Topic: JSP Boxed Sets--Blind Lemon & Others

[uncle bud]

I believe they're going to do a Kansas Joe box seperately, or so I heard.

Good news. Such great material throughout his career, from the Minnie stuff, to stuff with Charlie, to Harlem Hamfats....

First they have to copy it from the Documents...

You mean remaster, don't you... 

[outfidel]

Those Memphis & Texas box sets look terrific, even if I have some (most?) of the stuff already.

I saw posted on another forum that JSP will release a Blind Boy Fuller box set in early September. JSP is also releasing a box set called "Spread The Word" (various) which will feature Washington Phillips, and in October they'll release "Guitar Evangelists" box set that will include Blind Willie Johnson.

[ryan]

Hey guys/gals I also enjoyed this set alot.  Just heads up as there is a jsp set of memphis blues due out on tuesday.  Frank Stokes etc. will be featured on this release.
Ryan

[Eldergreene]

There's also a very fine 'Paramount Blues' set that is a glorious mix of all styles, incl quite a bit of piano blues, which often loses out to guitar stuff in prewar reissues - remastering is about as good as it can be, for Paramounts..

[frankie]

There's also a very fine 'Paramount Blues' set that is a glorious mix of all styles

Been talking about that one over yonder...

[ryan]

just thought I'd let y'all know jsp just released their latest box-set called Guitar Evangelists.? looks great but I gotta wait..........for payday.

[Tail Dragger]

I purchased the four BLJ Document discs years ago. However, while reading a review of the JSP set, it stated that MOST of BLJ's sides were included.  If I'm not mistaken, the JSP set is his complete Paramount sides, which means that JSP issued his entire catalog with the exception of the two sides he released on Okeh ("Black Snake Moan"/"Match Box Blues").  A small "flaw" given that the JSP set is so cheap, but it just seems odd that JSP should release everything but two tracks.

Tail Dragger

[uncle bud]

Hi Taildragger - I think the JSP set has the Okeh sides but will have to check it at home.

[ozrkreb]

The JSP set does include Black Snake Moan and Matchbox blues. Overall, I think the JSP box sets are unrivaled when you consider what you get and how little you pay.

Az

[Tail Dragger]

Overall, I think the JSP box sets are unrivaled when you consider what you get and how little you pay.

Can't argue with you there.

Tail Dragger

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I just picked up one of these sets yesterday, "Legends of Country Blues", that has been out for a while, I believe, and that contains on 5 discs all the early recordings of:
   * Skip James
   * Son House
   * Bukka White
   * Tommy Johnson
   * Ishmon Bracey
The front cover announces "Remastered for Unprecedented Listening Quality"; I know people have been back and forth on the sound quality of the various JSP sets, but in this set I think the sound is terrific.  I'm really pleasantly surprised.  I'm not at all an audiophile either--I'm perfectly comfortable dealing with a good bit of surface noise.  The sound here is significantly clearer on the Tommy Johnson and Ishmon Bracey material than any any re-issues of the same cuts I have heard previously.  I haven't listened to the Skip James or Bukka stuff yet, but the Son House sounds very clear also.  I'm really pleased with the set, and has been pointed out elsewhere on this thread, you can't beat the price.
All best,
Johnm

[Junior]

I don`t have the BLJ set (yet), but I have several of the JSP sets, including the Louis Armstrong, Big Bill Broonzey, Memphis Minnie, and Big Joe Williams (with others), Jimmie Rodgers, Masters of Memphis Blues, Blind Willie Mctell, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. They are all great sounding, and the price is right. I have some of these recordings on other CDs, and the JSP sets are all better sounding than the ones I owned previously. I, for one, am grateful to JSP for these sets.

[GerryC]

Whole hearted concurrence from this neck of the woods. I have the JSP sets of Big Bill, Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller and the Memphis and Texas sets. At last I can hear properly what my treasured vinyl often only hinted at! When I first came across them on the Red Lick website, I thought, "?15 for 5 CDs? Is that each or all in?" and I had to phone Red Lick to find out. The slightly weary enthusiasm of the guy I spoke to made me suspect that it was not the first time that the question had been posed  . BLJ is next. BTW, they have now issued a second box-set of Memphis Minnie, which may include some of the duets with Kansas Joe. I can't confirm this as I have not yet acquired the set. Everything I've had so far from JSP has been kick-ass good!!

Cheerily,

Gerry C

[dj]

JSPs second volume of Memphis Minnie contains her complete recorded works from 1937-1953, with the exception of the 4 titles she recorded for Chess.  So no Joe duets. Second guitar on most of the titles is played by Little Son Joe.  There's some nice mandolin by Charlie McCoy on the first disk of the set.

[lebordo]

I just picked up the JSP's Big Joe Williams and the Stars of Mississippi Blues.? Interesting collection of atrists.

• Discs A & B are Big Joe Williams (basically complete thru 1951.? Note that although Disc A is labeled "Sonny Boy Williamson - Henry Townsend" on front/back and Disc B is labeled "Sonny Boy Williamson - Henry Townsend" on the front and "Sonny Boy Williamson -? Jump Jackson" on the back, there are none of there tracks in this set -- see comments below)

• Disc C and the first 18 tracks on Disc D are Tommy McClennan complete.
  

• Disc D last 7 tacks and Disc E first 6 tracks are Robert Petway complete, followed by 12 tracks of David "Honeyboy" Edwards (complete prewar) and 8 tracks of Willie 'Poor Boy' Lofton (complete pre-war).

Henry Townsend's total contribution is guitar accompaniment on 1 track.? Jump Jackson's, drums on 4 tracks.? Sonny Boy has a few more appearances -- harmonica accomp on 26 tracks.? I'm not sure why Townsend or Jackson rated cover mention, when other accompaniests appear on as many or more tracks: Ransom Knowling with (bass, 12 tracks), Alfred Elkins (bass, 6 tracks),T J Green (bass, 4 tracks)? Dad Tracy ( violin, 4 tracks), Chasey Collins (washboard, 4 tracks), and Robert Lee McCoy (guitar, 4 tracks).

I guess that's the one problem I've found with the JSP sets -- the music is great and the price is fantastic (I've got 7 sets so far, and have paid between $5 for BLJ and $20 for Big Bill).? But I've found many errors on their track lists and discographical info, and even titles on the front of the CD.? Careless.? Sloppy.? Whatever, it's annoying.