Label: Arhoolie Records.
Release Date: November 18, 1997.
Recording Time: 77 minutes.
Recording Date: 1940's recordings.
Release Info: Compilation (ARHCD-460) Studio Recording, Remastered.
Original acetates recorded in New York City - circa 1944.
Styles: Country Blues, Piedmont Blues, Regional Blues.
Here Alex "Guitar Slim" Steward and Louis Hayes ("Fat Boy" or "Jelly Belly") are captured in New York City. This traveling pair also recorded as the Backporch Boys, Blues King, and the Bluesboys bringing rural, East Coast blues in the tradition of Blind Boy Fuller, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee to their nostalgic constituents who were displaced to the big Northern cities during and after World War II. Hayes and Steward trade back and forth in conversational exchanges before a song that contains verse exchanges. Both play guitar, the only musical accompaniment here. The vocals are adequately summed up as "rough" for Hayes, in the sense that they're more country-styled, and "smooth" for Steward, a protégé of Lonnie Johnson and Sonny Terry. The two play up their differences as the more sophisticated sounding Guitar Slim berates Jelly Belly for his shiftless ways and fondness for "ten-cent wine." It appears the two had some wild adventures with disreputable woman in taking their music to the road. The interesting interplay of the basic acoustic guitar work and the comedic exchanges between the two men who scoff at their hardscrabble past makes for a singular record. Mr. Arhoolie himself, Chris Strachwitz provides notes on the players' individual and combined careers. ~ Tom Schulte
Credits: Robert Armstrong - cover; Guitar Slim (Alex Seward) - guitar, primary artist, vocals (smooth); Jelly Belly (Louis Hayes) - guitar, primary artist, vocals (rough); George Morrow - remastered by (sound restoration); Chris Strachwitz - liner notes, reissue producer; Traditional - composer.
Tracks: 1. Ups And Downs Blues; 2. Crooked Wife Blues; 3. Snowing And Raining; 4. No More Hard Time; 5. She's Evil And Mean; 6. Mike And Jerry; 7. Don't Leave Me All By Myself; 8. South Carolina Blues; 9. Crying Won't Make Me Stay; 10. Big Trouble Blues; 11. Humming Bird Blues; 12. Right And Wrong Woman; 13. Southern Whistle Blues; 14. Jail And Buddy Blues; 15. Mean Girl Blues; 16. Travelin' Boy's Blues; 17. Railroad Blues; 18. Yellow And Brown Woman; 19. Bad Acting Woman; 20. Christmas Time Blues; 21. Cooking Big Woman; 22. You're My Honey; 23. Early Morning Blues; 24. Isabel; 25. Hard Luck Blues; 26. Unhappy Home Blues; 27. Working Man Blues; 28. Why, Oh Why; 29. Betty And Dupree.
Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 27, 28, 29 previously re-released on Arhoolie LP R 2005.