Topic: Classic, Essential and the Greatest Country Blues

[Johnm]

Hi JohnD,
I think this could be good from an educational viewpoint, but also just because it is fun to think about such things.  I'm willing to get the ball rolling.  I'm going to choose arbitrarily not to double up on any artist, though I could probably come up with about ten tunes by Lemon I would put in this category.  I'm going to dash them off without thinking about it too much.
1. Cairo Blues-Henry Spaulding
2. Green River Blues-Charley Patton
3. Right Of Way Blues-Blind Lemon Jefferson
4. Motherless Chile Blues-Elvie Thomas
5. Sloppy Drunk Again-Walter Davis w/Joe Williams and Henry Townsend
6. Cottonfields, pt. 2- Garfield Akers
7. Jailhouse Blues-Robert Wilkins
8. Maggie Campbell Blues-Tommy Johnson
9. Woman, Woman-Ishmon Bracey
10. My Black Mama-Son House
These seem like pretty good records to me.
All best,
Johnm

[Slack]

OK Guys and Gals, I need your in help building a list of 'The Essential', 'The Classic', 'The Greatest Hits of Country Blues'.? I will then put this list of tunes in their own category on Weenie Juke and play a couple of hour slots each week of "The Greatest" in Country Blues according to the collective wisdom of the Weenie forum.? So think of a list of Country Blues that you would first want a beginning Country Blues afficiando to hear.? The essential songs to know if one was to say they are familiar with the genre, that they know Country Blues.?

Johnm has got the ball rolling above (thanks John!)

Cheers!
Slack

[Slack]

OK, here are a few off the top - without thinking about it too much:

Police Dog Blues - Blind Blake
One Dime Blues - BLJ
Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
Frankie and Albert? - MJH
Statesboro Blues - BW McTell
Mississippi Blues - Willie Brown
Down the Dirt Road Blues - Charlie Patton
Dark was the night... BWJ
Chauffer Blues - Memphis Minnie

(Good precident, if you do a list, make all the artists different )

Cheers,
slack

[frankie]

Seems like you'd *have* to hear more than one song from the following:

Blind Lemon Jefferson
Charlie Patton
Blind Blake
Rev. Gary Davis
Mississippi John Hurt

It'd be easy to pick a dozen tunes from each of them that could be considered 'essential'.  With that in mind:

Crow Jane - Carl Martin
South Carolina Rag - Willie Walker
Bamalong Blues - Andrew & Jim Baxter
Stop and Listen - Mississippi Sheiks
Good Gal - Josh White
Little Girl in Rome - Otto Virgial
Hambone - Ed Bell
Sweet to Mama - Frank Stokes & Dane Sane
Poor Boy Long Ways From Home - Gus Cannon
Poor Boy Blues - Ramblin' Thomas
Two Time Blues - Arthur Pettis

I notice that there's no piano stuff in my list... pity...

[Slack]

Seems like you'd *have* to hear more than one song from the following:
 notice that there's no piano stuff in my list... pity...

Frankie, you are not limitied to one contribution.

[uncle bud]

Fun! First some dead obvious ones, if aliens landed and were inquiring about country blues. Also trying not to repeat what others have posted:

1. Pony Blues - Charlie Patton
2. Canned Heat Blues - Tommy Johnson
3. I Belong to the Band - Rev. Gary Davis
4. Funny Feeling Blues - Blind Boy Fuller
5. God Moves on the Water - Blind Willie Johnson
6. Devil Got My Woman - Skip James taken
7. Matchbox Blues - BLind Lemon Jefferson
8. Ain't No Tellin' - Mississippi John Hurt
9. Shake 'Em On Down - Bo Carter
10. Stealin' - Memphis Jug Band

Will think more about the less obvious...

[frankie]

Oh, hell - how could I forget:

Last Kind Words Blues - Geeshie Wiley

[Johnm]

Whoops, speaking of forgetting--Catfish Blues by Robert Petway
All best,
Johnm

[Montgomery]

This is too difficult.? Quite arbitrarily:
1. Pony Blues - Patton taken
2. 22-20 - Skip James
3. Mama 'Taint Long 'Fore Day - McTell
4. Last Kind Word- Geechie Wiley taken
5. I Do - Wilkins
6. Frisco Town - Memphis Minnie
7. Downtown Blues - Frank Stokes
8. Lonesome Cell - Blind Lemon
9. Cottonfield Blues - Akers and Callicott taken

I can think of at least 68 choices for #10, so I won't commit...

[frankie]

8. Lonesome Cell - Blind Lemon

Do you mean Long Lonesome Blues, or maybe Lonesome House Blues...  or maybe Prison Cell Blues...

Yes to all?

[Slack]

Looks like a very good start fellars.? Please try not to Repeat a selection already made.? We are compiling a list, not taking a vote.? Again, you are not limited to 10 songs or 1 submission.? We want to get enough great songs to pick from Randomly and have  a different hour of music each time.?

I'm going through and crossing out the repeats.

Thanks,
slack

[Montgomery]

Whoops..I meant Prison Cell Blues. 
Sorry about the repeats...I'll rethink my choices in a bit.

[Rivers]

Here's a list:

1. Train That Carried My Girl From Town - Frank Hutchison
2. France Blues (Hey Lawdy Mama) - Papa Harvey Hull & Long Cleve Reed
3. Frankie - MJH
4. Churchbell Blues - Luke Jordan
5. Black Rat Swing - Memphis Minnie
6. Kentucky Blues - Little Hat Jones
7. That'll Never Happen No More - Blind Blake
8. Chock House Blues - BLJ
9. Bo Weevil Blues - Charlie Patton
10. God Don't Ever Change - Blind Willie Johnson
11. Keep Your Hands Off Her - Lead Belly
12. Little Laura Blues - Sleepy John Estes
13. Ham Hound Crave /or Mississippi Jailhouse Groan - Rube Lacey
14. Rag Mama Rag - Blind Boy Fuller / RGD
15. Bottle It Up and Go - Tommy McLennan (if you're feeling brave)
16. You Shouldn't Do That - Casey Bill Weldon
17. Depot Blues - Son House
18. Railroad Blues - Sam McGee
19. Mama T'ain't Long Before Day - Blind Willie McTell
20. Illinois Blues - Skip James

...stop me somebody...
...I'll stop at 20.

[frankie]

1. Train That Carried My Girl From Town - Frank Hutchison

Hot damn - that's a good'un!

I'm starting to think that there are certain guys that it doesn't matter what you pick, but you should hear lots from them.  The guys I'm thinking of generally have large, fairly varied repertoires:

Blind Lemon Jefferson
Charlie Patton
Leadbelly
Blind Blake
Rev. Gary Davis
Mississippi John Hurt
Blind Willie McTell
Bo Carter

Each of these guys is almost a whole world of music in and of themselves!

[Richard]

Just a quick few,I hope there are no repeats and I'll think of more tomorrow-

How Long, how long - Carr\Blackwell
Seminole blues - Tampa Red
Pick Poor Robin Clean - Blind Willie McTell
Big Bill's Blues - Big Bill Broonzy
Sittin' on top of the world - Mississippi Shieks
Roll and tumble - Hambone Willie Newburn
West Texas Woman - Alex Moore
M & O - Walter Davis