Release Date: September 3, 2002.
Recording Date: August 16, 1927 - 1950.
Release Info: Compilation (ACRCD 131) Studio Recording.
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Country Blues, East Coast Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Regional Blues, Acoustic Texas Blues, Delta Blues, Piano Blues, Piedmont Blues, Pre-War Blues, Songster, Folk-Blues.
The second of two installments from British label Acrobat, Southern Blues, Volume 2 brings together an interesting set of 78s from American blues artists. There are some well-known names here (Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Boy Fuller), but most of the singers are relatively obscure, and the rarity of the tracks is the strength of this compilation. Highlights include Henry Thomas' "Bull Doze Blues" (the reed part here was taken note for note to form the intro to Canned Heat's "Going Up Country," a hit 60 years later), Pink Anderson's "Gonna Tip Out Tonight," and Peg Leg Howell's "Rolling Mill Blues." ~ Steve Leggett
Despite the enormous amount of recording that took place in Chicago and New York most of the sessions for rural country blues artists took place in their hometowns with portable equipment. This volume presents a wide cross section of artists both internationally famous or hopelessly obscure recorded all across the Southern States of America. Recordings from Memphis, Tennessee, Nashville, Alabama and Georgia made for legendary labels Gennett, Paramount, Vocalion and Brunswick can be found in this essential Blues primer.
Credits: Don Albert - Trumpet; Texas Alexander - Primary Artist, Vocals; Fulton Allen - Composer; Pink Anderson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Barbecue Bob - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Ed Bell - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Black Boy Shine - Piano; Blind Norris - Kazoo, Primary Artist, Vocals; Lucille Bogan - Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals; Sam Brooks - Guitar; Bull City Red - Washboard; Pinetop Burks - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Hattie Burleson - Primary Artist, Vocals; Rev. Gary Davis - Guitar; Charlie Dixon - Tuba; Simmie Dooley - Guitar, Kazoo, Vocals; Bernice Edwards - Composer, Piano, Primary Artist; Blind Boy Fuller - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Georgia Cotton Pickers - Primary Artist; Bob Grant - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Stick Horse Hammond - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Andrew Hogg - Guitar; Peg Leg Howell - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Blind Lemon Jefferson - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Luke Jordan - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Blind Willie McTell - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Alexander Herman Moore - Piano; Buddy Moss - Harmonica; Walter Roland - Piano; Funny Paper Smith - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Six Cylinder Smith - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Henry Thomas - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Reed Pipes, Vocals; Willie Walker - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Curley Weaver - Guitar, Vocals; Hudson Whittaker - Composer; Leroy Williams - Trumpet; Emma Wright - Primary Artist, Vocals.
Tracklist:
01. Mamlish Blues - Ed Bell
02. Gone Dead On You Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
03. Nappy Head Blues - Bobby Grant
04. Cocaine Blues - Luke Jordan
05. Three Woman Blues - Blind Willie McTell
06. Superstitious Blues - Hattie Burleson
07. Bull Doze Blues - Henry Thomas
08. Lonesome Trail Blues - Emma Wright
09. Gonna Tip Out Tonight - Pink Anderson
10. Rolling Mill Blues - Peg Leg Howell
11. Pennsylvania Woman Blues - Six Cylinder Smith
12. Shelby Country Workhouse Blues - Hambone Willie Newbern
13. South Carolina Rag - Willie Walker
14. Atlanta Moan - Barbecue Bob
15. Howling Wolf Blues, Pt. 1 - Funny Papa Smith
16. Diddle-Da-Diddle - Georgia Cotton Pickers
17. Katy Crossin' Blues - Texas Alexander
18. B.D. Woman's Blues - Lucille Bogan
19. Rag, Mama, Rag - Blind Boy Fuller
20. Ninth Street Stomp - Bernice Edwards
21. Sundown Blues - Blind Norris
22. Sweet Woman Blues - Georgia Slim
23. Fannie Mae Blues - Pinetop Burks
24. Alberta - Stick Horse Hammond
25. If You Change You Ways Woman - Cool Papa Smith
Personnel: 1. Ed Bell - Vocals, Guitar; 2. Blind Lemon Jefferson - Vocals, Guitar; 3. Bobby Grant - Vocals, Guitar; 4. Luke Jordan - Vocals, Guitar; 5. Blind Willie McTell - Vocals, Guitar; 6. John Henry Bragg - Banjo; Charlie Dixon - Bass Tuba; Allen Van - Piano; Siki Collins - Soprano Saxophone; Don Albert - Trumpet; Hattie Burleson - Vocals; 7. Henry Thomas - Reeds, Vocals, Guitar; 8. Leroy Williams - Trumpet; Emma Wright - Vocals; 9. Pink Anderson, Sammy Dooley - Vocals, Guitar; 10. Peg Leg Howell - Vocals, Guitar; 11. Six Cylinder Smith - Vocals, Guitar; 12. Hambone Willie Newbern - Vocals, Guitar; 13. Sam Brooks - Guitar; Willie Walker - Vocals, Guitar; 14. Barbecue Bob - Vocals, Guitar; 15. J. T. "Funny Paper" Smith - Vocals, Guitar; 16. Buddy Moss - Harmonica; Barbecue Bob, Curley Weaver - Vocals, Guitar; 17. Willie Reed - Guitar; Texas Alexander - Vocals; 18. Walter Roland - Piano; Lucille Bogan - Vocals; 19. Blind Gary Davis - Guitar; Blind Boy Fuller - Vocals, Guitar; Bull City Red - Washboard; 20. Howling Smith - Guitar; Bernice Edwards, Black Boy Shine - Piano; 21. Andrew Hogg - Guitar; Alex Moore - Piano; Blind Norris - Vocals; 22. Georgia Slim - Vocals, Guitar; 23. Pinetop Burks - Vocals, Piano; 24. Stick Horse Hammond - Vocals, Guitar; 25. "Cool Papa" Smith - Vocals, Piano.