Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African-American Fiddlers 1926-1949
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Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 1999-08-24
Music Label: Old Hat Records / Enterprises
Soundtracks:
- Violin Blues - Johnson Boys
- K.C. Railroad Blues - Andrew & Jim Baxter
- Beaver Slide Rag - "Peg Leg" Howell & His Gang
- Alma Waltz - Mississippi Mud Steppers
- Window Pane Blues - Tommie Bradley
- Travelin' Railroad Man - Alabama Sheiks
- Pig Meat Blues - Whistler & His Jug Band
- Right Now Blues - Frank Stokes
- East Jackson Blues - Bo Chatmon
- Memphis Blues - Mobile Strugglers
- Vine Street Drag - Tennessee Chocolate Drops
- Broken Bed Blues - Kansas City Blues Strummers
- Lonesome Blues - Henry Williams & Eddie Anthony
- Memphis Shakedown - Memphis Jug Band
- Adam And Eve - Tommie Bradley
- Tell Me Man Blues - Henry "Son" Sims
- Blue Coat Blues - "Blue Coat" Tom Nelson
- Salty Dog - Booker Orchestra
- Baby, Please Don't Go - Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers
- Stop & Listen Blues No. 2 - Mississippi Sheiks
- Stealin' Blues - Cow Cow Davenport
- The Moore Girl - Andrew & Jim Baxter
- Highway No. 61 Blues - Jack Kelly & His South Memphis Jug Band
- Ted's Stomp - Louie Bluie & Ted Bogan
Free Music Notes for Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African-American Fiddlers 1926-1949
Free Music Review: Stunning recordings, rare music
Hit: 5 Stars
It's pretty amazing, this late in the folkloric/historic reissues game, to find a whole album's worth of "undiscovered" old-timey music that is of such a high caliber. Old Hat Records, a tiny North Carolina indie label, packs its discs with some of the best music in the style that you're ever likely to hear. (You might also want to check out the "Lost Provinces" and "Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow" CDs...) This disc highlights a rare style of African-American fiddle music, featuring rare recordings by the bands that dotted the southern landscape 'way back when. These groups mixed stringband styles and jazzy jug-band blues and, not incidentally, made some of the catchiest music ever. In addition to great sound quality and great material, the CD is handsomely packaged; the insert booklets include some really cool archival photos, as well as extensive liner notes of the sort that have been woefully absent on similar recent reissue efforts.
Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African-American Fiddlers 1926-1949 Poster
"A top-notch compilation of classic performances with superb booklet and photos as well. This is an essential album for anyone interested in blues or string band music." Terry Zwigoff - film director Art School Confidential, Bad Santa, Ghost World, Crumb, Louie Bluie - oldhatrecords.com/ZwigoffInt.htmlThe violin played a significant role in the early history of recorded blues, with its crying vibratos and sliding notes creating a dramatic and soulful sound. Violin, Sing The Blues For Me offers 24 tracks of this rare music, played by many of the greatest black fiddlers who recorded before mid-century. From the sophisticated style of Lonnie Johnson to the raw Delta blues of Henry Sims to the rollicking tunes of the Memphis Jug Band, these musicians demonstrate the depth and diversity of African-American fiddle music. Included are two early instrumentals by the multitalented Howard Armstrong, also known as "Louie Bluie," whose career in music spanned seven decades. This unique collection presents 73 minutes of vintage fiddle music carefully remastered from original 78rpm records. In addition to blues, the album contains country dances, rags and stomps, folk songs and medicine show music. The CD comes with a 32-page, full-color booklet with detailed history, complete discography, and a host of rare photographs and illustrations.
Nearly essential for anyone interested in old-time music, Violin, Sing the Blues for Me may be quite simply the best single-disc anthology of the early 20th century black string-band movement available today. The emphasis here is on the bluesy fiddle playing heard between 1926 and 1949, but the music boasts reams of diverse styles and playing that is simply impossible to pigeonhole. Andrew Baxter milks his fiddle for all its plaintive worth against brother Jim's guitar on "K.C. Railroad Blues," the Mississippi Mud Steppers' "Alma Waltz" is as sublime as they come (perhaps the greatest side ever recorded to feature a banjo-mandolin), and there are plenty of other tracks featuring the now-forgotten wail of the blues violin. But the lively tunes steal the show here: the Mobile Strugglers's previously unissued "Memphis Blues" from 1949 is a classic breakdown; the Tennessee Chocolate Drops's "Vine Street Drag" (featuring the fast fiddling of Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong) showcases some true violin virtuosity; and the Memphis Jug Band's "Memphis Shakedown" is a tour de force of energy and great playing. Truth is, there's not a weak track here, and the copious liner notes will keep you busy long after the CD has played out. If you want to hear the roots of the blues, don't pass this disc up. --Jason Verlinde
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