Mississippi-born guitarist Big Bill Broonzy had a voice that could really grow on you. The living embodiment of the rural-to-urban blues tradition, he often infused the gutsy, sometimes brutally honest immediacy of acoustic Chicago blues and good time hokum with the lonely intensity of the field holler. Vol. 3 in JSP's extensively complete Big Bill Broonzy retrospective covers his recording activity between the years 1940 and 1951, a time span that takes in the Second World War and its aftermath. His musical companions during this decade included the mighty Washboard Sam, a wonderful string bassist named Ransom Knowling, harmonica ace Jazz Gillum, blues saxophonist Buster Bennett, pianists Blind John Davis, Big Maceo Merriweather and Memphis Slim, and seasoned jazzmen Punch Miller, Don Byas and Slick Jones. This excellent set offers 99 examples of Broonzy's personalized musical responses to everything that life had to offer or snatch away. Topics include romance, jealousy and heartache; honest labor, conscription and prison, as well as betrayal, alcohol and insomnia. Big Bill was also fond of old-time folk melodies and included them regularly in his repertoire. This outstanding tribute is the perfect introduction to Broonzy; it will also delight those who already know his music, love and respect his memory, and who will hasten to track down the rest of his recordings as reissued by JSP.
Disc A 1940-41
- Medicine Man Blues
- Looking Up At Down
- Midnight Steppers
- Lone Wolf Blues
- Hit The Right Lick
- You Better Cut That Out
- I Wonder What’s Wrong With Me
- Bed Time Blues
- Merry Go Round Blues
- Serenade Blues
- Lonesome Road Blues
- Getting Older Every Day: Take 1
- Getting Older Every Day: Take 2
- That Number Of Mine
- My Gal Is Gone
- I’ll Never Dream Again
- Rockin’ Chair Blues
- Shine On, Shine On
- Green Grass Blues
- My Little Flower
- Sweet Honey Bee
- When I Been Drinking
- Key To The Highway
- Double Trouble
- Going Back To My Plow
Disc B 1941-45
- I’m Having So Much Trouble
- Wee Wee Hours
- Conversation With The Blues
- All By Myself
- Keep Your Hand On Your Heart
- Why Should I Spend My Money
- What’s Wrong With Me
- I Feel So Good
- In The Army Now
- Bad Acting Woman
- Night Watchman Blues
- She’s Gone With The Wind
- I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
- Tell Me Baby
- Hard Hearted Woman
- I’m Woke Up Now
- Please Believe Me
- Why Did You Do That To Me
- You Got To Play Your Hand
- Just A Dream
- Doing The Best I Can
- Partnership Woman
- Where The Blues Began
- Humble Blues
- Oh Baby
Disc C 1945-49
- Cell No. 13 Blues
- When I Get To Thinkin’
- Roll Dem Bones
- You Got The Best Go
- I Can Fix It
- Old Man Blues
- I Can’t Write
- What Can I Do
- San Antonio Blues
- Saturday Evening Blues
- Martha Blues
- Texas Tornado Blues
- Big Bill’s Boogie
- Just Rocking
- Shoo Blues
- I Feel Like Crying
- Stop Lying Woman
- Rambling Bill
- Summer time Blues
- Bad Luck Man
- (I’m A) Wonderin’ Man
- I Love My Whiskey
- You’ve Been Mistreating Me
- I Stay Blue All The Time
- Water Coast Blues
Disc D 1949-51
- Five Feet Seven
- I Wonder
- Keep Your Hands Off Her
- Mindin’ My Own Business
- Hey Hey
- Stump Blues
- Get Back
- Willie Mae Blues
- Walkin’ The Lonesome Road
- Mopper’s Blues
- I Know She Will
- Hollerin’ The Blues
- Leavin’ Day
- South Bound Train
- Tomorrow
- You Changed
- John Henry
- Crawdad
- Bill Bailey
- Make My Get Away
- Blue Tail Fly
- Backwater Blues
- In The Evenin’
- Trouble In Mind
******************
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Joshua Altheimer (p), Washboard Sam (wb).
Chicago, June 10, 1940.
A-01. WC 3080-A Medicine Man Blues [Okeh 5758]
A-02. WC 3081-A Looking Up At Down [Okeh 5698]
A-03. WC 3082-A Midnight Steppers [Okeh 5758]
A-04. WC 3083-A Lone Wolf Blues [Okeh 5698]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Blind John Davis (p), Fred Williams (dm).
Chicago, September 20, 1940.
A-05. WC 3305-A Hit The Right Lick [Okeh 5869]
A-06. WC 3306-A You Better Cut That Out [Okeh 5919]
A-07. WC 3307-A I Wonder What's Wrong With Me [Okeh 5919]
A-08. WC 3308-A Bed Time Blues [Okeh 5983]
A-09. WC 3309-A Merry-Go-Round Blues [Okeh 5869]
A-10. WC 3310-A Serenade Blues [Okeh 5983]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Memphis Slim (p), Ransom Knowling (sb).
Chicago, December 17, 1940.
A-11. WC 3508-1 Lonesome Road Blues [Okeh 6031]
A-12. WC 3509-1 Getting Older Every Day [Okeh 6116]
A-13. WC 3509-2 Getting Older Every Day
A-14. WC 3510-1 That Number Of Mine [Okeh 6080]
A-15. WC 3511-1 My Gal Is Gone [Okeh 6031]
A-16. WC 3512-1 I'll Never Dream Again [Okeh 6080]
A-17. WC 3513-1 Rockin' Chair Blues [Okeh 6116]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Horace Malcom (p), Washboard Sam (wb).
Chicago, May 2, 1941.
A-18. C 3740-1 Shine On, Shine On [Okeh 6303]
A-19. C 3741-1 Green Grass Blues [Okeh 6242]
A-20. C 3742-1 My Little Flower [Okeh 6386]
A-21. C 3743-1 Sweet Honey Bee [Okeh 6386]
A-22. C 3744-1 When I Been Drinking [Okeh 6303]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), unknown (sb), Washboard Sam (wb), Jazz Gillum (h).
A-23. C 3745-1 Key To The Highway [Okeh 6242]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Memphis Slim (p, vo), unknown (wb).
Chicago, July 17, 1941.
A-24. C 3903-1 Double Trouble [Okeh 6427]
A-25. C 3904-1 Going Back To My Plow [Okeh 6484]
B-01. C 3905-1 I'm Having So Much Trouble [Okeh 6484]
B-02. C 3906-1 Wee Wee Blues [Okeh 6552]
B-03. C 3907-1 Conversation With The Blues [Okeh 6552]
B-04. C 3908-1 All By Myself [Okeh 6427]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Horace Malcom or Blind John Davis (p), Washboard Sam (wb).
Chicago, December 2, 1941.
B-05. C 4082-1 Keep Your Hand On Your Heart [Okeh 6601]
B-06. C 4083-1 Why Should I Spend My Money? [Okeh 6630]
B-07. C 4084-1 What's Wrong With Me? [Okeh 6705]
B-08. C 4085-1 I Feel So Good [Okeh 6688]
B-09. C 4086-1 In The Army Now [Okeh 6601]
B-10. C 4087-1 Bad Acting Woman [Okeh 6724]
B-11. C 4088-1 Night Watchman Blues [Okeh 6705]
B-12. C 4089-1 She's Gone With The Wind [Okeh 6630]
BIG BILL AND HIS CHICAGO FIVE
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Punch Miller (tp), Buster Bennett (as), Memphis Slim (p), Judge Riley (dm).
Chicago, March 6, 1942.
B-13. C 4197-1 I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town [Okeh 6651]
B-14. C 4198-1 Tell Me Baby [Okeh 6688]
B-15. C 4199-1 Hard Hearted Woman [Okeh 6651]
B-16. C 4200-1 I'm Woke Up Now [Okeh 6724]
LITTLE SAM AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DON BYAS QUARTET Blues vocal by LITTLE SAM
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Don Byas (ts), Kenny Watts (p), John Levey (sb), Slick Jones (dm).
New York City, early, 1945.
B-17. HU 418 Please Believe Me [Hub 3003]
B-18. HU 419 Why Did You Do That To Me [Hub 3003]
B-19. HU 420 You Got To Play Your Hand [Hub 3023]
B-20. HU 422 Just A Dream [Hub 3023]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Buster Bennett (as), Big Maceo (p), Tyrell Dixon (dm).
Chicago, February 19, 1945.
B-21. C 4380 Doing The Best I Can
B-22. C 4381 Partnership Woman [Columbia 30143]
B-23. C 4382 Where The Blues Began
B-24. C 4383 Humble Blues [Columbia 30002]
B-25. C 4384 Oh Baby [Okeh 6739, Columbia 30021]
C-01. C 4385 Cell No. 13 Blues [Columbia 30009]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Big Maceo (p), Tyrell Dixon (dm).
Chicago, February 24, 1945.
C-02. C 4414 When I Get To Thinkin' [Okeh 6739, Columbia 30021]
C-03. C 44185 Roll Them Bones [Columbia 30002]
C-04. C 4417 You Got The Best Go [Columbia 30009]
BIG BILL AND HIS RHYTHM BAND
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), John Morton (tp), Sax Mallard (as), Bill Casimir (ts), Charles Belcher (p), Ransom Knowling (sb), Judge Riley (dm).
Chicago, December 4, 1946.
C-05. CCO 4686 I Can Fix It [Columbia 30051]
C-06. CCO 4687 Old Man Blues [Columbia 30051]
C-07. CCO 4688 I Can't Write
C-08. CCO 4689 What Can I Do [Columbia 30016]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Memphis Slim (p), Ransom Knowling (sb), Tyrell Dixon (dm).
Chicago, January 28, 1947.
C-09. CCO 4711 San Antonio Blues [Columbia 30109]
C-10. CCO 4712 Saturday Evening Blues [Columbia 30016]
C-11. CCO 4713 Martha Blues
C-12. CCO 4714 Texas Tornado Blues
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Sax Mallard (as), Bill Casimir (ts), Bob Call (p), unknown (sb), Judge Riley (dm).
Chicago, September 29, 1947.
C-13. CCO 4848 Big Bill's Boogie [Columbia 30101]
C-14. CCO 4849 Just Rocking [Columbia 30109]
C-15. CCO 4850 Shoo Blues [Columbia 30101]
C-16. CCO 4851 I Feel Like Crying
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), John Morton (tp), Sax Mallard (as), Bill Casimir (ts), Bob Call (p), Ransom Knowling (sb), Judge Riley (dm).
Chicago, December 19, 1947.
C-17. CCO 4950 Stop Lying Woman [Columbia 30143]
C-18. CCO 4951 Rambling Bill [Columbia 30118]
C-19. CCO 4952 Summer Time Blues [Columbia 30118]
C-20. CCO 4953 Bad Luck Man [Columbia 30135]
BIG BILL BROONZY AND HIS FAT FOUR
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Antonio Casey (as), Carl Sharp (p), Ransom Knowling (sb), Alfred Wallace (dm).
Chicago, January 4, 1949.
C-21. 2175 (I'm A) Wonderin' Man
C-22. 2176 I Love My Whiskey [Mercury 8122]
C-23. 2177 You've Been Mistreating Me [Mercury 8160]
C-24. 2178 I Stay Blue All The Time [Mercury 8160]
C-25. 2179 Water Coast Blues [Mercury 8122]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Alfred Wallace (dm).
Chicago, February 1, 1949.
D-01. 2497-2 Five Feet Seven [Mercury 8126]
D-02. 2498-2 I Wonder [Mercury 8126]
D-03. 2499-1 Keep Your Head Off Her [Mercury 8139]
D-04. 2500-1 Mindin' My Own Business [Mercury 8139]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Bob Call (p), Ransom Knowling (sb).
Chicago, November 8, 1951.
D-05. 4521-2 Hey Hey [Mercury 8271]
D-06. 4522 Stump Blues
D-07. 4523 Get Back
D-08. 4524 Willie Mae Blues [Mercury 8261]
D-09. 4525 Walkin' The Lonesome Road [Mercury 8271]
D-10. 4526 Mopper's Blues [Mercury 8284]
D-11. 4527 I Know She Will [Mercury 8284]
D-12. 4528 Hollerin' The Blues [Mercury 8264]
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), Sax Mallard (as), Bill Casimir (ts), Bob Call (p), Ransom Knowling (sb), Judge Riley (dm).
Chicago, November 9, 1951.
D-13. 4529 Leavin' Day [Mercury 70039]
D-14. 4530 South Bound Train [Mercury 70039]
D-15. 4531-3 Tomorrow [Mercury 71352]
D-16. 4532 You Changed
Big Bill Broonzy (g, vo), prob. Ernest 'Big' Crawford (sb).
Chicago, December 10, 1951.
D-17. 4649 John Henry
D-18. 4650 Crawdad
D-19. 4651 Bill Bailey
D-20. 4652 Make My Get Away
D-21. 4653 Blue Tail Fly
D-22. 4654 Backwater Blues
D-23. 4655 In The Evenin'
D-24. 4656 Trouble In Mind
