The Paramount Masters (4CD) Released: 2003 Label : JSP Records Format : Flac
The Paramount label came into being about 1916 as a division of the United Phonograph Corp, which itself was a part of a diversified business empire owned by one Fred Dennett. Initially the label issued 78s for the US white mainstream and for the Irish community and by 1922 its losses exceeded $100,000.
In desperation it turned its attention to the 'race' market, bringing in a young black chancer named J. Mayo Williams to find artists and supervise the recordings. Williams created his own little empire by selling bootleg liquour and nickelodeons to brothels and speakeasies and by claiming co-composer credits on many of the recordings. But he also built Paramount into the most important pre-war 'indie' blues label.
This amazing 4CD set presents 100 incredibly rare examples of lesser known but equally entertaining artists, reflecting the enormous scope of country and urban blues on Paramount.
Disc: A
1. Nappy Head Blues - Bobby Grant 2. Red River Blues - Lottie Beaman 3. Honky Tonk Train Blues - Meade Lux Lewis 4. You Can't Keep No Brown - Bo Weevil Jackson 5. Lawdy Lawdy Worried Blues - Teddy Darby 6. No. 29 - Wesley Wallace 7. Outside Woman Blues - Blind Joe Reynolds 8. Old Country Rock - William Moore 9. Keep A-Knockin' - James 'Boodle It' Wiggins 10. Touch Me Light Mama - George 'Bullet' Williams 11. Jack Of All Trades - Moanin' Bernice Edwards 12. Come On In (Ain't Nobody Here But Me) - Harum Scarums 13. All Birds Look Like Chickens To Me - Sweet Papa Stovepipe 14. Cotton Field Blues - Charlie 'Dad' Nelson 15. Traveling Blues - Ma Rainey 16. Soon This Morning Blues - Charlie Spand 17. Gay Cattin' - Papa Charlie Jackson 18. Whoopee Blues - King Solomon Hill 19. Eagles On A Half - Geechie Wiley 20. Wasn't It Sad About Lemon - Washboard Walter 21. Freakish Man Blues - George Hannah 22. Rough Rugged Road Blues - Bumble Bee Slim 23. Mississippi Jail House Groan - Rube Lacy 24. Try Me One More Time - Marshall Owens 25. Barrel House Flat Blues - Mary Johnson
Disc: B
1. I Shall Not Be Moved Alt. Tk - Charley Patton 2. Walking Blues - Raymond Barrow 3. Guitar Boogie - Blind Roosevelt Graves 4. Black And Evil Blues - Alice Moore 5. The New Dirty Dozen - Ben Curry 6. Low-Down Mississippi Bottom Man - Freddie Spruell 7. Vicksburg Blues - Little Brother Montgomery 8. Jack Of Diamons Georgia Rub - Henry Townsend 9. Billy Goat Blues - John Byrd 10. Bunker Hill Blues - Side Wheel Sally Duffie 11. Nuber Three Blues - Buddy Boy Hawkins 12. Mamlish Blues - Ed Bell 13. Eastern Chimes Blues - Henry Brown 14. Fetch Your Water - Charlie Spand 15. Lonesome Swamp Rattlesnake - J.D. Short 16. Water Bound Blues - Alice Pearson 17. Broke Down Engine - Lonnie Clark 18. Dying Pickpocket Blues - Barrel House Welch 19. Seven Sister Blues - Edward Thompson 20. Old Timbrook Blues - John Byrd 21. The Preacher Must Get Some Sometime - Bob Robinson 22. Motherless Child Blues - Elvie Thomas 23. The Ducks Yas Yas - Jack O'Diamonds 24. Boodle De Bum Bum - Ben Curry 25. Gotta Shave 'Em Dry - James Wiggins
Disc: C
1. Some Scream High Yellow - Bo Weevil Jackson 2. Jab Blues - Jabo Williams 3. Raised In The Alley Blues - Freddie Brown 4. Frisco Leaving Birmingham - George 'Bullet' Williams 5. Ninety Nine Blues - Blind Joe Reynolds 6. Conjur Man Blues - Roosevelt Sykes 7. Mama's Angel Child - Sweet Papa Stovepipe 8. Honey Blues - Lottie Beaman 9. Lonesome Atlanta Blues - Bobby Grant 10. Fat Greasy Baby - Robert Peeples 11. No Special Rider Blues - Little Brother Montogomery 12. New York Blues - Blind Roosevelt Graves 13. Doctor, Oh Doctor - Henry Townsend 14. I Heard The Voice Of A Pork Chop - Bogus Ben Covington 15. Red Letter Blues - Ruby Paul 16. Piano Kid Special - Piano Kid Edwards 17. Where Did You Stay Last Night - Famous Hokum Boys 18. The Gone Dead Train - King Solomon Hill 19. Fanny Lee Blues - Wesley Wallace 20. Narrow Face Blues - Washboard Walter 21. Pick Poor Robin Clean - Geechie Wiley 22. The Boy In The Boat - George Hannah 23. Texas Blues - Marshall Owens 24. Evil Woman Blues - James 'Boodle It' Wiggins 25. Three, Six And Nine - Roosevelt Sykes
Disc: D
1. Tom Cat Blues - Freddie Spruell 2. Smiling Blues - Jack O'Diamonds 3. Mama, Don't You Think I Know - Papa Charlie Jackson 4. Back To The Woods Blues - Charlie Spand 5. Prison Blues - Alice Moore 6. Deep Morgan Blues - Henry Brown 7. My Laona Blues - Teddy Darby 8. Pistol Blues - Bo Weevil Jackson 9. Pratt City Blues - Jabo Williams 10. Telephone Arguin' Blues - J.D.Short 11. Over To My House - Elvie Thomas 12. Hambone Blues - Ed Bell 13. Down In Tennessee - Lonnie Clark 14. Ham Hound Crave - Rube Lacy 15. Fire Detective Blues - Roosevelt Sykes 16. Up On The Hill Blues - Edward Thompson 17. Key To The Mountain Blues - Mary Johnson 18. Down On My Bended Knee - King Solomon Hill 19. Red River Blues - Charlie 'Dad' Nelson 20. Give Us Another Jug - Piano Kid Edwards 21. Nehi Blues - Blind Joe Reynolds 22. Last Farewell Blues - Ruby Paul 23. Larceny Woman Blues - Barrelhouse Welch 24. Wicked Devil's Blues - Robert Peeples 25. Raggin' The Blues - William Moore