Before The Blues: The Early American Black Music Scene, Vol. 1

Before The Blues (Series) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 1996)
• Original Release Date: 2020
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yazoo
• ASIN: B000000G8R
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,566 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #86 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Traditional Blues

Track Listings

1. Bamalong Blues - Andrew And Jim Baxter

2. Run Mollie Run - Henry Thomas

3. Lonesome Road Blues - Sam Collins

4. Jackson Stomp - Missippi Mud Steppers

5. On Jordan's Stormy Banks We Stand - Seventh Day Adventist Choir

6. Mississippi Jail House Groan - Rube Lacy

7. Forked Deer - Taylor's Kentucky Boys

8. Bye Bye Baby Blues - Little Hat Jones

9. Pretty Polly - B.F. Shelton

10. Soft Steel Piston - Weaver & Beasley

11. Two White Horses In A Line - Evans & Mcclain

12. Jamestown Exhibition - Bayless Rose

13. Dupree Blues - Willie Walker

14. France Blues - Papa Harvey Hull

15. Dying Mother And Her Child - Rev. Gates & Congregation

16. John Hardy - Buell Kazee

17. Wayward Girl Blues - Lottie Kimbrough

18. Newport Blues - Cincinnati Jug Band

19. Tom Sherman's Barroom - Dick Devall

20. Stack O'Lee Blues - Mississippi John Hurt

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THANKS FOR THE REMINDER!!, April 19, 2004

By 

Rob Preble (Rapid City, SD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Before The Blues: The Early American Black Music Scene, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

In their usual meticulous way, the good people at Yazoo have brought to light a (mostly) forgotten collection of old tunes that shine a light on where we've been.

What we get is a generous, thought-provoking mosaic of our musical heritage. As has been stated before, in the early days, there wasn't much discernible difference between how blacks and whites presented their music. This three-volume set of CD's stuffed near to overflowing with carefully restored songs, takes us back to that time and in doing so reminds us that no matter how richly varied the branches may be our roots are the same. Musical variety is truly a spice of life, which can best be appreciated when the universal foundation of our brother- and sisterhood is kept squarely in sight. A very grateful thank you to Yazoo for tending the flame.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great music, good but biased liners, November 6, 2006

By 

lonesome_d (Yo Philly) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Before The Blues: The Early American Black Music Scene, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

Love the music - had duplicates of some tracks from the Harry Smith set & elsewhere, but much was new to me, especially the non-blues string band tunes. Highlight might be 'Deep Blue Sea Blues,' which I'd of course always associated with Muddy's 'Catfish Blues' from later; terrific version included here.
Only negative comment on the liner notes is the clear aim to present an argument that white music had a bigger influence on early black music than frequently allotted. Not that I disagree with the point, but the way it's brought home made me feel a bit like they were pointing out _every time_ a black performer sounded 'white,' but in the case of the white performers, their race is almost never mentioned.
All in all though made me rethink my ideas on the origins of blues music, on how blues went from being a song form to a genre, on the influence of 'country' on blues, and the co-existence of blues along with various other less celebrated black traditions in the 1920s.

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction to VERY Old-School Blues, June 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Before The Blues: The Early American Black Music Scene, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

This collection is almost more folk than blues, or perhaps it is a collection of blues songs when the genre was defined differently; in either case, it's something that anyone really interested in the history and progression of blues music should check out. Maybe listen to old-school John Lee Hooker (The Complete 50's Chess Recordings, for example) or a Lead Belly album to get more of an idea what this is like, much more Delta-blues-sounding than Chicago. If for no other reason, pick this up for the great track buy Mississippi John Hurt, one of my personal favorites.