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The History of Rhythm & Blues: 1925-1942 [Box]

Various Artists
1 disc

0. DISC 1: THE BLUES: FROM THE DELTA TO THE CITY:
1. My Soul is a Witness
2. It's Nobody's Fault But Mine - Blind Willie Johnson
3. Crucifixion of Christ, The
4. Shake That Thing
5. Outside Woman Blues - Blind Joe Reynolds
6. It's a Good Thing
7. Minglewood Blues
8. Match Box Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
9. Diddy Wah Diddy
10. Milk Cow Blues - Curley Weaver
11. Ease It To Me Blues
12. No No Blues
13. Apaloosa Blues - Leecan & Cooksey
14. Little Rock Blues
15. Kansas City Blues (Pt. 1) - Jim Jackson
16. Train Whistle Blues
17. Goin' Back To Texas
18. Roll and Tumble Blues
19. If You Haven't Any Hay - Skip James
20. Kokomo Blues - Scrapper Blackwell
21. It's Tight Like That - Georgia Tom
22. Didn't It Rain - Norfolk Jazz & Jubilee Quartet
23. Beale Street Breakdown
24. Milk Cow Blues - Kokomo Arnold
25. Beside Blues
26. High Water Everywhere - Charlie Patton
0. DISC 2: THE RHYTHM: PIANO BOOGIE-WOOGIE RAGTIME AND JAZZ:
1. New Orleans Joys
2. Traveling Blues - Lovie Austin & Her Blues Serenaders
3. Snag It
4. Get Low-Down Blues
5. Mr. Johnson's Blues
6. Backwater Blues
7. Knockin' a Jug
8. Bullfrog Blues
9. Pinetops Boogie Woogie
10. Cow Cow Blues
11. Guitar Boogie
12. How Long, How Long Blues
13. Dirty Dozen, The
14. Vicksburg Blues
15. Sweet Miss Stella Blues - Ben Quillian
16. Minnie the Moocher
17. St Louis Blues
18. Somebody Stole Gabriel's Horn
19. Midnight Hour Blues - Leroy Carr
20. Lafayette
21. Flaming Reeds, Screaming Brass
22. Strut That Thing
23. Dirty Mother For You
24. Weed Smoker's Dream
25. Press My Button - Lil Johnson
26. Night Time is the Right Time
27. Blues Ain't Nothing But, The
0. DISC 3: UP RIVER TO CHICAGO: URBAN BLUES AND GOSPEL:
1. Teasin' Brown Blues - Louie Lasky
2. Barrellhouse Woman - Leroy Carr
3. Lead Pencil Blues
4. Policy Dream Blues
5. Naptown Stomp
6. Sloppy Drunk Again
7. Jockey Blues
8. Holy Mountain Elder - Otis Jones
9. Standing By the Bedside of a Neighbour
10. Louise Louise Blues
11. Barrelhouse When It Rains
12. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
13. Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped the Devil) - Robert Johnson
14. Number Runner's Blues
15. Tell Me Baby
16. Rockin' Chair Blues
17. Diggin My Potatoes
18. This Train
19. Don't You Lie To Me - Tampa Red
20. Jivin' the Blues - Sonny Boy Williamson
21. I Feel So Good
22. Worried Life Blues - Big Maceo
23. Junker Blues Champion - Jack Dupree
24. Grinder Man Blues - Memphis Slim
25. Catfish Blues
26. Ain't No Business We Can Do
27. Mean Ol' Frisco - Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
0. DISC 4: JAZZIN' THE BLUES: AFTER HOURS SWING AND JIVE:
1. Boogie Woogie Stomp
2. Boogie-Woogie - Jimmy Rushing - (featuring Count Basie)
3. One O'Clock Jump
4. Sing Sing Sing [Pt. 1]
5. Keep a Knockin'
6. T'ain't What You Do
7. Jumpin' Jive
8. I Like To Riff - Nat King Cole
9. That's the Rhythm - Three Sharps And A Flat
10. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
11. After Hours
12. Floyd's Guitar Blues
13. Gangster's Blues
14. Roll'em Pete - Big Joe Turner
15. Down the Road a Piece
16. Central Avenue Breakdown
17. Sidney's Blues
18. My Fightin' Gal
19. Natchez Mississippi Blues - Lewis Bronzeville Five
20. Death Ray Boogie
21. Confessin' the Blues
22. What's the Use of Getting Sober
23. Take It and Git
24. Cow Cow Boogie
25. Flying Home
26. Mean Ol' Frisco
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): RANDB 008CD
Credits

Producer
Engineer
Recording information: Atlanta, GA (??/1932-08/1940); Aurora (??/1932-08/1940); Camden, NJ (??/1932-08/1940); Charlotte, NC (??/1932-08/1940); Chicago, IL (??/1932-08/1940); Dallas, TX (??/1932-08/1940); Grafton (??/1932-08/1940); Hollywood, CA (??/1932-08/1940); Indianapolis, IN (??/1932-08/1940); Los Angeles, CA (??/1932-08/1940); Memphis, TN (??/1932-08/1940); New Orleans Roosevelt Hotel (??/1932-08/1940); New York, NY (??/1932-08/1940); Richmond, VA (??/1932-08/1940); San Antonio, TX (??/1932-08/1940); St. Louis, MO (??/1932-08/1940); Atlanta, GA (02/1927-07/1942); Aurora (02/1927-07/1942); Camden, NJ (02/1927-07/1942); Charlotte, NC (02/1927-07/1942); Chicago, IL (02/1927-07/1942); Dallas, TX (02/1927-07/1942); Grafton (02/1927-07/1942); Hollywood, CA (02/1927-07/1942); Indianapolis, IN (02/1927-07/1942); Los Angeles, CA (02/1927-07/1942); Memphis, TN (02/1927-07/1942); New Orleans Roosevelt Hotel (02/1927-07/1942); New York, NY (02/1927-07/1942); Richmond, VA (02/1927-07/1942); San Antonio, TX (02/1927-07/1942); St. Louis, MO (02/1927-07/1942); Atlanta, GA (03/1936); Aurora (03/1936); Camden, NJ (03/1936); Charlotte, NC (03/1936); Chicago, IL (03/1936); Dallas, TX (03/1936); Grafton (03/1936); Hollywood, CA (03/1936); Indianapolis, IN (03/1936); Los Angeles, CA (03/1936); Memphis, TN (03/1936); New Orleans Roosevelt Hotel (03/1936); New York, NY (03/1936); Richmond, VA (03/1936); San Antonio, TX (03/1936); St. Louis, MO (03/1936); Atlanta, GA (04/1927-12/1932); Aurora (04/1927-12/1932); Camden, NJ (04/1927-12/1932); Charlotte, NC (04/1927-12/1932); Chicago, IL (04/1927-12/1932); Dallas, TX (04/1927-12/1932); Grafton (04/1927-12/1932); Hollywood, CA (04/1927-12/1932); Indianapolis, IN (04/1927-12/1932); Los Angeles, CA (04/1927-12/1932); Memphis, TN (04/1927-12/1932); New Orleans Roosevelt Hotel (04/1927-12/1932); New York, NY (04/1927-12/1932); Richmond, VA (04/1927-12/1932); San Antonio, TX (04/1927-12/1932); St. Louis, MO (04/1927-12/1932); Atlanta, GA (04/1928-03/1929); Aurora (04/1928-03/1929); Camden, NJ (04/1928-03/1929); Charlotte, NC (04/1928-03/1929); Chicago, IL (04/1928-03/1929); Dallas, TX (04/1928-03/1929); Grafton (04/1928-03/1929); Hollywood, CA (04/1928-03/1929); Indianapolis, IN (04/1928-03/1929); Los Angeles, CA (04/1928-03/1929); Memphis, TN (04/1928-03/1929); New Orleans Roosevelt Hotel (04/1928-03/1929); New York, NY (04/1928-03/1929); Richmond, VA (04/1928-03/1929); San Antonio, TX (04/1928-03/1929); St. Louis, MO (04/1928-03/1929); Atlanta, GA (05/1937); Aurora (05/1937); Camden, NJ (05/1937); Charlotte, NC (05/1937); Chicago, IL (05/1937); Dallas, TX (05/1937); Grafton (05/1937); Hollywood, CA (05/1937); Indianapolis, IN (05/1937); Los Angeles, CA (05/1937); Memphis, TN (05/1937); New Orleans Roosevelt Hotel (05/1937); New York, NY (05/1937); Richmond, VA (05/1937); San Antonio, TX (05/1937); St. Louis, MO (05/1937); Atlanta, GA (05/1942); Aurora (05/1942); Camden, NJ (05/1942).
For fans of classic R&B, History of Rhythm & Blues, Vol. 1 is an extraordinary document. From the love ballad "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" to the barrelhouse New Orleans groove of "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee", the range of music from these selections is fascinating. Many of these are interesting curiosities, including "Ol' Man River" (one of the first production credits for a young Al Green) to the cult classic "One Mint Julep". (The addition of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene" seems odd, however, since it doesn't really fit in with the remaining tracks, which lean towards doo-wop and ballads.) As could be expected, these are truly lo-fi recordings, but the sound quality can easily be overlooked when confronted with a song as powerful as Joe Turner's gut-wrenching "Chains of Love" or Ruth Brown's rollicking "5-10-15 Hours". Many of these cuts have since shown up on other anthologies (most famously the Atlantic Rhythm & Blues series), but there are some real rarities (such as the Edna McGriff selection) that are best heard here, and fans and collectors of classic R&B should seek this out. ~ Victor W. Valdivia