Ma Rainey - Complete Recorded Works: 1928 Sessions CD

Complete Recorded Works: 1928 Sessions songs This collection contains all the Skip James tracks released by Paramount records in 1931 in chronological order. THE COMPLETE EARLY RECORDINGS by Skip James is one of the most essential blues albums in existence. With a voice that sounds like wind carving away rock (he sings in a high, quavering falsetto ringed with knowledge and pain), James laid down some of the most chilling acoustic blues ever set to wax. "Devil Got My Woman," which opens this collection, is a case in point: a snaking siren song that leads down to the root of loss and mortal dread (if that description sounds like an exaggeration, listen to the track). James's deft, fingerpicking is everywhere in evidence, especially on the uncharacteristically ebullient "I'm So Glad." The surface noise of these old 78s is a distraction, but even that can't dilute the unbelievable power of these performances. Skip James complete 1931 recordings in chronological order (18 tracks). Includes liner notes by Steve Calt. Personnel includes: Skip James (vocals, guitar, piano). Personnel: Skip James (vocals, guitar, piano). Liner Note Author: Chris Smith . Recording information: Grafton, WI (02/1931).

Complete Recorded Works: 1928 Sessions CD music The third volume in the complete adventures of Gertrude Ma Rainey as presented by Document records during the 1990s covers a time period from December 1925 to June 1926. The first half of this disc (tracks 1-10) has her backed by her Georgia Band, in this case a septet led by Fletcher Henderson. In addition to cornetist Joe Smith and trombonist Big Charlie Green (both actively recording with Bessie Smith during this time period), the group included clarinetist Buster Bailey, and young Coleman Hawkins operating a bass saxophone. Hawkins also used the monster horn during recording sessions with the Henderson Orchestra until his bandmates begged him to put it away for keeps. The booming bass clef instrument greatly enhances the theatricality of Rainey's act, and young Hawk seems to have enjoyed himself on the fascinating "Bessemer Bound Blues." The purling of Hawkins in the basement of the horn is a heartwarming premonition of Anthony Braxton's use of extreme lower registers some 50 years later. Those who relish the growling of the bass sax are sure to appreciate the inclusion of alternate takes. Anyone who seeks to understand what Rainey was all about needs to experience her "Oh My Babe Blues," "Wringing and Twisting Blues," and the "Stack O'Lee Blues," which sounds a lot like "Frankie and Johnny." These are some of Rainey's most passionate and endearing records, greatly enhanced by the participation of young and aspiring jazz musicians. Tracks 11-14 feature an entirely different lineup consisting of cornetist Bernie Young, trombonist Albert Wynn, future Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard playing alto and soprano saxophones; a banjoist by the onomatopoeic name of Rip Bassett, and pianist Lil Henderson. After two takes of the "Mountain Jack Blues" with the great Jimmy Blythe at the piano, three titles are ground out by an ensemble that included a musical saw and drumming by Ben Thigpen, destined for great moments with Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy during the 1930s. This excellent disc concludes with "Trust No Man (No Further Than Your Eye Can See)," a poignant example of blues from a woman's perspective penned by Lil Henderson. ~ arwulf arwulf Liner Note Author: Gary Atkinson. Recording information: Chicago, IL (12/1925-06/1926); New York, NY (12/1925-06/1926). Personnel: Ma Rainey (vocals); Rip Basset, Charlie Dixon (banjo); Tom Brown (clarinet, alto saxophone); Buster Bailey (clarinet); James "Stump" Johnson, Barney Bigard (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Doc Cheatham (soprano saxophone); Coleman Hawkins (bass saxophone); Homer Hobson, Bernie Young, Joe "Fox" Smith (cornet); Albert Wynn, Charlie Green (trombone); Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy Blythe (piano); Ben Thigpen (drums). Audio Remasterer: Gerhard Wessely.

Complete Recorded Works: 1928 Sessions buy CD music During the 1990s, archetypal early blues woman Ma Rainey's recorded legacy was made available on compact disc by several different companies. In 1994, Italy's King Jazz presented 94 titles on a four-CD "Mastertakes Collection." Not to be outdone, Jazzology/GHB's Black Swan label released a five-CDs set (as Ma Rainey: The Paramounts Chronologically) augmented with 16 little-known alternate takes for a total of 110 performances. Essentially the same expanded selection was packed onto five CDs by Austria's Document label under the heading of Complete Recorded Works. Curiously, many Ma Rainey reissues have focused upon her 1926-1928 period, leaving the 1923-1925 material on the back burners. That makes Volume One in the Complete Works on Document a highly rewarding experience, especially for those who've never had a chance to savor Rainey's earliest recorded performances. The first thing you'll notice is the marvelously expressive cornet playing of Tommy Ladnier, contemporaneous with that of Thomas Morris and a clear precedent for the style-setting techniques of Bubber Miley and Cootie Williams. Then there's Rainey's wonderfully expressive voice, which is pitched noticeably higher than it is on her later recordings. In addition to Ladnier, the clarinetist on her first session was Jimmy O'Bryant, and the pianist was Lovie Austin. "Lost Wandering Blues" and the magical "Dream Blues" (which feels a bit like 19th century folk music) have banjo and guitar accompaniments by Miles and Milas Pruitt; the Pruitt Twins are also believed to have backed her on the gutsy "Shave 'Em Dry Blues" and its flipside "Farewell, Daddy Blues." Tracks 13-20 find her again supported by Lovie Austin's Blues Serenaders, now expanded to a quartet by the addition of alto saxophonist Charles Harris. The extra take of Lovie Austin's "Ya-Da-Do" is a real treat, for this is one of the jazziest tunes that Ma Rainey ever took on. ~ arwulf arwulf Liner Note Author: Gary Atkinson. Recording information: Chicago, IL (12/1923-08/1924). Personnel: Ma Rainey (vocals); Miles Pruitt (guitar, banjo); Jimmy O'Bryant (clarinet); Charles Harris (alto saxophone); Tommy Ladnier (cornet); Lovie Austin (piano). Audio Remasterer: Gerhard Wessely.

Complete Recorded Works: 1928 Sessions album for sale Mamie Smith's lavishly expensive wardrobe and over-the-top stage presence is reported to have been breathtaking, and a young aspiring blues woman named Victoria Spivey was so bowled over by the spectacle that it inspired her to pursue her own recording career. The third installment in Document's four-part chronological history of Mamie Smith brings together two-dozen sides dating from early May 1922 through mid-August 1923. This is a particularly rewarding collection as it combines instrumentals like "Stuttering," "Those Longing for You Blues," and "Strut Your Material," with songs destined to become warhorses in the barrelhouse and traditional jazz repertoire ( "That Da Da Strain," "Kansas City Man Blues," "You've Got to See Mama Ev'ry Night," and "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O' This Jelly Roll"); in addition to three numbers perhaps best remembered among early jazz lovers for the piano roll versions by Fats Waller which appeared almost contemporaneously with Smith's phonograph recordings ("Got to Cool My Doggies Now," "You Can't Do What My Last Man Did," and "Do It, Mr. So-And-So"). These records also offer further proof that Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds were almost as important to rising young talent in its day as would be Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers during the '50s. Future stars heard on these ancient platters include cornetists Bubber Miley, Joe Smith, and Johnny Dunn, as well as reedmen Buster Bailey, Garvin Bushell, Coleman Hawkins, and Sidney Bechet. ~ arwulf arwulf Liner Note Author: Ken Romanowski. Recording information: New York, NY (02/14/1922-09/06/1922). Personnel: Mamie Smith (vocals, accordion, piano); Buddy Christian (banjo); George Bell (violin); Ernest Elliott (clarinet); Sidney Bechet (soprano saxophone); Hersal Brassfield (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Johnny Dunn , Bubber Miley (cornet); Clarence Williams, Porter Grainger (piano). Audio Remasterer: Gerhard Wessely.

Complete Recorded Works: 1928 Sessions CD music Volume two in Document's five-part complete Ma Rainey edition opens with six recordings dating from October 1924 with instrumental backing by her Georgia Jazz Band, a sextet drawn from the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. "See See Rider Blues," "Jelly Bean Blues," and "Countin' the Blues" are among the best known and most commonly reissued titles in Rainey's entire discography, largely due to the presence of a 24-year-old cornetist from New Orleans named Louis Armstrong. Other Hendersonians on these sides were clarinetists Don Redman and trombonist Big Charlie Green. The sound of Charlie Dixon tracing a simple ascending/descending pattern on his banjo while Rainey sings the chorus of the "Jelly Bean Blues" is one of the great magical moments in all of early 20th century music. Decades later, Louis Armstrong would compare this little record to an aria by Giuseppe Verdi. After a one-shot reunion with Lovie Austin, Tommy Ladnier, and Jimmy O'Bryant for the "Cell Bound Blues," Rainey recorded four titles (and two alternate takes) accompanied by a smaller group, billed as her Georgia Band, with an unidentified and rather shrill kazoo player who doubled on slide whistle; saxophonist George "Hooks" Tilford, either Lil Henderson or Georgia Tom Dorsey at the piano, and a percussionist who was either Cedric Odom or Happy Bolton. The band that backed her on tracks 16-23 (recorded in July 1925) had similar personnel, with the addition of a cornetist whose name was either Robert Taylor or Kid Henderson. At this stage in her career, Rainey's voice was deepening in pitch. Her slow and purposeful delivery makes each performance seem as serious as ritual, even when slide whistle and kazoo add an element of the ridiculous. ~ arwulf arwulf Full title: Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order: Volume 2: October 1924 to August 1925. Personnel: Ma Rainey (vocals); George "Bullet" Williams , Charlie Dixon (banjo); Lucien Brown (clarinet, alto saxophone); Don Redman, Jimmy O'Bryant, Buster Bailey (clarinet); Howard Scott , Louis Armstrong, Tommy Ladnier (cornet); Charlie Green (trombone); Lil Henderson, Fletcher Henderson, Lovie Austin (piano); Happy Bolton (drums, chimes). Audio Remasterer: Gerhard Wessely. Liner Note Author: Gary Atkinson. Recording information: Chicago, IL (10/15/1924-08/??/1925); New York, NY (10/15/1924-08/??/1925).

Complete Recorded Works: 1928 Sessions buy CD music This first volume of a five-volume import set of her complete recordings features her earliest and best sides, including the classic "Crazy Blues." ~ Cub Koda Liner Note Author: Ken Romanowski. Recording information: 02/14/1920-12/22/1921. Personnel: Mamie Smith (vocals, accordion, piano); Mort Perry (vocals, xylophone, drums); Chink Johnson (bass baritone); Ernest Elliott, Johnny Dunn , Buster Bailey (clarinet); Herb Flemming, Ward "Dope" Andrews (trombone); Phil Worde, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Porter Grainger (piano); George Howell (drums). Audio Remasterer: Gerhard Wessely.