Reviews (1)

Pretty much a bullseye!
This is a really good collection. The Memphis Minnie selections are excellent choices, and I almost would've paid the price for the Mississippi Matilda songs alone. Unfortunately there are only two of them; the liner notes indicate that her material is sparse and based on the slight digging I've done, it's true. But if you like classic and country blues, especially sung by women (there are a few duets with the men on here as well) you will love this CD. Memphis Minnie was unusual for blues women of this time period in that she was an excellent guitar player as well as singer, but in addition she is accompanied on four of the songs by a guitarist who is believed to be Big Bill Broonzy. This CD is definitely recommended. ... Read more

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PIANO BLUES CLASSIC
Excellent piano blues album. 19 beatiful blues tracks. especially Roosevelt Sykes, Sunnyland Slim and Little Brother Montgomery are in great condition on this cd. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This set is the "Real Set"!
I purchased this set last week and went crazy over how great it is. It really took me back to all the time I spent down on the Gulf between Corpus and Mobile when I was in the Merchant Marines. Boy can these selections take you back,it reminds me of my early days when a real treat cooked by a Sea Cook was nothing more then stewed okra and tomatoes. A lot of young kids won't have a clue about this music ,but if you can really dig the likes of the real pros like Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith you will have a ball with this priceless set as these songe are the real orginals not remakes by some new Motown group. I am even playing this stuff for my Grandchildren and they are enjoying it as much as I did when I first heard a lot of it over 40+ years ago ! If you ever lived with the Blues and loves listening to people who made it real then this set will mean as much to you as it does to me. "Enjoy"

If you love & appreciate the Blues, you will LOVE this set!
I have been a blues fan for many years and have attended many blues festivals, including the BEST BLUES FESTIVAL in the United States - the Chicago Blues Festival. This CD box set more than surpasses its expectations of what Blues is meant to represent. A 5 STAR set! The music of today pales in comparison to this truly lost art. If you love Robert Johnson, you will absolutely love this box set. I recommend without hesitation. Do yourself a favor and enjoy life - order this box set!

Chestnut Stew!
It's hard to imagine a better introduction to pre-war American blues than this. It combines the well-known (e.g. Robert Johnson) with the obscure (e.g. Sippie Wallace) in such perfect proportion that anyone with any interest in blues will love it. The accompanying book makes for great history, great storytelling, and drawing the unifying threads. I love the piano-based tunes like Peetie Wheatstraw's "Peetie Wheatstraw Stomp" - don't let anyone fool you into thinking pre-wars is all National Steel Guitar! This and Rhino's Blues Masters series show the astonishing breadth and depth of the blues. A must! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1920s St. Louis, barrelhouse piano stylings served as the foundation for a variety of artists' personalized blues, which were often spiced with racy lyrics. As a result, this 23-track collection offers much more than just propulsive pianos bouncing through eight beats to the bar. Henry Brown's title cut, complete with some scat singing and a terrific trombone solo, is a good example, but vocalists such as Mary Johnson, on "Black Men Blues" and two other gems, entertainingly embellish the proceedings to produce an insightful overview of the early blues scene. Roosevelt Sykes, who contributes "Drinkin' Woman Blues," and multi-instrumentalist Peetie Wheatstraw, who performs "Ice and Snow Blues," are the best known of the pioneer pianists on this collection. But Stump Johnson, who appears on three tunes, including the bawdy blues "Don't Give My Lard Away," and the Sparks Brothers, Mississippi-born twins who contribute four tracks, dominate the collection with their easy-rolling keyboard expertise and streetwise lyrics. --Michael Point ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Save up your nickels and dimes, and listen to Peetie!
Ooooo, well, well! Peetie Wheatstraw, the self-proclaimed "High Sheriff from Hell," was one of the most popular blues artists among African-Americans in the 1930's. He had an unmistakeable piano style, a distinctive singing voice, and an emotional range that fit right in with both the blues and the emerging "jump blues" style of the late '30's. This first volume of his earliest recordings is a fine introduction to him, especially "Don't Feel Welcome Blues," "Mama's Advice," and "Ice and Snow Blues." Don't miss this great blues artist! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Flawed, but Fun.
Of the four discs in this series, this one is my favorite. Appreciation starts with understanding what it is, a collection of recordings from the archives of Bluebird Records. Some of these artists and their recordings were very influential on subsequent blues and rock artists, some are just fun, and others will only interest hard core fans who simply have to hear everything. The flaw usually cited for most of the Bluebird sides is that the art of the African-American musicians was "filtered" through the sensibilities of a white man, Lester Melrose. Therefore, the criticism goes, these recordings are less authentic than some on other labels, especially those made after WWII. Still, there's some great stuff here, all nicely remastered. It's worth buying just for Memphis Minny's "I'm Selling My Porkchops, but I'm Giving My Gravy Away." Other highlights include Sonny Boy Williamson's "Good Morning Little School Girl," Tommy McClennan's "Bottle It Up and Go," Jazz Gillum's "Key to the Highway," and Pine Top Spark's "Every Day I Have the Blues."

Do these four discs, collectively entitled "When the Sun Goes Down" really represent, as the subtitle goes, "The Secret History of Rock and Roll"? I don't know, maybe. They certainly are milestones along that road. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is the blues!
This CD is raw blues. Goin' Down Slow defines the blues. Look how many great artists have covered this song and no one sings it like Jimmy Oden. If your a blues fan and you have not yet heard these tracks then your, very simply, not a blues fan! Pleeaaaseee, buy this album, then you'll know what the da blues is! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

the honeydripper reigns supreme
Too often, the crucial music of the great 20th Century blues pianists was recorded mid-century, when recording techniques were marginal at best. When technology improved, many of these players were past their prime. However, this 1977 live studio session captures the legendary Sykes in fine voice and spirit. Self-taught from an early age, Sykes learned his style in the barrelhouses and gin joints of the South, and his rollicking, spirited blues piano comes alive here. Guitarists Johnny Shines & Louisiana Red back some of the selections, along with harmonica great Sugar Blue, but this is Sykes' album all the way. These songs stick to the 12 bar blues format, but it is Sykes' personality and seasoned licks that make it special. Known as "The Honeydripper", which he reminds you in his songs, Sykes' sings and plays smooth enough to match his verbal boasting. On "New York Boogie", Sykes takes us on a verbal trip through the Big Apple, while his left hand counters his animated right with a blazing double-note boogie line. He sets up songs like "Stop Stoppin' Me" with extended intros, speaking his mind over more intricate chord arrangements before dropping into the 12 bar pattern. His hands work perfectly off each other, with his left hand comping deceptively simplistic bass lines against his nimble right, which often mimics his vocal melody. His voice is as powerful an instrument as his piano throughout the record, with his interjections of "Mercy!" as authentic as they come. Sykes has definitely "been there, done that". His left hand is remarkably consistent, whether it be the boogie walk of "Funky Side", the bluesy chord comping of "Mistake in Life", or the New Orleans bounce of "Stop Stoppin' Me". Sykes lived in New Orleans the last 30 years of his life, as evident on cuts like "Some Right, Some Wrong" with its second line feel. All in all, this disc is a terrific blues piano primer. Listening to Sykes' smooth left hand striding through the title cut, his words are almost redundant; there is no doubt that music is indeed his business. ... Read more