Hell, to have been around for ANY session by McTell would have been precious.
Peter B.
Peter B.
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Hell, to have been around for ANY session by McTell would have been precious.
Peter B. On Saturday, October 22, 1938, in San Antonio, Bo Carter recorded 18 songs, including
Shake 'Em On Down World in a Jug Who's Been Here? Let's Get Drunk Again Some Day Old Devil Country Fool Be My Salty Dog Ways Like a Crawfish among others. Talk about a good day's work. Quote Hell, to have been around for ANY session by McTell would have been precious. Dont'cha think there's gotta be a film clip of him playing on the street that some tourist shot, lying in some attic somewhere? I agree about Bo's session UB. What a line up! phhawk
A few sessions that jump out at me; Birmingham Jug Band, Dec 11, 1930, Alanta, Ga. Can you imagine getting all those guys together. Like hearding cats. But they sure knew what to do when they got there.
Also, The Georgia Browns, 1/19/1933, NYC. Another great ensemble session with two guys that have already been meintioned in this thread. Buddy Moss and Curley Weaver with Fred McMullen, especially Tampa Strut & Decatur Street 81. What a record!! Finally, The Beale Street Sheiks, especially the March 1929 session. Hunting Blues knocks me out.. Phil Hi all,
I've been thinking about him a lot lately, but I would have to rate Memphis Willie B.'s recording session in Memphis on August 12, 1961 very highly. To get two albums worth of top-notch material in one session is a mammoth undertaking--whew! All best, Johnm Two of my favorites:
Skip James 1931 session for Paramount in Grafton, WI Dock Boggs 1927 (?) first session for Brunswick in NYC I'd hafta say that as far as sessions go, the ones I'd most like to see (at least that come to mind right away) are:
Explanations and editorial comments in Italics after each selection Atlanta, 7-8 December 1930: The Georgia Cotton Pickers (Barbecue Bob, Curley Weaver, Buddy Moss) I'm On My Way Down Home Diddle-da-Diddle She Looks So Good She's Coming Back Some Cold Rainy Day In the 2nd one, it often sounds to me like Bob sings the title lyric "Do-da-Do" Anyone else hear that, perchance? Maybe my ears are weird). The fourth one is perhaps my favorite Bob track, and if as the Document series appears to indicate, it was his last, then what a helluva way to go out! Atlanta, 9 November 1927 & 23 April 1930 Barbecue Bob & Charlie Lincoln together. Need I say More? While I agree that any Willie McTell session would've been awesome to see, I have a specific one in mind: Atlanta, 26-27 November 1929 Even though Mr. McTell wasn't at the forefront of this session, it produced the track "Teasin' Brown", with Alphoncy Harris on vocals. IMO, he had quite an impressive set of pipes, as they say. One of my favorite BWM tracks (sad, isn't it? That I should say that of a track where Willie is actually backing someone else LOL) Anything by Charlie Patton, but specifically the December '29 session in which "Rattlesnake Blues" was recorded. May well have been previously mentioned Anything by Henry Thomas. There's very little I wouldn't give to have seen him in action. Richmond, IN 9 October 1928 William Harris Kansas City Blues Kitchen Range Blues Keep Your Man Out Of Birmingham Electric Chair Blues The First and Fourth are probably my favorite of his tunes. Toss in "Bullfrog Blues" and "Hot Time Blues" (recorded over the next 2 days) and that would be a sight to see & hear, IMO Gotta throw in the Leadbelly session in NYC on 17 February '44 where he recorded "In New Orleans" too, as well as anything by Tommy Johnson. Gonna stop now, else I'll think of some more and be here for the rest of the evening. dj
Lately I've been listening a lot to a session that took place in Chicago for Vocalion on March 26 and 27 1935. The session featured a bunch of guys from St. Louis: Peetie Wheatstraw, Teddy Darby (his next-to-last session), Charley Jordan (unfortunately, none of the 4 titles he recorded was issued), and the relatively unknown Leroy Henderson. Also present was Casey Bill Weldon, making his first recordings. It was an interesting group of people, and resulted in a bunch of music of a high standard. I would love to have been a fly on the wall, just to hear the music live and to catch the interactions among the players.
dj
Johnm's mention of The Big Boat in the Eight Bar Blues thread puts me in mind of another day that I would have liked to have been in the studio. The place and time: whatever studio Vocalion was using in Chicago on September 3, 1936. The day started with Big Bill Broonzy, supported by George Barnes on electric guitar, Charlie McCoy on mandolin, and Black Bob on piano, recording four songs. Then Barnes left and the other three backed Casey Bill Weldon on 6 songs. Weldon's songs were a varied lot. Besides the 8 bar format of The Big Boat, there were three 12 bar blues, a hokum song, and a pop song, all written by Weldon. This group seems to have brought out the best in Casey Bill, and the session produced two of his most enduring sides, I Believe I'll Make A Change and We Gonna Move (To The Outskirts Of Town). The playing by everyone is simply outstanding, and the results so good that I'm surprised that Lester Melrose didn't bring Charley McCoy in to play with these guys more often. I'd love to have seen a whole concert put on by the five guys who were in that studio that day!
Hi all,
I've had occasion recently to be thinking about Big Joe Williams' first session on February 25, 1935. It yielded: * "Little Leg Woman", * "Somebody's Been Borrowing that Stuff" w/Henry Townsend * "Providence Help The Poor People" * "49 Highway Blues" * "My Grey Pony" * "Stepfather Blues", and from Walter Davis: * "Sloppy Drunk Again" with Big Joe and Henry Townsend * "Travelin' This Lonesome Road", also with Big Joe and Henry * "Sad And Lonesome Blues", w/ Big Joe and Henry * "Minute Man Blues, pts 1 and 2, w/Big Joe and Henry * "Sweet Sixteen", w/Big Joe and Henry * "Wonder Where My Baby's Gone", w/both Henry and Joe, though Joe is uncharacteristically subdued * "Lay Around On Your D B A"--a solo number for Walter Davis This strikes me as being a real decent day in the studio. Whew! All best, Johnm CF
Tommy Johnson on the mind . . . he's been mentioned a few times in this thread already but in particular his c. Dec 1929 session for Paramount is a beaut with some truly soulful performances & songs. This session is almost the dark twin of the famous & sonically superior Victor recordings of 1928. The string of tunes starting with SLIDIN' DELTA & including LONESOME HOME BLUES [#2] & the unissued MORNING PRAYER/BOGALOOSA WOMAN are Delta Blues at its finest. The tone of these songs is of a different sort than many Blues records & Johnson isn't recycling one of his established riffs from the Victors. I WANT SOMEONE TO LOVE ME & I WONDER TO MYSELF actually open the session. One's a ballad in the Jimmie Rodgers mold & the other is a rag with extended kazoo solos! The two BLACK MARE BLUES (with the frenetic Jazz backing on clarinet & piano) & RIDIN' HORSE & ALCOHOL & JAKE BLUES were possibly from the same session, B&GR only has an approximate idea when these songs were recorded but it was in Grafton, Wisconsin. The MAREs & HORSE are reworkings of MAGGIE CAMPBELL & ALCOHOL is set to the tune of CANNED HEAT.
dj
Yeah, that Paramount session would have been an interesting one to see and hear. Not just Tommy Johnson, but also Ishman Bracey doing a bunch of good stuff (and a bunch of stuff that never got released), Charley Taylor cutting loose with some fine piano, and Bracey and Taylor swapping humorous stories. Though if I were there, I would have hidden Kid Ernest's clarinet somewhere where it would have taken him weeks to find it.
Hi all,
I've just become aware of a really stellar session of Yank Rachell's in Chicago on December 11, 1941 (four days after Pearl Harbor!). For the session, Yank was joined by John Lee Williamson on harmonica, Washboard Sam on washboard, and Alfred Elkins on "bass cano". In Alfred's case, I believe it was a "can o' silence". Everyone else is in exceptional form. Here are the titles recorded that day: * Yellow Yam Blues * Tappin' That Thing * Rainy Day Blues * Peach Tree Blues * She Loves Who She Please * Bye-Bye Blues * Loudella Blues * Katy Lee Blues Yank's energy level is extra high, he's really jacked up, and it shows in both his singing and his playing. He plays every one of the songs out of G position in standard tuning, and far from becoming monotonous, his playing is elevated by working out of just that one playing position. This might be my favorite playing in G position that I've ever heard. I can't praise it highly enough. Sonny Boy is likewise stellar, and really tuned in, and their rapport is readily apparent. These tracks can all be found on the JSP "Sleepy John Estes" set, and they are really worth seeking out. All best, Johnm I agree, Johnm, great session. Great band.
But you never seem to have a kind word for Alfred Elkins. What's up with that? You'll never hear the bass if you are relying on computer speakers. In the topic you started last January that inspired me to explore Elkins' discography I singled out "Tappin' That Thing" from this session as a particularly fine example of his playing. This was recorded at the peak of Elkins' career and during the last two months of 1941 he played on 70 sides for 12 different bands. You can find a youtube of "Tappin' That Thing", with pretty good sound, if you scroll down in this post: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=11300.msg99751#msg99751 and if you listen with headphones, or even good earbuds, you can hear some pretty fine and well recorded Bass Cano (which I'm pretty sure is a washtub bass), unless you think those quick walking bass runs are Rachel on guitar (tuned real low)? I think he is an equal partner to the other stellar members of this group and deserves better credit. Jeez, it's sad to see how many of the youtube videos I linked have been pulled down. That was only 9 months ago. Wax Thanks for suggesting I re-listen to the tracks in a better listening situation, Wax. I will do that, and attempt to see if I can hear more clearly what Alfred Elkins was playing on those tracks.
All best, Johnm
Tags: Booker White Buddy Moss John Work Alan Lomax Willie Brown Son House Otis Rush Barbecue Bob Tommy Johnson
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