Customer Reviews

1924-26 1

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I cannot recommend this set to the general listener, even if he likes the blues, because most of the tracks are pretty well marred by pops and scratches. We can only hope that someone will find the resources to clean up these great old tracks and reissue them in a more listenable form. Still, for the afficionado of blues and/or American folk music, this set quite importantly documents the creativity of an early blues immortal, and richly repays close listening. As we discover in "I'm a Good Doin' Papa," "Papa" denotes not fatherliness but capability with women. This is easy to believe of Jackson, whose strong and resonant baritone never falters in this collection, and who pounds out a serviceable self-accompaniment on his banjo. That indeed is the only instrument on most of these tracks. The music is engaging, sophisticated while appearing simple, and invokes elements of folk tradition. The lyrics reflect an urbane sensibility, and many are rather salacious. This can be amusing but might limit the appeal of this set for some. But anyone seriously interested in early blues should have this set in his collection. As Jackson himself proudly says at the end of one track, "Papa Charlie done sung that song!"

Most everything on this album is good. When placed beside the other two document albums of his complete work, I believe this one is is most commercial. Once you get past the low volume, because the sound is not too terrible, you'll find a broad output of ragtime and chord progressions that quite rare in early blues recordings. I think this has led many to discount his work as not bluesy enough. I think this set of recordings is more rewarding than the complete Blind Lemon Jefferson, whose work trails off on the final set of recordings to rehashing old themes. PCJ is consistently strong. My guitar playing has been helped by these three document PCJ albums. On this one, Alabama Bound is great, as are (H)airy Man, Mama Don't Allow It, Shave Em Dry. You have to remember, PCJ is a different type of blues artist and the banjo isn't meant to sound like a guitar. It's more like a tin pan alley band. PCJ's duets aren't as strong as his solo stuff. There's little in the way of biographical information, but PCJ must have worked in the brothels at some point, because his songs just seem to indicate that lyrically. It's great ragtime blues. The presentation by document is good enough, even though for a lot of this PCJ is singing into an acoustic (pre-electric recording) horn. The scratching and hissing is not unbearable and well, if you made it past Charlie Patton, the sound here is a cakewalk. One of my favorite ragtime blues albums. This is the best of the three document sets.

The recording on this CD are the earliest known Blues that were recording to records a must for any serious blues collector