Topic: Blues Images 2016 Calendar

[uncle bud]

John Tefteller has announced the 2016 Blues Images calendar. The new stuff on the CD includes Jaydee Short, Hattie Hart and Charlie McCoy.

Track Listings:
January to December artwork

(1) My Monday Blues ? Jim Jackson
(2) When The War Was On ? Blind Willie Johnson
(3) Walking Blues ? Charlie Kyle
(4) Atlanta Moan ? Barbecue Bob
(5) Boogie Woogie ? Papa Charlie McCoy
(6) Some Cold Rainy Day ? Curly Weaver And Ruth Willis
(7) Wabash Rag ? Blind Blake
(8 ) ?Lectric Chair Blues ? Blind Lemon Jefferson
(9) Beale Street Breakdown ? Jed Davenport And His Beale Street Jug Band
(10) Vampire Women ? Spark Plug Smith
(11) Georgia Cake Walk ? Ma Rainey
(12) The High Cost Of Sin ? Black Billy Sunday

Bonus tracks (artwork doesn't exist for these songs)

(13) Will You Spend Eternity In Hell ? Black Billy Sunday
(14) Special Question Blues ? Hattie Hyde
(15) T & N O Blues ? Hattie Hyde
(16) No Baby ? Charlie Kyle
(17) Country Guy Blues ? Papa Charlie McCoy
(18) See That My Grave Is Kept Clean ? Blind Lemon Jefferson
(19) Tar Road Blues ? Jaydee Short
(20) Flaggin? It To Georgia ? Jaydee Short

[CF]

SIX never-before-heard tunes along with rare photos (the cover photo of Jim Jackson is new I think) & a supposed revolutionary mastering technique/technology that puts the musician in the room with you & reduces surface noise, apparently. Can't wait to get my hands on this one.

[CF]

Reports are coming in that Mr. Tefteller's new Cd with the 'American Epic' technology used to remaster the songs is sounding excellent. P&H & exchange rate are killing me so I'm waiting for the local record store to get it in, they usually do. Anybody get theirs yet & want to report?

[banjochris]

Yes. The remastering is excellent, especially if you're listening via headphones. It's not night and day from the best Yazoo remastering (or the remastering on the other calendar CDs) but there is definitely a difference. I would say that surface noise is not particularly less, although perhaps a little bit, but that the music has substantially more "presence." Guitars to me sound less distant and vocals are beefed up as well.

Of course it helps that they're using great copies of the records in question. But even a number like "When the War Was On," for instance, which I've never heard reissued sounding less than great, gains quite a bit from this process. "Beale Street Breakdown" sounds more like a band, less a wall of chaotic sound. On top of that you've got the 2 JD Short pieces, a beautiful copy and beautifully remastered "Some Cold Rainy Day" (nearly worth the purchase price on its own) and the fantastic Charlie McCoy "Boogie Woogie." So definitely pick this one up when you can!

I hope other folks chime in with their opinions of the set.
Chris

[poymando]

I was quite interested to hear this set after some discussion on the Real Blues page on FB. I wish I could say I was knocked out about the sound but all in all, the transfers were as good as some of the older Yazoo releases. The transfer technique is supposedly super secret and very expensive. I'm a little curious about this as very few of "us" have the dough (@$1000/side) to re record using this method. I wonder who they expect is going to continue to pay that much to copy 78s.
A few other small niggles...
-A mylar pocket for the CD on the back cover might be nice. I was carrying the calendar a few feet to show a colleague and unbeknownst to me, the disc rolled out of the booklet during my short journey. Gimme a pocket!
-No information on the disc itself. Even basic track/artist info would be nice instead of generic "Track 1, Track 2 etc" Heck, we love detail! Give us track, artist label and catalog number for each cut. Not that difficult to add that extra content.

[banjochris]

-No information on the disc itself. Even basic track/artist info would be nice instead of generic "Track 1, Track 2 etc" Heck, we love detail! Give us track, artist label and catalog number for each cut. Not that difficult to add that extra content.

That annoyed me, too. I typed them all in and submitted to the Gracenote database that iTunes uses so at least if you put it in there you'll get the titles, but that doesn't help much in your car or anything.

[jostber]

Here is a review from Red Lick Records with some notes on the audio restoration and the new collaboration with American Epic:

http://www.redlick.com/review_read.php?id=531

[Hamhound]

I don't have a copy yet - are there any details included about the "spectacular new method" for remastering / transferring ?

I see Tefteller's site uses red large-case and exclamation marks to refer to it - which is pretty casual compared to the frenzied and grandiose jump-cut climax of the clip at americanepic.com 

Has this American Epic thing screened in the US yet ?   The clip irks me, the musicians' roster amuses me .  Although I guess Elton did sing a song called I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues  (ahem).

[blueshome]

Santa is bringing my copy. Get to listen to the cd Xmas morning before the others get out of their pits.

[rjtwangs]

I've had this for about a week now, and it DOES sound really great!! There is just so much I'd like to hear remastered NOW, that there seems to be such better technology....


 Rick

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Is any biographical information available on Hattie Hyde?  She does not sound like Hattie Hart at all, actually sounds more like Ollie Rupert to me, especially on "Special Question Blues".  Nice work by the guitarist on the two cuts of hers, also.  Is any session information available on those two tracks?
All best,
Johnm

[Prof Scratchy]

Not much info available on Hattie Hyde. She recorded just two tracks with unknown guitar and harmonica on Friday 9 August 1929 in Dallas: Special Question Blues and T.N.&O Blues.

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for that information, Prof.  It might seem unlikely that she was a Memphis musician, recording in Dallas, though I know non-Texans sometimes recorded in Texas, like the Mississippi Sheiks, Robert Johnson and Lonnie Johnson.
The guitar on the Hattie Hyde cuts is interesting and doesn't sound like anybody I've heard, at least not in any obviously identifiable way.  They're really nice tracks.
All best,
Johnm

[jostber]

It says in the Red Lick review that Hattie Hyde was also known as Hattie Hart. More is known about her, f.ex. that she was born in Memphis:

http://www.redlick.com/review_read.php?id=531
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hattie_Hart
http://ccriderblues.com/hattie-hart-with-the-memphis-jug-band-cocaine-habit-blues/

[Johnm]

Hi jostber,
Listen to the tracks Hattie Hyde sings on the calendar disc and the cuts Hattie Hart did with Allen Shaw and Memphis Wille B.  It is not the same singer, whatever the Red Lick review may say.
All best,
Johnm

[jostber]

It says that on the front of the Blues Images calendar as well (Hattie Hyde aka Hattie Hart).

[Johnm]

So what? An earlier Tefteller calendar identified two cuts sung by Washboard Sam as being Freddie Spruell cuts.  Just because something is in print doesn't make it correct.  Use your ears.

[Lignite]

Hear! Hear!

[CF]

John Tefteller has had this to say (earlier this month) about the Hattie Hart identification:

As far as Hattie Hyde, that apparently is a mistake and misunderstanding on my part. I ASSUMED that Hattie Hyde was Hattie Hart and that Will Shade etc. from the Memphis Jug Band was behind her. Other experts, whom I respect and trust, tell me that I am wrong. They say she is indeed Hattie Hyde and that the record was recorded in Dallas, not Memphis and that there is no concrete information as to who the back up musicians are. I really hate getting something like this wrong, and it is quite embarassing...

PS I think the reasoning behind those earlier Washboard Sam cuts being identified as Spruell ones were because he was the guitarist on the record. Why the guitarist & not the 'name' vocalist is credited on the CD is odd.