Tuesday, August 31, 2010

From Congo Square To Madison Square Garden

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 8)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79937486c0358235/

Monday, August 30, 2010

The New Orleans Hustler

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 7)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/7989955789fd902d/

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Misbehavin'

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 6)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79858693447caba8/

Friday, August 27, 2010

Dance Of The Freak

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 5)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/7978330394e01f8a/

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Morton, American Composer

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 4)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/7975914666782c94/

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Hello Central, Give Me Dr. Jazz

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 3)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/7972877919d9acae/

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Oh, Play It, Mr. Jelly!

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 2)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/796800944e1f48f9/

Monday, August 23, 2010

Mr. Jelly Lord

Jelly Roll Morton- The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax (Disc 1)



Album Review:
"The Complete Library of Congress Recordings of Jelly Roll Morton is staggering in its depth and magnitude. Here is an intimate oral history of music and culture in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with demonstrative musical accompaniment. Beautifully restored -- especially considering the fact that this material was originally etched onto aluminum platters -- the Morton interviews are able to seep into the mind of the listener with unprecedented clarity and precision, along with numerous instrumental piano solos. Sipping whiskey and narrating in what Alistair Cooke described as his "billiard ball baritone," Morton speaks of spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, opera, symphonies, and overtures. He airs his own theories of harmony, melody, discords, rhythms, breaks and riffs, scat singing, swing, and the value of jazz when played slowly so as to enhance its bouquet. He speaks of musical origins, antecedents and precedents, originality and piracy, of nocturnal entertainments, musical cutting contests and impromptu fisticuffs, 24-hour honky tonks and street parades. With all the descriptive power of a Zola novel Morton describes horses, fine food, alcohol, narcotics and body lice; cardsharps, pool sharks, prostitutes, pianists, and hoodoos; race riots and funerals, gang violence and cold-blooded murder. He tells stories of hitting the road and scuffling to get by, even selling bogus patent medicine door to door. He plays Miserere from Verdi's Il Trovatore, explains the use of tangos, waltzes, and habanera rhythms, traces the quadrille origins of the "Tiger Rag," sings Mardi Gras Indian chants, and describes the circumstances which led to his being called "Jelly Roll." Loosened by liquor and encouraged by Alan Lomax, Morton even revives the smutty songs he used to perform in the sporting houses of Storyville. Morton's scatological lyrics to "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and his own cheerfully lewd "Winin' Boy Blues" are almost as bracing as his version of the ever-popular "Dirty Dozen," peppered with references to inter-species copulation. Even the epically proportioned "Murder Ballad" contains its share of overt sexual verbiage. Disc eight contains a series of interviews recorded in 1949 with New Orleans musicians Johnny St. Cyr, Alphonse Picou, Albert Glenny, Paul Dominguez, Jr., and Sidney Bechet's brother, the trombone-blowing dentist Dr. Leonard Bechet. Also included on this disc is an Adobe Acrobat PDF document packed with extra liner notes, word-for-word transcriptions of all lyrics and dialogue heard on this set, unrecorded interviews and research notes, as well as rare documents from the Jelly Roll Morton archive. The eight discs, a paperback edition of Lomax's excellent biography Mister Jelly Roll, and a wonderfully informative, insightful booklet are encased in a rather ungainly, piano-shaped package that seems precariously fragile. The words and music housed within, however, will now be able to circulate anew and endure in the body politic for many years to come."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79650144a48b01e9/

His Stove Won't Work & His Door's Messed Up!

Casey Bill Weldon- Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1 (1935-1936)



Album Review:
"Nearly nothing is known about Casey Bill Weldon, a fine blues performer who recorded 100 titles under his own name. He is believed to have recorded with the Memphis Jug Band in 1927 (when he led his first sessions) and then nothing was heard from him until 1935, when he re-emerged as a steel guitarist and vocalist, recording for Vocalion and Bluebird. Three CDs from Document have all of Weldon's post-1934 recordings. The music ranges from lowdown blues to good-time romps with Weldon usually joined by Peetie Wheatstraw (whose vocal style influenced him) or Black Bob on piano and sometimes Bill Settles on bass. One four-song session is with a version of the Washboard Rhythm Kings that has clarinetist Arnett Nelson, Tampa Red on kazoo and/or guitar, and Washboard Sam on washboard, in addition to Weldon. Among the 25 numbers on this CD are "What's the Matter With My Milk Cow," "My Stove Won't Work," "Howlin' Dog Blues," "Somebody Changed the Lock on That Door," and "Let Me Be Your Butcher." Blues collectors will want to explore Casey Bill Weldon's music."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79648464bcf88c8d/

Friday, August 20, 2010

Little Brother Blues

Little Brother Montgomery- These Are What I Like



Biography:
"A notable influence on the likes of Sunnyland Slim and Otis Spann, pianist Little Brother Montgomery's lengthy career spanned both the earliest years of blues history and the electrified Chicago scene of the 1950s. By age 11, Montgomery had given up on attending school to instead play in Louisiana juke joints. He came to Chicago as early as 1926 and made his first 78s in 1930 for Paramount, including two enduring signature items, "Vicksburg Blues" and "No Special Rider," recorded in Grafton, WI. Bluebird recorded Montgomery more prolifically in 1935-1936 in New Orleans.

In 1942, Little Brother Montgomery settled down to a life of steady club gigs in Chicago, his repertoire alternating between blues and traditional jazz (he played Carnegie Hall with Kid Ory's Dixieland band in 1949). Otis Rush benefited from his sensitive accompaniment on several of his 1957-1958 Cobra dates, while Buddy Guy recruited him for similar duties when he nailed Montgomery's "First Time I Met the Blues" in a supercharged revival for Chess in 1960. That same year, Montgomery cut a fine album for Bluesville with guitarist Lafayette "Thing" Thomas that remains one of his most satisfying sets.

With his second wife, Janet Floberg, Montgomery formed his own little record company, FM, in 1969. The first 45 on the logo, fittingly enough, was a reprise of "Vicksburg Blues," with a vocal by Chicago chanteuse Jeanne Carroll (her daughter Karen followed in her footsteps around the Windy City)."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79559084f43cba2d/

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Memphis Maestro

Furry Lewis- The Complete Vintage Recordings Of Furry Lewis (1927-1929)



Album Review:
"This release supplants both the Yazoo In His Prime and the Wolf Records 1990 Complete Works collections released earlier. This time everything that Lewis recorded for Victor and Vocalion during those extraordinary two years of work during the 1920's has been gathered together, including both parts of "Kassie Jones." The sound has been improved as well, and the notes are decent if, as is usual with Document, unexceptional. But this is one instance where Document's release of the complete works of an artist are preferable to Yazoo's picking and choosing."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79515958abf66e0d/

Alabama Bound

Sonny Scott- The Complete Recordings In Chronological Order (1933)



Album Review:
"Most of Sonny Scott's recordings are to be found on volume one of Walter Roland's complete recorded works as reissued by the Document label some 60 years after they were cut during a brief visit to New York City in July of 1933. The first album ever to be devoted primarily to Scott includes a handful of collaborations with Roland amongst recordings that feature Scott as primary performer in his own element, his voice and guitar reminiscent of Ed Bell, Curley Weaver, or Buddy Moss. The modus, mood, and subject matter throughout the 17 tracks are firmly rooted in the loam of west central Alabama; there are references to coal mining, the gathering of firewood, the endless peregrinations of river water, and various tribulations associated with being alive and scuffling to survive in the world. The "Highway No. 2 Blues" refers to a road that crosses the Sipsey River north of Mantua about 20 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa. The "Black Horse Blues," dutifully represented by a vintage photograph on the album cover, and should not be confused with an identically titled song by Blind Lemon Jefferson. "
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79515097791ba3c9/

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Pullum & His Piano Men

Joe Pullum- Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1 (1934-1935)



Biography:
"Pullum, a Houston-born nightclub singer, was one of the more obscure blues stars. He was accompanied on his few recordings by two pianists; Rob Cooper on his earlier discs, and Andy Boy on his later efforts. Pullum's major success was with his self-written song, "Black Gal What Makes Your Head So Hard?" (1934). It sold in large quantities and was covered by Leroy Carr, Mary Johnson, Jimmie Gordon, Josh White and the Harlem Hamfats. His subsequent recordings did not fare as well.

Pullum recorded four sessions, which yielded a total of 30 tracks tracks, between April 1934 and February 1936. The tracks included two intended sequels to "Black Gal," but overall sales were modest. Pullum later performed on radio on the Houston station, KTLC, backed by another pianist, Preston "Peachy" Chase. Pullum relocated to Los Angeles, California in the 1940s, and he further interpreted "Black Gal" into "My Woman", accompanied by Lloyd Glenn, on Swingtime Records in 1948. He also reputedly recorded a demo with Specialty Records in 1953.

Although he was a gifted songwriter, few of his contemporaries seemed able to recall him.

Pullum died in 1964, probably aged 58. All of his known recordings were collated on two Document albums released in 1995."
-Wikipedia.org

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/7944624646a8d07f/

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Music Of James Wayne

James Wee Willie Wayne- Travelin' From Texas To New Orleans



Biography:
"James Waynes was credited with that name on his earliest recordings. Later it became James Wayne and from 1955 onwards, Wee Willie Wayne. He was an R&B singer with a distinctive voice, who was discovered in Texas by Bob Shad, the man probably best known to R&R fans as the owner of the Time, Brent and Shad labels in NYC in the late fifties and early sixties. However, Shad started out recording Southern R&B and blues on his Sittin' In With label in 1948. It was for this label that Wayne made his first recording (in Houston) and his only hit: "Tend To Your Business", which reached # 2 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1951. Shad next recorded Waynes at the WGST studio in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the five songs recorded there was the all-time classic "Junco Partner" (subtitled "Worthless Man" on the old 78), which became a local hit. Waynes was then signed by Imperial, who recorded him in New Orleans. Although he was backed by some of the Crescent City's finest session men (Lee Allen, Edward Frank, Justin Adams, Frank Fields), the style on these records is more Texas than New Orleans. After excursions to Aladdin and Old Town, Waynes returned to Imperial in 1955 and recorded "Travelin' Mood" (among others) on May 27, 1955. Both "Junco Partner" and "Travelin' Mood" became standards in the repertoire of many New Orleans musicians, like Dr. John, Professor Longhair, James Booker and Snooks Eaglin. Further records appeared on the Peacock and Angletone labels, before Waynes was signed by Imperial for a third time in 1961. On February 22 of that year he rerecorded his hit "Tend To Your Business" in a more contemporary style, along with five other tracks. Imperial reissued "Travelin' Mood" on Imperial 5725 and also released a compilation of old and new Wayne material with that title on Imperial LP 9144. Sales were disappointing, though, and the 1961 Imperial recordings were probably his last ones."
-dontaskmeidontknow.blogspot.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79390406ed7ca54a/

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Gabriel Brown Of Florida

Gabriel Brown- And His Guitar



Biography:
"A highly original country blues guitarist and singer, Gabriel Brown was discovered in Florida by folk music researchers in the '30s and launched on a recording career that lasted several decades. Although he never reached the record sales or celebrity of a Lightnin' Hopkins, the seemingly undying faith of one his producers meant that Brown at least had the chance to record prolifically. And the man's career was unusual for a blues artist, not many of whom can list experience working with director and actor Orson Welles on their resumés. Brown's first champion was the black writer Zora Neale Hurston, who spent time in Florida collecting information for her research on folklore as well as her original novels. This was where she first came in contact with Brown, who made enough of an impression on her that in 1935 she encouraged noted folk and blues collector Alan Lomax to extend a Georgia recording trip further south into Florida in order to nab some of Brown's material.

The result was Brown's recording debut in a series of performances cut for the Library of Congress. Details of the man's life are a bit sketchy, gaps occurring in between these recordings and his arrival as a performer in New York City in the '40s as well as the period leading up to his death in Florida in the early '70s in a boating accident. As usual with blues artists, there are sometimes several variations on what might have happened, including him actually dying a decade earlier. Sometimes Hurston is the one who gets the credit with bringing Brown to the Big Apple to work in a light opera she'd written, but apparently the bluesman was already in the big city when he was enlisted to perform in Polk County, Hurston's attempt at setting a musical comedy inside a turpentine camp. And by this time Brown already had a new relationship with a producer that would be even more important to his career than Hurston had been. That was Joe Davis, whose busy half a century in the record business included working as a songwriter, publisher, A&R man, record label owner, and record producer. He would continually record Brown for the next decade, searching for an elusive "hit" sound and sometimes sitting on as many as a dozen finished masters in the process.

Brown's background at the time he came to the attention of Hurston already stood in contrast to many self-educated earlier country blues performers. He was a graduate of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College, and also was said to have studied medicine. He began playing music on the Hawaiian guitar and singing with a group in this style known as the Sun to Sun Singers. By the time the Library of Congress caught up with him, though, he had transitioned to the regular acoustic guitar and was playing in a slide style, but one that really sounds very little like any other recorded bluesman. In 1934, Brown was invited to the National Folk Festival in St. Louis as a representative of the state of Florida and won first prize as both a folk singer and guitarist.

The following year he began a four year involvement with the Federal Arts Theatre, at that point under the direction of Welles. In the late '30s, he was a featured singer on the radio in Cincinnati in the wooly Sheep and Goats Club program, and also appeared in the show St. Louis Woman. In 1943, Brown wound up on U.S.O. shows and entered the civil service, working for a branch of the Army Signal Corps in Asbury Park, NJ. The same coastal club scene that would later be glorified by rocker Bruce Springsteen was a performing home for Brown in the '40s. The first recording session under the auspices of Davis took place in 1943, and the two would continue working together until 1952. A pattern emerged from these sessions involving the creation of a backlog of unreleased material, some of which was only heard by the blues audience following the reissue booms of the '70s and '80s.

At one point a few years before his own death, Davis had to take legal action to quash a bootleg reissue of the Brown sides that were in the can; eventually, legal collections of the bluesman came out on labels such as Flyright and Krazy Kat. The material that did get commercially issued during Brown's lifetime was not always chosen for artistic reasons, or promoted in any kind of tasteful or even accurate manner. Davis, ever mindful of the commercial potential of smutty material, was most enthusiastic about titles such as "It's Getting Soft," promoted with postcards of a man leading a sexy lass into a motel room and urging her to "Hurry up honey, it's getting soft!" The fellow is also carrying a bucket of ice cream, of course. Meanwhile, more intelligent Brown performances languished in the can, but at least Davis had the foresight to continue scheduling recording sessions with the Florida bluesman. In the late '40s, some of these recordings were licensed to Coral, a subsidiary label of Decca. When Davis went to work as an A&R man for MGM, Brown was part of the roster of artists brought to the label. MGM not surprisingly tried to promote the blues singer as a kind of pop vocalist. The final sessions Davis cut with Brown in 1952 are considered some of his finest recordings, but were never even offered to MGM."

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/7935020844bb717b/

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Walker, Short & To The Point

Phillip Walker- Someday You'll Have These Blues



Album Review:
"Recorded in 1975-76 and initially out on the short-lived Joliet logo (later Alligator picked it up; it's now out on HighTone), this collection wasn't quite the masterpiece that its predecessor was ("Breakin' Up Somebody's Home" and "Part Time Love" were hardly inspired cover choices), the set does have its moments -- the uncompromising title track and "Beaumont Blues, " to cite a couple."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/792483596f94c723/

Monday, August 9, 2010

More Stackhouse

Houston Stackhouse- Cryin' Won't Help You



Biography:
"The mentor of Delta slide virtuoso Robert Nighthawk, Houston Stackhouse never achieved the same commercial or artistic success as his famed pupil, and remained little known outside of his native Mississippi. Born in the small town of Wesson on September 28, 1910, he was a devotee of Tommy Johnson, whose songs he frequently covered; neither an especially gifted singer nor guitarist, he was quickly surpassed by the young Nighthawk, although the student repaid his debts by backing Stackhouse on a series of sessions cut during the mid- to late '60s. Outside of the rare European tour, Stackhouse was primarily confined to playing Delta border towns throughout the majority of his career; he died in Houston, Texas in 1980."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/79172797402c2b41/

Monday, August 2, 2010

UK Stackhouse Release

Houston Stackhouse- Big Road Blues



Biography:
"The mentor of Delta slide virtuoso Robert Nighthawk, Houston Stackhouse never achieved the same commercial or artistic success as his famed pupil, and remained little known outside of his native Mississippi. Born in the small town of Wesson on September 28, 1910, he was a devotee of Tommy Johnson, whose songs he frequently covered; neither an especially gifted singer nor guitarist, he was quickly surpassed by the young Nighthawk, although the student repaid his debts by backing Stackhouse on a series of sessions cut during the mid- to late '60s. Outside of the rare European tour, Stackhouse was primarily confined to playing Delta border towns throughout the majority of his career; he died in Houston, Texas in 1980."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/789469928a97c7b5/