There are two tracks each by Irene Williams (daughter of Clarence Williams who plays piano on her tracks) and Ann Lewis - all excellent. The set ends with three tracks by Ruby Smith - actually Ruby Walker who was the niece of Bessie Smith's husband Jack Gee and spent a lot of time traveling with Bessie. Ruby's strained voice I find hard to take. Sound quality is superb and booklet has informative notes from Bob Groom. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Eleven Light City 02 Honky Tonk Song: The Don Law Story, 1956-1962 ● CD $15.98
22 tracks, 57 mins, recommended
English-born record producer Don Law cut his teeth in the American music business producing Robert Johnson, so he knew what the real deal sounded like. When, years later, he took over Columbia record's country music division, he did his best to keep the Honky Tonk sound alive in Nashville as much of the rest of the town slowly succumbed to lush strings, Pop arrangements, and docile singing. Law produced giant hits like Johnny Horton's The Battle of New Orleans, Marty Robbins' El Paso, and Jimmy Dean's Big Bad John, none of which are here for some reason; instead, you get a lot of lesser known songs with a couple medium sized hits thrown in. Some of my favorites here include Sick, Sober, and Sorry by Lefty Frizzell & Johnny Bond, Jimmy Dean doing a great take on Somke, Smoke, Smoke, That Cigarette, and the cheery Darkness On The Face Of The Earth by Hawkshaw Hawkins. Also includes Liittle Jimmy Dickens, Freddie Hart, Carl Smith, Charlie Walker, and many more. Eleven Light City is a brand new label, that unfortunately don't seem to have mastering down yet, so the sound levels throughout this CD are a little uneven, which is the main thing holding me back from giving this a higher rating. (JM)
CARL & PEARL BUTLER: Honky Tonkitis/ You Were The Orchid/ JIMMY DEAN: Smoke , Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette/ LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS: Honky Tonk Troubles/ Twenty Cigarettes/ LEFTY FRIZZELL & JOHNNY BOND: Lover By Appointment/ Sick, Sober, And Sorry/ FREDDIE HART: The Key's In The Mailbox/ HAWKSHAW HAWKINS: Darkness On The Face Of The Earth/ STONEWALL JACKSON: A Wound Time Can't Erase/ Can't Hang Up The Phone/ SKEETS MCDONALD: Gotta Get You From That Crowd/ I Write You Letters/ RAY PRICE: My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You/ Pride/ MARTY ROBBINS: Don't Worry/ CARL SMITH: It's All My Heartache/ You Can't Hurt Me Anymore/ MEL TILLIS: Honky Tonk Song/ BILLY WALKER: Mr Heartache/ CHARLIE WALKER: Facing The Wall/ Pick Me Up On Your Way Down

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Honest Jon's 040 The World Is Shaking-Cubanissimo From The Congo 1954/55** ● CD $18.98
14 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
The good folks at Honest Jon's keep bringing out collections of rare music from exotic places culled from the HMV label's extensive vaults. Like other collections in the series, the music is from Africa, originating in the Belgian and French Congo of Central Africa. This music is comprised of traditional Congolese music mixed with South American Latin music, with some influence from Louis Armstrong. As a result, these tunes are highly melodic, rhythmic, and danceable, as demonstrated by Matete Paris and Akei Cimetiere by Adikwa Depala, who was the closest thing to a star that the genre produced. Lute, guitar, likembes, (thumb pianos) shape this music, with percussion filling in the holes, and create a very uplifting sound that often belies the distress of the lyrics (translated in the accompanying booklet). Bottom line: Honest Jon's has done it again, and produced a unique and fascinating musical experience for the musically adventurous. NB: The music in this collection is much more accessible to the world music-novice than many Honest Jon's titles, and would be a good place for the uninitiated to begin. (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Jasmine 2615 Watching The Detectives - Themes & Music ● CD $14.98
25 tracks, strongly recommended
From television's earliest days, show theme songs have been an essential part of the television viewing (and listening) experience. And a great theme can be as iconic as the show itself; and nowhere is this more true than with the themes and music from TV crime shows. This collection has some of the greatest music ever recorded that just happened to be for a TV show. The 50's and 60's (and the 70's, but its' not represented here) were the golden age for crime TV and the themes here are more than representative: "Dragnet," "The Naked City," "Perry Mason," "M Squad," "The Untouchables," "Peter Gunn," "77 Sunset Strip," each one a stone cold classic of the genre. And just to show that great crime themes aren't limited to TV, some movie scores are also included staying true to the 50's/60's time frame: "The Asphalt Jungle," "Experiment in Terror," "The Man With the Golden Arm," and "Touch of Evil." Although the themes are recorded true to form with some very famous orchestras - Ray Anthony's, Duke Ellington's, Count Basie's, -many of these suffer slightly for not being the original recordings. However, the ones that are recorded by the original composers - Peter Gunn (Duane Eddy), Richard Diamond (Pete Rugolo), The Asphalt Jungle (Miklos Rozsa) - do have that extra spark of authenticity. But my favorite theme of the bunch - "Route 66," as cut by the immortal Nelson Riddle and his orchestra - is arguably not for a crime TV show at all, but rather an extremely well done drama in the vein of The Fugitive. Regardless of a few minor caveats, this is a fun CD and a treat for anyone with a love of great TV/movie themes. And the original "Highway Patrol" theme (with narration) tacked on at the end is a neat bonus! (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Jasmine 3043 You Got To Give Me Some Of It ● CD $18.98
2 CDs, 55 tracks, 155 mins, highly recommended
Here's another fine collection full of classic Blues with double, triple, and occasionally quadruple entendres. A lot of the usual suspects are here: Bull Mouse Jackson and his big ten inch (record,) Bo Carter wanting to put his Banana In Your Fruit Basket, and Wynonie Harris who likes his Fanny Brown, especially if she doesn't keep on sitting on it, and so on. The scope of this collection is the main appeal to this, though. This goes through the early country Blues of the 1920s to Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop going all the way up to the late 1950s. If you don't have a good dirty Blues collection, then this is a fine one to pick up. If you do have a decent selection, this goes deep enough that you should find many tunes that you probably don't have. (JM)
BARREL HOUSE ANNIE: If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It/ THE BLENDERS: Don't F**k Around With Love/ LUCILLE BOGAN: Shave 'Em Dry/ ROY BROWN: Butcher Pete - Part One/ Butcher Pete - Part Two/ BO CARTER: Banana In Your Fruit Basket/ My Pencil Won't Write No More/ THE CHECKERS: Don't Stop Dan/ THE CLOVERS: Rotten C**ksuckers Ball/ DIRTY RED: Dirty Mother Fuyer/ THE DOMINOES: Pedal Pushin' Papa/ Sixty Minute Man/ THE DU DROPPERS: Can't Do Sixty No More/ BERNICE EDWARDS: Butcher Shop Blues/ DOROTHY ELLIS: Drill Daddy Drill/ NAPOLEON FLETCHER: She Showed It All/ BLIND BOY FULLER: What's That Smells Like Fish/ SLIM GAILLARD: That Dirty Rooster (F**k Off)/ GEORGIA TOM & JANE LUCAS: Terrible Operation Blues/ GEORGE HANNAH: The Boy In The Boat/ THE HARLEM HAMFATS: Let's Get Drunk And Truck/ WYNONIE HARRIS: I Like My Baby's Pudding/ I Want My Fanny Brown/ Keep On Churnin' ('Til The Butter Comes)/ Lovin' Machine/ Sittin' On It All The Time/ Wasn't That Good/ FLUFFY HUNTER: Walkin' Blues/ HUNTER AND JENKINS: Meat Cuttin' Blues/ BULL MOOSE JACKSON: Big Ten Inch/ I Want A Bowlegged Woman/ LIL JOHNSON: My Stove's In Good Condition/ Sam The Hot Dog Man/ LONNIE JOHNSON: Best Jockey In Town/ Jelly Roll Baker/ Wipe It Off/ Furniture Man - Part One/ Furniture Man - Part Two/ LILLIE MAE KIRKHAM: He's Just My Size/ JULIA LEE: I Didn't Like It The First Time (The Spinach Song)/ King Size Papa/ My Man Stands Out/ AMOS MILBURN: Hard Driving Blues/ LIZZIE MILES: My Man O' War/ THE MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS: Bed Spring Poker/ Driving That Thing/ BUDDY MOSS: You Got To Give Me Some Of It/ VICTORIA SPIVEY: One Hour Mama/ THE SWALLOWS: Bicycle Tillie/ It Ain't The Meat, It's The Motion/ THE TOPPERS: Baby Let Me Bang You Box/ WASHBOARD SAM: I'm Gonna Keep My Hair Parted/ DINAH WASHINGTON: Long John Blues/ Short John/ JOSH WHITE: Sissy Man

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Kent CDKEND 430 Los Angeles Soul - Kent-Modern's Black Music Legacy ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
Kent/Modern was one of Los Angeles' premiere labels during 50's and 60's; by the 70's the hits weren't quite as frequent, but the Bihari Brothers doggedly continued on their quest for the next big hit. During those years, the company issued black music of many styles: funk, sweet soul, retro vocal groups, R&B, gospel, Motown-esque, psychedelia influenced, southern and country soul, and songs with a social conscious. Spanning the years 1962 to 1971, this CD contains songs cut in the aforementioned variety of styles. Mixing the rarely heard with the unreleased, the compilers came up with a compelling collection: from the funk of Difosco (You Saved Me From Destruction/ Cherry Pie), and the southern soul of Earl Wright (I Don't Know) to Felice Taylor's (good) Diana Ross impersonation (Sing Me a Love Song), the social commentary-meets-funk of Pace-Setters' Push on Jesse Jackson, and the gospel groove of Your Gonna Miss Your Chance by Maurine Williams & the Mount Olive 2nd B.C. Choir this album consistently delivers a cornucopia of sensational performances. Although some of these tracks have appeared on other Kent collections, there's enough newly issued goodness to make this a worthy purchase. (GMC)
JOHNNY ADAMS: No In-Between/ JIMMY BEE: I Only Have Eyes For You/ WAYNE BOYKIN: Tear My Love Down/ JOHNNY COPELAND: I Was Born To Love You/ WALLY COX: I Need A Love/ RUTH DAVIS: I Need Money/ DIFOSCO: You Saved Me From Destruction/ VANETTA FIELDS WITH THE IKETTES: Give Me A Chance (Try Me)/ MILLIE FOSTER: Move A Little Closer/ WILLIE GAUFF & THE LOVE BROTHERS: I Know She's Gonna Leave/ PAT HUNT: You Are My First Love/ THE INTENTIONS: My Love She'S Gone/ JEANNETTE JONES: I Want Action/ LORD CHARLES & THE PROPHETS: Cherry Pie/ THE OTHER BROTHERS: It's Been A Long Time Baby/ THE PACE-SETTERS: Push On Jesse Jackson (Extended Version)/ ROBERT RAMSEY: Take A Look In Your Mind/ LARRY SANDERS: You're My Girl/ JACKIE SHANE: You Are My Sunshine/ FELICE TAYLOR: Sing Me A Love Song/ MAURINE WILLIAMS & THE MOUNT OLIVE 2ND B.C. CHOI: You re Gonna Miss Your Chance/ THE WINDJAMMERS: All That Shines Isn't Gold/ EARL WRIGHT: I Don t Know/ TOMMY YOUNGBLOOD: Gone On Home

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Kent CDKEND 431 Modernists - A Decade Of Rhythm & Soul Dedication ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 61 mins, very highly recommended
Now this is one hot collection, put together exactly how a compilation should be: by people who live, breath, and obsess over the music and culture surrounding their topic. In this case, the fantastic Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, and Ska that dominated the Mod dance floors in the 1960s. But wait, there is a catch! Due to their limited availability, poor distribution, and downright obscurity in a couple of cases, these tracks probably didn't actually make it to many dance floors in the U.K., thus making this sort of a wishful thinking/dream compilation of some of the best tracks, that would have been loved if they ever made it to the party. Fantastic tracks like Soul Jerk It Baby by Jeb Stuart, a great version of Harlem Shuffle by Robert Moore, Dynamite by Little Eva (she certainly has a lot more cool songs than she gets credit for), Stone Fox by The Pac-Kays, Little Bob's fantastic take on Peppermint Harris' classic I Got Loaded, and many more. Absolutely top-notch sound throughout, with well researched and entertaining liner notes that make this a must-have for the Mod set and beyond. (JM)
BESSIE BANKS: (You Should Have Been A) Doctor/ LEE BERNARD: Turn Around And Go/ GENE BURKS: Monkey Man/ LEWIS CLARK: Dog (Ain't A Man's Best Friend)/ CLIFFORD CURRY: Good Humor Man/ CLARENCE DANIELS & OBIE JESSIE: Got A Good Thing Going On/ DANNY & THE VELAIRES: Shaggy Dog/ JOHN FRED & THE PLAYBOYS: Shirley/ EDDY GILES: Tingling/ LEROY HARRIS: Crow Baby Crow/ CHARLES HODGES: Charles' Shing A Ling/ THE HUSTLERS: Boston Monkey/ THE IN CROWD: Cat Dance/ LITTLE BOB: I Got Loaded/ LITTLE EVA: Dynamite/ BILL LOCKE: She's Got Soul/ ROBERT MOORE: Harlem Shuffle/ OLIVER MORGAN: Hold Your Dog/ THE PAC-KEYS: Stone Fox/ PAUL & RICK: After Hours/ JEB STUART: Soul Jerk It, Baby/ MEL WILLIAMS: Jet Set/ TIMMY WILSON: Long Ways To Go/ LESTER YOUNG & THE CALIFORNIA PLAYBOYS: Bugaloo Pete

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Kent CDKEND 432 Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities, Vol. 5 ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
This review is for those of you who might have thought that we've been giving Northern Soul the cold shoulder of late. Kent's fifth compilation of Northern Soul gems kicks off with The Avons' shimmering When the Boy That You Love (Is Loving You) from 1967, eases into The Volumes' That Same Old Feeling from 1966, and gives a great gut punch with the driving I Can't Get Hold of Myself by Clifford Curry. And that's within the first five songs! Simply said, there's a whole lot of obscure, meaty R&B contained on this CD; there's no way anyone resist Mousie & the Traps' It's All in the Way (You Look At it Baby), Mel Davis' Just Another Smile, or The Millionaires' It Ain't No Achievement. The time frame of these songs ranges from 1964 to 1975, but that hardly matters because all of these songs have an enduring timelessness. And you haven't lived until you hear Big Joe Turner's Two Loves Have I from 1970! (GMC)
THE AVONS: When The Boy That You Love (Is Loving You)/ THE BALLADS: Butterfly aka I Wish I Knew/ J.J. BARNES: It's Alright To Cry Sometime/ JESSE COWAN: This Man Wants You/ CLIFFORD CURRY: I Can't Get Hold Of Myself/ MEL DAVIS: Just Another Smile/ THE DIALTONES: If You Don't Know, You Just Don't Know/ EDDY GILES: Pins And Needles/ TERRI GOODNIGHT: They Didn't Know/ LITTLE JOHNNY HAMILTON: Do The Popcorn/ MARVA HOLIDAY: Hang Around/ CLEO JACKSON; HUCK & THE SOUL PATROL: I'm The Reason/ JEANETTE JONES: Break Someone Else's Heart/ THE MILLIONAIRES: It Ain't No Achievement/ MOUSIE & THE TRAPS: It's All In The Way (You Look At It Baby)/ DARONDO PULLIAM: How I Got Over/ RAY & DAVE: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong/ MARY SAXTON: Losing Control/ THE SOUL BROTHERS: Lover Man/ THE STEELERS: Just Beginning To Love You/ BIG JOE TURNER: Two Loves Have I/ THE VOLUMES: That Same Old Feeling/ THE WEBB PEOPLE: I'm Sending Vibrations/ ROY WRIGHT: Hook Line And Sinker

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Not Now 504 Hot Rod Rockabilly ● CD $11.98
2 CDs, 40 tracks, 93 mins, highly recommended
Hot rods and Rockabilly have always seemed to go together. Even today, all of the people I know that are super into Rockabilly also have some souped-up coupe or sedan that they are always tinkering with. So, a compilation like this makes perfect sense. Two of the ultimate hot rod Rockabilly cuts are here: Brand New Cadillac by Vince Taylor and Race With The Devil by Gene Vincent, both of which are essential, but pretty easy to find; thankfully, a lot of this collection goes much deeper. You get great lesser known tracks by big names like Roy Orbison with Go, Go, Go, Carl Perkins's Pop, Let Me Have The Car, and even Red Foley zooms in with Hot Rod Race. Then you also get hot tracks by lesser known artists like Drag Strip Baby Johnny Roane, Hot Rod Boogie by Jack Kitchen & The Rock-A-Billies, and This Old Bomb Of Mine by Jim Flaherty's Caravan - lots of hot tracks for you to hit the road. (JM)
WALT BENTON & THE SNAPPERS: Big Wheel/ THE BERRY BROTHERS: Hot Rod/ HOWARD W. BRADY: Hot Rod Boogie/ RAY BURDEN: Hot Rodder's Dream/ JIMMY CARROLL: Big Green Car/ CONNY & THE BELLHOPS: Shot Rod/ ROCKY DAVIS: Hot Rod Baby/ THE DUALS: Stick Shift/ JIM FLAHERTY'S CARAVAN: This Old Bomb Of Mine/ RED FOLEY: Hot Rod Race/ JIM FOSTER & THE KOUNTRY KUT-UPS: Rag Roof Roadster/ JAMES GALLAGHER: Ford And Shaker/ CURTIS GORDON: Draggin'/ JOYCE GREEN: Black Cadillac/ DOUG HARDEN: Dig That Ford/ ERSEL HICKEY: Going Down That Road/ BOBBY JOHNSTON: Flat Tyre/ COL JOYE & THE JOY BOYS: Rocky Road Blues/ JACK KITCHEN & THE ROCK-A-BILLIES: Hot Rod Boogie/ SLEEPY LABEEF: Ride On Josephine/ JOHNNY LANE: Rocking On The Dragstrip/ SAMMY MASTERS: Pink Cadillac/ JIM MCCRORY: Parkin' Lot/ ROY ORBISON: Go! Go! Go!/ CARL PERKINS: Pop, Let Me Have the Car/ JOHNNY REDD: Take A Ride With Me/ JOHNNY ROANE: Drag Strip Baby/ BILL SHERELL: Cadillac Baby/ SLICK SLAVIN: Speed Crazy/ WARREN SMITH: Uranium Rock/ HOYT STEVENS: '55 Chevy/ JIMMY STEVENS: Scramble/ THE STRIPES: Hot Rod/ GENE SUMMER: Fancy Dan/ VINCE TAYLOR: Brand New Cadillac/ FRANK THAYER: Long Grey Highway/ GENE VINCENT: Pink Thunderbird/ Race With The Devil/ BILLY WALLACE: Burning The Wind/ HAL WILLIS: My Pink Cadillac

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Not Now 570 Cafe Calypso - 50 Original Calypso Classics ● CD $11.98
Two CDs, 50 tracks, very highly recommended
A truly wonderful and delightful collection of calypso mostly recorded in Trinidad and London in the 1950s. Calypsos were, at times, like a musical equivalent of an editorial page in a newspaper with - The Mighty Terror sings about his first TV in TV Calypso, Lord Beginner celebrates a cricket match in 1950 when the West Indies defeated England in Victory Calypso and Lord Ivanahoe figures he can deal directly with Nikita Kruschev in Lift The Iron Curtain. In calypsos West Indians display a very liberated attitude to women with enthusiastic songs about Women Police In England (The Mighty Terror) and Female Boxer (Louis Farrakhan - yes, that Louis Farrakhan!) and the remarkable Patricia Gone With Millicent where The Mighty Terror's girl friend Patricia has left him to have lesbian relationship with Millicent. There are a number of risque songs like The Naughty Little Flea by The Mighty Flea and the outrageous Big Bamboo by The Duke Of Iron. There are lots more treasures in this collection. There are a number of American performers here, in addition to the aforementioned Farrakhan whose performance is totally authentic. Harry Belafonte's Banana Boat Song is entertaining but his Man Smart (Women Smarter) is ruined by a bombastic pop arrangement. On the other hand, Robert Mitchum, who loved calypso music, does a very authentic sounding Jean and Dinah with a small group. Sound quality is superb and there are brief but informative notes by Brian Parks. (FS)
HARRY BELAFONTE: Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)/ Man Smart (Woman Smarter)/ BLIND BLAKE: A Conch Ain't Got No Bone/ BEN BOWERS: Donkey City/ Not Me/ COUNT LASHER: Talking Parrot/ THE DUKE OF IRON: Big Bamboo/ LOUIS FARRAKHAN: Female Boxer/ AL HARRIS & HIS CALYPSO BAND: Landlady/ Taxi/ ERIC HAYDEN: Give Her The Number One/ LANCE HAYWARD: Montego Bay/ THE ISLAND CHAMPIONS: River Den Come Down/ LORD IVANHOE & HIS CARIBBEAN KNIGHTS: Lift The Iron Curtain/ KING RADIO: Matilda/ THE LION: Some Girls Something/ LORD BEGINNER: Housewives/ Louise/ Victory Test Match/ LORD FLEA & HIS CALYPSONIANS: Shake Shake Señora/ The Naughty Little Flea/ LORD INVADER: Rum And Coca-Cola/ Steel Band War/ LORD IVANHOE & HIS CARIBBEAN KNIGHTS: Belinda/ LORD KITCHENER: Kitch In The Jungle/ Nosey Mother-In-Law/ Sweet Jamaica/ The Underground Train/ LORD MELODY: Can-Can/ Creature From The Black Lagoon/ Life In Brazil/ REUBEN MCCOY & THE HAMILTONIANS: Calypso Twist/ MIGHTY SPARROW: No More Rocking And Rolling/ Trinidad Carnival/ THE MIGHTY TERROR: Jamaica Girl/ Patricia Gone With Millicent/ TV Calypso/ Women Police In England/ ROBERT MITCHUM: Jean And Dinah/ Mama Look A Boo Boo/ JOSEPHINE PREMICE: Chicken Gumbo/ THE ROARING LION: Mary Ann/ Trinidad The Land Of Calypso/ Wash Your Hands/ HUBERT SMITH & HIS CORAL ISLANDERS: College Holiday/ Green Ticket/ THE SPARROW: Hol' Em Joe (Donkey Wants Water)/ THE TALBOT BROTHERS OF BERMUDA: Old Time Cat O' Nine/ Out'A Me/ TIMOTHY: Bulldog Don't Bite Me

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Not Now 571 Cafe Madrid ● CD $11.98
2 CDs, 50 tracks, 140 mins, recommended A little out of our comfort zone, this looked interesting, so we thought we should try it out. Madrid is supposedly the entertainment capitol of Spain (I've never been there, but I'll take their word on it) and has been for decades, and this collection covers a wide swath of Spanish history starting in the 1940s. On this, you get Spanish movie stars doing big production numbers, impassioned Folk singers, Flamenco, Jazz, Pop, Salsa, Bossa Nova, and more. A lot of this I liked, a lot of this I wasn't that into, but it was an interesting experience throughout, and when it is good it is very good. All in all, this is worth checking out. (JM)
LOS 4 DE RUFF: Cerezo Rosa Y Manzano Blanco/ Quien Será/ MONNA BELL: Anastasia/ Luna De Benidorm/ PEPE BLANCO: Bueno... ¿Y Qué?/ Qué Bonito Está Madrid/ ALBERTO CORTEZ: Las Palmeras/ Sucu Sucu/ CUADRO GITANO FAMENCO: Grítenme Piedras Del Campo/ LILIáN DE CELIS: Flor Del Mal/ Rosa De Madrid/ Tus Ojitos Negros/ MIGUEL DE LOS REYES Y SU CONJUNTO: Coplas De Mi España/ ROSITA FERRER: Cariño Motorizado/ Doña Isabel De Solís/ LOLA FLORES: La Zarzamora/ ANA MARíA GONZáLEZ: Abrázame Así/ JOSé GRECO: Zambra Gitana/ JOSE GUARDIOLA: Mis Besos Te Dirán/ Pequeña Flor (Petite Fleur)/ JOSé GUARDIOLA: Enamorada/ La Muchacha Del Café ('A Padrona D'o Café)/ Mackie El Navaja (Mack The Knife)/ GLORIA LASSO: Cachito/ Luna De Miel/ Quiéreme Mucho/ Venus/ JUAN LEGIDO Y LOS CHURUMBELES DE ESPAñA: Doce Cascabeles/ El Gitano Señorito/ JOSé LUIS Y SU GUITARRA: Destinos Paralelos/ Escríbeme/ ANTONIO MOLINA: Soy Minero/ SARA MONTIEL: A Media Luz/ Bésame Mucho/ Farsa Monea/ Todas Las Noches A Las Once/ ENRIQUE MONTOYA: Mío, Mío/ CARLOS RAMíREZ: Sombras/ JUANITO SEGARRA: Camino Verde/ JORGE SEPúLVEDA: Llora Otra Vez/ Madrid Brujo/ CARMEN SEVILLA: Carmen De España/ Rayito De Sol/ LITA TORELLó: Presentimiento/ JUANITO VALDERRAMA: Adiós A Don Jacinto/ El Emigrante/ MARIO VISCONTI: Ayer Se La Llevaron/ La Cieguita/ Macanas, Amigo/ Vuelve El Tango

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Old Hat 1006 In The Pines - Tar Heel Songs And Fiddle Tunes** ● CD $17.98
24 tracks, very highly recommended
Fabulous collection of old time country music from North Carolina recorded between 1926 and 1936 including old time fiddle and banjo tunes, folk songs and murder ballads, gospel hymns, mountain blues and more. Although about half the tracks have been reissued before ths sound quality is vastly superior to most previous reissues and the titles here all have the context of being from North Carolina. Includes sides by "Dock" Walsh, Carolina Ramblers String band, Ben Jarrell, Carlie Parker & Mack Woolbright, The Grady Family, Clarence Greene, Whitter-Hendley-Small, E.R. Nance Family and others. Includes 24 page illustrated booklet with notes on all the performers and songs and rare vintage photos. (FS)
THE BLAKENSHIP FAMILY: Working On The Railroad/ THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN ENTERTAINERS: Honeysuckle Rag/ THE CAROLINA BUDDIES: Mistreated Blues/ THE CAROLINA RAMBLERS STRING BAND: Johnson City Hop/ That Lonesome Valley/ THE CAROLINA TAR HEELS: My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains/ THE CAULEY FAMILY: New River Train/ CRANFORD & THOMPSON: Otto Wood/ THE DIXON BROTHERS & MUTT EVANS: Are You Sure?/ THE GRADY FAMILY: Carolina's Best/ GRAYSON & WHITTER: Tom Dooley/ CLARENCE GREEN: Little Bunch Of Roses/ HENDLEY-SMALL-WHITTER: A Pretty Gal's Love/ THE HIGHLANDERS: Richmond Square/ BEN JARRELL: Jack Of Diamonds/ FRANK JENKINS & HIS PILOT MOUNTAINEERS: Sunny Home In Dixie/ MAINER'S MOUNTAINEERS: The Longest Train/ E.R. NANCE FAMILY WITH CLARENCE DOOLEY: Sweet Freedom/ THE NORTH CAROLINA COOPER BOYS: The Rose With A Broken Stem/ CHARLIE PARKER & MACK WOOLBRIGHT: Will, The Weaver/ THE PROXIMITY STRING QUARTET: Lindy/ THE RED FOX CHASERS: Mountain Sweetheart/ DOCK WALSH: In The Pines/ WILMER WATTS & THE LONELY EAGLES: Banjo Sam

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS One Day 280 Don't Do It - The Smash Records Story ● CD $11.98
2 CD, 50 tracks, strongly recommended
Founded as an offshoot of Mercury Records in 1961, Smash's roster reflected the personal taste for Country music held by the man who ran the label, Shelby Singleton. This realization is evident when listening to the likes of Paddy Manna, Howard Crockett, Pee Wee Crayton, Jack Cook, and Billy Deaton. And yet there's other types of singles that got released through Smash during 1961 and 1962: oddball instrumentals from Lee Hazelwood and The Virtues; country pop from Dickey Lee; Blues from Luke "Long Gone" Miles; twee pop from Danny Jordan, Bruce Channel, and the Dreams; and R&B/Doo Wop from the Paramours, Bee Jay, The Viceroys, The Desires, J.J. Barnes, Cornell Blakely, and Chuck Sedacca. Bottom line: this is another fine entry in One Day's label series and if you collect these, then this one is a welcome addition. (GMC)
CHAD ALLEN: Little Lonely/ J.J. BARNES: Won't You Let Me Know/ JOE BARRY: I'm A Fool To Care/ Just Because/ Little Papoose/ You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry/ THE BEER GARDEN 4 PLUS 1: New Generation/ CORNELL BLAKELY: Don't Do It/ THE CADILLACS: What You Bet/ BRUCE CHANNEL: Come On Baby/ Dream Girl/ Hey Baby/ Number One Man/ JACK COOK: Run Boy Run/ PEE WEE CRAYTON: Hillbilly Blues/ HOWARD CROCKETT: Out Of Bounds Again/ BILLY DEATON: I'd Rather Stumble Into Your Arms/ THE DESIRES: There I Go Again/ JOE DOWELL: Poor Little Cupid/ Wooden Heart/ JOHNNY DRAPER: I Never Danced Before/ THE DREAMS: Too Late/ DUDLEY DUNCAN: Gold Cup/ THE ECHOES: Bluebirds Over The Mountain/ KITTY FORD: Don't Play No. 9/ LEE HAZLEWOOD: Della/ Don't Cry (No More)/ DON HELMS: I Can't Help It/ BEE JAY: I'll Go On/ DANNY JORDAN: Boom Ditty Boom/ Jeannie/ DICKEY LEE: I Saw Linda Yesterday/ Patches/ LITTLE ELLEN: That Other Guy/ PADDY MANNA: I'm In Love Again/ LUKE "LONG GONE" MILES: Long Gone/ War Time Blues/ THE MODERN REDCAPS (WITH GEORGE TINDLEY): I Couldn't Care Less/ THE MUS-TWANGS: Frankie And Johnny/ THE PARAMOURS: That's The Way We Love/ DEL RICHARDSON: Don't Cry Linda/ RICK & THE KEENS: Maybe/ Peanuts/ CHUCK SEDACCA: Busy/ MELVIN SMITH: Ain't Nobody's Fault/ THE SPIRALS: Please Be My Love/ DANIEL STONE: Catch Me/ THE VICEROYS: I'm So Sorry/ THE VIRTUES: Guitar Boogie Shuffle Twist/ YOLANDA & THE CHARMAINES: There Oughta Be A Law

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Smithsonian 40215 Classic American Ballads From Smithsonian Folkways ● CD $11.98
25 tracks, 74 mins, essential
Here's an absolutely wonderful collection full of American history (which sometimes goes so far back it ends up in the old countries of the U.K.) Not only is every track good, but each also comes with a deep, sometimes disturbing, always fascinating story behind them. The recordings themselves span about 50 years, from as early as Woody Guthrie singing about Billy The Kid in 1944, to as late as 1995 with a wonderful rendition of Cowboy's Lament (Streets Of Laredo) by Buck Ramsey, recorded at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko Nevada. No surprise though, that the largest percentage of the songs were recorded during the Folk revival of the late 1950s to early 1960s. So you get artists in their prime like Pete Seeger, Doc Watson with Bill Monroe, Paul Clayton, Hermes Nye, Cisco Houston, Pink Anderson, etc. You also get fantastic tracks like Cole Younger by Dock Boggs, which is recorded during his most famous years (but I wouldn't call it his prime years as a performer), Boll Weevil recorded by Sam Hinton in 1972, and Duncan And Brady by Leadbelly in 1947, just to name a few. CD is beautifully packaged with deep notes, and fascinating pictures throughout. It is another home run from our friends at Smithsonian Folkways. (JM)
PINK ANDERSON: The Titanic/ DOCK BOGGS: Cole Younger/ BRUCE BUCKLEY: Pearl Bryan/ ROLF CAHN AND ERIC VON SCHMIDT: Frankie and Johnny/ PAUL CLAYTON: Floyd Collins/ SIS CUNNINGHAM, MIKE MILLINS, AND WES HOUSTO: Jesse James/ WOODY GUTHRIE: Billy the Kid/ SAM HINTON: Boll Weevil/ CISCO HOUSTON: Tying a Knot in the Devil’s Tail/ THE IRON MOUNTAIN STRING BAND: The Louisville Burglar/ JOHN JACKSON: John Henry/ LEAD BELLY: Duncan and Brady/ BASCOM LAMAR LUNSFORD: Springfield Mountain/ GLEN NEAVES: The Death of the Lawson Family/ Tom Dooley/ HERMES NYE: Sam Bass/ JOAN O’BRYANT: Zebra Dun/ BUCK RAMSEY: Cowboy’s Lament (Streets of Laredo)/ PETE SEEGER: Blue Mountain Lake/ Young Charlotte/ HOBART SMITH: Claude Allen/ THE TEX-I-AN BOYS: Wasn’t That a Mighty Storm?/ DOUG WALLIN: Naomi Wise/ ANNIE WATSON: The F.F.V. (Engine 143)/ DOC WATSON AND BILL MONROE: Banks of the Ohio

 
BIG JOE WILLIAMS & FRIENDS Arhoolie 9015 Going Back To Crawford** ● CD $9.98
26 tracks, 71 mins, essential
Wow! There's no shortage of Big Joe Williams material out there but this collection of previously unissued material you gotta have! The tracks were recorded in Joe's home town of Crawford, Mississippi - 19 by Arhoolie owner Chris Strachwitz and 7 by Big Joe himself. In addition to Joe's great vocals and guitar, often playing slide, he is joined by some of his friends and relatives. Austen Pete is an excellent singer and a fine guitarist - he sings three songs himself and accompanies Big Joe on second guitar many of his cuts. There are 10 cuts by the incredible John "Shortstuff" Macon who sings and plays in an archaic style. His singing and playing are so striking on songs like Take Me Out Of The Bottom/ Bird Nest/ Moanin' Fo Day and others that you won't care that on some cuts the strings on his guitar are rattling against the pickups. "Shortstuff" was a major talent and I hope the handful of other recordings he made will show up on CD soon. Big Joe also accompanies fine vocalists Glover Lee Connor and Amelia Johnson. Great music and the booklet has reminiscences by Chris and some very atmospheric photos taken by him at the time. (FS)

 

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