How Can You Have The Blues?

Here's another fine collection from the good folks at Yazoo. It's an interesting set with some familiar names, and some not. Seven Foot Dilly & His Dill Pickles? And who could forget the T.C.I. Section Crew? At least I've heard of Pine Top Smith and Memphis Minnie! Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. If I Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down - Blind Willie Johnson
2. Cocaine Blues - Luke Jordan
3. Bow Wow Blues - Allen Brothers
4. Jive Man Blues - Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
5. Jonah in the Wilderness - Henry Thomas
6. South Carolina Rag - Willie Walker
7. Whitewash Station - Memphis Jug Band
8. Automobile Ride Through Alabama - Red Henderson
9. Dirty Dozen No. 2 - Speckled Red
10. Tain't None O' Your Business - Butterbeans & Susie
11. It's a Good Thing - The Beale Street Sheiks
12. She's a Hum Dum Dinger (From Dingersville) - Jimmie Davis
13. Papa's on the Housetop - Leroy Carr
14. Let That Liar Alone - Rev. Edward W. Clayborn
15. Back in My Home Town - Frank Hutchison
16. Track Linin - T.C.I. Section Crew
17. Atlanta Strut - Blind Willie McTell
18. Arkansas Hard Luck Blues - Lonnie Glosson
19. How Can You Have the Blues? - Kansas City Kitty & Georgia Tom
20. Pickin' off Peanuts - Seven Foot Dilly & His Dill Pickles
21. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out - Pinetop Smith
22. When I Stopped Running I Was at Home - The Dixieland Jug Blowers
23. Frankie Jean (That Trottin' Fool) - Memphis Minnie

Tain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast

Today I offer the only Bechet I could find in my collection, though I could swear I have another somewhere (I'll keep looking). Here's what Scott Yanow has to say on this set: The first in a series of Classics CDs focusing on the recordings of Sidney Bechet, this disc features the clarinetist/soprano-saxophonist on two early titles with blues singer Rosetta Crawford, his torrid 1932 session with The New Orleans Feetwarmers (which also features trumpeter Tommy Ladnier and is highlighted by "Shag" and "Maple Leaf Rag") and sides from Noble Sissle's somewhat commercial orchestra. Fortunately Sissle was wise enough to give Bechet plenty of solo space on some of his selections, most notably "Polka Dot Rag." Even with a few indifferent vocals, this CD is recommended to those not already owning this music." Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Down on the Levee Blues
2. Lonesome Woman Blues
3. Got the Bench, Got the Park
4. In a Cafe on the Road to Calais
5. Loveless Love
6. Basement Blues
7. Wha'd Ya Do to Me?
8. Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On
9. Sweetie Dear
10. I Want You Tonight
11. I've Found a New Baby
12. Lay Your Racket
13. Maple Leaf Rag
14. Shag
15. Under the Creole Moon
16. The Old Ark Is Moverin'
17. Loveless Love
18. Polka Dot Rag
19. That's What Love Did to Me
20. You Can't Live in Harlem
21. I Wonder Who Made Rhythm
22. Tain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast
23. I Take to You
24. Rhythm of the Broadway Moon

Dancing In The Dark

I always like the ASV collections with their song selections. Where else are you going to get Arthur Tracy? And the Revelers were hugely popular but virtually unheard of these days. Plus you get Lawrence Tibbett for a taste of "culture." Good stuff, that's for sure. Look for more of this series soon. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Stardust - Bing Crosby, Victor Young & His Orchestra
2. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone - Gene Austin
3. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra
4. Rockin' Chair - Ray Noble & His Orchestra, Paul Robeson
5. Peanut Vendor - Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra
6. Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You) - Ruth Etting
7. Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries - Hutch
8. When I Take My Sugar to Tea - The Boswell Sisters, The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
9. Cuban Love Song - Lawrence Tibbett
10. Just One More Chance - Bing Crosby, Victor Young & His Orchestra
11. Lady of Spain - Tino Folgar
12. Marta - Arthur Tracy
13. Walkin' My Baby Back Home - Maurice Chevalier
14. Would You Like to Take a Walk? - Annette Hanshaw
15. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) - Layton & Johnstone
16. Prisoner of Love - Russ Columbo, Nat Shilkret & His Orchestra
17. Dancing in the Dark - The Revelers
18. Sweet and Lovely - Al Bowlly
19. Lazy River - Louis Armstrong
20. River, Stay 'Way from My Door - Paul Robeson
21. Sally - Gracie Fields
22. Dream a Little Dream of Me - Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra
23. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away) - Gus Arnheim & His Orchestra, Bing Crosby
24. Goodnight Sweetheart - Bud Noble

These 'N' That 'N' Those

I can't believe I hadn't posted Lady Day previously, so here is the only collection I have of her music. I originally had great plans to get the rest of this Columbia series, but .... As one reviewer noted, Holiday had some rather mundane songs tossed in her direction during the beginning of her career that only give a glimpse of what was to come. However I think there are still some nice tunes and she teams up with Teddy Wilson on several tracks (3,5,6, 10-13). Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Your Mother's Son-In-Law
2. Riffin' The Scotch
3. I Wished On The Moon
4. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
5. Miss Brown To You
6. A Sunbonnet Blue (And A Yellow Straw Hat)
7. What A Night, What A Moon, What A Girl
8. I'm Painting The Town Red
9. It's Too Hot For Words
10. Twenty-Four Hours A Day
11. Yankee Doodle Never Went To Town
12. Eeny Meeny Meiny Mo
13. If You Were Mine
14. These 'N' That 'N' Those
15. You Let Me Down
16. Spreadin' Rhythm Around