Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Barrel House Blues - Andrews, Ed
2. Georgia Stockade Blues - Delaney, Tom
3. Sun Brimmers Blues - Memphis Jug Band
4. Goin' To Leave You Blues - Big Boy Cleveland
5. Dry Bone Shuffle - Blind Blake
6. Up Country Blues - Bailey, Deford
7. Dead Drunk Blues - Wallace, Sippie
8. Original Stack O'Lee Blues - Reed, Long 'Cleve'
9. Easy Rider Don't You Deny My Name - Barbecue Bob
10. Bo Lita - Brown, Kid
11. Everybody Help The Boys Come Home - Smith, William & Versey
12. Church Bells Blues - Jordan, Luke
13. Two Ways To Texas - Glen, Emery
14. It Won't Be Long Now - Barbecue Bob & Laughing Charley
15. Bottleneck Blues - Weaver & Beasley
16. Rock Island Blues - Black, Lewis
17. Midnight Blues - Moore, Bill
18. Fare Thee Blues - Head, Johnnie
19. My Monday Woman Blues - Jackson, Jim
20. What's The Matter Blues - Stokes, Frank
21. School Girl Blues - Moore, Rosie Mae
22. Cool Drink Of Water Blues - Johnson, Tommy
23. Left Alone Blues - Bracey, Ishman
24. T And T Blues - Richardson, Mooch
25. TC Johnson Blues - Johnson, T.C.
26. Ham Hound Crave - Lacy, Rube
27. No More Women Blues - Alexander, Texas
28. How Long How Long Blues - Jackson, William
29. Unknown Blues - Tarter & Gay
30. Chicken Wilson Blues - Wilson, Chicken
31. Stack O'Lee Blues - Hurt, 'Mississippi'
32. Broke And Hungry Blues - Howell, Peg Leg
33. Funny Feathers - Spivey, Victoria
34. Pitchin' Boogie - Ezell, Will
35. Mr Devil Blues - Davenport, Jed
36. Mississippi Bottom Blues - Bailey, Kid
37. Weary Heart Blues - Wiggins, James 'Boodle It'
38. Poor Man Blues - Townsend, Henry
39. Framer's Blues - Framer, Eli
40. Trinity River Blues - Walker, Aaron T-Bone
41. Heavy Suitcase Blues - Taylor, Charlie
42. Travelling Mama Blues - Calicott, Joe
43. Jumpin' And Shoutin' Blues - Akers, Garfield
44. Bedside Blues - Thompkins, Jim
45. Walking Blues - House, Son
46. Future Blues - Brown, Willie
47. Long Ways From Home - Johnson, Louise
48. Frisco Blues - Baylesse Rose
49. Good Boy Blues - Pettis, Arthur
50. No Special Rider Blues - Little Brother Montgomery
51. Married Man Blues - Reynolds, 'Blind' Willie
52. Dupree Blues - Walker, Willie
53. 22 20 Blues - James, Skip
54. Lonesome Road Blues - Collins, Sam
55. Midnight Hour Blues - Carr, Leroy & Scrapper Blackwell
56. Fat Mama Blues - Williams, Jabo
57. Never Mind Blues - Boyd, Georgia
58. Twelves (Dirty Dozen) - Arnold, Kokomo
59. Little Leg Woman - Williams, 'Big' Joe
60. That's What My Baby Likes - Jackson, Bessie
61. Good Whiskey Blues - Wheatstraw, Peetie
62. Strut That Thing - Loften, Cripple Clarence
63. Teasin' Brown Blues - Lasky, Louie
64. Cold Blooded Murder - Bumble Bee Slim
65. Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind - Fuller, Blind Boy
66. Ashes In My Whiskey - Davis, Walter
67. It's Cold In China Blues - Mississippi Moaner
68. Jockey Blues - Gillum, Bill 'Jazz'
69. Prisoner Blues - Clarke, George
70. Back Door Blues - Weldon, Casey Bill
71. Don't Sell It (Don'T Give It Away) - Woods, Buddy
72. Booker T Blues - Washboard Sam
73. Hard Scufflin' Blues - Doyle, Little Buddy
74. Jersey Belle Blues - Johnson, Lonnie
75. Baby Please Don't Tell On Me - McLennan, Tommy
76. East St Louis Blues - Smith, Faber & Jimmy Yancey
77. Bukka's Jitterbug Swing - White, Bukka
78. Can't You Read - Big Maceo
79. Life Is Like That - Memphis Slim
80. Memory Of Sonny Boy - Forest City Joe
81. Horse Shoe Boogie - Brown, Lee
82. Ruby Moore Blues - Brown, Lee
83. Lowland Blues - Brown, Lee
84. Round The World Boogie - Brown, Lee
85. Rock That Boogie - Gordon, Jimmie
86. Fast Life - Gordon, Jimmie
87. Mistreated Blues - Gordon, Jimmie
88. I Ain't Like That No More - Gordon, Jimmie
89. Chain Gang Blues - Temple, Johnny
90. Yum Yum Yum - Temple, Johnny
91. My Baby's Acting Funny - Gordon, Jimmie
92. It's Time To Go - Gordon, Jimmie
93. That Woman's A Pearl Diver - Gordon, Jimmie
94. Jumpin' At The Club Blue Flame - Gordon, Jimmie
95. I Believe I'll Go Downtown Again - Temple, Johnny
96. Something In The Moon That Gives Me A Thrill - Temple, Johnny
97. Dixie Flyer - Temple, Johnny
98. I Believe My Sins Have Found Me Out - Templec, Johnny
99. Rhythm Mama - Temple, Johnny
100. New Little Girl Little Girl - Brown, Lee

Disc 2:

1. Ham Hound Crave - Rube Lacey
2. No More Women Blues - Alger "Texas" Alexander
3. How Long, How Long Blues - Willie Jackson
4. Unknown Blues - Tarter & Gay
5. Chicken Wilson Blues - Chicken Wilson
6. Stack O' Lee Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
7. Broke and Hungry Blues - Peg Leg Howell
8. Funny Feathers - Victoria Spivey
9. Pitchin' Boogie - William Ezell
10. Mr. Devil Blues - Jed Davenport
11. Mississippi Bottom Blues - Kid Bailey
12. Weary Heart Blues - James Wiggins
13. Poor Man Blues - Henry Townsend
14. Framer's Blues - Eli Framer
15. Trinity River Blues - T-Bone Walker
16. Heavy Suitcase Blues - Charley Taylor
17. Traveling Mama Blues - Joe Calicott
18. Jumpin' and Shoutin' Blues - Garfield Akers
19. Bedside Blues - Jim Thompkins
20. Walking Blues - Son House
21. Future Blues - Willie Brown
22. Long Ways from Home - Louise Johnson
23. Frisco Blues - Bayless Rose
24. Good Boy Blues - Arthur Petties
25. No Special Rider Blues - Little Brother Montgomery

Disc 3:

1. Married Man Blues - Blind Willie Reynolds
2. Dupree Blues - Willie Walker
3. 22-20 Blues - Skip James
4. Lonesome Road Blues - Sam Collins
5. Midnight Hour Blues - Leroy Carr
6. Fat Mama Blues - Jabo Williams
7. Never Mind Blues - Georgia Boyd
8. Twelves (Dirty Dozens) - Kokomo Arnold
9. Little Leg Woman - Big Joe Williams
10. That's What My Baby Likes - Bessie Jackson
11. Good Whiskey Blues - Peetie Wheatstraw
12. Strut That Thing - Cripple Clarence Lofton
13. Teasin' Brown Blues - Louie Lasky
14. Cold Blooded Murder, No. 2 - Bumble Bee Slim
15. Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind - Blind Boy Fuller
16. Ashes in My Whiskey - Walter Davis
17. It's Cold in China Blues - The Mississippi Moaner
18. Jockey Blues - Jazz Gillum
19. Prisoner Blues - George Clarke
20. Back Door Blues - Casey Bill Weldon
21. Don't Sell It (Don't Give It Away) - Buddy Woods
22. Booker T. Blues - Washboard Sam
23. Hard Scufflin' Blues - Little Buddy Doyle
24. Jersey Belle Blues - Lonnie Johnson
25. Baby, Please Don't Tell on Me - Tommy McClennan

Disc 4:

1. East St. Louis Blues - Faber Smith, Jimmy Yancey
2. Bukka's Jitterbug Swing - Bukka White
3. Can't You Read - Big Maceo Merriweather
4. Life Is Like That - Memphis Slim
5. Memory of Sonny Boy - Forrest City Joe
6. Horse Shoe Boogie - Lee Brown
7. Ruby Moore Blues - Lee Brown
8. Low Land Blues - Lee Brown
9. Round the World Blues - Lee Brown
10. Rock That Boogie - Jimmie Gordon
11. Fast Life - Jimmie Gordon
12. Mistreated Blues - Jimmie Gordon
13. I Ain't Like That No More - Jimmie Gordon
14. Chain Gang Blues - Johnny Temple
15. Yum, Yum, Yum - Johnny Temple
16. My Baby's Acting Funny - Jimmie Gordon
17. It's Time to Go - Jimmie Gordon
18. That Woman's a Pearl Diver - Jimmie Gordon
19. Jumpin' at the Club Blue Flame - Jimmie Gordon
20. I Believe I'll Go Downtown Again - Johnny Temple
21. Something in the Moon That Gives Me a Thrill - Johnny Temple
22. Dixie Flyer - Johnny Temple
23. Believe My Sins Have Found Me Out - Johnny Temple
24. Rhythm Mama - Johnny Temple
25. New Little Girl, Little Girl - Lee Brown

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37096 in Music
• Released on: 1999-11-08
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, Import

Album Description
Budget-priced four disc box focusing on the formative period of the blues at the start of the 20th century. Features plenty of previously unreleased material and includes tracks by Blind Blake, Barbecue Bob, Mississippi John Hurt, Frank Stokes, Tommy Johnson, Victoria Spivey, Son House, Kokomo Arnold, Cripple Clarence Lofton and others. Contains a total of 100 tracks. Comes housed in a sturdy, full color CD-sized slipcase box with each disc in a separate standard jewel case. 1999 release.

Amazon.com
A budget-priced box set, Broke, Black & Blue delivers multiple surprises within its 100 songs of prewar blues. Arranged chronologically by Joop Visser, the set admirably covers the first 22 years of recorded blues, 1924 to 1946, from vaudeville and Delta to boogie-woogie and jump blues. It's a swell gift for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of blues. But old-timers will be pleased, too, as special attention has been paid to culling rare and idiosyncratic tracks by the well-known and the obscure. The first three discs present single tracks by artists as diverse as the Memphis Jug Band, De Ford Bailey, Tommy Johnson, Son House, Skip James, Peetie Wheatstraw, Lonnie Johnson, and Bukka White, alongside unknowns such as Isaiah "The Mississippi Moaner" Nelson, Barbecue Bob and Laughing Charley, Ed Andrews, Chicken Wilson, and Bumble Bee Slim. On the fourth disc, this convention is jettisoned to luxuriate in a series of very rare sides of lovely, oddly subdued boogie-woogie and jump blues by Jimmie Gordon, Johnny Temple, and Lee Brown. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Buy it With Confidence
This boxed set provides an excellent opportunity to add breadth to any blues collection. It's also an oustanding bargain at the price.

For the most part the compiler offers just one track per performer or group, with the tracks arranged in chronological order. The first two discs range from 1925 to late in 1930, the third covers the 1930's. The final disc changes the pattern. After five blues by different artists from the early 1940's we settle into multiple jump blues from Les Brown, Jimmie Gordon and Johnny Temple.

Until this final disc, however, the range is enormous, with a sprinkling of famous titles amid a wonderful array of undeserved obscurities. For the most part the sound is highly acceptable given the age and occasional rarity of the originals.

There's a substantial and useful booklet of about 40 pages, with full commentary and exhaustive discographic detail, as one should expect.

Even at the risk of a certain amount of duplication this is an excellent compilation, either for people new to this wonderful genre, or to those with greater experience. Unless you're remarkably expert, it's certain to widen horizons and introduce you to unfamiliar treasures. Buy it with confidence.

Broke, Black, and Blue
Outstanding collection of old blues sides, a great addition to anyone's collection. Even better, I bought it several years ago, new & unopened, from edwardrhamilton.com a discount bookseller sometimes offering great deals on music CD's and worth checking out. This is fine music covering a wide range of artists & styles.

What A Treasure
This Box set is a treasure.Great collection of early recorded blues.Fantastic!