Topic: Little Hat Jones Recordings

[Rockdale]

Hey everyone,

   It's been awhile since I posted on here (quite a long while, actually) but I have a few questions that I think some of you may be able to answer. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

   1. How many recordings did Little Hat Jones make? 

   2. Is there a CD available anywhere that includes all of them?

   I seem to recall seeing a 3cd set of Texas music somewhere online that had a lot of them but I don't remember the name of it.

Kenny.

[lindy]

Kenny,

The CD that most people refer to when talking about Little Hat recordings is "Texas Blues (1927-1935)" on Document (DOCD-5161).

It has 10 Little Hat tunes. I seem to remember someone saying that there were 4 more that he recorded but were never released, but I *strongly* encourage you to confirm that elsewhere.

Lindy

[waxwing]

Welcome back Kenny.

Since you've been gone we have created a country blues wiki called Weeniepedia. You can find a link in the left menu. You'll find a page under Artists for Little Hat. The page is obviously still under development, but you will be able to find both the Document complete works and the JSP 3 Cd set of Texas blues listed there. You can probably find a list of songs at the Document site, or someone may have the time to post it here for you.

All for now.
John C.

[uncle bud]

Worth noting that Little Hat accompanies Texas Alexander on several tracks to be found on Texas Alexander Vol 2, which coincidentally was just added to the Juke. I forget how many, but it's like getting bonus Little Hat numbers.

[Johnm]

Hi Kenny,
The titles on the Document CD and the JSP set match up.  They are:
   "New Two Sixteen Blues"
   "Two String Blues"
   "Rolled From Side to Side Blues"
   "Hurry Blues"
   "Little Hat Blues"
   "Corpus Blues"
   "Kentucky Blues"
   "Bye Bye Baby Blues"
   "Cross the Water Blues"
   "Cherry Street Blues"
The JSP set gives a little more bang for the buck, since it includes the complete Henry Thomas, Ramblin' Thomas, Willie Reed, and a bunch of Oscar Woods and Smith casey and Jesse Thomas, in addition to the Little Hat Jones cuts.  I have the set and it is very strong.
All best,
Johnm
   
   
   

[Rivers]

Posted in the LHJ lyric thead:

Little Hat Jones as accompanist:

Backing Texas Alexander (only LHJ as accompanist session listed BTW):
Sat 15 June 1929, San Antonio TX

Double Crossing Blues, OK 8745
Ninety-Eight Degree Blues, OK 8705
Second take of Ninety-Eight Degree Blues originally unissued, reissued on
CDs: RnB CK47467, RnB(Eu) 468770-2, RnB(J) SRCS5678
Someday Baby Your Troubles Is Gonna Be Like Mine, OK 8771
Water Bound Blues, OK 8785
Awful Moaning Blues - Part 1, OK 8731
Awful Moaning Blues - Part 2, OK 8731
Gold Tooth Blues, OK 8705
Johnny Behren's Blues, OK 8745

Little Hat Jones' sessions as the primary artist:

Sat 15 June 1929, San Antonio, acc. own guitar

New Two Sixteen Blues, OK 8712
Two String Blues, OK8712

Fri 21 June 1929, San Antonio, acc. by unknown female vocal:

Rolled From Side To Side Blues, OK 8794
Hurry Blues, (may be mislabeled, prob should be Worried Blues), OK 8735
Little Hat Blues, OK 8794
Corpus Blues-1, OK 8735

Sat 14 June 1930, San Antonio

Kentucky Blues, OK 8815
Bye Bye Baby Blues, OK 8815
Cross The Water Blues, OK 8829
Cherry St. Blues, OK 8829

[dj]

Just one minor correction.  The JSP Texas Blues set has been consistently called a "3 CD" set in this discussion.  It's actually 4 CDs.  As Johnm says, it's a really strong set of music.   

[lindy]

Y'all have talked about Texas Blues: Early Blues Masters from the Lone Star State, JSP7730 on several occasions, so I thought I'd get one. Looks like it's out of print--can anyone confirm that?

Borders has a really efficient website for locating CDs, so I often use it first, then try to find a copy at a locally owned store. Borders said they had a copy "on back order" for $60.99!! I thought JSP usually sold its box sets in the $25-$30 price range. Is that changing?

Lindy

[uncle bud]

If this is the case, it's a shame. It is one of JSP's best sets IMO. While the Document will obviously remain the primary reference, the JSP set has most of the artists on it (no Bo Jones, or T-Bone) and is splendid value for those who might not yet have the complete Henry Thomas, and Ramblin' Thomas. It would also be the first case - that I know of - of a JSP set going out of print.

[Rockdale]

Hey,

  Thanks to everyone for such a quick response. I just checked out the weeniepedia that's on here now; tons of information there. I found the "Texas Blues" Document CD that was mentioned on amazon.com as a digital download today but no such luck on the JSP set. Has it, in fact, gone out of print?

[lindy]

It looks like it to me, none of the usual suspects have it. None use the phrase "out of print," but a couple say "sign up for notification when product becomes available."

Looks like a half-dozen other JSP sets are indeed out-of-print, though it's a bit confusing because it looks like they market different products (or same products under different names) to US/UK/EU.

Lindy

[lindy]

Someone just turned me on to a copy at venerablemusic.com. I ordered one, but there's no way to tell if they actually have one in stock, probably find out on Monday.

Lindy

[dj]

Looks like a half-dozen other JSP sets are indeed out-of-print...

Interesting.  I wonder if they're having the same credit/banking problems that Document went through last year.

If Venerable doesn't have the disc, you might want to give Roots & Rhythm a call, if you haven't already.
 

[uncle bud]

Alex was far too subtle (I know!!) over in the Little Hat Jones lyrics thread. It seems that a 1960s-era recording of Little Hat Jones has been uncovered. Tune is listed as New Dallas Blues. Available here: http://picosong.com/nAkm/

Anyone know any details about this? Recording is rough, playing is very cool, as is singing. Where's it from? Is there more? Holy cow.

[banjochris]

Wow. Hope there's more out there...