4-STAR REVIEW IN MOJO MAGAZINE
4-STAR REVIEW IN RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE
Wienerworld is proud and excited to present to you the fifth box set in our unmissable Down Home Blues series, exploring the unique regions of the black American blues scene.
Blues In The Alley features 29 artists that were influential in continuing and developing the traditions of the blues in the southeast. This release includes early down home blues recordings from none other than Ray Charles, before his climb to fame with his bigger sounding jazz-tinged blues. Alongside this, there are early recordings from Earl Hooker and Jerry McCain, two exceptionally gifted musicians who were always left on the cusp of success. Don't forget to check out the first recordings from Frank Edwards, who captivated audiences with his rack-mounted harmonica guitar one man band style, from the 1940s right up to his last years of performing and recording in 2003.
Down Home Blues: Miami, Atlanta & The South Eastern States is a three CD set, packaged in a deluxe digipak with outer slipcase, featuring 83 tracks, all of them superbly remastered. This collection has been collated thanks to the generous help of blues collectors from both sides of the Atlantic, with rare recordings that are for the first time made available for listening via today's compact disc medium.
An outstanding 78-page book, featuring a 15,000-word essay by blues historian Chris Bentley, accompanies the release. Rare period photographs illustrate the essay throughout with a complete sessionography and extensive gallery of original 78 and 45 record labels.
Blues In The Alley is a close companion to Wienerworld's Tough Enough collection (WNRCD5104), with both sets dovetailing the post-war blues from America's north and southeastern states. The southeastern states were known as slow starters in having record companies to start up to record, produce and distribute the artistes that were performing on their own doorsteps after the Second World War.
The best chance for any blues artistes in this region, looking to record, was to get up to New York for any opportunity to arise. By 1950 things certainly were different, and new recording companies who had taken the time and trouble to record such fine music had made up for a lot of lost time. Blues In The Alley captivates the efforts of those producers who gambled on their feel for the music – and their pockets to produce sounds from unadulterated country blues to the hard-edged electric tough blues sounds similar to that then being recorded in Chicago and Detroit.
Disc 1
1. Frank Edwards - Sweet Man Blues
2. Frank Edwards - Three Woman Blues
3. Curley Weaver - Brown Skin Woman
4. Curley Weaver - She Don't Treat Me Good No More
5. Curley Weaver - I Keep On Drinkin'
6. Curley Weaver - Baby, You Don't Mean Me No Good
7. Curley Weaver - Baby, You're Gonna Change My Mind
8. Frank Edwards - Terraplane Blues
9. Frank Edwards - We Got To Get Together
10. Poor Jim - Spots Boogie
11. Poor Jim - Brand New Woman
12. John Lee - Baby Please Don't Go
13. John Lee - Slappin' The Boogie
14. Frank Edwards - Love My Baby
15. Frank Edwards - Gotta Get Together
16. Poor Jim - She Fooled Me
17. Poor Jim - Rubber Ball Blues
18. Marylin Scott (Marylyn Scott) - The Monkey Song
19. John Ferguson - John Henry Boogie
20. Rudy Greene - No Good Woman Blues
21. Rudy Greene - Florida Blues
22. Richard Armstrong - Gene Nobles Boogie (Instrumental)
23. Richard Armstrong - Gene Nobles Blues (Instrumental)
24. Marylin Scott (Marylyn Scott) - Beer Bottle Boogie
25. Marylin Scott (Marylyn Scott) - Uneasy Blues
26. John Bullard - Ain't I Got You
27. John Bullard - Bonus Blues
Disc 2
1. Ray Charles - Guitar Blues (Instrumental)
2. Ray Charles - Why Did You Go
3. Earl Hooker - Shake 'em Up
4. Earl Hooker - Race Track
5. Charlie Harding - Train Porter Blues
6. Charlie Harding - I'm A Man Of Experience
7. John Bullard - Help Me To Find My Right Mind
8. John Bullard - Western Union Blues
9. John Bullard - Spoiled Hambone Blues
10. Willie Baker (C. B. Baker) - Skin To Skin
11. Willie Baker (C. B. Baker) - Goin' Back Home
12. Charlie Harding - Moonrise Blues (Instrumental)
13. Charlie Harding - Peach Tree Boogie
14. Earl Hooker - Happy Blues (Instrumental)
15. Earl Hooker - Blue Guitar Blues (Instrumental)
16. Willie Baker (W.C. Baker) - I Went Back Home
17. Willie Baker (W.C. Baker) - Kenny's Hop (Instrumental)
18. Willie Baker (W.C. Baker) - Going Back Home Today
19. Jerry McCain - Middle Of The Night
20. Jerry McCain - Crazy 'bout That Mess
21. Jerry McCain - Fall Guy
22. Tommy Malone - I'm Wading In Deep Water
23. Tommy Malone - It's Been So Long Baby
24. Bill Reese - Whiskey, Ol' Whiskey
25. Bill Reese - I Gotta Find My Baby
26. Jimmy Wilson - Alley Blues
27. Jimmy Wilson - Poor, Poor Lover
28. Alley Blues (alternate)
Disc 3
1. Earl Hooker - Sweet Angel
2. Earl Hooker - After Hours (instrumental)
3. Jimmy Wilson - I've Found Out
4. Jimmy Wilson - Blues In The Alley
5. Eddie Hope - A Fool No More
6. Eddie Hope - Lost Child
7. Robert Willis - You're Mine
8. Robert Willis - Never Let Me Go
9. Shorty Long - Redstone John
10. Sonny Boy Williams - Alice Mae Blues
11. Crook Jr - Wiggle It Baby
12. Crook Jr - Please Believe Me Darling
13. Rudy Greene - Oh Baby
14. Dan Harrison - Piney Brown Blues
15. Dan Harrison - Straighten Up Juice Head
16. Johnny Shaw - May's Shuffle
17. Johnny Shaw - Any May
18. Clifford King - Chicken Shack Boogie
19. Clifford King - Want To Jump With You Baby
20. Leroy Dallas - Sweet Man Blues
21. Leroy Dallas - She Caught The M & O
22. Danny Boy Thomas - Kokomo Me Baby
23. Danny Boy Thomas - Wild Women
24. Jerry McCain - She's Tough
25. Jerry McCain - Steady (Instrumental)
26. Willie Brown - Cut It Out
27. Willie Brown - Do It Like That (Instrumental)
28. Willie Brown - Tell Me Why Love Don't Last
