Release Date: 1991.
Recording Time: 71 minutes.
Recording Date: July 3, 1935 - April 22, 1936.
Release Info: Compilation (DOCD-5126) Studio Recording.
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Country Blues, Pre-War Blues, Regional Blues.
Swing might have been king by 1935-36, but Big Bill Broonzy was a different type of royalty, one of the major bluesmen in Chicago. Always a technically skilled guitarist, Broonzy's vocalizing had grown in maturity and depth during the first half of the 30s. On the fourth of 11 Document CDs that contain all of Big Bill's prewar recordings as a leader (and many as a sideman), Broonzy is heard on two religious numbers with the Chicago Sanctified Singers, one tune ("Keep Your Mind On It") with the Hokum Boys, and 21 songs either in duets with pianist Black Bob or trios with Black Bob and bassist Bill Settles. Among the more memorable selections are "Bad Luck Blues," "I'm Just a Bum," "Keep Your Hands Off Her," "The Sun Gonna Shine In My Door Someday" and "Match Box Blues." ~ Scott Yanow.
Abridged from this album's original booklet notes.
Big Bill Broonzy was known by just about everybody involved in the music scene in Chicago. By mid-1935, when this volume takes up the story, the depression was easing somewhat and the juke box was countering its threat to one aspect of the musician’s livelihood by providing an opportunity in another in the form of increased recording activity and wider distribution of the product. Although he always worked at one or more “normal” jobs, labouring or serving in stores, Bill seems to have spent most of his life between the studios and the bars at this time and it is strange that, despite his involvement in enumerable sessions, only twenty tracks appeared under his own name on the Bluebird label (those not appearing here can be found on volumes 2 and 3 of this series). After much research and controversy Black Bob‘s real name remains uncertain though it seems probable that he was the Bob Hudson remembered by Memphis Slim. Louis Lasky, whose own work appears on DOCD 5045 The Songster Tradition, is alleged to have taught Bill how to flat-pick; he is also speculated to be the Louis Leslie associated (by “circumstantial” evidence, to quote Dixon and Godrich) with the Chicago Sanctified Singers. Certainly Leslie, Big Bill and Black Bob were all present in the ARC studios when the two Sanctified Singers sides were cut so a likely line up for this group might be Bill or Leslie, guitar, Bob, piano, and a vocal trio made up of Bill, with either Bob or Leslie and an unknown female. The influence of Leroy Carr on Big Bill Broonzy‘s work at this time is marked both on such upbeat numbers as the bouncy Keep Your Hands Off Her (a gentler title than the more usual Keep Your Hands Off It) and such sadly reflective songs as Bad Luck Blues. His voice was never as wistful as Carr’s but he made a conscious effort to study and reproduce the guitar sound of Scrapper Blackwell and supported by the outstandingly sympathetic piano of Black Bob (sometimes augmented by Bill Settles‘ string bass) produced a string of satisfying blues recordings to counterbalance the flood of hokum material that was washing over the market during those years. Big Bill Broonzy‘s involvement with this side of the business saw him working with such groups as The Midnight Ramblers and The State Street Boys. One representative track, The Hokum Boys‘ Keep Your Mind On It, is included here; it sees Big Bill Broonzy taking the vocal backed up by the guitar of Casey Bill Weldon and the sud-busting of Bill’s alleged half-brother Washboard Sam. ~ Keith Briggs, 1992 Document Records.
Credits: Eubie Blake - composer; Keith Briggs - liner notes; Big Bill Broonzy - composer, guitar, primary artist, vocals; Chicago Sanctified Singers - vocals; Black Bob Hudson - piano; Louie Lasky - guitar, vocals; Johnny Parth - compilation producer; Noble Sissle - composer; Traditional - composer; Casey Bill Weldon - guitar, vocals.
Tracklist:
01. Tell Me What Kind Of Man Jesus Is - Chicago Sanctified Singers
02. I Ain't No Stranger Now - Chicago Sanctified Singers
03. Mountain Blues - Big Bill
04. Bad Luck Blues - Big Bill
05. I Can't Make You Satisfied - Big Bill
06. I'm Just A Bum - Big Bill
07. Keep Your Hands Off Her - Big Bill
08. The Sun Gonna Shine In My Door Someday - Big Bill
09. Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down - Big Bill
10. Down The Line Blues - Big Bill
11. Bricks In My Pillow - Big Bill
12. Tell Me What You Been Doing - Big Bill
13. Ash Hauler - Big Bill
14. Evil Women Blues - Big Bill
15. These Ants Keep Biting Me - Big Bill
16. Big Bill Blues (These Blues Are Doggin' Me) - Big Bill
17. You Know I Need Lovin' - Big Bill
18. Match Box Blues - Big Bill
19. Low Down Woman Blues - Big Bill
20. Keep You Mind On It - The Hokum Boys
21. Bull Cow Blues, No. 3 - Big Bill
22. Married Life's A Pain - Big Bill
23. Black Mare Blues - Big Bill
24. Pneumonia Blues (I Keep On Aching) - Big Bill
Personnel: Chicago Sanctified Singers (2 male and 1 female vocals); accompanied by probably Black Bob - piano; Big Bill Broonzy - guitar probably vocals; probably Louie Lasky - guitar, probably vocals; Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Black Bob - piano; Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Black Bob - piano; Bill Settles - stand-up bass; The Hokum Boys: Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Casey Bill Weldon - vocals, guitar; prob. Bill Settles - stand-up bass; Washboard Sam - washboard.