Release Date: 1991.
Recording Time: 72 minutes.
Recording Date: July 9, 1929 - June, 1930.
Release Info: Compilation (DOCD-5075) Studio Recording.
Document's Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3 (1929-1930) wraps up a year in the life of Tampa Red, finding the Chicago bluesman recording a parade of blues, including "Chicago Moan Blues" and "Whiskey Drinkin' Blues." He also takes on several tracks of lighthearted hokum ("I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone?," "Mama Don't Allow No Easy Riders Here"), along with the traditional standard "Corrine, Corrina." ~ Thom Owens
Abridged from this album's original booklet notes.
You might call it a period of transition, for after a fulminate start with their success of "It's Tight Like That" and a period of follow-ups, the duo of Tampa Red and Georgia Tom gradually left the "hokum" genre and concentrated more and more on two easy things: the swinging, jazz-influenced up-tempo pieces like Easy Rider, and they got deeper and deeper into the real slow blues numbers, exploring several aspects of blues playing, and it is plain to hear that especially Tampa Red was getting more and more self confident in his playing refining his guitar style to a degree that he really became a champion, or in other words, a "guitar wizard". The very first title included here, I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone (also known as "Easy Rider Blues), shows him as a leader of a small band that foreshadows his later "Chicago Five". The flip side of this song was Come On Mama, Do That Dance it becomes evident that the swinging impetus of the two records comes not from the bass and washboard accompaniment, but from Tampa's guitar. The same can be said for another track called Mama Don't Allow to a degree that the listener doesn't miss any rhythm instruments. Another side to Tampa Red's playing is revealed in the slow blues numbers such as Moanin' Heart Blues, Chicago Moan Blues or I.C. Moan Blues. The moaning is not accomplished by his vocals, as is done by so many other blues singers, but by his guitar. Tampa is able to hold long notes with his slide, and then bend them in long melody bows. The two tracks Dying Mercy Blues and Black Hearted Blues have fine piano accompaniment, the later by Bill O'Bryant, a boogie specialist, plays the accompaniment. ~ Teddy Doering (1991 Document Records)
Credits:
Compilation Producer - Johnny Parth
Liner Notes - Teddy Doering
Remastered By (Uncredited) - Hans Klement
Personnel: Tampa Red And His Hokum Jug Band: Tampa Red, guitar; Georgia Tom Dorsey, piano; Bill Johnson, stand-up bass; prob. Jasper Taylor, washboard; Frankie Jaxon, vocals. Tampa Red And Georgia Tom, vocal duet; accompanied by Tampa Red, guitar; Georgia Tom, piano; poss. Bill Johnson, stand-up bass. Tampa Red And His Hokum Jug Band: Tampa Red, guitar; probably Cow Cow Davenport, piano; probably Jasper Taylor, washboard; unknown, kazoo / jug; Frankie Jaxon, vocals. Tampa Red And Georgia Tom, vocal duet; accompanied Tampa Red, guitar; Georgia Tom, piano. Tampa Red "The Guitar Wizard", vocals / guitar; probably Romeo Nelson, piano. Jenny Pope, vocals; accompanied Georgia Tom Dorsey, piano; Tampa Red, guitar. Tampa Red, vocals / guitar; Georgia Tom, piano. Georgia Tom, Tampa Red And Frankie Jaxon (The Black Hill Billies), vocals; accompanied by Tampa Red, guitar; Georgia Tom, piano. Tampa Red, vocals / guitar; Georgia Tom, piano added on 15. Tampa Red "The Guitar Wizard", guitar solo. Tampa Red, vocals / guitar; Bill O’Bryant (possibly Eddie Miller), piano.
Tracklist:
01. I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone? - Tampa Red And His Hokum Jug Band
02. Come On, Mama, Do That Dance - Tampa Red And His Hokum Jug Band
03. Friendless Blues - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
04. Mama Don't Allow No Easy Riders Here - Tampa Red And His Hokum Jug Band
05. Saturday Night Scrontch - Tampa Red And His Hokum Jug Band
06. Mama Don't Allow No Easy Riders Here - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
07. Strewin' Your Mess - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
08. Dying Mercy Blues - Tampa Red "The Guitar Wizard"
09. Whiskey Drinkin' Blues - Jenny Pope
10. Doggin' Me Around Blues - Jenny Pope
11. Worried Man Blues - Tampa Red
12. Mrs. Baker's Blues - Tampa Red
13. Corrine Corrina - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
14. Kunjine Baby - Georgia Tom, Tampa Red And Frankie Jaxon (The Black Hill Billies)
15. That Stuff You Sell - Tampa Red
16. Station Time Blues - Tampa Red
17. Moanin' Heart Blues - Tampa Red "The Guitar Wizard"
18. Chicago Moan Blues - Tampa Red "The Guitar Wizard"
19. Black Hearted Blues - Tampa Red
20. But They Got It Fixed Right On - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
21. Corinne Corinna No. 2 - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
22. The Dirty Dozen No. 2 - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
23. I. C. Moan Blues - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
24. Cryin' Shame Blues - Tampa Red And Georgia Tom
Recorded in Chicago, 9 July 1929 (tracks 1, 2), 12 July 1929 (track 3), 23 July 1929 (tracks 4, 5), 4 September 1929 (tracks 6, 7), 5 September 1929 (track 8), 19 November 1929 (track 11), 17 December 1929 (track 12), 23 December 1929 (tracks 13, 14), c. 28 January 1930 (tracks 15, 16), 7 February 1930 (tracks 17, 18), late March 1930 (track 19), c. early April 1930 (tracks 20, 21), and c. mid-June 1930 (tracks 22 to 24)
Recorded at Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Tenn., c. 23 September 1929 (tracks 9, 10).