Release Date: October 13, 1992.
Recording Time: 76 minutes.
Recording Date: January 31, 1937 - October 13, 1937.
Release Info: Compilation (DOCD-5128) Studio Recording.
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Country Blues, Regional Blues, Blues Revival, Pre-War Blues.
1937 was a busy year for Big Bill Broonzy, who was turning 44. A greatly in-demand blues guitarist in Chicago, Broonzy was also an underrated singer and a major solo artist. This CD from the Austrian Document label (the sixth of 11 that trace his entire prewar recording career) includes 26 selections with plenty of alternate takes and nine previously unreleased performances. Broonzy is joined by either Black Bob, Leeford or Aletha Robinson or Joshua Altheimer on piano (Blind John Davis joins up for the final session), and sometimes bassist Bill Settles, drummer Fred Williams, unidentified players and (on three occasions) trumpeter Punch Miller. Although not quite essential, this CD will be desired by Broonzy's greatest fans, along with all of the releases in this very valuable series. Among the more notable selections are "Mean Old World," "Down in the Alley," "Louise, Louise Blues" and "It's Too Late Now." ~ Scott Yanow
Abridged from this album's original booklet notes. This volume picks up the recorded works of Big Bill Broonzy half way through the session of 31st January 1937. One of the tracks he sat out was Horny Frog, an alternative take of which opens this set to complement the last track on Volume 5, however he joined in for Mean Old World and' contributed some nice growling trumpet to You Do Me Any Old Way. On 10th of March that year Bill was one of the Midnight Ramblers, a group which featured piano, string bass (probably of the "tea chest" variety) and the shared vocals of himself and Washboard Sam. The partnership between Black Bob and Big Bill seems to have ended with the session of 9th June 1937 and, by July Leeford Robinson was occupying the piano stool. The session opened with Bill pleading for the return of one "Hattie" to save him from descending into a life of drinking and gambling (a joke surely!) and continued with a song in praise of his "crankie" Model T Ford:
"You can have your V8 and your Lincoln too, Give me my Model T, I know what she will do".
The trumpet and drums are prominent on this up-tempo cut. Another of Bill's possessions comes in for praise on Come Home Early where he sings:
"Don't be scared, it won't bite, My damper's made to fit an eight inch pipe".
Leeford Robinson seems to have been a stop-gap too and after that date Big Bill Broonzy turned to Blind John Davis for support on the 88 before beginning his long association with Josh Altheimer, although it may be Altheimer working on My Girl Is Gone. The two men, working with Fred Williams, drums, held down the session of 13 October 1937 when Bill explained his wariness in commercial transactions. "When I'm ready to buy, I want my hands on it – so it won't fly", and dragooned the tune best known as Sitting 0n Top of The World into service for the slow and reflective blues It's Too Late, to which Davis adds some delicate piano. This set winds up with Made A Date With An Angel – "Poor me, I can't fly", which is not the pop song it appears to be and is more correctly sub-titled Got No Walking Shoes. ~ Keith Briggs, 1993 Document Records.
Credits: Joshua Altheimer - piano; Alfred Bell - trumpet; Keith Briggs - liner notes; Big Bill Broonzy - composer, guitar, primary artist, vocals; Blind John Davis - piano; Black Bob Hudson - piano; Punch Miller - trumpet; Johnny Parth - compilation producer, producer; Aletha Robinson - guitar, piano; Leeford Robinson - guitar, piano; Bill Settles - bass; Johnnie "Geechie" Temple - composer; Washboard Sam - vocals; Fred Williams - drums; Spencer Williams - composer.
Tracklist:
01. Horny Frog - Big Bill Broonzy
02. Mean Old World (take 1 - unissued) - Big Bill Broonzy
03. Mean Old World (take 2) - Big Bill Broonzy
04. Barrel House When It Rains - Big Bill Broonzy
05. You Do Me Any Old Way (take 1 - unissued) - Big Bill Broonzy
06. You Do Me Any Old Way (take 2) - Big Bill Broonzy
07. Down In The Alley (take 1) - Midnight Ramblers
08. Down In The Alley (take 2 - unissued) - Midnight Ramblers
09. Stuff They Call Money - Midnight Ramblers
10. Louise Louise Blues (take 1) - Big Bill Broonzy
11. Louise Louise Blues (take 2 - unissued) - Big Bill Broonzy
12. Let Me Be Your Winder - Big Bill Broonzy
13. Hattie Blues - Big Bill Broonzy
14. Hattie Blues - Big Bill Broonzy
15. My Old Lizzie - Big Bill Broonzy
16. Come Home Early (take 1 - unissued) - Big Bill Broonzy
17. Come Home Early (take 2) - Big Bill Broonzy
18. Come Home Early (take 3) - Big Bill Broonzy
19. Come Home Early (take 4) - Big Bill Broonzy
20. My Gal Is Gone - Big Bill Broonzy
21. Evil Hearted Me - Big Bill Broonzy
22. I Want My Hands On It (take 1) - Big Bill Broonzy
23. I Want My Hands On It (take 2 - unissued) - Big Bill Broonzy
24. It's Too Late Now (take 1 - unissued) - Big Bill Broonzy
25. It's Too Late Now - Big Bill Broonzy
26. Made A Date With An Angel (Got No Walking Shoes) - Big Bill Broonzy
Personnel: Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Punch Miller - trumpet on 1, 5, 6; Black Bob - piano; Bill Settles - stand-up bass; Fred Williams - drums. Midnight Ramblers: Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Black Bob - piano; unknown - imitation bass; Washboard Sam - vocals. Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Alfred Bell - trumpet on 12; Black Bob - piano; Fred Williams - drums. Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; accompanied by Punch Miller - trumpet on 15, 16, 17; Leeford or Aletha Robinson - piano; own guitar on 15, 16, 17; Fred Williams - drums. Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Leeford or Aletha Robinson - piano on 18; Black Bob - piano on 19; unknown - stand-up bass. Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Black Bob, or probably Joshua Altheimer - piano on 20; unknown - 2nd guitar; unknown - stand-up bass. Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar; Blind John Davis - piano; Fred Williams - drums.