Label: Columbia Records.
Release Date: 1962.
Recording Date: Mar. 16, 1932 - Dec. 17, 1934.
Release Info: Compilation Studio Recording.
Releases: 1963 (CBS), 1963 (Emidisc), 1971 (Columbia), 1975 (CBS/Sony), 1988 (Official), 1993 (Epic).
Styles: Piano Blues, Pre-War Blues.
Recording Info: track 1 (New York, March 16, 1932); tracks 2-5 (St. Louis, February 20, 1934); track 6 (St. Louis, February 21, 1934); tracks 7,8 (New York, August 14, 1934); tracks 9-10 (New York, August 15, 1934); tracks 11-12 (New York, August 16, 1934); tracks 13-14 (New York, December 14, 1934); tracks 15-16 (New York, December 17, 1934).
Despite minimal sound quality, this reissue contains some prime Leroy Carr/Scrapper Blackwell material. They were arguably the greatest piano and guitar duo to emerge in the late '20s and early '30s. You can find these tracks on other import collections, but this was among the first reissues available on a domestic label.
by Ron Wynn
Notes: Collector's Item. All selections were originally released on the Vocalion label. This album was previously released as Columbia CL 1799. Mean Mistreater Mama is a different take from the one included in that album. The sixteen sides in this album stem from the period between 1932 and 1934. Mono.
Credits: Scrapper Blackwell - guitar; Leroy Carr - piano, vocals, primary artist; Toru Mitsui - liner notes; Josh White - guitar (tracks 13, 15, 16).
Tracks: 1) Midnight Hour Blues; 2) Mean Mistreater Mama; 3) Hurry Down Sunshine; 4) Corn Likker Blues; 5) Shady Lane Blues; 6) Blues Before Sunrise; 7) Take A Walk Around The Corner (Courtroom Blues); 8) My Woman's Gone Wrong; 9) Southbound Blues; 10) Barrelhouse Woman; 11) I Believe I'll Make A Change; 12) Bobo Stomp; 13) Big Four Blues; 14) Hustler's Blues; 15) Shining Pistol; 16) It's Too Short.