blues reissue project

[AllenLowe]

thanks, I was hoping it would look that way - hardest part will be narrowing the field.

[AllenLowe]

latest transfers:

158. Swanee Blues J Milton DeCamp 1920

159. Society Blues Kid Ory 6/22

160. Sheffield Blues Reb’s Legion Club Forty Niners 11/24

161. West End Blues King Oliver and His Orch Higginbotham/Holmes 1/16/29

162. Snag It Bunk Johnson/George Lewis 12/6/45

163. Feeling Drowsy Red Allen 7/19/29

164. Blues Bunny Berigan/Fats Waller/Tommy Dorsey/Dick McDonough 3/31/37

165. Cotton Mill Blues Wilmer Batts and the Lonely Eagles

166. Alley Rat Jimmy Blythe piano solo 3/30/28

167. Wild Man Stomp Chicago Stompers Jimmy Blythe banjo solo 3/20/31

[AllenLowe]

discovery du jour: Eddie Cantor singing a blues with the Georgians, 1924. Transfer to come -

[AllenLowe]

weekend work:

168. If you do What you Do Eddie Cantor w/the Georgians 1/4/24

169. Bull Frong Blues Charles Pierce and His Orc w/Spanier, Teschemacer 2/28

170. Copenhagen Elmer Schoebr and His Orc e/Teschemacher 10/18/29 - guitar solo

171. Wailing Blues Tesch, Manone, Bud Freeman, Frank Melrose 1/24/30

172. Peach Tree blues Yank Rachel Sonny Boy Williamsom 1211/41

173. Violin Blues The Johnson Boys (Hayes and Prater) 2/15/28

174. What's the Matter Now Monarch Jazz Quartet of Norfolk 10/16/29

175. Let's Get Loose Clara Smith 12/31/29

176. N Blues George O'Connor 7/18/16

[Cliff Englewood]

as usual, I'm not overly optimistic as most publishers have a hard time getting a grip on my stuff.

Interesting, but if those hilarious PMs you keep sending me are anything to go by, there's really very little to get to grips with. They're very academic, or maybe just pseudo-academic. Good luck with the project, you'll need it.

[Adam]

Congrats! Really looking forward to this.

It makes perfect sense not to include much of the usual suspects, as those are already readily accessible. A reference in your book to the other essential recordings that you don't include in the 18 CDs would be much appreciated.

Also, will you include any more Tommy McLennan? Chuck Nessa once referred to his brilliance, but I've never found anything in print with his music. Haven't looked too hard, I grant you, but there's never anything at Amoeba or Amazon. So it would be good to have more via you.

As a general query, you be including anything not done by an artist from the USA?

Best,

Adam

[AllenLowe]

sorry so slow to respond -

funny you should ask, as just tonight I was going through a German LP of '20s jazz recordings with 2 or 3 blues in it - I also have an odd collection of Russian and Eastern European stuff, and will include something - also, Django, of course, and some Danny Polo things with a Euro band - probably more, but not a lot, as I go through my stuff. It also depends on how far I go chronologically, haven't quite determined that yet.

I love McLennan and there is a great Bluebird reissue with excellent sound, don't know if it's still available - I'd be happy to run you off a CDR, Chuck is right about him. My other favorite is Robert Petway (Catfish Blues) who has a similar sound (they ran together). I also have some excellent sounding sources for him. I'll run them off this weekend -

there will, of course, be a number of things by musicians whom we regularly see - I am just trying to get a bigger picture than usual. As a matter of fact I've been crazy busy the last three-four days, and here are additions:

177. Red Man Blues Piron’s New Orleans Orchestra 3/25/25

178. Slow Motion Benny Moten (guitar) 6/9/28

179. I’m Gonna Cross the River of Jordan Some of These Days Jaybird Coleman

180. Lord I’m Discouraged Charley Patton

181.Chock House Blues Blind Lemon Jefferson

182. See That My Grave is Kept Clean Blind Lemon Jefferson

183. My Bones Gonna Rise Again Dave McCarin 5/19/31

184. Lord Lord He Sure is Good Elder Richard Bryant w/Sanctified Singers 2/7/28

185. Papa De Dada Armstrong/Bechet/Clarence Williams/Eva Taylor? 3/5/25

186. Wang Wang Blues Sam Ku’s West Harmony Boys 1928

187. Reefer Man Don Redman 6/17/32

188. You Have Lost Jesus Missionary Josephine Miles and Sister Elizabeth Cooper 5/16/28

189. When I Take My Vacation in Heaven Mother McCollum 6/30

190. Down On Me Eddie Head and his Family 4/22/30

191. I Am Born to Preach the Gospel Washington Phillips 12/2/27

192. Telephone to Glory Roosevelt Graves and Brother 9/20/29

193. Death is Only a Dream Edward Clayborne 7/19/27

194. Pure Religion Blind Nesbitt 12/7/30

195. Tin Roof Blues Original Memphis 5 10/4/23 Miff Mole

196. Bass Ale Blues Original Memphis 5 9/17/25 arrangement

197. A Blues Serenade Original Memphis 5 12/28/28 Signorelli

198. Sugar Alberta Hunter Fats Waller 5/20/27

199. Beale Street Blues Alberta Hunter Fats Waller 5/20/27

200. Hard Hearted Papa Monette Moore 1/26/27

201. Your Gonna Need My Help Sippi Wallace Hense Grundy Cal Smith 2/6/29

202. I’m a Might Tight Woman Sippi Wallace Natty Dominque Johnny Dodds 2/7/29

203. Second-Hand Blues Margaret Johnson w/Leecan – Cookey 2/24/27

204.Dead Drunk Blues Margaret Johnson w/Leecan – Cookey 2/24/27

205. Goin’ Crazy With the Blues Margaret Johnson w/Leecan – Cookey 2/24/27

206. Blood Hound Blues Victoria Spivey Holmes/Allen/Higginbotham/Nicholas/Foster 10/1/29

207.I Got a Man in the ‘Bama Mines Addie Spivey 10/1/37

208. Dunn’s Cornet Blues Johnny Dunn 4/11/24

209. London Blues Jelly Roll Morton’s Jazz Orch. 1923

210. Jazzin’ Babies Blues King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band 6/23/23

211. Number 2 Blues Johnny DeDroit 3/15/24

212. Waffle Man’s Call Johnny Bayersdorffer 3/17/24

213. She’s Crying For Me New Orleans Rhythm Kings 1/23/25

214. I Ain’t Got No Time to Have the Blues Louisiana 5 6/13/19

215. Mahagony Hall Stomp L. Armstrong – gtr solo: Lonnie Johnson 3/5/29

216. Up the Country Blues Wingy Manone 4/11/27

217. Everybody’s Talking About Sammy Sam Morgan 4/14/27

218. Careless Love Jimmy Tarlton

219. Leake County Blues Leake County Revelers

220. Farm Girl Blues Carolina Tar Heels

221. Down South Blues Doc Bogg

222. Cannon Ball Blues Frank Hutchison

223. Brown Skin Blues Dick Justice

224. Curley Headed Woman Burnett & Rutherford

225. Johnson City Blues Clarence Green

Edited December 27, 2008 by AllenLowe

[AllenLowe]

a few more -

226. A Good Man is Hard to Find Bix/Tram/Murray/Russell/Rolini/Venuti 10/2/27

227. Singin’ the Blues Bix/Lang/Tram 2/4/27

228. Haunted Road Blues Clarence Ashley/Gwenn Foster 12/31

229. Been on the Job Too Long Wilmer Batts and The Lonely Eagles

230. If the Light Has Gone Out In Your Soul Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers 10/29/28

231. Mon Cherie Bebe Creole Dennis McGee (in New Orleans) 1928

232. Aggravatin’ Papa Sophie Tucker 3/23

233. Toddlin’ Blues Bix and his Rhythm Jugglers T Dorsey/Bix/Murray 10/11/24

234. Don’t Put Off Salvation Too Long Southland Ladies Quartette 1930

235. I’m On My Journey Home The Denson Quartet 10/20/28

236. Down the Dirt Road Blues Charley Patton

[Alexander]

Great selection. Apart from some obvious choices (Patton, Jefferson, Spivey, Hunter) I noticed Dock Boggs and the Carolina Tar Heels in there. Great stuff!

[Alexander]

Almost forgot to mention Blind Roosevelt Graves and his brother Aaron!

[AllenLowe]

see number 192 - probably will be more of them, too - Adam, if you're out there, email me your address to alowe5@maine.rr.com - I'll run you off a CDR of McLennan -

here's the latest: (note the 2 Russian Recordings)

237. Blues Vladamir Safanov with the Pop Band of Moscow 1939

238. Blues the Pop Band of Moscow 1939

239. New Orleans Lowdown Duke Ellington B. Miley 2/3/27

240. Song of the Cotton Field 2/3/27 Duke Ellington B Miley

241. Georgia Grind Duke Ellington and his Washontonians 3/26 piano solo

242. Rainy Nights The Washingtonians (Duke) 11/24 Charlie Irvis

243. Apex Blues (No. 2) Jimmy Noone 7/8/29 Zinky Cohn

244. Kelly’s Special Roosevelt Sykes 1930

245. One Man Nan Ethel Waters 5/21

246. Midnight Blues Ethel Waters 3/23

[John L]

McClennan

[kenny weir]

Also, will you include any more Tommy McLennan? Chuck Nessa once referred to his brilliance, but I've never found anything in print with his music. Haven't looked too hard, I grant you, but there's never anything at Amoeba or Amazon. So it would be good to have more via you.

There is a disc and a 1/2 of McClennan in the Big Joe Wlliams and the Stars of the Mississippi Blues JSP 5CD box, and a dozen or so tracks by Petway.

Edited December 29, 2008 by kenny weir

[AllenLowe]

yes, probably cribbed from a Bluebird reissue, as they are in excellent sound -

[kenny weir]

yes, probably cribbed from a Bluebird reissue, as they are in excellent sound -

Yes, it's a bugger, isn't it?

But JSP is keeping stuff is circulation. In the past year I have also bought the Blind Willie McTell, Blind Lemon, Texas Blues (with Henry Thomas, Oscar Woods), Mountain Blues (Gene Autry and a zillion more) and Sunnyland Slim sets. Some of that may have been obtainable elsewhere, but it would have been a struggle and damn pricey way of going about it.

And even their sets are being deleted. The Condon set, which is brilliant, I've seen going for $100+ on Amazon and I expect the now-deleted Texas Blues set to head the same way.

FWIW, when/if I get comprehensive sets by Dave Macon, the Carters and Jimmie Rodgers, it'll be Bear Family I spring for.

I was bemused to read on a blues forum the angry comments of a well-known member of the blues community about JSP, followed by a list of the JSP sets he had bought!

Edited December 29, 2008 by kenny weir

[Hot Ptah]

For another unsolicited suggestion, the early recordings of Henry Townsend deserve consideration.

[AllenLowe]

yes, will get to him when I hit St Louis -

[AllenLowe]

slow night:

247. I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues Jack Teagarden 1939

248. Texas Tea Party Teagarden/Goodman 1933

249. Leaving Home The Swingbillies 8/1/37

250. Cold Penitentary Blues B.F. Shelton 7/29/27

Edited December 30, 2008 by AllenLowe

[AllenLowe]

I am very excited tonight because, to my great amazement, I have discovered what I am pretty certain is the FIRST performance of a blues on the guitar - and it dates from 1922, a year before what was previously thought to be the first recording of same.

not trying to be overly mysterious, and will say that the source is a very well known performer (of that era) whom I've known for some time was a terrific and under-rated guitarist (not Eddie Lang) - going to hold back on revealing it (and who knows, maybe 50 people already know about it); at any rate it's a very good recording in its own right -

more later -

[kenny weir]

I am very excited tonight because, to my great amazement, I have discovered what I am pretty certain is the FIRST performance of a blues on the guitar - and it dates from 1922, a year before what was previously thought to be the first recording of same.

not trying to be overly mysterious, and will say that the source is a very well known performer (of that era) whom I've known for some time was a terrific and under-rated guitarist (not Eddie Lang) - going to hold back on revealing it (and who knows, maybe 50 people already know about it); at any rate it's a very good recording in its own right -

more later -

That IS exciting!

Reading between the lines, I'd guess this blues as in Armstrong rather Patton (to crudely summarise debate on another thread).

[AllenLowe]

well, not to be coy, but it'e even further from the source than that -

[AllenLowe]

I should add that it's all instrumental, no vocal -

[papsrus]

That does sound exciting.

Allen, you're up to 250 tracks now transferred from vinyl. I'm sure the process is still in it's early stages, but have you been able to estimate roughly how many tracks total you expect to have to work with once all sources (vinyl, CDs, ancient scrolls, etc.) are completed? Kind of an incidental curiosity, since 18 CDs is going to be a mother any way you cut it.

[AllenLowe]

I figure about 450 tracks, and also, given how much more I have to do, that a lot of stuff already transferred won't make the cut.

I'm hoping, at my current pace, to finish the intitial transfers by April or May of 2009 -

[AllenLowe]

here's some transfers from this week - Medjuck, note the Parham - one of the great early bands:

251. Mama Don't You Think I know Papa Charlie Jackson

252. All I Want is a Little Spoonful Papa Charlie Jackson

253. Skag a Lag Tiny Parham 2/1/29

254. Stompin' on Down Tiny Parham 2/1/29

255. Texas Blues Papa Charlie Jackson

256. River Stay Away from My Door Boswell Sisters 1/5/31

257. Georgia Crawl Henry Williams and Eddie Anthony

258. What It Takes to Bring You Back Butterbeans and Susie 1930

259. Mobile Blues Wade's Moulin Rouge Orchestra Teddy Weatherford

260. Fight That Thing Reb Spikes

261. Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance Henry Thomas

262. Pratt City Blues Jabbo Williams

263. Skippy Wippy Mississippi Juke Band Blind Roosevelt Graves, Cooney Vaughan 7/20/36

264. West Dallas Rag #2 Rob Cooper 1/29/35

265. Avenue Strut Heurve Duerson 8/28/29

266. Catch On Blanche Calloway 8/27/34 Vick Dickenson

267. Steppin on the Blues Love Austin /Ladnier/O'Bryant

268. Play that Thing Ollie Powers Ladnier/Noone