tracks

I Can't Stand It
Shelby County Work House Blues
From Four Until Late
You Can Leave, Baby
Milk Cow Blues
Roberta Blues
Thousand Woman Blues
If I Get Lucky
Down The Highway
Milk Cow Blues
Take Your Burden To The Lord
New Highway 51
Mama T'aint Long Fo' Day
Take Your Fingers Off It
My Wife Drove Me From My Door
Skin Game Blues
Goin Back To Florida
Standing At The Crossroads
One Kind Favor
Nobody's Fault But Mine
Warm Up
Bukka's Jitterbug Swing
Coal Man Blues
Southern Can Mama
Airy Man Blues
Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die Blues
New How Long How Long Blues
Harmonica Stomp
Shiney Town Blues
Trouble In Mind
Mean Old Frisco
Sportin' Life Blues
Solo
Tippin' Round
Mama Don't 'Low It
Key To The Highway

notes

Professionally printed CDr on-demand reissue of a later edition of the 1964 LP box set on RBF Records (RBF 202X). Enhanced CDr includes a .PDF file of the booklet included with the original LP boxed set.

"This material is intended as a study of the musical resources of the rural blues. It is not often recognised that Afro-American music is marked by considerable variation within its various styles and that a style like the blues is a unique musical idiom. It is hoped that this study will clarify these idiomatic characteristics."

The examples by Will Shade and Charlie Burse were recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, in December, 1956. Track 1-1 is from unissued material in Samuel B. Charters' collection. Other material from this session was issued on Folkways Record FA2610, "American Skiffle Bands."

The examples by Furry Lewis were recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 24, 1959 and October 3, 1959. Tracks 1-4 and 2-3 are from the second session, showing the use of a bottle neck. All these examples are from unissued material in Samuel B. Charters' collection.

Lightnin' Hopkins was recorded in Houston, Texas, on February 4, 1959. Track 2-1 is from unissued material in Samuel B. Charters' collection. The other examples are issued on Folkways Record 3469, "Lightnin' Hopkins."

The examples by Virgil Perkins were recorded in Houston, Texas, in November, 1955. This material, and the example by Moochie Reeves, recorded in Mobile, Alabama, in July, 1954, is previously unissued and from Samuel B. Charters' collection.

©1960 Folkways Records & Service Corp.
℗©2007 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

credits

Compiled By, Liner Notes, Photography By – Samuel B. Charters
Design [Cover] – Ronald Clyne
Photography By – Ann Charters
Recorded By – Samuel B. Charters (tracks: 1-1, 1-4, 1-14, 1-17, 2-1, 2-3, 2-12, 2-15, 2-18)

companies

Copyright (c) – Folkways Records & Service Corp.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Copyright (c) – Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

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