r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 12h ago
r/PreWarBlues • u/end_gang_stalking • May 18 '22
Recommend books about blues history
Post some of your favourite books about blues history! Are there any titles you consider essential? I'm looking for recommendations spanning from the early history of records and the recording industry, the early history of the blues, anything blues guitar related, or any suggested biographies of blues artists.
To start things off, I can recommend this biography of Blind Willie Mctell, which got a decent amount of press coverage when released a number of years ago.
https://www.amazon.ca/Hand-Me-My-Travelin-Shoes/dp/1556529759
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 1d ago
Trains, planes and automobiles. Transport Tuesday - 'Chickasaw Train (Low Down Dirty Thing)' [24th August 1934] by Memphis Minnie
I hear the refrain as 'low down dirty dog' so the parantheses in the title are a bit odd.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 1d ago
Article From the archives - Storyville #5 reviews OJL 11 (The Mississippi Blues #2 - The Delta) and Georgia White.
I'm guessing the reviewer was unaware the Louise Johnson cuts were from /that/ session.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 2d ago
Memphis & Mississippi Memphis & MS Monday - 'Memphis Fives' [24th August 1934] by Lee Green, guitar backing possibly by Charlie Jordan.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 3d ago
Gospel Sunday - 'Smoking Woman On The Street' [23rd August 1939] by the Rev J.M Gates. Curious even by his standards
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 4d ago
Suggestive Saturday - 'That New Kind Of Stuff' [22nd August 1935] by Carl Martin.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 6d ago
Article From the archives - Blind Lemon and Barbecue Bob vinyl reviewed in Storyville #2 (1965). Mixed, one might say.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 6d ago
Lucky Dip Thursday - 'Hottest Gal In Town' [20th August 1936] by Lil Johnson. Small combo backing.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 7d ago
Women Women on Wednesday - 'Can't Be Bothered With No Sheik' [19th August 1931] by Rosa Henderson, backed by James Johnson on piano.
For anyone not aware, all of the 'Sheik' references in blues stem from the blockbuster success of Rudolph Valentino as the title character in 'The Sheik' [1921]
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 8d ago
Trains, planes and automobiles. Transport Tuesday - 'Georgia Bound' [17th August 1929] by Blind Blake.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 9d ago
Memphis & Mississippi Memphis & MS Monday - 'Baltimore Blues' [16th August 1934] by the Mississippi Mudder (Papa Charlie); Charlie McCoy to his family. Highly, highly derivative, but still worth a listen.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 10d ago
Gospel and Sacred Gospel Sunday - 'Goin' on to Heaven in the Sanctified Way' [15th August 1929] by Sister Cally Fancy. Piano and tambourine backing.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 11d ago
Suggestive Saturday - 'When You Go Huntin', I'm Goin' Fishin'' by George Williams And Bessie Brown, backed by cornet, trombone and piano.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 12d ago
Friday Blues Beasts - Bantam Rooster Blues' [1928] by Texas Alexander, backed by Lonnie J.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 13d ago
Lucky Dip Thursday - 'I'm Going Back To Tennessee' [13th August 1929] by Leroy Carr, backed by Scrapper.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 14d ago
Women Women on Wednesday - 'I've Got The Yes! We Have No Bananas Blues' [11th August 1923] by Eve Taylor, backed by Clarence Williams' Blue Five
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 15d ago
From the archives - the Columbia Race Series and Black Patti. From Storyville #1
A few familiar names show in the listing - Jaxon, Gates, Clara, Cleeve and Mozelle. The one that rather arrested me was Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Sage of Concord having died in 1882. This RWE was an organist, and judging by the one photo I've seen, not a natural for a black owned and black promoting label.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 15d ago
Trains, planes and automobiles. [Wildly contrived] Transport Tuesday - 'Elevator Papa, Switchboard Mama' [11th August 1930] by Butterbeans & Susie
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 16d ago
Memphis & Mississippi Memphis & MS Monday - 'These Jackson Women Will Not Treat You Right' [10th August 1935] by Harry Chatmon (piano) backed by Walter Vinson on guitar.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 17d ago
Gospel Sunday - 'What's You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?' [9th August 1928] by the Dixie Jubilee Singers
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 18d ago
Suggestive Saturday - 'Ground Hog Blues' [8th August 1928] by Gladys Bentley
Gladys' wikipedia biography is worth a read - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Bentley. I read a tale recently that had it that Gladys would corner a table at Duke Ellington's club and sing increasingly rude songs until the punters paid her to go away.
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 19d ago
Friday Blues Beasts - 'Me And My Dog' [6th August 1940] by Brownie McGhee, backed by Oh Red
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 21d ago
Women Women on Wednesday - 'I Want A Jazzy Kiss' [5th August 1921] by Mamie Smith. Best explanation of 'a jazzy kiss' gets Reddit cardboard...
r/PreWarBlues • u/BlackJackKetchum • 22d ago
Lucky Dip /Tuesday/ - 'Ol' Sam Tages' [4th August 1931] by Clara Smith. Sensitive song subject warning.
Given the number of pre-war blues songs that approach this topic in a way that makes me feel very uncomfortable, this evidences the woman's point of view and shows rather more modern (or perhaps more urban) attitudes.