Topic: J. D. Short Question

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I was looking at my Document CD, "St. Louis Blues", DOCD-5147 today, and noticed on the back of the liner where they list session information that at the time the CD was released, in 1993, there were five undiscovered titles by J. D. Short:  "Drafted Mama", "Wake Up Bright Eye Mama", "Flaggin' It To Georgia", "Tar Road Blues", and "Let Me Mash That Thing".  I was wondering if any of you knew whether any of these titles had been found since that CD was issued.  A Henry Townsend record listed as unfound on that CD, "Doctor, Oh Doctor" and "Jack of Diamonds Georgia Rub" has been discovered since that CD was released, so that inspires a bit of hope at least.  Does anybody know about those J. D. Short titles?
All best,
Johnm

[Bunker Hill]

I think it's safe to say that as far as is known it's still the case, but I'd love to hear otherwise. Here's the entry from the 1997 B&GR4 

JAYDEE SHORT
Jaydee Short, v; acc. prob own g.
Grafton, Wis. c.1 June 1930

L-453- Drafted Mama  Pm 13040
L-454- Wake Up Bright Eye Mama Pm 13040
L-456-1 Telephone Arguin' Blues  Pm 13043
L-468-1 Lonesome Swamp Rattlesnake  Pm 13043
           Flaggin' It To Georgia Pm 13091
           Tar Road Blues Pm 13091

Information concerning the Paramount 13040 issue, with the artist's name given as Kaydee Short, is from printer's label copy; this record has never been found. An alternative coupling on Paramount 13040, by Charley Patton, was issued. Matrices L-461/2 are by Oliver Cobb, L-464 is by Henry Townsend; remaining intervening matrices are untraced.

[Johnm]

Thanks for that information, Bunker Hill.  Considering the methods of recovery that were used to find most of the old Blues 78s, canvassing and visiting junk shops, it's perfectly amazing how relatively few titles remain undiscovered.
All best,
Johnm

[LD50]

Since we're talking about Jaydee Short in the 'lyrics' thread and all...

According to 78 Quarterly, Tefteller found documentation for a third missing Jaydee Short Paramount: Pm 13012, Steamboat Rousty backed with Gittin' Up on the Hill. So that makes six Jaydee Short Paramount tracks that haven't ever turned up. The only other country blues artist with as many missing records is William Harris. Even Willie Brown 'only' has two missing records.

Also according to 78 Quarterly, 'a couple copies' of Short's Let Me Mash That Thing exist, tho no one's bothered to reissue it.

[Alexei McDonald]

Also according to 78 Quarterly, 'a couple copies' of Short's Let Me Mash That Thing exist, tho no one's bothered to reissue it.

We need Document to put out more of those Too late, too late CDs - it seems to me that plenty of stuff is out there to put on them.   I'd love to hear another J. D. Short side.

[uncle bud]

Out of curiosity (OK, insane curiosity), what else could go on another Too Late disc, i.e. what else is known to be out there but not reissued yet?

[LD50]

Out of curiosity (OK, insane curiosity), what else could go on another Too Late disc, i.e. what else is known to be out there but not reissued yet?

There are very few prewar country blues/gospel 78s that exist yet which have never been issued -- Document has seen to that. Tho one example I'm aware of is Blind Gussie Nesbitt's He's the Joy of My Salvation/God Is Worried at Your Wicked Ways, which has never appeared anywhere, AFAIK, tho an N- copy exists.

A lot of very promising-sounding old-timey 78s by first-rate white artists have never seen the light of day, but the reissue programs for OT have been *much* less exhaustive than for country blues.

However, there are several very good old country blues/gospel tracks that have only ever been issued with BAD sound (i.e., bad copies of the 78s and/or bad mastering), and which could be reissued in much better sound. But with Yazoo dead, we probably won't see many of them.

[jostber]

The Blues Images Calendar has also been a reissuer since 2004 of early blues and gospel that has never before been released on CD or vinyl.

http://www.bluesimages.com/html/product_html/2011_free_cd.html

[LD50]

But of course -- Tefteller is the only reason I wrote "But with Yazoo dead, we probably won't see many of them" instead of writing "But with Yazoo dead, we probably won't see any of them."   

The Blues Images Calendar has also been a reissuer since 2004 of early blues and gospel that has never before been released on CD or vinyl.

http://www.bluesimages.com/html/product_html/2011_free_cd.html

[Alexei McDonald]

Well, the good thing about the Too late, too late CDs is not just that they fill a gap in my collection, but that they often fill several gaps at once.