Blind Dog Radio

Louisiana Swamp Blues

All the way back to the days of vinyl I was lucky enough to have stumbled onto Lightnin' Slim, Slim Harpo, Lonesome Sundown, and other blues/r&b performers from the "swamp" region around Louisiana. Some of the locals combined the accordion and electrified instruments and French/English languages into something new and exciting, while others incorporated this local sound with just bluesy electric guitars and vocals, and a small band that was a product of the region. Later I stumbled across Hop Wilson whose great steel guitar playing was pretty incredible in this context. This box set collects many of these great sides recorded for the Excello label and other even smaller labels from the region, all redolent of the period and area.

But what's great about this set is that it doesn't just focus on the more well known performers but collects many sides from relatively and unknown performers for fans who might not know a lot about this region's music. Compiled by Neil Slaven whose long time work in the blues field is known to every deep fan of the music. His knowledge and feel for the music makes him the perfect choice to put something like this together. The tracks are from the mid 1950's (Boozoo Chavis) into the early 1960's.

This is real gut-bucket, no-frills music. The blues runs all through this set, and hearing this music you too will agree that this style of music is unique to the swampy regions of Louisiana. Included are tunes like Cookie & The Cupcakes' "Married Life", Clarence Garlow's "Train Come Down The Track", Hop Wilson's "Chicken Stuff" (look for his album on the Ace label), Classie Ballou's "Crazy Mama", Guitar Jr.'s "The Crawl", Jimmy Dotson's "Looking For My Baby", Boozoo Chavis' "Forty-One Days" and "Oh! Baby", and many more from both these performers and a number of others.

The sound is similar to other JSP sets--not great--but good, especially with tracks recorded on a shoestring budget in a tiny studio. Similar to other JSP box sets each disc is in a separate jewel case with an individual booklet, and everything fits inside a flimsy cardboard slipcase. The notes (by Slaven) are informative and interesting, especially if you aren't familiar with this music. There are other compilations of Louisiana region music, but this set has a depth that makes it worthwhile for fans. Give this music a try--you may find yourself starting to groove on the sounds from this unique area.

And if you want to hear more of this region's unique music, check out two other four CD box sets from JSP--"Cajun, Early Recordings", and "Cajun, Rare & Authentic". Both have many great, important, and (sometimes) rare tracks from the region. The first set has important early recordings of the period, while the second set is full of relatively rare recordings from the late 1920's up through some pre-war recordings. This is real deal, authentic Louisiana/Cajun/French-based music, and is a breadth of fresh air. Unlike this latest set both of these feature guitars, violins/fiddles, and accordions along with the unique vocal style of the region/period. It's interesting to hear this early music and then hear how electric instruments were incorporate into the region's music.
By Stuart Jefferson

Credits: Elton Anderson – Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Jimmy Anderson – Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; Charlie Babineaux – Bass; Classie Ballou, Sr. – Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Big Chenier – Primary Artist; Blue Charlie – Primary Artist; Juke Boy Bonner – Guitar, Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; Boogie Ramblers – Primary Artist; Sylvester Buckley – Harmonica; Bob Camille – Drums; Willie Chason – Bass; Isaiah Chatman – Bass, Drums, Guitar; Boozoo Chavis – Accordion, Primary Artist, Vocals; Morris Chenier – Guitar, Vocals; Matthew Colbert – Drums; Cookie – Sax (Tenor); Cookie & the Cupcakes – Primary Artist; Cleveland Crochet – Primary Artist, Violin; Joe Dardin – Piano; Jimmy Dotson – Drums, Primary Artist, Vocals; Pete Douglas – Guitar; Eugene Dozier – Guitar; Shelton Dunaway – Primary Artist, Sax (Alto), Vocals; Clarence "Jockey" Etinne – Drums; Bobby Fran – Sax (Tenor); Guitar Gable – Guest Artist, Guitar, Primary Artist; Clarence Garlow – Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Danny George – Sax (Tenor); Good Rockin' Bob – Primary Artist; Peter Gosch – Sax (Baritone); Clarence Green – Bass; Cornelius Green – Guitar, Vocals; Little Brother Griffin – Drums; Guitar Joe – Guitar; Guitar Junior – Primary Artist, Guitar, Vocals; John Hart – Sax (Tenor); Henry Hayes – Sax (Tenor); Oscar "Jesse" Hogan – Drums; Samuel Hogan – Drums; Silas Hogan – Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Joe Hudson – Drums, Primary Artist; Ice Water – Bass; Ivory Jackson – Drums, Primary Artist, Vocals; Robert Jackson – Piano; Ernest Jacobs – Piano; Matthew Jacobs – Guitar, Vocals; Boogie Jake – Primary Artist; Jay Nelson and the Jumpers – Primary Artist; John Johnson – Piano; Boogie Joe Joseph – Piano; Darnell Joseph – Piano; King Charles – Primary Artist, Trumpet; King Karl – Guest Artist, Primary Artist, Vocals; Marshall Ladee – Guitar; Joe Landry – Bass; Sid Lawrence – Bass; Lazy Lester – Harmonica; Shorty LeBlanc – Accordion; Ivory Lee – Guest Artist; Left Handed Charlie – Primary Artist; Lonesome Sundown – Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Bobby McBride – Bass; Big Bo Melvin – Guitar; Tal Miller – Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals; Mr. Calhoun – Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; Lightnin' Mitchell – Drums; Charlie Morris – Guitar, Vocals; Jay Nelson – Guitar, Vocals; Clifton Newman – Drums; Elmore Nixon – Piano; Joe Payne – Drums; Fats Perrodin – Bass; Gabriel Perrodin, Sr. – Guitar; Lionel Prevost – Sax (Tenor); Big Walter Price – Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals; Lloyd Renaud – Drums; Sidney Reynaud – Sax (Tenor); Sokol Richardson – Drums; Lester Robinson – Vocals; Ashton Savoy – Guitar, Primary Artist; Ivory Lee Semien – Drums, Primary Artist, Vocals; Wilson Semien – Drums; Charles Sheffield – Primary Artist, Vocals; Harry Simoneaux – Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor); Neil Slaven – Annotation; Warren Storm – Drums; Jay Stutes – Vocals; Andrew Taylor – Guitar; Huey Thierry – Sax (Tenor); Ed Thomas – Guitar, Vocals; Leroy Washington – Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Katie Webster – Piano; Sherman Webster – Bass; Hop Wilson – Guitar (Steel), Primary Artist, Vocals.

TrackList
Disc 1: 1. Married Life – Cookie & The Cupcakes; 2. My True Life – Leroy Washington; 3. Ooh! Wee Baby! Ooh! Wee! – Charles Sheffield; 4. Family Rules – Guitar Jr.; 5. Train Came Down The Track – Clarence Garlow; 6. Chicken Stuff – Hop Wilson; 7. Don’t Bring No Friend – Blue Charlie; 8. Early Morning Blues – Boogie Jake; 9. Paper In My Shoe – Boozoo Chavis; 10. I Had The Blues – Shelton Dunaway; 11. Congo Mombo – Guitar Gable; 12. They Call Me Mr. Calhoun – Mr. Calhoun; 13. Hoo-wee Pretty Baby – Joe Hudson; 14. Can’t Hardy Keep From Cryin’ – Juke Boy Bonner; 15. Sugar Bee – Cleveland Crotchet; 16. Bop Cat Stomp – King Charles; 17. I Stood By – Lonesome Sundown; 18. Scorched (By The Torch Of Love) – Tal Miller; 19. Isabella – Charles Sheffield; 20. Crazy Mambo – Classie Ballou; 21. Fuss Too Much – Ivory Lee Semien; 22. San Antonio – Big Walter Price; 23. I Need Your Love – Jimmy Dotson; 24. Gonna Boogie – Boozoo Chavis; 25. Bayou Shuffle – Boogie Ramblers.

Disc 2: 1. Gonna Stick To You Baby – Lonesome Sundown; 2. The Crawl – Guitar Jr.; 3. You’re Too Late Baby – Silas Hogan; 4. Let Me Hold Your Hand – Big Chenier; 5. Cool, Calm and Collected – Guitar Gable with King Karl; 6. Naggin’ – Jimmy Anderson; 7. Call Me Juke Boy – Juke Boy Bonner; 8. It’s Your Voodoo Working – Charles Sheffield; 9. Loaded Down – Boogie Jake; 10. Bye Bye Catin – Boozoo Chavis; 11. Be Kind – Leroy Washington; 12. Close Up The Back Door – Cookie & The Cupcakes; 13. Broken And Hungry – Hop Wilson; 14. Confusion – Classie Ballou; 15. I’m Ragged And Dirty – Mr. Calhoun; 16. Catch That Train – Elton Anderson; 17. Sound The Bell – Clarence Garlow; 18. Looking For My Baby – Jimmy Dotson; 19. I Don’t Know Why – Boogie Jake; 20. Rock ‘n’ Roll Train – Charles Sheffield; 21. Oh Ramona – Big Walter Price; 22. Who Would Have Thought It – Shelton Dunaway; 23. Rockin’ In The Coconut Top – Hop Wilson with Ivory Lee; 24. Make Up My Mind – Good Rockin’ Bob; 25. Won’t Be Me – King Charles; 26. Calcasieu Zydeco Blues – Boozoo Chavis; 27. Don’t Say A Word – Lonesome Sundown (w/Lazy Lester).

Disc 3: 1. Whole Lotta Drinkin’ On The Block – Left Hand Charlie; 2. Please Try To Realise – Big Chenier; 3. Irene – Guitar Gable with King Karl; 4. Keep Livin’ – Shelton Dunaway; 5. Boozoo Stomp – Boozoo Chavis; 6. Learn To Treat Me Better – Lonesome Sundown; 7. Mean Old Kokamoo – Tal Miller; 8. You Move Me – Charles Sheffield; 9. Wild Cherry – Leroy Washington; 10. I’m Goin’ – Boogie Ramblers; 11. Oh Baby – Jimmy Dotson; 12. Bon Ton Roule – Clarence Garlow; 13. Bad Luck And Trouble – Boogie Jake; 14. If I Don’t See You – Elton Anderson; 15. Merry Christmas Darling – Hop Wilson; 16. I Got It Made – Guitar Jr.; 17. Got The News This Morning – Ivory Lee Jackson; 18. This Should Go On Forever – King Karl with Guitar Gable; 19. But You Thrill Me – King Charles; 20. Leave My Money Alone – Lonesome Sundown; 21. I’m gonna Kill That Hen – Blue Charlie; 22. Nights Of Misery – Charles Sheffield; 23. That Wouldn’t Satisfy – Hop Wilson; 24. Forty One Days – Boozoo Chavis; 25. Nothin’ In This World – Jimmy Anderson.

Disc 4: 1. Guitar Rhumbo – Guitar Gable; 2. Pretty Little Dollie – Clarence Garlow; 3. Lost Without Love – Lonesome Sun Down; 4. I’m Twisted – Cookie & The Cupcakes; 5. Be Careful With The Blues – Hop Wilson; 6. Trouble At Home Blues – Silas Hogan; 7. Cool Cat – Charles Sheffield; 8. If I Only Had A Chanc – Boogie Jake; 9. Long Black Curly Hair – Boozoo Chavis; 10. Walking In the Park (With Sally) – Guitar Gable with King Karl; 11. Carry On – Charence Garlow; 12. My Poor Heart In Pain – Jimmy Dotson; 13. Roll, Roll, Roll – Guitar Jr.; 14. Miss My Lagnion – Blue Charlie; 15. Juke Joint – Ashton Savoy; 16. Say You Remember – Good Rockin’ Bob; 17. Life’s Journey – Tal Miller; 18. Honey Bee – Left Hand Charlie; 19. Always Be In Love With You – Hop Wilson; 20. I Would Be A Sinner – Charles Sheffield; 21. No Use To Worry – Lonesome Sundown; 22. Oh! Babe – Boozoo Chavis; 23. Hello Friends, Hello Pals – Mr. Calhoun; 24. My Chinatown Gal – Leroy Washington; 25. Don’t You Want A Man Like Me – Jay Nelson & The Jumpers.

Recording Time: 256 minutes (Stereo).