The Yazoo Label

[Late]

What a great label. Just today I picked up "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" — a 2-disc set of rarities complete with a great R. Crumb cover. Does anyone else have this one?

Comments/suggestions as to favorites on this label? Is a fair amount of their catalog on compact disc already out-of-print?

[Late]

Had to post the cover —

So far, this is an excellent compilation!

[7/4]

http://www.yazoorecords.com/

[jlhoots]

What a great label. Just today I picked up "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" — a 2-disc set of rarities complete with a great R. Crumb cover. Does anyone else have this one?

I've ordered it.

Awaiting its arrival.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

good to see late back!!

that cover is fantastic - looks like many could just strip in a head from the "show us yer face" thread and no one would think twice! don't have any of these Yazoos myself but have given a couple as gifts to folks with more folky interests.

many of the Yazoo covers are highlighted in Crumb's collection of record cover art. a real coup would be a compilation of all that art with a box set from the label.

[Late]

Listened to all of the first disc last night. The programming is really nice, and the sound (given the sources) is fantastic. I'm usually not that big a fan of "rural" music (or whatever you want to call it), but the selections here, at least on the first disc, are a lot of fun. This package would make a great gift for those interested in this type of music ...

[AllenLowe]

I love that music ("old time music" is probably a good label, and I also like "hillbilly" and "country" as historically accurate) - that's about 90 percent of what I listen to these days. Yazoo is a superb label and they have the right idea about sound - they use enough restoration to make it listenable but they leave the ambience. The current proprietor is Rich Nevins who, I think, from some personal dealings, is the biggest asshole on the face of the earth; he does, however, have the records (primarily, I believe, from the collection of the late Nick Perls), he transfers them well, and Yazoo restores them correctly. Just don't read Nevins's occasional line notes, which are the equivalent of Yogi Berra writing about literary history -

Edited April 9, 2006 by AllenLowe

[Chuck Nessa]

I haven't paid attention to the label since Nick died.

[BruceH]

I got some great stuff from Yazoo through the years...mostly vinyl double-record, single-artist anthologies. I have very few CD's from them. Too bad about Nick Perls.

[Mark J]

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of is on my list of things to buy - it is the first release of a recently discovered 1930 Paramount 78 by Son House that was believed lost forever.

[jazzbo]

I have a number of Yazoo cds. . . .I think I like the piano players series the best. Nice label. . . haven't bought any in a few years. Hmmmm. . . .

[John L]

Yes, "the Stuff that Dreams are Made of" is the shit

A relatively cheap option is E-music: virtually the entire Yazoo catalog can be downloaded there.

[Hot Ptah]

The Jazz The World Forgot CDs are very interesting, as documents of once popular early jazz bands.

I have had many hours of enjoyment from the LPs, then the CDs, of Blind Blake, Barbecue Bob, Bo Carter, John Hurt, Robert Wilkins, Henry Thomas, Blind Boy Fuller, Tampa Red, Furry Lewis, Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson, and Big Bill Broonzy. I find a compelling power to this music.

In some ways, the 1920s recordings of Louis Armstrong in jazz, the Carter Family in country, and the artists mentioned above in blues, were never equalled by later artists in their genres. Just my opinion of course.

[WD45]

I have a number of Yazoo cds. . . .I think I like the piano players series the best. Nice label. . . haven't bought any in a few years. Hmmmm. . . .

I have one of the volumes of the Shake Your Wicked Knees comps of the piano stuff. Killer.

Why do they often release them as two full-priced volumes rather than a double? [The current release notwithstanding.]

[Late]

Dunno, WD, but usually with Yazoo their compilations always come close to the 80 minute mark. (Single artist comps tend to vary.)

One that's great fun — and that might too easily be passed over is:

It's better than I thought it would be!

[jazzbo]

I don't have that one, but I have about ten discs now of vintage Hawaiin music. .. really nice stuff!

The real current thing performed on a starry Hawaiian night on one of the islands is really nice stuff too!

[paul secor]

What a great label. Just today I picked up "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" — a 2-disc set of rarities complete with a great R. Crumb cover. Does anyone else have this one?

Comments/suggestions as to favorites on this label? Is a fair amount of their catalog on compact disc already out-of-print?

Got it last week, and was just able to listen to half of the first CD this morning - GREAT stuff!

As to yr second question, Yazoo has reissued some of their original LPs straight to CD. Other artists - Charlie Patton, McTell, etc. have been given new releases with new remastering. I highly recommend the two (relatively) recent Patton reissues - listening to them for me was like hearing his music for the first time.

[J.A.W.]

I highly recommend the two (relatively) recent Patton reissues - listening to them for me was like hearing his music for the first time.

I second those Patton recommendations!

Edited April 12, 2006 by J.A.W.

[paul secor]

I haven't paid attention to the label since Nick died.

Chuck - Agreed -Yazoo under Nick Perls was a breakthrough blues reissue label - for both material and sound. However, you should check out some of the recent stuff. Richard Nevins and Don Kent have put together some good releases over the past few years.

[BruceH]

What a great label. Just today I picked up "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" — a 2-disc set of rarities complete with a great R. Crumb cover. Does anyone else have this one?

Comments/suggestions as to favorites on this label? Is a fair amount of their catalog on compact disc already out-of-print?

Got it last week, and was just able to listen to half of the first CD this morning - GREAT stuff!

As to yr second question, Yazoo has reissued some of their original LPs straight to CD. Other artists - Charlie Patton, McTell, etc. have been given new releases with new remastering. I highly recommend the two (relatively) recent Patton reissues - listening to them for me was like hearing his music for the first time.

I was going to say, the Charlie Patton Yazoo is amazing and essential. Never got the CD versions; now I think it may be about time...

[Neal Pomea]

The label has done some important releases of historic Cajun music, particularly Dennis McGee, Leo Soileau, Moise Robin, Blind Uncle Gaspard and Delma Lachney, John Bertrand, stuff from the 20s and 30s, so I applaud them.

If anybody at Yazoo is listening, the big hole is the lack of Leo Soileau's string band music, and a comprehensive treatment of the Hackberry Ramblers.

As for the set prompting this thread, I see Joe Bussard all over the place on that one. I know he leases stuff to Nevin now and then.

Not sure what in the world to make of Nevin's attitude toward a 1972 recording he made of Dennis McGee and Sady Courville done in Joe's basement for Morningstar Records, before he was at Yazoo. I have heard it, Joe has the session tapes, and my Cajun friends and I cannot find anybody interested in releasing them! The McGee family wants; the Courville family wants. Nevin says he doesn't have the masters, do what you want with them. Arhoolie doesn't want. Can't figure out the hesitance.

[Joe]

I love this record:

As for Joe Bussard, anybody here sprung for this recent set?

http://dust-digital.com/fonotone.htm

[AllenLowe]

I think Arhoolie has a Hackberry Ramblers CD -

[Late]

I especially like the Kokomo Arnold sides on the disc Joe pictures above. Also, this disc should not be passed by — fabulous music:

[AllenLowe]

too bad about the Mc Ghee - but Yazoo is a great label though, as I said, Nevins is a world-class a-hole -