Customer Reviews

Josh at Midnight: Sings Ballads & Blues

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If you've never heard Josh White before, and your taste veers toward folk blues and maybe a hint of jazz, you're in for a treat in this collection.

Josh's style falls somewhere between Mississippi John Hurt and Nat King Cole, having elements and sensibilities of both, but he sings from the heart here and makes the music uniquely his own. This CD is a good example of his work - he had good energy here, and he's in great company - the musicians accompanying him feed the fire with good chemistry.

These were both recorded monaurally in New York (Bleecker Street, to be exact) for release on Elektra Records. "Midnight" was the second release ever for that fledgeling label. There is some distortion on the louder passages, and a minor amount of hiss, from the original tape - there's been no attempt to sonically restore these recordings. As a result you're getting all of the original sound - some attempts at audio de-hissing can do more harm than good, so these recordings are probably better off for not being tampered with.

This reissue was a double treat for me since the second LP featured ("Josh White Sings Ballads and Blues") is one I've never seen for sale anywhere. It has similar audio quality and spirit to the first, with the added presence of Sonny Greer (Duke Ellington's drummer).

Got my first copy of the LP "Josh at Midnight" in the mid 70s, at a thrift store for 25 cents - best two bits I ever spent. Most other albums would have been unlistenable in the shape that record was in, worn and scratched as it was, but I played it dozens of times listening past the noise. Thanks to this reissue, I don't have to listen past the noise anymore - I can just enjoy the music!

...Josh White sings and plays folk guitar, accompanied by only an upright bass and a wonderful bass vocalist (who may also be the bass player, it's been years since I've seen the album). Josh's voice is very expressive and powerful, but also friendly and intimate. His music roots comes from the country and old south- and you won't hear more authentic folk music than this- but you'll also hear the late-night urban life in it as well.

The tunes run from the lamenting ("St. James Infirmiry") to the humorous and upbeat ("One Meat Ball" and "Raise a Rukus"). St. James Infirmiry may be one of the most-covered blues tunes in the world, but Josh White's version is about the best I've heard.

I don't know if I have the experience or authority to call this an archetypal or landmark album, but compared to any hokey camp-fire "folk" album, this has the redolent atmosphere of the real thing. It'll grab you.

By the way, the name of this album is "Josh at Midnight", not "Jose at Midnight...

--Stu

Back in the 60s, my parents had "Josh at Midnight" on vinyl when I was a kid. It was one of my favorite albums. I've been dying to get a copy of it since I first discovered that our copy was missing.

On this album Mr. White sings and plays guitar in a lovely and friendly way-- his voice is very expressive--, and is accompanied by accoustic bass and an incredible baritone harmonizer, who may be the bass player. I don't know, because I bought the CD with free delivery and I don't have it, yet. The songs range from the tragic (St. James Infimery) to the humorous and lively (One Meat Ball, and Raise a Rukus). Also, much of America's history is tied to the songs Josh White sang.

In any case, this is probably a landmark folk album and, by the product description, includes another album I've never heard!

Josh White holds a unique place in the world of American folk music and blues. Like Harry Belafonte, he reached across the lines of race and had an enormous following among music lovers from many different backgrounds. As a former Chicagoan living in Mississippi the past 18 years, I'm shocked how few people know the music of Josh White, even though he was from South Carolina and was certainly well rooted in Southern Blues and folk music.

Instead of repeating what is often written about his politics, his civil rights work, his move to Europe and his difficulty during the McCarthy era, I want to share with readers what I know about his music, his artistry, and this particular album. Of all the available Josh White recordings, Josh at Midnight is the finest recording ever done by this great artist. It is impeccably recorded, perhaps influenced by his friendship with and admiration for Richard Dyer Bennet, who set very high standards for the sound quality of his recordings. Many of Josh White's albums are diminished in quality due to poor recording and production techniques.

On this album, White is joined by his good friend and frequent singing partner, a great bass/baritone by the name of Sam Gary. The interplay between White's tenor voice and Gary's booming bass voice is magnificent. Also on the album is upright bass player Al Hall, who provides a great rhythmic counterpoint to Josh White's brilliant guitar playing. There is simply no one today who plays the guitar with the unique style that White developed. The combination of these two great voices and two superb instrumentalists make for a spectacular album.

I have collected all kinds of recorded music seriously for 30 years, in many different genres, but Josh at Midnight is one of the 10 or 15 greatest albums I have ever had the honor of listening to. It has had lasting power for over thirty years of listening, and the CD gives the music lover a chance to own this great album
in flawless condition.

Josh White - you were brillant, warm and a great artist. May you rest in peace. Thank you for the great music.

Gary Silber Jackson, MS