Label: Document Records.
Release Date: September 8, 2000.
Releases: June 28, 2005.
Recording Time: 70 minutes.
Recording Date: October 1, 1929 - July 7, 1936.
Styles: Acoustic Chicago Blues, Classic Female Blues, Regional Blues.
Recording information: Chicago, IL (10/01/1929-07/07/1936); New York, NY (10/01/1929-07/07/1936).
Victoria Spivey, vocals.
Includes: J.T. "Funny Paper" Smith, vocals, guitar; Porter Grainger, vocals, piano, Teddy Bunn, guitar; J.C. Higginbotham, trompbone; Pops Foster, stand-up bass, Georgia Tom Dorsey, piano; Henry Allen, trumpet; Chick Gordon, Leon Washington, saxes. And others...
Victoria Spivey's ability to evolve with the times and often reinvent her style can be heard throughout the third of four CDs in Document's reissuance of her prewar recordings. She is heard singing classic blues on four numbers with an all-star group drawn from Luis Russell's Orchestra (including trumpeter Red Allen and trombonist J.C. Higginbotham) and on four other songs in which she is just backed by pianist Russell and guitarist Will Johnson. She investigates double entendre blues with the assistance of pianist/vocalist Porter Grainger and (for the two-part "Mama's Quittin' and Leavin'") with guitarist/singer Funny Paper Smith. For a 1931 date, Spivey does her take on hokum (particularly on "He Wants Too Much") with the help of pianist Georgia Tom Dorsey and guitarist Tampa Red. And on "Dreaming 'Bout My Man" she is backed by the pre-swing big band Hunter's Serenaders. This volume concludes by jumping ahead five years and featuring Spivey singing quite confidently with a first-rate Chicago-based swing band (including "Black Snake Swing"). Although not quite as essential as the first two volumes in this series, this set (and Vol. 4) is also easily recommended.
by Scott Yanow
Personnel: Victoria Spivey (vocals); John T. Smith, Will Johnson, Tampa Red, Teddy Bunn (guitar); Leon Washington (saxophone); Charlie Holmes (soprano saxophone); Harold Arnold, Teddy Hill (tenor saxophone); Pops Foster (bass saxophone, double bass); Lloyd Hunter (trumpet); Jody "Butterbeans" Edwards, J.C. Higginbotham, Elmer Crumbley (trombone); Dorothy Scott, Georgia Tom, Luis Russell, Charles Avery (piano); Jo Jones (drums).
Liner Note Author: Chris Frazer Smith.
Audio Remasterer: Gerhard Wessely.
Credits: Harold Arnold - sax (tenor); Charles Avery - piano; Teddy Bunn - guitar; Elmer Crumbley - trombone; Jody "Butterbeans" Edwards - trombone; Pops Foster - double bass, sax (bass); Georgia Tom - piano; Porter Grainger - guest artist, primary artist; Magnolia Harris - primary artist; J.C. Higginbotham - trombone; Teddy Hill - sax (tenor); Charlie Holmes - sax (soprano); Lloyd Hunter - trumpet; Will Johnson - guitar; Jo Jones - drums; Johnny Parth - compilation producer, producer; Luis Russell - piano; Dorothy Scott - piano; Chris Frazer Smith - liner notes; Howling Smith - guest artist, primary artist; John T. Smith - guitar; Victoria Spivey - composer, primary artist, vocals; Tampa Red - guitar; Leon Washington - saxophone; Gerhard Wessely - remastering.
Tracks: 1) Blood hound blues - Victoria Spivey; 2) Dirty T.B. blues - Victoria Spivey; 3) Moaning the blues - Victoria Spivey; 4) Telephoning the blues - Victoria Spivey; 5) New York blues - Victoria Spivey; 6) Lonesome with the blues - Victoria Spivey; 7) Showered with the blues - Victoria Spivey; 8) Haunted by the blues - Victoria Spivey; 9) You've gotta have what it takes, part 1 - Victoria Spivey and Porter Grainger vocal duet; 10) You've gotta have what it take, part 2 - Victoria Spivey and Porter Grainger vocal duet; 11) Baulin' water blues, part 1 - Victoria Spivey and Porter Grainger vocal duet; 12) Baulin' water blues, part 2 - Victoria Spivey and Porter Grainger vocal duet; 13) Mama's quittin' and leavin', part 1 - Magnolia Harris (prob. Victoria Spivey) JT "Funny Paper" Smith; 14) Mama's quittin' and leavin', part 2 - Magnolia Harris (prob. Victoria Spivey) JT "Funny Paper" Smith; 15) Nebraska blues - Victoria Spivey; 16) He wants too much - Victoria Spivey; 17) Low down man blues - Victoria Spivey; 18) Don't trust nobody blues - Victoria Spivey; 19) Dreaming 'bout my man - Victoria Spivey; 20) Sweet pease - Victoria Spivey; 21) Black snake swing - Victoria Spivey; 22) I'll never fall in love again - Victoria Spivey; 23) TB's got me - Victoria Spivey.