Josh White Sings The Blues & Sings Volumes 1 & 2

Josh White | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 28, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collectables
• ASIN: B0000008XI
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,937 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mean Mistreatin' Woman

2. Fare Thee Well

3. Miss Otis Regrets

4. When I Lay Down

5. Jim Crow Train

6. Baby Baby

7. Number 12 Train

8. Dupree

9. I Got a Head Like a Rock/ Cotton Eyed Joe

10. Strange Fruit

11. One Meatball

12. Motherless Children

13. St. James Infirmary

14. Careless Love

15. Evil Hearted Man

16. Outskirts of Town

17. Well, Well, Well

18. T.B. Blues

19. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jehrico

20. Hard Time Blues

Editorial Reviews

Josh White is unusual in that he had managed to blend an eclectic range of musical styles to create a unique balance of folk/blues and gospel. Born on February 11th 1914 he started his stage career at the age of 7 leading blind musicians onto the stage, during this period he saw his father beaten by police and then committed to an asylum where he died shortly after. He also learned to play piano and guitar and how to work an audience. He was treated badly by the blind men that he served and earned very little- but he gave all the money to his mother, who in turn gave most of it to the church. By the age of 18 he was working prolifically and had two distinct careers, under his own name he was a highly respected Gospel singer and musician whilst under the name of Pinewood Tom he enjoyed success as a blues singer and guitarist. By the end of the 30's he had become a political activist and was drawn to the protest songs of the folk world, in particularly the main stays of the protest movement Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. In 1940 he appeared with another famous activist Paul Robeson in both ""The Man Who Went To War"" and ""John Henry"". He also played at the White House for President Roosevelt and again in the sixties for John F Kennedy. This despite having been brought before the House Committee for Unamerican Affairs in the McCarthy years. ""John Henry"" was a hugely influential tune for many in the protest movement including Josh White and for Pete Seeger and has been revived by Bruce Springsteen on his new album- We Shall Overcome, and is also being released as a single. These recordings were made during a number of sessions in New York during the early fifties. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Blues, November 6, 2000

By 

G. Greene - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Josh White Sings The Blues & Sings Volumes 1 & 2 (Audio CD)

Josh White can rip your heart out with his blues, especially on songs like "One Meat Ball" (my personal favorite) and "Strange Fruit" (an even stronger version than Billie Holliday's). He has an intensity and style all his own, and I found this album to be a good cross-section of his work. His clear, pure voice adds to the pathos in an ironic way, and the accompanying guitar work is excellent. When you listen to his music, you get a real feel for what it's like to be down with no hope of ever getting up. His artistic mastery is unsurpassed.