The Pre-War Blues and Country Music thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by J.A.W., Sep 4, 2015.

  1. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    If I get the American Epic boxset does that cover all the artists that are individually available on the American Epic cds?
     
  2. Laservampire

    Laservampire Down with this sort of thing

    The individual artist sets (available as download only) have lots of tracks not found on the box, but the two themed compilations (blues and country) are completely expendable if you have the box.
     
    Marzz, Jackie P, J.A.W. and 1 other person like this.
  3. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    Today is the 61st anniversary of the death of Tommy Johnson, and tomorrow is the 51st anniversary of the death of Mississippi John Hurt. Two giants. Born 4 years and 136 miles apart, they couldn't have had more different blues styles and life arcs.


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  4. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    What made me think about the subjects of the above post was that on Monday, I found a beautiful original vinyl pressing of "Today." Then this morning I turned the page on my blues calendar and saw that tomorrow was the anniversary of his death, and today was Tommy Johnson's. I'm a huge fan of Johnson, going so far as to make myself a comp CD of the best sources of all his released recordings, which is sadly, too few. Below is my track listing with source info.

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    Tommy Johnson 1928 - 1929- Complete Recorded Works from Best Sources

    1- Cool Drink Of Water Blues-A
    2- Big Road Blues-A
    3- Bye-Bye Blues-B
    4-Maggie Campbell Blues-B
    5- Canned Heat Blues-C
    6- Lonesome Home Blues (take 1)-C
    7-Lonesome Home Blues (take 2)-C
    8-Big Fat Mama Blues-C
    9- I Wonder To Myself—D
    10- Slidin' Delta-D
    11- Lonesome Home Blues-D
    12- Boogaloosa Woman-D
    13- Morning Prayer –D
    14- Black Mare Blues (take 1)-E
    15- Black Mare Blues (take 2)-E
    16- Ridin' Horse-F
    17- Alcohol And Jake Blues-F
    18- Walkin’ Shoes (Button Up Shoes)-G
    19- I Want Someone To Love Me- H
    20- Ishman Bracey on Tommy Johnson’s Death

    A- Feb. 3, 1928- Memphis, TN- Tommy Johnson voc., g,- Charley McCoy 2nd g.
    B- Feb. 4, 1928- Memphis, TN- Tommy Johnson voc., g,- Charley McCoy 2nd g.
    C- Aug. 31, 1928- Memphis, TN- Tommy Johnson voc., g.
    D- Dec. 1929 -Grafton, WI.; Tommy Johnson, voc., g. unknown kazoo (9)
    E- Dec. 1929 -Grafton, WI.; Tommy Johnson, voc., g. w/New Orleans Nehi Boys
    F- Dec. 1929 -Grafton, WI.; Tommy Johnson, voc., g., Ishman Bracey: speech
    G- Dec. 1929 - Grafton WI - Paramount unissued - Tommy Johnson voc., g.
    H- Dec. 1929 -Grafton, WI.; Tommy Johnson, voc., g.

    sources:
    Document DOCD 5001 “Complete 1928-29”:3,6,7,9,12-15
    RCA 63986 “Walk Right In”: 1
    Yazoo 3002: “The Best There Ever Was”: 2
    Yazoo 2002: “Masters of the Delta Blues”: 4, 8
    Yazoo 2039 “My Rough & Rowdy Ways V. 1”: 5
    Yazoo 2202 “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of”: 10
    Blues Image Volume 8 “Rabbit Foot Blues”: 11
    Blues Image Volume 6 “Nightmare”: 16, 17 (upgraded on vol. 12)
    Yazoo 2048 “Times Ain’t Like They Used To Be V. 4: 18
    Blues Image Vol.1 “Down The Dirt Road Blues”:19
    Backbeat “Chasin’ That Devil Music”: 20
    (unissued titles: 6, 7, 11-15, 18, 19)


     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2017
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  5. beccabear67

    beccabear67 Musical omnivore.

    Location:
    Victoria, Canada
    Gotta love that original Canned Heat Blues! I don't know why Tommy gets lost in the shadows while Robert Johnson is known to just about half the population of the planet... maybe that 'O Brother' film helped though?
     
  6. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks for the Tommy Johnson info.
     
    Jerry likes this.
  7. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan

    Bizarre they had Tommy playing a Skip James song!
     
  8. bluesbro

    bluesbro Forum Hall of Shame

    Location:
    DC
    The new Blues Images calendar includes a couple of songs from Tommy Johnson in amazing sound: Slidin Delta and Wonder to Myself.
     
  9. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    Maybe my next custom comp should be Tommy Johnson's accompanist Charlie McCoy. I'm a huge fan of blues mandolin, thanks to hearing Ry Cooder's playing on his early albums and live shows, and hearing Yank Rachell on Sleepy John Estes' albums. My wife even bought me a 1920's Ditson Victory mandolin (made by Vega) so I could learn blues mandolin. Anyways, here's some info on Charlie for those unfamiliar:

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    Charlie McCoy was born in Jackson, MS on May 26, 1909. He played guitar and mandolin, and mostly as an accompanist. Sometimes his guitar style sounded like he was playing a mandolin. Some of the bands he played with were the Mississippi Hot Footers, the Mississippi Sheiks, the Mississippi Mud Steppers (with Bo Carter) and The Harlem Hamfats. As the McCoy Brothers, he recorded with his older brother Kansas Joe McCoy, who was married to Memphis Minnie and played on many of her well-known sides, which Charlie can also be heard on! Later in life, he recorded with John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Peetie Wheatstraw and Big Bill Broonzy.

    Some of his best work can be found on these recordings:
    "The Jackson Stomp"
    "The Vicksburg Stomp"
    "The Lonesome Train, That Took My Girl from Town"

    McCoy's career was cut short by his service in World War II. In poor health after the war, he never returned to music. He died in Chicago in 1950 from paralytic brain disease only a few months after Joe died.

    Here's "The Vicksburg Stomp" by the MS Mudsteppers:

     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2023
  10. drgn95

    drgn95 Under the Wire

    ^
    Love me some Yank Rachell.
     
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  11. Spadeygrove

    Spadeygrove Senior Member

    Location:
    Charleston, WV
    Thanks for this, Jer. I'm a mandolin player, myself...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 4, 2017
    Jerry likes this.
  12. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    You asked for it! 1929...

     
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  13. wildroot indigo

    wildroot indigo Forum Resident

    Frog CDs Memphis Blues Singers Volume 1, " " Volume 2, and Memphis Rounders Blues are high-quality sources for the Victor sides (the test pressings of Lonesome Home Blues reappear on the last release).

    I've been enjoying Memphis Rounders Blues lately: great compilation and transfers, mostly from Victor test pressings, including a few previously unreleased takes from Jim Jackson and Will Shade.
     
  14. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    Anyone have any of these?
    they look nice, but very pricey!

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    beccabear67 likes this.
  15. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    I do(and 2 other issues). Great magazine, and great cd that comes with it. I treasure mine. If you're at all a fan of the genre, a must.
     
  16. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    Eric Clapton had a lot to do with it.
     
  17. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
  18. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    signothetimes53 and Scope J like this.
  19. Tone

    Tone Senior Member

    Here's an update on this Sound Restoration project......
     
  20. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    This one's essential!
    not heard the P-Vine

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    Jerry likes this.
  21. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
  22. beccabear67

    beccabear67 Musical omnivore.

    Location:
    Victoria, Canada
    Snagged a Frog Blues & Jazz Annual 1... really digging that No.29 number! :cool:
     
  23. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    This CD on Wolf (from Austria) has all 19 tracks. Any pros or cons for this particular CD?:

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  24. Tuck1977

    Tuck1977 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    These American Epic LP’s are great I have 3 now. Leadbelly, Blind Willie J & the Blues compilation with wrong info printed on back (sure to become a collectors piece). These coupled with the RSD Robert Johnson Centenial 3 LP set I am creating a nice little delta collection for myself.
     
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  25. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    I can't say, as I don't know Wolf's track record lately. They used to be on par with Document, and I always believed that there was some association between the two labels. Personally, I find the best sources for this material to be Frog, Blues Image and of course, Yazoo. Yesterday I ordered the previously mentioned Frog releases, "Memphis Blues Singers Volumes 1 and 2" to see if the Tommy Johnson tracks are upgraded. I'll report back after I hear them.
     
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