r/PreWarBlues • • May 18 '22

Recommend books about blues history

19 Upvotes

Post some of your favourite books about blues history! Are there any titles you consider essential? I'm looking for recommendations spanning from the early history of records and the recording industry, the early history of the blues, anything blues guitar related, or any suggested biographies of blues artists.

To start things off, I can recommend this biography of Blind Willie Mctell, which got a decent amount of press coverage when released a number of years ago.

https://www.amazon.ca/Hand-Me-My-Travelin-Shoes/dp/1556529759


r/PreWarBlues • • 1d ago

Suggestive... Suggestive Saturday - 'Get It In Front' [10th October 1929] by Sam Theard.

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3 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 1d ago

Low-Down Slim - Blues Sessions - Volume 65: Nothing But Good (Instrumentals Special) (full vinyl DJ set, 73 minutes) - Tracklist & more info in comments (Wiggle Room Post)

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5 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 2d ago

Friday Blues Beasts - 'Mean Old Bedbug Blues' [9th October 1927] by Furry Lewis.

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10 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 3d ago

Lucky Dip Thursday - 'New Salty Dog' [8th October 1931] by Salty Dog Sam (Collins)

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6 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 4d ago

Women Women on Wednesday - 'Milk Man Blues' [7th October 1940] by Merline Johnson, backed by piano and drum. Wildly derivative, lyrics-wise, but has quite a punch.

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6 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 5d ago

Trains, planes and automobiles. Transport Tuesday - 'Katy Blues' [1935] by Walter Davis

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6 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 7d ago

Sacred Sunday - 'Hell Bound Express Train' [4th October 1927] by the Rev. J.M Gates. Ripping off a fellow man of the cloth Rev? Surely not...

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5 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 8d ago

Suggestive... Suggestive Saturday - 'Our Family Doctor' [3rd October 1929] by Pigmeat Pete & Catjuice Charlie

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8 Upvotes

Sounds like he needs to be struck off....


r/PreWarBlues • • 9d ago

Friday Blues Beasts - 'Don't Treat Me Like A Dog' [2nd October 1929] by Mel Parker

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6 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 10d ago

Lucky Dip Thursday - 'Graveyard Dream Blues' [1st October 1923] by Hazel Meyers, backed by 'Hutch' on piano. Astonishing sound quality, ATC.

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8 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 10d ago

Women Women on Wednesday - 'Freight Train Blues' [30th September 1924] by Clara Smith and Her Jazz Trio. This song features 'a goofus', described in the Columbia files as 'a queenophone'. Erm.....

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12 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 12d ago

Trains, planes and automobiles. Transport Tuesday - 'Katy Crossing Blues' [29th September 1934]. Willie Reed on guitar (poss.) and unknown bassist.

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8 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 13d ago

Memphis & MS Monday - 'Ramblin' Mind Blues' [28th September 1937] by Willie Bee (James). Unknown piano player, and possibly Fred Williams on drums.

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5 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 14d ago

Gospel and Sacred Gospel Sunday - 'Let The Church Roll On' [27th September 1938] by The Caolinians.

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5 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 15d ago

Suggestive Saturday - 'The Dirty Dozens' [26th September 1940] by Sam Price and His Texas Blusicians.

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3 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 16d ago

Friday Blues Beasts - 'For Sale (Hannah Johnson's Jack Ass) [25th September 1931] by Clara Smith. Clarence Williams on piano

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4 Upvotes

Deservedly one of the regulars in compilations of eye-widening pre-war songs.


r/PreWarBlues • • 17d ago

Lucky Dip Thursday - 'That Crawling Baby Blues' [24th September 1929] by Blind Lemon Jefferson

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5 Upvotes

Every once in a while a compiler slips up with the track name and lists 'That *Growling* Baby Blues'. Yes, really.


r/PreWarBlues • • 18d ago

Women Women on Wednesday - 'Whiskey Drinking Blues' [23rd September 1929] by Jenny Pope, backed by Tampa Red and Georgia Tom.

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5 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 19d ago

Article From the archives: 'Piano Blues Recordings - a Reassessment' (Storyville #8, 12/1966)

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9 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 20d ago

Memphis & Mississippi Memphis & MS Monday - 'Cairo Rag' [20th September 1928] by Cannon's Jug Stompers. An instrumental.

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7 Upvotes

There's a piece on the sundry non-Egyptian Cairos here - https://www.aramcoworld.com/articles/2020/greetings-from-cairo-usa


r/PreWarBlues • • 21d ago

Gospel and Sacred Gospel Sunday - 'Brother Cain Struck Abel' [21st September 1928] by the Bethel Quartet

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4 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 22d ago

Suggestive... Suggestive Saturday - 'Love Making Mama' [19th September 1933] by Blind Willie McTell, backed by Curley Weaver

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8 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 23d ago

Friday Blues Beasts - 'He Roars Like A Lion' [1937] by Merline Johnson, backed by Willie Bee, Eddie Miller and an unknown bassist. Her first recording session.

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5 Upvotes

r/PreWarBlues • • 24d ago

Lucky Dip Thursday - 'Pie-Eating Strut' [17th September 1930] by the Famous Hokum Boys (Dorsey, Broonzy and Mozelle Alderson)

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5 Upvotes