The Blues Collector

For manny years now, the sisyphean purpose of the Document Records Company is to reissue all the prewar blues, jazz, boogie-woogie, gospel and country recordings. It probably is a vain goal (many of the master recordings being lost forever, while the copies, when they still exist, are in a miserable condition), but the results of the pursuit of this goal are surely stuning. Digging deep in some private collections, the Document Records researches found over 250 previously unreleased titles, alternate takes, and discoveries that he arranged in 13 volumes. I'll briefly present each volume in a separate post.
The first volume contains 26 songs which date from 1926 till 1944. The opening track is the Early Morning Blues, that Blind Blake recorded for Paramount. With his velvet voice and clear talking guitar, Blind Blake is menacing his baby that he'd leave her first thing in the morning.
Blind Arthur Blake was raised in an orphanage and he probably received a formal musical education. He played in the Hawaiian style, sliding his bottleneck on the guitar sitting on his lap. He had a miraculous left-hand technique, fretting each of the 12 strings of his guitar, which is quite rare (for the sake of the comparison, just listen to a Leadbelly song). Tere'se very little known about his life and even his name is an debatable issue among the researchers. We however know that his mates strongly doubted his blindness (there are some recurrent stories about his ability of driving) and, if we decide to trust a Reverend Gary Davis blured memory, that he died when he was about 40, hit by a car. You can find here a few really beuatiful songs.
The second and third songs of the CD are performed by Blind Lemon Jefferson (Lock Step Blues and Hangman's Blues). Unfortunately, the sound quality is really bad and I couldn't fully enjoy the clear sounds of Blind Lemon's 12 strings guitar. Blind Lemon lived in Texas, wandering across the state by train (ridin' the blinds) or by foot; in his travels, he usualy was accompanied by some boy, helping him find his way. Some of these boys start eventually havin' de blues, e.g. Leadbelly (well, he wasn't anymore what we call today a boy at the time he travelled and played with Blind Lemon) or T-Bone Walker. There are many myths about Blind Lemon, and one is particularly interesting because it claims that he wrestled and even boxed for money against guys who could see.
4. George "Bullet"Williams, Frisco Leaving Birmingham. Bullet Williams was a harp player, who'se style reminds of the De Ford Bailley technique. The song on the CD (an instrumental blues) is a variation on the traditional fox-hunting theme. I really don't know much about George Williams.
5. Bessie Tucker, My Man Has Quit Me, unissued before (actually she sings "my man have quit me") A classic 12-bar blues, with a piano accompaniement; I don't really like her voice, and this for no particular reason.
6. Memphis Jug Band, Stealin' Stealin' (unissued), an unusual performance for Will Shade fans; methinks a song for white folks' taste, but I wouldn't trust me on this issue, for I know my puritan tendencies.
7. Willie Baker, Weak-Minded Woman (unissued before), a very ironical and though bitter blues. The most interesting thing about Baker is his style. Although he primarly performs in the warm Georgia-manner of playing, he once in a while shows a Delta accent, both in sliding and in singing; there are moments when he seems having been influenced by Skip James.
8. Rev. DC Rice, Will They Wellcome Me There? (unissued before) The song suggests a preach in a congregation-meeting. Reverend Rice's powerful voice is sustained by a piano (a rather pedestrian interpretation) and by an impressive trumpet part.
9-10. Two boogie-woogies by Charlie Spand - Levee Camp Man (Breakdown), unissued test, and Mississippi Blues(test). His piano and singing styles are quite Delta, even when he plays with Blind Blake and although there are some scholars claiming he was born in Alabama (as he himself states in a 1940 recording; anyhow, he also states he was born in Mississippi). Well, I believe a song lyrics aren't quite a statement.
11. Robert Peeples, Worry Blues (test); well, it surele is a test.
12. Charlie Patton, I Shall Not Be Moved, take 2. Ever heard a drunk person being romantic? Try listen to this track. Joke aside, Patton get to move me once again by his intricated rhythm and by the rough modulations of his voice.
13. Big Bill, Bow Leg Baby, a Broonzy trade mark, with sound inflorescences blooming whenever a verse finishes.
14.Frank Brasswell, Mountain Jack Blues, a monoton series o walhing basses and a rural voice.
15. Memphis Minnie, Memphis Minnie-Jitis Blues, take b. I really don'y know what to say, it blew my brains off, like a meningitis stroke. I just love Memphis Minnie.

16-17. Kansas City Kitty & Georgia Tom, Do it some more & Knife Man Blues. I particularly loved Kitty's voice; Georgia Tom never impressed me much; the second duet have some fake accents and it doesn't work so well.
18. Bo Carter, New Auto Blues, a coomon way of playing and a particular way of pronouncing; a sentimental way of singing.
19. Big Bill, Worried in Mind Blues, this is not spectacular, but he sho' got it.
20-21. Joe McCoy, Meat Cutter Blues, alternate & What's the Matter with You?, with Jimmie Gordon playing the piano and with his whippin tender voice.
22. Memphis Minnie, Reachin' Pete, more masculine than never, with a voice claiming a woman's rights.
23. Kokomo Arnold, Milk Cow Blues No 5, test, a classic, with an abrupt opening and a master guitar actually talking and crying for the woman who left.
24. Memphis Minnie, Running and Dodging Blues, test, you'll just begin to swing.
25. Little Buddy Doyle, Slick Capers Blues, a Chicago style blues featuring Big Walter Horton with his little harmonica.
26. Lonnie Johnson, The Victim of Love. Believe it or not, this sensitive jazzy player once accompanied Texas Alexander. Lonnie Johnson was very praized in the 60 and 70s, both in folk music circuits and in jazz milieus, both Black and White. Some people say he reinvented the guitar.
Well, enough for today.
PS Here you can find samples of all the songs on the album. The sample lengh is about 12 teasing measures.