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St Louis Country Blues 1929 – 1937
Label : Document (DOCD-5147)
Format : [email protected]
Henry Spaulding
Just one 78rpm record, was recorded in 1929 by Henry Spaulding with two songs on it: Cairo Blues, and Biddle Street Blues. Spaulding was a St Louis barber, but that's all anyone knows about this mysterious blues legend whose lyrics told of places that were important to him - Cairo, Illinois and Biddle Street in St Louis.
01 - Cairo Blues 2:40
02 - Biddle Street Blues 2:44
Henry Spalding vocal guitar Recorded Chicago 9 May 1929
Henry Townsend
Henry 'Mule' Townsend (October 27, 1909 – September 24, 2006) was an American blues singer, guitarist and pianist.
Townsend was born in Shelby, Mississippi and grew up in Cairo, Illinois. He left home at the age of nine because of an abusive father and hoboed his way to St. Louis, Missouri. He learned guitar while in his early teens from a locally renowned blues guitarist known as "Dudlow Joe".
By the late 1920s he had begun touring and recording with pianist Walter Davis, and had acquired the nickname "Mule" because he was sturdy in both physique and character. In St. Louis, he worked with some of the early blues pioneers, including J.D. Short.
Townsend was one of the only artists known to have recorded in nine consecutive decades (starting in the 1920s). He has recorded on several different labels including Columbia and Folkways Records. He first recorded in 1929 and remained active up to 2006. By the mid 1990s, Townsend and his one-time collaborator Yank Rachell were the only active blues artists whose performing lives stretched back to the 1920s
Henry Townsend St. Louis 1983
Articulate and self-aware with an excellent memory, Townsend gave many invaluable interviews to Blues enthusiasts and scholars. Paul Oliver recorded him in 1960 and quoted him extensively in his 1967 work Conversations with the Blues. Thirty years later, Bill Greensmith edited thirty hours of taped interviews with Henry to produce a full autobiography, giving a vivid history of the Blues scene in St Louis and East St Louis in its prime.
Tracks recorded 1929-1937
03 - Henry`s Worry Blues 3:05
04 - Mistreated Blues 2:57
05 - Long Ago Blues 2:54
06 - Poor Man Blues 2:58
Henry Townsend vocal guitar Recorded Chicago 15 November 1929
07 - No Home Blues 2:53
08 - Take a Chance 3:14
Henry Townsend(as Jesse Townsend) vocal guitar poss Clifford Gibson guitar
And Roosevelt Sykes piano [track 8]
Recorded Louisville Kentucky 9 June 1931
09 - She`s Got What I Want 2:42
10 - My Sweet Candy 2:48
11 - Sick With the Blues 2:50
Henry Townsend(as Henry Thomas) vocal guitar
And Roosevelt Sykes piano [tracks 9-10]
Recorded Chicago 11 December 1933
12 - Don`t Love That Woman 3:15
13 - She`s Got a Mean Disposition 3:16
Henry Townsend vocal guitar Recorded Chicago 25 February 1935
14 - Lose Your Man 3:26
15 - All I`ve Got`s Gone 3:23
16 – A Ramblin` Mind 2:53
17 - Now I Stay Away 2:45
Henry Townsend vocal guitar Robert Lee McCoy guitar Sonny Boy Williamson harmonica unknown piano Recorded Aurora Illinios 11 November 1937
J D Short
J.D. Short (February 26, 1902 – October 21, 1962)[3] was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist and harmonicist. He was a multi-instrumentalist, and possessed a distinctive vibrato laden, singing voice. Early in his career, Short recorded under a number of pseudonyms, including Jelly Jaw Short. His more noteworthy works included "Lonesome Swamp Rattlesnake" and "You're Tempting Me."
Born in Port Gibson, Mississippi, Short learned to play both the piano and guitar at a young age. He later mastered the harmonica, saxophone, clarinet and drums. Short performed locally in the Mississippi Delta at house parties, but relocated in 1923 to St. Louis, Missouri
Short went on to play along with the Neckbones, Henry Spaulding, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Douglas Williams, and Big Joe Williams. In the 1930s, Short recorded for the Vocalion label. Henry Townsend in his autobiography, A Blue Life, told of incidents in St. Louis that affected both his and Short's lives. Seemingly due to jealousy of his musical standing, Short attacked and twice stabbed Townsend. Later, by way of revenge, Townsend shot Short in his genitals, which resulted in Short losing both of his testicles. The account was also mentioned in Townsend's obituary in The Guardian.[8] Short continued performing in St. Louis after World War II, often as a one-man band and sometimes with his cousin, Big Joe Williams.
Nevertheless, Short effectively disappeared from the music industry for over two decades, before re-emerging at the start of the blues revival period. He achieved belated national recognition, and went on to record further tracks for Delmark and Folkways. Some of his recordings were later released on Sonet.
18 -Telephone Arguin` Blues 3:11
19 - Lonesome Swamp Rattlesnake 2:475
J D Short vocal guitar Recorded Grafton Wisconsin circa 1 June 1930
20 - Snake Doctor Blues 3:11
21 - Barefoot Blues 2:55
22 - Grand Daddy Blues 3:11
J D Short (as Jelly Jaw Short) vocal guitar
Recorded New York City 14 March 1932
23 - It`s Hard Time 3:05
24 - Back Door Blues 2:57
Joe Stone (pseudonym for J D Short) vocal guitar
Recorded Chicago 2 August 1933
Note:
2 titles by Henry Townsend (Doctor Doctor and Jack Of Diamonds Georgia Rub)
5 titles by J D Short (Drafted Mama/Wake Up Bright Eye Mama, Flaggin it to Georgia/Tar Road Blues, Let Me Mash that Thing remain undiscovered.
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