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We will play a little tune entitled to If Father Would Wash His Feet, Mother Could Sleep Better - Fiddlin' John Carson, Going to the County Fair

Author Topic: Willie Brown Sessionography  (Read 4587 times)

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Offline CF

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Willie Brown Sessionography
« on: November 28, 2012, 09:44:46 AM »
Hey gang, here's an attempt at listing all of Willie Brown's known solo & accompaniment recordings.
Anybody wondering why William Brown from Arkansas' recordings are not included is because they are clearly different people.
Any suggestions or alterations most welcome!

(updated September, 2018)

WILLIE BROWN SESSIONOGRAPHY

Solo Recordings:

c. August, 1930, Grafton, Wisconsin (revised from former inaccurate MAY 28, 1930 date, see Alex Van Der Tuuk's "Paramount's Rise & Fall", 2nd edition, pgs 170-172)
     M & O Blues [L-413-2/Pm13090]
     Future Blues [L-418-2/Pm13090]
        Grandma Blues [Pm13001 untraced]
        Sorry Blues [Pm13001 untraced]
        Kicking In My Sleep Blues [Pm13090 untraced]
        Window Blues [Pm13090 untraced]
Willie Brown [vocal & guitar]

c. August 24-31, 1941, at Clack's Store near Lake Cormorant, Mississippi
     Make Me A Pallet On The Floor [4781-A-3/LC]
Willie Brown [vocal & guitar]

Willie Brown Accompaniments:

With Charlie Patton c. August, 1930, Grafton, Wisconsin
   Dry Well Blues [L-429-2/Pm13070]
        Some Summer Day [L-431-1/Pm13080]
   Moon Going Down [L-432-1/Pm13014]
   Bird Nest Bound [L-433-1/Pm13070]
Charlie Patton [vocal & guitar]
Willie Brown [guitar]

With Son House c. August, 1930, Grafton, Wisconsin
   Walkin' Blues [9/2#1][Pm unissued]
Son House [vocal & guitar]
Willie Brown [guitar]

With Son House, Fiddlin' Joe Martin & Leroy Williams
c. August 24-31, 1941, Mississippi

   Levee Camp Blues [4780-A-2/LC]
   Government Fleet Blues [4780-B-1/LC]
   Walking Blues [4780-B-2/LC]
Son House [vocal & guitar]
Willie Brown [guitar]
Fiddlin' Joe Martin [mandolin & spoken]
Leroy Williams [harmonica]

   Fo' Clock Blues [4781-A-2/LC]
   Going To Fishing [4781-B-3/LC]
Fiddlin' Joe Martin [vocal & mandolin]
Willie Brown [guitar]
Leroy Williams [harmonica]

   test, 15 second false start [4782-A-2/LC]
   Uncle Sam Done Called [4782-A-3/LC]
Leroy Williams [vocal & harmonica]
Willie Brown [guitar]
Fiddlin' Joe Martin [spoken]

************
Camp Hollers [4781-B-1/LC] from the Library of Congress recordings is sometimes listed as including Willie Brown as one of the speakers but this is unlikely. See
http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=8952.0

Louise Johnson's recordings from the historic C. August, 1930 session for Paramount in Wisconsin features voices/commentary that sound like Charlie Patton & Son House. A third male voice is heard but it's not certain if it is Willie Brown or someone else. Willie was there & he would be the logical choice.

Kid Bailey's two 1929 recordings with unknown accompanist are in the exact vocal and guitar style of Willie Brown but there's no conclusive evidence that Willie Brown or any of his known cohorts are on these songs. I personally think Bailey sounds younger or "different" than the Willie Brown from "Future Blues" but who knows?
 
September 25, 1929 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN; Kid Bailey, voc, g; unknown g
Mississippi Bottom Blues (M-209/10)   
Rowdy Blues (M-211)
Brunswick 7114
 
Reference Works
B&GR, 4th ed, Dixon, Godrich & Rye
Stefan Wirz American Music Website
« Last Edit: September 29, 2018, 09:55:26 AM by CF »
Stand By If You Wanna Hear It Again . . .

Offline Randy Meadows

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  • Randy Meadows
Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2014, 05:03:37 PM »
I have been curious about a listing for 4782 A4 for a long time now.
It seems to be more Willie Brown from 1941 LOC session.

It is a 23 second clip of Instrumental guitar labeled
(4782 A4) (Test- poss. Willie Brown)
Directly following Uncle Sam Done Called.

I received a copy of it TODAY from LOC.
I am thankful to finally hear it.
randymeadows@ymail.com
luvthatzeppelin on Youtube

Offline jostber

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Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2014, 01:55:15 AM »
Wow, that is a great find, Randy. Does it sound like Willie Brown?


Offline Randy Meadows

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  • Randy Meadows
Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2014, 07:50:40 PM »
Yes. Check RBF .
randymeadows@ymail.com
luvthatzeppelin on Youtube

Offline jostber

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Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2014, 09:32:55 AM »
Thanks. What is the RBF?


Offline CF

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Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2015, 10:55:23 AM »
The clip mentioned above has been played at the RBF & it actually sounds nothing like Willie Brown's style & has been determined to be a test by E. C. Ball.
Stand By If You Wanna Hear It Again . . .

Offline btasoundsradio

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  • the artist formerly known as powerlinehorizon
    • BTA Sounds Radio: Podcast of Obscure Musics
Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2017, 08:29:01 PM »
i would venture to put the Kid Bailey session on this list as well, I think its safe to say Willie was on 2nd guitar.
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline CF

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Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2017, 05:53:44 AM »
It is? You're the first person I heard say that.

One thing that will have to be modified here are the recording dates for the Paramount sessions. Haven't they been changed by Van der Tuck or??
« Last Edit: May 28, 2017, 05:55:04 AM by CF »
Stand By If You Wanna Hear It Again . . .

Offline btasoundsradio

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    • BTA Sounds Radio: Podcast of Obscure Musics
Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2018, 07:04:36 PM »
Also not listed above is Some Summer Day Pt. 1, Charlie Patton with Willie Brown 2nd guitar. Has anyone actually determined whether Leroy Williams and Willie Brown test recording (listed above the EC Ball recording) actually existed as listed below?
https://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.34592/
-The Artist Formerly Known As powerlinehorizon
« Last Edit: March 23, 2018, 07:16:23 PM by btasoundsradio »
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline btasoundsradio

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    • BTA Sounds Radio: Podcast of Obscure Musics
Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2018, 05:14:26 AM »
I was just sent a newly remastered version of the whole side listed in the LOC archive (4782 - A). the "Test, poss. Willie Brown" is EC Ball, the false start of "Uncle Sam Done Called" is about 15 seconds long, but has different lyrics entirely. The one thing I will say is that they are making the entire archive available in 1 year and also that the remastering is superb. The LOC's lab technician is performing significant improvements to these recordings. I can't wait to hear what the rest will sound like.
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline btasoundsradio

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    • BTA Sounds Radio: Podcast of Obscure Musics
Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2018, 11:02:20 AM »
In Frog Blues and Jazz Annual no. 1, Willie Brown's Grandma Blues is listed as having the matrix no. of
L-415-2 with a remark of "Mother Made, Metal Buckled" in "The Revival of Paramount in 1935" article by Alex Van Der Tuuk. Future Blues is listed as (Can't Tell The) Future Blues. No listings for Sorry Blues, Window Blues or Kicking In My Sleep Blues.
I will say again, the accompanying riff on Kid Bailey's "Rowdy Blues" is audibly Willie Brown, you can hear the M&O Blues/Pony Blues riff with the same nuances and I've always thought Bailey's voice to sound like a younger protege of Brown.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2018, 11:25:13 AM by btasoundsradio »
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline btasoundsradio

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  • the artist formerly known as powerlinehorizon
    • BTA Sounds Radio: Podcast of Obscure Musics
Re: Willie Brown Sessionography
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2023, 08:31:50 AM »
Also the Frog No. 4 comp features the best remaster of Willie's "Make Me A Pallet on the Floor" that I've heard. For several years now I have been assembling digital discographical compilations of all the country blues I can find in chronological order based on best remasters. I recently added this version to the Willie Brown file which includes LOC's yet unreleased remaster of "Uncle Sam Done Called" with the false start which is CRYSTAL clear. I have the Lomax archives older master of "Gone To Fishin'" as well as the entire Lake Cormorant sessions with Son and Willie. The American Epic remaster of "M and O Blues" is directly from the metal mother and sounds super clear but a little quiet, but I deem it the best I've found. Tefteller's Blues Calender remaster of (Can't Tell The) Future Blues is powerful and clear. The Paramount sides of Willie backing Patton, Louise Johnson sides, and the "Walking Blues" test are mostly taken from the JSP complete cd's which are time tested one of the top remasters, but a few are Yazoo which is the other superior sound. Kid Bailey sides were from Yazoo.
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

 


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