Release Date: January 2, 1998
Releases: September 13, 2005
Recording Time: 72 minutes
Recording Date: November, 1928 - August 10, 1931
Styles: Vaudeville Blues, Classic Female Blues, Early Jazz, Swing
Vol. 2 in Document's three-part history of Coot Grant and Kid Wilson focuses largely upon Wilson's career. Nine of twenty-four tracks feature vocals by Grant, with accompaniments by Fletcher Henderson's band, guitarists Bobby Leecan, Bernard Addison and (possibly) Eddie Lang, as well as piano and vocals by her second husband Wesley Wilson. A native of Jacksonville FL, Wilson's moniker was originally "Kid." This changed to "Socks" or "Sox" after he made a record for Columbia in 1930 called "Dem Socks Dat My Pappy Wore," b/w "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You," a merrily abusive routine composed by Lovin' Sam Theard and given its all-time best interpretation by Louis Armstrong in April 1931. Wesley Wilson had yet another professional nickname, and it shows up on numerous recordings he made between 1929 and 1931 in collaboration with guitarist Harry McDaniels, issued under the names of "Pigmeat Pete" and "Catjuice Charlie." Although one of these was titled "Get Your Mind out of the Gutter," sexually suggestive -- or explicit -- material was obviously in high demand. "Big Trunk Blues" achieved legendary status in this category. Coot Grant's smuttiest contribution to this compilation is the irresistibly hedonistic singalong classic, "Get off with Me." The "Pigmeat"/"Catjuice" recordings, which consist of vocal duets with guitar accompaniment, are mostly amusing novelties. The exception is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the far from pleasant working conditions on Southern turpentine farms. Even if the entire Grant and Wilson discography is technically rare, Wilson's recordings without Grant are gloriously obscure and invitingly uncommon.
by arwulf arwulf
Credits: Bernard Addison - guitar; Buster Bailey - clarinet, guest artist; Coot Grant - primary artist, vocals; Charlie Green - trombone; Fletcher Henderson - guest artist, piano; Eddie Lang - guest artist, guitar; Bobby Leecan - guitar, vocals; Johnny Parth - compilation producer, producer; Rex Stewart - cornet; Gerhard Wessely - remastering; Kid Wilson - performer, primary artist; Sox Wilson - vocals; Wesley Wilson - composer, piano, vocals.
Tracks: 1) Stevedore blues; 2) Uncle Joe (349); 3) Can I get some of that?; 4) Big trunk blues; 5) Ain`t going to give you none; 6) Can you do that to me; 7) Get your mind out of the gutter; 8) The gin done done it; 9) Do it right; 10) Old age is creeping upon you; 11) Our family doctor; 12) My friend John; 13) On our turpentine farm; 14) You rascal you; 15) Dem socks dat my pappy wore; 16) Deceiving man blues; 17) Get off with me; 18) Hard times; 19) You`se my friend; 20) Rockin` chair Mary; 21) She shake`s a mean ash can; 22) Honey you done gone too far; 23) Boop-poop-a-doop; 24) You need a woman like me.