Topic: JSP Boxed Sets--Blind Lemon & Others

[waxwing]

No cuts by SJE as leader, but four cuts by Noah Lewis's Jug Band with SJE on guitar, "Ham" Lewis on jug and 2 with Yank on mando and 2, recorded two days later, with "unknown" on mando (could certainly be Yank, I think) and Mrs. Van Zula Carter Hunt adding vocals on the last day.

Bear in mind, JSP manages to cram (at some loss of audio) about 24-25 cuts per CD, where Document is usually around 15-16 per CD.

All for now.
John C.

[dj]

At 4 CDs, this would not seem to be complete.

This set does indeed contain all pre-war recordings by the artists in question.  The Wolf CDs came in at around 20 tracks each, fewer, I guess, on the Rachell disks.  And the Rachell Volume 1, if I recall correctly, had the 3 tracks with Rachell on vocals that are on the Document Estes Volume 1 and also on the first Estes disk here. 

By the way, there were a LOT of unissued Yank Rachell recordings in the 1930s - 15 titles in all. More's the pity.

I'm excited about this one.  I've had the Estes Document disks for a long time, but have never been able to score the Rachell or Bonds and Pickett disks.

[uncle bud]

The Document Sleepy John CDs are 24 and 26 tracks respectively, the Wolf CDs of Yank Rachell are 20 tracks each. I don't know that I can recall Documents with 16 tracks. Most of mine are in the 20 to 24 range. There are 30 Yank Rachell tracks on the compilation. With the three that dj mentions already on the SJE disks, that leaves 7 tracks unaccounted for, doesn't it? I'm not near my CDs.

[mississippijohnhurt1928]

The Document Sleepy John CDs are 24 and 26 tracks respectively, the Wolf CDs of Yank Rachell are 20 tracks each. I don't know that I can recall Documents with 16 tracks. Most of mine are in the 20 to 24 range. There are 30 Yank Rachell tracks on the compilation. With the three that dj mentions already on the SJE disks, that leaves 7 tracks unaccounted for, doesn't it? I'm not near my CDs.

Perhaps when JSP says complete recordings they are thinking only of Rachell's records which were released under his name.

Forgive me if that's wrong, I haven't seen the track list yet.

[dj]

The Penguin Guide To Blues Recordings, though it doesn't list specific tracks, gives the impression that:

1.  The three tracks that are on the Document Sleepy John Estes Volume 1 are not on the Wolf Yank Rachel CDs
2.  The Wolf Rachel CDs do include the titles by Elijah Jones (6) and "Jackson" Joe Williams (4) on which Rachel plays

The 10 tracks listed above plus the 30 extant Rachel recordings not including the 3 on Sleepy John Estes Volume 1 yield 2 20 track CDs.  Can anyone out there confirm that this is the case?
     

[mississippijohnhurt1928]

Well, as I said earlier, JSP is shceduled to release a "Sleepy John Estes & Friends" set in September.

That looks like it should be very good.

[Rivers]

I have the Louis Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens, Lang / Venuti, Delmores #1, Hoagy, Atlanta Blues, Lemon, Blake, Jelly Roll Morton. Looking forward to the Sleepy John Estes & friends set.

Interesting... this one sneaked by me, released in August. Chet's early days, listening to the samples on Amazon clearly much more Travis influenced than later stuff, heard a lovely snippet of St Louis Blues, a tune I've been mildly obsessed with of late so this one is indispensable for me:

[CF]

Re: JSP Box sound quality . . .

Having listened to the Mississippi box, Lemon & a few others I would have to say that many of the JSP boxes actually don't sound that great. On the MS box especially, when compared to same tracks from other compilations, the JSP remastering was significantly muddier & dampened. At this point in my 78 era listening I'd take lively pops & scratches transfers over dampened less noisy transfers any day. Also on the MS box I noticed select tracks suffer from a kind of digital 'chirping' just in the background, no doubt due to the dampening process. At their prices JSP are probably reckoning they will be reaching a larger audience that don't appreciate the 'natural' sounds of a 78 . . . still, I would have to think the majority of their customers are experienced fans of the 78 era & would want the most complimentary transfers. I think it's possible that some of their 'remastering' isn't done at all for the sake of the integrity of the music but to hide the fact that they are rereleasing the catalogue of other labels. Still, for me, their prices & 'complete' ish release agenda are winning out in the end . . . so what am I bitching about?!

[uncle bud]

Cheapfeet - agree about some sloppiness in track names/info and variable sound quality. Some sound is good, some not so good. Depends a lot on the "source" as well.

Basically, I think it all comes down to doing it on the cheap. There is not the same kind of care one finds with the best re-issue labels like Old Hat. JSP notes, while often informative, need a good edit most of the time, too, right through the layout stages. Sound on many Yazoo releases is better, and it's worth having Yazoos -- which rarely feature complete recordings -- in addition to yer Documents or JSPs for just this reason if you're a CB nut, IMO.

[Stuart]

...agree about some sloppiness in track names/info...Basically, I think it all comes down to doing it on the cheap...

The "Essential" series (Document Records/Allegro Music) has its share of errors as well. I picked up the "Essential Washboard Sam" CD a while back and discovered that the track listing was for a Lonnie Johnson compilation --there's nothing like attention to detail!

[Rivers]

Picked up the Sleepy John Estes and Chet Atkins sets today so they're out there.

Haven't had much time to listen to them except to say there are some excellent prewar SJE tracks I'd not heard before, previously I only had the excellent old Yazoo CD

The Chet 5 CD set is a great source for fingerpicking arrangements of tunes from all over the map, thankfully not overdone in the production department as was to happen in later years. There are a few weird double tracking and other experiments; the sleevenotes indicate he may have been poking fun at Les Paul, and I would add probably Travis's wacky sped-up stuff too in some cases; but they don't overpower the whole thing. I will certainly be learning some tunes with ideas from this set, only problem is which ones to chose, there are so many I'd like to play.

[Stuart]

I just ran across a JSP set: "A Richer Tradition - Country Blues & String Band Music"

Here's the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Richer-Tradition-Country-String-1923-1942/dp/samples/B000W7S8DW/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

It looks interesting. Anyone out there have it?

[Rivers]

It's in stock at my local store, I read the track list and decided to go home and compare with what I have.  There is enough new material on there that I will be picking it up this week. Will post a mini review.

[uncle bud]

One minor correction - it's A Richer Tradition Country Blues and String Band Music. It's worth posting the tracklist here IMO. Based on this alone, this looks like a really great compilation for those who don't have a lot of this material already.

Disc: 1    
1. Guitar Blues - Sylvester Weaver    
2. Time Ain't Gonna Make Me Stay - Edward Andrews    
3. Sundown Blues - Daddy Stovepipe    
4. Salt Lake City Blues - Papa Charlie Jackson    
5. Whiskey and Gin Blues - South Street Trio    
6. James Alley Blues - Richard Rabbit Brown    
7. Goin' to Leave You Blues - Big Boy Cleveland    
8. Hey Lawdy Mama/The France Blues - Papa Harvey Hull, Long "Cleve" Reed    
9. Chicken Can Waltz the Gravy Around - David Crockett, Stovepipe No. 1    
10. Bamalong Blues - Andrew & Jim Baxter    
11. Man Trouble Blues - Jaybird Coleman    
12. Blue Coat Blues - Tom "Blue Coat" Nelson    
13. Frisco Whistle Blues - Ed Bell    
14. Two Ways to Texas - Emery Glen    
15. Gravel Camp Blues - Lewis Black    
16. T and T Blues - Mooch Richardson    
17. Death Bell Blues - Tom Dickson    
18. C.C. & O. Blues - Pink Anderson, Simmie Dooley    
19. Middlin' Blues - George "Bullet" Williams    
20. Rolling Log Blues - Lottie Kimbrough    
21. Kyle's Worried Blues - Charlie Kyle    
22. Bull Frog Blues - William Harris    
23. Sobbin' Woman Blues - Elizabeth Johnson & Her Turpentine Tree-O    
24. Miss Meal Cramp Blues - Alec Johnson    
25. Unknown Blues - Tarter & Gay    

Disc: 2    
1. Jail House Blues - Whistler & His Jug Band    
2. Blues, Just Blues, That's All - Old Southern Jug Band    
3. String Band Blues - Kansas City Blues Strummers    
4. Black Cat Blues - Old Pal Smoke Shop Four    
5. Dirty Guitar Blues - Leecan & Cooksey    
6. Boodle-Am-Shake - The Dixieland Jug Blowers    
7. Quill Blues - Big Boy Cleveland    
8. Jug Band Special - Whistler & His Jug Band    
9. Cold Morning Shout - South Street Trio    
10. Violin Blues - Johnson Boys    
11. Winner, Easy - The Blue Boys    
12. G. Burns Is Gonna Rise Again - Johnson, Nelson & Porkchop    
13. I Got a Gal - James Cole String Band    
14. Jazz Fiddler - Lonnie Carter, Walter Jacobs    
15. Knox County Stomp - Tennessee Chocolate Drops    
16. Adam and Eve - Tommie Bradley    
17. Runnin' Wild - James Cole & His Washboard Band    
18. Giving It Away - Birmingham Jug Band    
19. Jackson Stomp - Mississippi Mud Steppers    
20. Rising Sun Blues - King David's Jug Band    
21. Travelin' Railroad Man Blues - Alabama Sheiks    
22. Old Hen Cackle - Coleman & Harper    
23. Ted's Stomp - Louie Bluie, Ted Bogan    
24. Dusting the Frets - Dallas Jamboree Jug Band    
25. Arkansas Traveler - The Nashville Washboard Band
   
Disc: 3
1. Original Stack O'Lee Blues - Little Harvey Hull, Long "Cleve" Reed    
2. Tuxedo Blues - Daddy Stovepipe, Whistlin' Pete    
3. Mean Conductor Blues - Ed Bell    
4. Back Door Blues - Emery Glen    
5. Spanish Blues - Lewis Black    
6. Helena Blues - Mooch Richardson    
7. I Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop - Ben Covington    
8. Rising River Blues - George Carter    
9. She Could Toodle-Oo - Hambone Willie Newbern    
10. Weak Minded Woman - Willie Baker    
11. Old Rock Island Blues - Lonnie Coleman    
12. Cairo Blues - Henry Spaulding    
13. I Ain't Givin' Nobody None - Mae Glover    
14. Showers of Rain Blues - Edward Thompson    
15. Framer's Blues - Eli Framer    
16. If I Call You Mama - Luke Jordan    
17. Never Drive a Stranger from Your Door - Willie Lee Harris    
18. Mississippi Swamp Moan - Alfred Lewis    
19. Paddlin' Madeline Blues - Gitfiddle Jim    
20. Shaking Weed Blues - Tommy Settlers    
21. South Carolina Rag - Willie Walker    
22. Beans - El Morrow, Beans Hambone    
23. Poor Jane Blues - Jack Gowdlock    
24. Window Pane Blues - Tommie Bradley    
25. Hot Jelly Roll Blues - George Carter    

Disc: 4
1. Labor Blues - Tom Dickson    
2. Goin' Away Blues - Lottie Kimbrough    
3. No Baby - Charlie Kyle    
4. Early Mornin' Blues - William Harris    
5. Dreaming Blues - Willie Reed    
6. Weeping Willow Blues - George Carter    
7. Way Down in Arkansas - Hambone Willie Newbern    
8. Wild About My Loving - Lonnie Coleman    
9. Indian Squaw Blues - Freezone    
10. Florida Bound - Edward Thompson    
11. God Didn't Make No Monkey Man - Eli Framer    
12. Tallahatchie River Blues - Mattie Delaney    
13. Diamond Ring Blues - Walter Taylor    
14. Bedside Blues - Jim Thompkins    
15. Lonesome Midnight Dream - Willie Lee Harris    
16. Billy Goat Blues - John Byrd    
17. That Won't Do - Arthur Pettis    
18. Ghost Woman Blues - George Carter    
19. "Toby" Woman Blues - Gene Campbell    
20. Rollin' Dough Blues - Jack Gowdlock    
21. Starvation Farm Blues - Bob Campbell    
22. Farewell to You Baby - Carl Martin    
23. Teasin' Brown Blues - Louie Lasky    
24. Married Woman Blues - George Torey    
25. Dago Blues - Virgil Childers    

[Johnm]

Thanks for posting the track list of that set, Andrew.  That looks like another "must have" set.
All best,
Johnm