Worried Life Blues
Compilation (Recordings from 1927-1950)
2003 BMG Music

1. GOOD MORINING LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL – country blues harp from John Lee Williamson “Sonny Boy I” Recorded in May of 1937 and still sounds great!

2. MY BABY LEFT ME - Arthur “ Big Boy” Crudup at his best with this 1950 recording, later a hit for one Elvis Presley

3. WORRIED LIFE BLUES - original bluebird release in 1941 of Big Maceo’s smooth vocals and barrelhouse piano with a great guitar solo by Tampa Red – later covered by Chuck Berry

4. GOING DOWN SLOW – Jimmy Oden “St. Louis Jimmy” sings with Roosevelt Sykes on the keys

5. GRINDER MAN BLUES - Peter Chapman “Memphis Slim” moans and groans those blues

6. BABY PLEASE DON’T GO - Wow I really dug this Big Joe Williams original version as: “Williams Washboard Blues Singers” with Joe Williams vocals and guitar, “Dad” Tracy on one string fiddle and Chasey “Kokomo” Collins on washboard, recorded in 1935

7. THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL - Huddie “Leadbelly” Leadbetter with the Golden Gate Quartet recorded 1940 – later a hit for Johnny Rivers and others-

8. SWEET LITTLE ANGEL - Hudson Whitaker “Tampa Red” plays electric guitar and sings those sweet little angel blues, recorded in November of 1950

9. CANNED HEAT BLUES - Here’s a vintage tune recorded in Memphis Municipal Auditorium in 1928 by the late great Tommy Johnson

10. CATFISH BLUES - An awesome original acoustic recording by Robert Petway in 1941, later recorded as Rolling Stone by one Muddy Waters

11. BEALE STREET BLUES - W.C. Handy’s classic covered by Alberta Hunter and joined by Thomas “Fats” Waller on pump organ and recorded in a Church Building in New Jersey in 1927

12. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF HER - William “Big Bill” Broonzy with Bob Black on piano and Bill Settles on bass recorded in October of 1935

13. WHY DON’T YOU DO RIGHT – Lil Green sings her sultry style of blues with Big Bill Broonzy on guitar, Simeon Henry on piano and Ransom Knowling on string bass, recorded in April 1941

14. THE GIRL I LOVE, SHE GOT LONG CURLY HAIR - Sleepy John Estes recorded this original in September 1929 with Jab Jones on piano and James Rachel on mandolin, later this song was adapted by some group called Led Zeppelin

15. DOWN HEARTED BLUES - Bessie Smith covers Alberta Hunter & Lovie Austin’s classic and recorded this version way back in May of 1923

16. HOW BLUE CAN YOU GET (DOWNHEARTED) - written by Jane and Leonard Feather, this version was recorded in 1949 by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers with Billy Valentine’s smooth vocals and piano work, Johnny Miller on bass and Johnny and Oscar Moore on guitar (nice jazzy guitar work)

From the cotton patch to the concert hall, this disc takes the listener on a journey to the past. This is a great blues compilation CD and I highly recommend adding it to your collection to enjoy these original versions all over again. With just one exception, the recordings on this disc were made before the end of the Second World War. Many of these classics are still with us today and have been reinvented by various artists in various styles. There were a few original versions I had never heard and give this disc 4.8 out of 5 on my STLBluesometer rating!