Topic: Sleepy John Estes discography online

[Stefan Wirz]

you can find it at http://www.wirz.de/music/estes.htm


[edit, I took the quotes out of the title so it sorts better in the tag results]

[robbyross]

Great Stephen. you are doing a wonderful job.
What about  a complete Flyright record company discography?
Bye from Italy

Roberto Giovannini

[Slack]

Welcome Roberto!

[Stefan Wirz]

buona sera, Roberto - and thanks for the flowers !!!
I thought about Flyright the other day, but since I do own only ca. 5 Flyright records and they are hardly to catch elsewhere (eBay, etc.) I think that'll be a task for my retiring days and - since I'm only 55 now - that's another 20 years from now ;-)
But did you have a look at my Albatros discography ? I always thought there should be some Italian watching to fill those gaps I had to leave ... (of course it doesn't matter if you can't ;-)
Thanks in advance,
Stefan

[robbyross]

Sorry I have pressed something that I had not to press so my message went out incomplete.

Well I have these Albatros records you miss:

VPA 8460 Original Country Blues Vol 3
VPA 8451 Bad luck and trouble
VPA 8261 Tennesse  Blues vol 2
VPA 8392 South Mississippi blues ( one inch tear on cover)
VPA 8459 Way back yonder
VAP 8240 Tennessee blues vol 1
VPA 8458 Original country blues vol 1
VPA 8461 I got the blues this morning
VPA 8443 Jack Owens - bentonia country blues  ( autographed on cover )
VPA 8442 Cary Tate

Let me know (I have about seventy Flyright records)

P.S.: You can also write me directly to my e.mail address for a quicker reply.

[Gumbo]

Hi
I think this follows on in this thread appropriately

I've been looking through your Discog Stefan, and realising that the personnel is a lot more interesting than i'd thought. I was under the impression that Sleepy John Estes recorded with pretty much the same sidemen all through his career, and for the most part he did but early on he is there as a backing band for Noah Lewis of the Memphis Jug Band.

Are there any interviews or articles anyone can recommend that talk about this time for John Estes and Noah lewis?

[Bunker Hill]

Are there any interviews or articles anyone can recommend that talk about this time for John Estes and Noah lewis?

The only one I can locate is by Georges Adins conducted at the Estes home in 1962 and published in Jazz Journal, August 1963. It's a three page article in the course of which Adins comments:

As is often the case where old blues recordings are concerned, those made by Sleepy John Estes have their own mystery, namely the identity of the accompanying musicians?most particularly the harp player. In all the discographies the name of Noah Lewis is mentioned as being the harp player. I inquired of both John and Hammie Nixon about this, and, according to Hammie Nixon, nobody else but himself played harp behind John on his recordings. But according to Estes, Noah Lewis played with him until 1934. Upon closer examination, and unless I am mistaken, there exists but one record made prior to 1934 featuring a harmonica player?he could be Noah Lewis but one would have to listen very carefully to the record to be sure on this point.

[Gumbo]

backing band for Noah Lewis of the Memphis Jug Band.

oops - sorry i was distracted by the 5a entry on the discog, where the Memphis Jug Band are listed recording a couple of days later, and Hambone Lewis playing jug, who was the MJB jug player at the time. Noah, of course, played with Gus Cannon.

Thanks for that quote, Bunker Hill. At least it's nice to know the question got asked!