Release Date: 1993.
Series: Masters Of Jazz.
Recording Time: 60 minutes.
Recording Date: November 1927 - April 9, 1930.
Release Info: Compilation (MJCD 51) Studio Recording.
Includes a 24-page booklet with notes in French and English.
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Country Blues, Pre-War Blues, Regional Blues.
During the second half of the 1990s the Masters of Jazz historical reissue label brought out five compact discs devoted to the first eight years of guitarist Big Bill Broonzy's well-documented recording career. Volume one investigates his earliest works, beginning with four titles recorded in Chicago between November 1927 and October 1928. On these scruffy old Paramount sides Broonzy duets with tenor guitarist John Thomas, whose speaking voice may be heard on the "House Rent Stomp." On tracks five through nine Big Bill is heard as a sideman for pianist Georgia Tom Dorsey and guitarist Frank Brasswell. While some may feel that it's perfectly OK that the producers of this series thought it was appropriate to present the original pressings complete with authentic 78 rpm surface noise, tracks eight and nine sound degraded enough that one might become distracted and pine for a sharper needle, if such a thing would make any difference. Let not this minor imperfection drive you away, because the real "meat" of this collection is to be found on tracks ten through eighteen, which were harvested from various sessions for several different record labels that took place between January and April 1930. This portion of the chronology is a series of rags, rubs, stomps and struts performed by the Famous Hokum Boys, a group usually numbering only two or three players and almost always including Broonzy. These rascals played good-time music and sometimes garnished the tunes with smutty lyrics. These entertainments went over well with members of the African-American public seeking music suitable for carousing and partying. Tracks 19 through 21 were recorded in New York City for the Perfect record label on April 9, 1930. With Broonzy on that day was Brasswell once again; the records were issued under the pseudonym of Sammy Sampson. Note that "Skoodle Loo Doo" is a tasty cover of Blind Blake's magnum opus "Skeedle Loo Doo." ~ arwulf arwulf
Credits: Concept By - Noël Hervé; Executive-Producer - Bruno Théol; Graphics - Isabelle Marquis, Marion de Dieuleveult; Liner Notes - André Vasset; Liner Notes (English Version) - Don Waterhouse; Mastered By - Charles Eddi; Reissue Producer - André Vasset; Transferred By - Lionel Risler; Written By - Unknown Artist (tracks: 17, 18, 21); Written-By - B. B. Broonzy (tracks: 1 to 4, 11 to 14, 19, 20), Frank Brasswell (tracks: 8, 9), T. A. Dorsey (tracks: 5 to 7, 10, 15, 16).
Personnel: Big Bill Broonzy - vocals, guitar, violin; John Thomas - vocals, guitar; Thomas A. Dorsey (Georgia Tom) - vocals, piano; Frank Brasswell - vocals, guitar.
Tracklist:
01. House Rent Stomp - Big Bill & Thomps
02. Big Bill Blues - Big Bill & Thomps
03. Down In The Basement Blues - Big Bill
04. Starvation Blues - Big Bill
05. My Texas Blues - Georgia Tom
06. Six Shooter Blues - Georgia Tom
07. Pig Meat Blues - Georgia Tom
08. The Western Blues - Frank Brasswell
09. Mountain Girl Blues - Frank Brasswell
10. Somebody's Been Using That Thing - Famous Hokum Boys
11. Black Cat Rag - Famous Hokum Boys
12. Pig Meat Strut - Famous Hokum Boys
13. Guitar Rag - Famous Hokum Boys
14. Saturday Night Rub - Famous Hokum Boys
15. Eagle Riding Papa - Famous Hokum Boys
16. Papa's Getting Hot - Famous Hokum Boys
17. Nancy Jane - Famous Hokum Boys
18. That's The Way She Likes It - Famous Hokum Boys
19. I Can't Be Satisfied - Sammy Sampson
20. Grandma's Farm - Sammy Sampson
21. Skoodle Do Do - Sammy Sampson
Recorded in Chicago, November 1927 (track 1), February 1928 (track 2), and October 1928 (tracks, 3, 4).
Recorded in New York, April 7, 1930 (tracks 5 to 9), April 8, 1930 (tracks 10 to 13), and April 9, 1930 (tracks 14 to 21).