1920s Blues & Roots - Various Artists

20 original classic blues & roots from the early 20th Century

Featuring Robert Wilkins Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell Kansas Joe McCoy & Memphis Minnie Hambone Willie Newbern Gus Cannon Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson William Harris Memphis Jug Band King Oliver Tommy Johnson Hattie Hudson Blind Blake Texas Bill Day Johnny Dodds Washboard Six Ida Cox Sloppy Henry Lonnie Johnson Bennie Moten Ethel Walters

“This is more than a great collection of originals, it is a musical education! “

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1 Robert Wilkins That's No Way to Get Along

2 Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell How Long Has That Evening Been Gone

3 Kansas Joe McCoy & Memphis Minnie When the Levee Breaks

4 Hambone Willie Newbern Roll and Tumble Blues

5 Gus Cannon Walk Right In

6 Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson Hot Fingers

7 William Harris Bull Frog Blues

8 Memphis Jug Band Cocaine Habit Blues

9 King Oliver Tin Roof Blues

10 Tommy Johnson Cool Drink of Water Blues

11 Hattie Hudson Dog Gone My Good Luck Soul

12 Bobbie Cadillac Carbolic Acid Blues

13 Blind Blake Police Dog Blues

14 Texas Bill Day Good Morning Blues

15 Johnny Dodds Washboard Six Blue Washboard Stomp

16 Ida Cox WIld Women Don't Have the Blues

17 Sloppy Henry Canned Heat Blues

18 Lonnie Johnson Mr Johnson's Blues

19 Bennie Moten Rumba Negro

20 Ethel Walters West End Blues

This release brings together some of the greatest recordings of early blues and jazz. A period when many forms of the music were coming together from barrelhouse blues, ragtime, big bands, piano blues, swing jazz outfits and country blues guitar wizards. Many of these artists and their songs inspired just about everything that was to come! Jump jive, modern jazz-blues, Chicago Blues, Rock'n'Roll, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, rap, blues-rock and what we now think of as "Rock Music" This is more than a great collection of originals, it is a musical education!

For example, I, like most people, thought Good Morning Blues was written by Leadbelly, but here is Texas Bill Day's version, almost two decades before.

Then there is marvellous Memphis Minnie's contribution with her husband to be Kansas Joe McCoy, (the writer of the still popular 'Why Don't You Do Right ?') 'When The Levee Breaks' has been covered by just about everyone from Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin. Other songs that may sound familiar because of more recent covers include Gus Cannon's 'Walk Right In' (Ella FitzGerald, Jan & Dean, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis and Yvonne Elliman )(also a big 60's hit for the Rooftop Singers) ; Robert Wilkins' 'That's No Way To Get Along' (most famously by The Rolling Stones) ; Hambone Willie Newbern's 'Roll and Tumble Blues' (Muddy Waters, Canned Heat, Cream, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart) ; William Harris' 'Bullfrog Blues' ( Canned Heat, Rory Gallagher) and of course The fabulous Memphis Jug Band led by multi-instrumentalist, harmonica player Will Shade with 'Cocaine Blues' (Ry Cooder, Johnny Cash, Jackson Browne etc) while inspiring many similar songs and many variations by Bob Dylan, JJ Cale, Eric Clapton and others.

The inclusion of Benny Moten's Rumba Negro may seem a little strange but it is hoped this novelty hit will catch our attention and inspire some curiosity. Benny's Orchestra were one of the most seminal bands in jazz and blues. This is where Count Basie got his musical education (and most of his band personnel after Benny died!) and it also featured both the legendary trumpeter Hot Lips Page and great blues singer, "Mr. 5by5", Jimmy Rushing who inspired every blues singer from his time on. Then there is the wonderful singer and actress Ethel Waters scatting over some dark stuff here.with her murderous, alcohol-driven 'West End Blues'.

I could go on, but it’s probably best to sit back and enjoy the originals!

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