Release Date: January 27, 2004.
Recording Time: 386 minutes.
Release Info: Compilation, Studio Recording.
Recording Date: November, 1927 - January 31, 1937.
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Regional Blues, Country Blues, Pre-War Blues, Blues Revival.
Of all the pre-war Delta bluesman, no one achieved the popular status of Big Bill Broonzy. Indeed, as Neil Slaven states in his liner notes to Volume One of this collection, Broonzy had been issuing recordings for over 20 years before his last name was attached to the labels; only "Big Bill" appeared under the track listing. This five-CD collection by JSP is astonishing in its scope. There are 128 tracks here from the first decade of Broonzy's recording career, featuring every 78 recorded during the period, for labels such as Paramount, Jewel, ARC, Perfect, Romeo, and others. His sides with Frank Brasswell and Georgia Tom, as well as other incarnations of his own band, called the Famous Hokum Boys, the Chicago Black Swans, or the Midnight Ramblers (Broonzy is listed as Bill Williams, Big Bill Johnson, Sammy Sampson, etc.) are all here, and many more. The great irony here is that Broonzy had been recording for a decade before his big hits ever came to be. The material here is a prologue of what was to come until his death in 1958. These sides are for hardcore fans certainly, but they are also for those who have been taken with the '40s and '50s material by Broonzy when he was a living American folk-blues legend. These tracks, then, are a treasure-trove, a journey into a largely unnoticed but stunningly creative archive of Broonzy, who arrived fully formed onto the scene. The audiophiles might have trouble with the sound quality of some of this material, but for those with less discriminating sonic palettes, this is an essential purchase, one rooted in history, mystery, and enjoyment -- and its' budget price makes it even more so. ~ Thom Jurek
Credits: Kokomo Arnold - composer; Alfred Bell - trumpet; Big Bill & Cool Tones - primary artist; Frank Brasswell - guitar, vocals; Big Bill Broonzy - banjo, composer, guitar, primary artist, violin, vocals; Buddy Burton - kazoo, washboard; Chicago Black Swans - primary artist; Teddy Edwards - banjo, guitar; The Famous Hokum Boys - primary artist; Georgia Tom - composer, piano, vocals; Jimmie Gordon - piano; The Hokum Boys - primary artist; Black Bob Hudson - piano; Bob Hudson - piano; Big Bill Johnson - performer, primary artist; Louis Katzman - composer; Louie Lasky - guitar; Lead Belly - composer; Mr. Sheiks - trumpet; Arnett Nelson - clarinet; Bill Settles - bass; Neil Slaven - liner notes; State Street Boys - primary artist; John Thomas - guitar; Washboard Sam - violin, vocals, washboard; Casey Bill Weldon - guitar (steel), vocals; Bill Williams - primary artist; Bill Williams - guitar, vocals; Zeb Wright - violin.
Tracklist:
Disc A (1928 - 1930)
01. House Rent Stomp - Big Bill And Thomps
02. Big Bill Blues - Big Bill And Thomps
03. Down In The Basement Blues - Big Bill And Thomps
04. Starvation Blues - Big Bill And Thomps
05. Somebody's Been Using That Thing - Famous Hokum Boys
06. Black Cat Rag - Famous Hokum Boys
07. Pig Meat Strut (9587) - Famous Hokum Boys
08. Guitar Rag - Famous Hokum Boys
09. Saturday Night Rub (9594) - Famous Hokum Boys
10. I Can't Be Satisfied - Sammy Sampson
11. Grandma's Farm - Sammy Sampson
12. Skoodle Do Do (9601) - Sammy Sampson
13. Tadpole Blues - Sammy Sampson
14. Bow Leg Baby - Sammy Sampson
15. Skoodle Do Do (16573) - Big Bill Johnson
16. Saturday Night Rub (16578) - Hokum Boys
17. Pig Meat Strut (16579) - Hokum Boys
18. Papa's Gettin' Hot - Hokum Boys
19. Police Station Blues - Sammy Sampson
20. They Can't Do That - Sammy Sampson
21. No Good Buddy - Bill Williams And Sammy Sampson
22. State Street Woman - Sammy Sampson
23. Meanest Kind Of Blues - Sammy Sampson
24. I Got The Blues For My Baby - Sammy Sampson
25. The Banker's Blues - Big Bill Johnson
26. How You Want It Done (17284) - Big Bill Johnson
Disc B (1932 - 1934)
01. Worried In Mind Blues - Big Bill Johnson
02. Too Too Train Blues (18383) - Big Bill Johnson
03. Mistreatin' Mamma - Big Bill Johnson
04. Big Bill Blues - Big Bill Johnson
05. Brown Skin Shuffle - Big Bill Johnson
06. Stove Pipe Stomp - Big Bill Johnson
07. Beedle Um Bum - Big Bill Johnson
08. Selling That Stuff - Big Bill Johnson
09. Mr Conductor Man - Big Bill Johnson
10. Too Too Train Blues (11605) - Big Bill
11. Worrying You Off My Mind Pt. 1 - Big Bill
12. Worrying You Off My Mind Pt. 2 - Big Bill
13. Shelby County Blues - Big Bill
14. Mistreatin' Mama Blues - Big Bill
15. Bull Cow Blues - Big Bill
16. How You Want It Done (11611) - Big Bill
17. Long Tall Mama - Big Bill
18. M And O Blues - Big Bill & His Jug Busters
19. Rukus Juice Blues - Big Bill & His Jug Busters
20. Friendless Blues - Big Bill
21. Milk Cow Blues - Big Bill
22. Hungry Man Blues - Big Bill
23. I'll Be Back Home Again - Big Bill
24. Bull Cow Blues Pt. 2 - Big Bill
25. Serve It To Me Right - Big Bill
Disc C (1934 - 1935)
01. Starvation Blues - Big Bill
02. Mississippi River Blues - Big Bill
03. At The Break Of Day - Big Bill
04. I Want To Go Home - Big Bill
05. Hard Headed Woman - Big Bill
06. Dying Day Blues - Big Bill
07. I Want To See My Baby - Big Bill
08. Serve It To Me Right - Big Bill
09. Dirty No-Gooder - Big Bill
10. Let Her Go - She Don't Know - Big Bill
11. Hobo Blues - Big Bill
12. Prowlin' Ground Hog - Big Bill
13. C.C. Rider (Take A) - Big Bill
14. C.C. Rider (Take B) - Big Bill
15. Sweet To Mama - State Street Boys
16. Rustlin' Man - State Street Boys
17. She Caught The Train - State Street Boys
18. Midnight Special - State Street Boys
19. The Dozen - State Street Boys
20. Don't Tear My Clothes - State Street Boys
21. The Southern Blues - Big Bill
22. Good Jelly - Big Bill
23. C And A Blues - Big Bill
24. Something Good - Big Bill
25. You May Need My Help Someday - Big Bill
Disc D (1935 - 1936)
01. Rising Sun Shine On - Big Bill
02. Mountain Blues - Big Bill
03. Bad Luck Blues - Big Bill
04. I Can't Make You Satisfied - Big Bill
05. I'm Just A Bum - Big Bill
06. Keep Your Hands Off Her - Big Bill
07. The Sun Gonna Shine In My Door Someday - Big Bill
08. Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down - Big Bill
09. Down The Line Blues - Big Bill
10. Bricks In My Pillow - Big Bill
11. Tell Me What You Been Doing - Big Bill
12. Ash Hauler - Big Bill
13. Evil Women Blues - Big Bill
14. These Ants Keep Biting Me - Big Bill
15. Big Bill Blues (These Blues Are Doggin' Me) - Big Bill
16. You Known I Need Lovin' - Big Bill
17. Match Box Blues - Big Bill
18. Low Down Woman Blues - Big Bill
19. Keep Your Mind On It - Hokum Boys
20. Bull Cow Blues No. 3 - Big Bill
21. Married Life's A Pain - Big Bill
22. Black Mare Blues - Big Bill
23. Pneumonia Blues (I Keep On Aching) - Big Bill
24. Big Bill's Milk Cow No. 2 - Big Bill
25. W.P.A. Blues - Big Bill
26. I'm A Southern Man - Big Bill
Disc E (1936 - 1937)
01. Nancy Jane - Hokum Boys
02. Lowland Blues - Big Bill
03. Seven-Eleven (Dice Please Don't Fail Me) - Big Bill
04. You Know I Got A Reason - Big Bill
05. Oh Babe (Don't Do Me That Way) - Big Bill
06. Detroit Special - Big Bill
07. Falling Rain - Big Bill
08. Black Widow Spider - Big Bill
09. Cherry Hill - Big Bill
10. Out With The Wrong Woman - Midnight Ramblers
11. Don't Tear My Clothes No. 2 - Chicago Black Swans
12. You Drink Too Much - Chicago Black Swans
13. Southern Flood Blues - Big Bill
14. My Big Money - Big Bill
15. My Woman Mistreats Me - Big Bill
16. Let's Reel And Rock - Big Bill & His Orchestra
17. Come Up To My House - Big Bill & His Orchestra
18. Get Away - Big Bill
19. Terrible Flood Blues - Big Bill
20. Little Bug - Big Bill
21. Horny Frog (Take 1) - Big Bill
22. Horny Frog (Take 2) - Big Bill
23. Mean Old World (Take 1) - Big Bill
24. Mean Old World (Take 2) - Big Bill
25. Barrelhouse When It Rains - Big Bill
Personnel: Big Bill - Vocals, Guitar, Violin; Big Bill Broonzy - Vocals, Guitar, Speech; Big Bill Johnson - Vocals, Guitar; Sammy Sampson - Vocals, Guitar; Alfred Bell - Trumpet; Bill Settles - Bass; Bill Williams - Guitar; Black Bob - Piano; Bob Hudson - Piano; Casey Bill Weldon - Vocals, Steel Guitar; Charlie McCoy - Mandolin; Frank Brasswell - Guitar, Speech; Georgia Tom - Vocals, Piano; Jazz Gillum - Harmonica; Jimmie Gordon - Piano; Louie Lasky - Guitar; "Mister Sheiks" - Trumpet; Steele Smith - Vocals, Banjo; Teddy Edwards - Banjo, Guitar; Thomps - Guitar; Unknown Artist - Jug; W.E. "Buddy" Burton - Kazoo, Washboard; Washboard Sam - Violin; Zeb Wright - Violin;
Recording Information:
1-1 to 1-4: Chicago, November 1927 - October 1928;
1-5 to 1-8: New York City, April 8, 1930;
1-9 to 1-12: New York City, April 9, 1930;
1-13 & 1-14: New York City, April 11, 1930;
1-15 to 1-18: Richmond, Indiana, May 2, 1930;
1-19 to 1-21: New York City, September 16, 1930;
1-22 to 1-24: New York City, September 17, 1930;
1-25 & 1-26: Richmond, Indiana, November 19, 1930;
2-1 to 2-9: Richmond, Indiana, February 9, 1932;
2-10 to 2-16: New York City, March 29, 1932;
2-17 & 2-18: New York City, March 30, 1932;
2-19: New York City, March 31, 1932;
2-20 to 3-2: Chicago, March 23, 1934;
3-3 & 3-4: Chicago, June 14, 1934;
3-5 to 3-9: Chicago, October 18, 1934;
3-10 to 3-14: Chicago, October 19, 1934;
3-15 to 3-20: Chicago, January 10, 1935;
3-21 & 3-22: Chicago, February 26, 1935;
3-23 & 3-24: Chicago, June 20, 1935;
3-25 & 4-1: Chicago, July 3, 1935;
4-2 to 4-5: Chicago, July 27, 1935;
4-6 to 4-9: Chicago, October 31, 1935;
4-10 to 4-18: Chicago, December 16, 1935;
4-19: Chicago, April 16, 1936;
4-20 to 4-23: Chicago, April 23, 1936;
4-24 to 4-26: Chicago, May 27, 1936;
5-1: Chicago, June 11, 1936;
5-2 to 5-5: Chicago, September 3, 1936;
5-6 & 5-7: Chicago, September 16, 1936;
5-8: Chicago, October 28, 1936;
5-9 & 5-10: Chicago, November 19, 1936;
5-11 & 5-12: Chicago, January 26, 1937;
5-13 to 5-17: Chicago, January 29, 1937;
5-18 to 5-25: Chicago, January 31, 1937.