Hear Me Howling: Blues, Ballads, and Beyond

As recorded by the San Francisco Bay by Chris Strachwitz in the 1960s

Arhoolie Records – ARH00518

Format: 4 x CD, Compilation, Box Set
Country: United States
Released: 2011
Genre: Jazz, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: African American, Blues, Cajun & Zydeco
[Disk One]
01 Hump in My Back: Jesse Fuller (2:46)
02 Brother Low Down: Jesse Fuller (2:41)
03 Berkeley’s Junco Partner: Skid Band (4:04)
04 Tight like That: Skid Band (3:38)
05 Moose March: Bob Mielke's Bearcats (3:22)
06 Highway 49: Big Joe Williams (3:49)
07 Oakland Blues: Big Joe and Mary Williams (2:46)
08 Greystone (Alameda County Jail) Blues: Big Joe Williams (2:32)
09 I Know You Didn’t Want Me: K.C. Douglas (2:15)
10 Night Shirt Blues: K.C. Douglas (2:07)
11 Stop Time: K.C. Douglas (1:26)
12 Hear Me Howling: K.C. Douglas (2:10)
13 Stand Alone Blues: Lonnie Johnson (3:24)
14 Brenda: Lonnie Johnson (4:12)
15 Changed the Lock on My Door: Sonny Terry (3:14)
16 Bald Eagle Train (Take 1): Bukka White (11:44)
17 Tom Moore’s Farm: Lightnin' Hopkins (5:12)
18 Up on Telegraph (Avenue): Lightnin' Hopkins (3:13)
19 Lady Luck: Mercy Dee (2:47)
[Disk Two]
01 I Feel like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag: Country Joe and the Fish (2:58)
02 You Turned Your Back: Toni Brown (2:19)
03 How Could I Stand It: Toni Brown (2:42)
04 Don’t Forget Me, Love: Toni Brown (2:03)
05 Charles Giteau: Crabgrass (3:32)
06 Midnight Blues: The Joy of Cooking (4:08)
07 Depression Gone from Me: T.A. Talbott (2:57)
08 Mr. Brakeman: T.A. Talbott (3:52)
09 Who’s Going to Be My Man?: Debbie Green (4:21)
10 Come See: Bob Neuwirth (4:26)
11 Lady Gay: Janet Smith (3:16)
12 Talking Protest Blues: Merritt Herring (2:37)
13 Black Jack David: Alice Stuart (2:05)
14 Eventually: Perry Lederman (2:20)
15 Impressions of John Henry: Perry Lederman (6:27)
16 Deportees: Barbara Dane (5:50)
17 Big Texas (Grand Texas): Hackberry Ramblers (3:50)
18 Jolie Blonde: Hackberry Ramblers (3:50)
19 Turtle Tail: Hackberry Ramblers (2:18)
20 The Beatles Are in Town: The Fondettes (2:02)
[Disk Three]
01 Willie Poor Boy: Mance Lipscomb (3:25)
02 The Titanic: Mance Lipscomb (3:34)
03 Mean Boss Man: Mance Lipscomb (2:55)
04 Sugar Babe: Mance Lipscomb (3:20)
05 Working on a Building: Rev. Louis Overstreet (6:38)
06 The Old Ship of Zion: Rev. Louis Overstreet (3:40)
07 I’m a Soldier: Rev. Gary Davis (6:09)
08 Floor Sweepin’ Rag: Rev. Gary Davis (5:07)
09 Courtin’ Boy: Rev. Gary Davis (5:42)
10 Shake 'Em on Down: Fred McDowell (3:11)
11 Louise: Fred McDowell (6:06)
12 Write Me a Few of Your Lines: Fred McDowell (3:18)
13 Low Down Dirty Things: Skip James (4:04)
14 22-20 Blues (Mr. Kress): Skip James (3:37)
15 Sea Walking Jesus: Skip James (4:07)
16 No Special Lover: Skip James (4:57)
17 Peace in the Valley: Skip James (4:29)
[Disk Four]
01 Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong: Vern and Ray (2:34)
02 The Touch of God’s Hand: Vern and Ray (2:59)
03 ’Fore Day in the Mornin’: Big Mama Thornton (5:00)
04 Ball and Chain: Big Mama Thornton (5:34)
05 Hound Dog: Big Mama Thornton (4:55)
06 Monsieur Leonard: John Simien and The Opelousas Playboys (3:08)
07 Chi Ca Nai (Slow Drag): John Simien and The Opelousas Playboys (2:56)
08 Bye Bye Rosa: John Simien and The Opelousas Playboys (2:32)
09 Mr. Charlie: Clifton Chenier (3:22)
10 Louisiana Rock: Clifton Chenier (2:54)
11 What Am I Doing Here?: Notes From The Underground (2:19)
12 To Be a Thief: Stanley Willis (4:39)
13 Pretty Good: Now Creative Arts Jazz Ensemble (8:31)
14 In the Breeze: Jerry Hahn (5:39)
15 To 'Trane (Two Trains): Smiley Winters (9:21)
16 The Beauty of Isis: Sonny Simmons (6:52)
[Credits]
Producer and Photographer: Chris Strachwitz, Producer: Tom Diamant, Editor: Haley Ausserer, Artwork:John Seabury, Illustrator: Robert Armstrong, Designer: Hugh Brown, Engineer: Bay Records
[Notes]
Founder of Arhoolie Records Chris Strachwitz recorded music wherever he found it: in coffee houses, music clubs, living rooms, festival stages, and recording studios. To celebrate Arhoolie’s 50th anniversary, Strachwitz released a box set of recordings he made during his early years in the record business. Of the 72 tracks of music in the set, spread over 4 CDs, over half (38) had previously been unreleased by Arhoolie. The music is a true representation of Strachwitz's eclectic musical interests and span the spectrum from raw country blues and folk to gospel and free-form jazz. This anniversary collection includes versions of "Ball and Chain" and "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton, "Tom Moore's Farm" by Lightnin’Hopkins, "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" by Country Joe McDonald and the Fish, "Shake ʼEm On Down" by Mississippi Fred McDowell, "Deportee" by Barbara Dane, "Highway 49" by Big Joe Williams, and "Changed the Lock on My Door" by Mance Lipscomb, Lonnie Johnson, Brownie McGhee, and Sonny Terry. The box set captures a time and provides a template that Arhoolie would follow for 50 years in presenting and preserving Americana roots music.

Big Joe Williams and Friends: Going Back to Crawford

Arhoolie Records – 9015

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1999
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Delta Blues
[Tracklist]
01 Back Home Blues (4:20)
02 Baby Please Don't Go (2:40)
03 Saturday Night Women (3:40)
04 Been In Crawford Too Long (2:55)
05 Sugar Diabetes Blues (2:45)
06 Run Here Jailer With The Key (1:55)
07 Take Me Out Of The Bottom (3:05)
08 Bird Nest (3:00)
09 Corrina (1:45)
10 I Walked All Night Long (5:15)
11 Sugar On The Bottom (3:20)
12 Bad Luck (2:40)
13 Checkin' Out (3:16)
14 My Last Girl - Don't Treat Her Wrong! (3:37)
15 Can't Listen No More (3:13)
16 Don't Stay Long (3:41)
17 I'm Wild About My Jelly Roll (2:00)
18 Moanin' 'Fo Day (2:16)
19 I'm Leavin' This Town (3:29)
20 I Don't Know Why (3:07)
21 My Baby Stopped Drinking Water (1:28)
22 Good Times Here, Better Down The Road (2:00)
23 Shake It Enough For Me (2:30)
24 Mary Frances (3:00)
25 My Baby Don't Stand No Foolin' (1:50)
26 She Have Broken My Heart (2:35)
[Credits] Big Joe Williams (guitar/vocals) Austen Pete (guitar/vocals) John "Shortstuff" Macon (guitar) Glover Lee Connor (vocals) Amelia Johnson (vocals)
Producer, Liner Notes, Recorder and Photographer: Chris Strachwitz, Designer: Morgan K. Dodge
[Notes]
Joe Lee "Big Joe" Williams (1903–1982) was a legendary country bluesman. A performer for over 40 years, Williams began his career in the 1920s playing at local fish fry’s, house parties, and work camps in Mississippi and Alabama. He eventually traveled north to St. Louis in 1934, where he recorded his iconic hit "Baby, Please Don't Go." In 1971, Arhoolie founder Chris Stratchwitz arranged to meet and record Williams in Crawford, Mississippi. Due to a performance rights issue, the recording was not released until 1999

Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40062

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1996
Genre: Jazz, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Gospel, Bluegrass, Cajun, Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Penitentary Blues: Lightnin' Hopkins (2:56)
02 Sweet Old Chicago: Roosevelt Sykes (2:58)
03 Blue Moon of Kentucky: Bill Monroe (2:02)
04 If I Had a Hammer (Hammer Song): Pete Seeger (2:13)
05 Lafayette: Lucinda Williams (3:45)
06 Bosco Stomp: Nonc Allie Young, Bessyl Duhon, and Rodney Balfa (3:04)
07 Better Day: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (3:04)
08 Long Road to Travel: Lonnie Johnson (2:22)
09 The Cuckoo Bird (The Coo-Coo Bird): Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley (2:35)
10 Pretty Saro: Doug and Jack Wallin (2:32)
11 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:46)
12 Old Joe Bone: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:00)
13 Have a Feast Here Tonight: Bill Monroe and Doc Watson (2:24)
14 Freedom Road: Josh White (2:21)
15 This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie (2:19)
16 Two Good Men (Sacco and Vanzetti): Woody Guthrie (3:49)
17 Black Girl (In the Pines): Lead Belly (2:10)
18 Irene (Goodnight Irene): Lead Belly (2:18)
19 Somebody's Been Fooling #1: Big Joe Williams (2:52)
20 Hesitation Blues: Dave Van Ronk (2:34)
21 I'm Gonna Be an Engineer: Peggy Seeger (4:31)
22 Delgadina: Mercedez López (2:16)
23 I Was Standing by the Bedside of a Neighbor: Michele Lanchester and Sweet Honey (3:22)
24 Virgo: Mary Lou Williams (2:29)
25 Syl-O-Gism: Mary Lou Williams (3:31)
26 We Shall Overcome: The Freedom Singers, Dorothy Cotton, and Pete Seeger (2:42)
[Credits]
Compiler & Producer: Anthony Seeger & Amy Horowitz, Designer: Visual Dialogue, Engineer: David Glasser & Lea Anne Sonenstein
[Notes]
Twenty-six tracks from outstanding Smithsonian Folkways recordings present a panorama of American Roots music. Blues, Bluegrass, ballads, topical songs, and jazz are performed by master musicians. If you have never heard of Smithsonian Folkways or Folkways before, this collection will take you on a trip through American Music; if you have heard some already, you will still be delighted by the breadth and variety of this collection.

Blues Roots / Mississippi

Folkways Records – RBF 14

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1966
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Delta Blues
[Tracklist]
A1 Canned Heat Blues: Tommy Johnson (3:43)
A2 Big Fat Mama Blues: Tommy Johnson (3:18)
A3 Big Road Blues: Tommy Johnson (3:24)
A4 Barbecue Bust: Mississippi Jook Band (2:42)
A5 My Grey Pony: Big Joe Williams (3:12)
A6 Cigaret Blues: Bo Carter (3:22)
A7 All Around Man: Bo Carter (3:03)
B1 I Believe I'll Dust My Broom: Robert Johnson (3:05)
B2 Honeymoon Blues: Robert Johnson (2:24)
B3 That Lonesome Train Took My Baby Away: Charlie McCoy (3:02)
B4 Whiskey Head Man: Tommy McClennan (2:52)
B5 Bertha Lee Blues: Robert Petway (3:00)
B6 Miss Louisa Blues: Sonny Boy Williamson (3:04)
[Credits]
Compiled & Annotated: Samuel Charters, Designer: Ronald Clyne, Photographer: Ann Charters
[Notes]
From the early blues of Son House, Willie Brown, and Charley Patton to the assertive music of the Depression, the Mississippi delta has produced songs and singers with a fierce honesty that has ensured the style's enduring popularity. This selection features a range of songs and extensive liner notes.

This Ain't No Mouse Music!

Arhoolie Records - ARH00545

Format: 2 x CD, Soundtrack, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2014
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Blues, Cajun & Zydeco, Countr, Jazz & Ragtime, Latin
[Disk One]
01 Bald Headed Woman: Lightnin' Hopkins (3:50)
02 Barbershop Rhythm: Wade Walton & R.C. Smith (2:26)
03 I Want To Live and Love: Maddox Brothers & Rose (2:07)
04 I'm Working On a Building: Rev. Louis Overstreet (6:59)
05 Tom Moore's Farm: Mance Lipscomb (3:29)
06 Lady Luck: Mercy Dee Walton (2:48)
07 Mercury Blues (Mercury Boogie): K.C. Douglas (2:39)
08 Write Me a Few of Your Lines: Fred McDowell (3:37)
09 Wade in the Water: Big Mama Thornton (2:54)
10 Sloppy Drunk Blues: Big Joe Williams (2:49)
11 I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag: Country Joe McDonald (2:58)
12 Mama Don't Allow: George Lewis (3:03)
13 The Shiner Song: Joe Patek's Orchestra (2:42)
14 Calinda (La Reel de Barza): Michael Doucet & Dennis McGee (3:21)
15 Malinda: Canray Fontenot (1:06)
16 Bosco Stomp: Michael Doucet and David Doucet (2:57)
17 Burgundy Street Blues: Sammy Rimington & His Hot Six (4:14)
18 Creole Belles: New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra (3:03)
19 Over the Waves: Sammy Rimington & the Creole All Stars (4:32)
20 Big Fat Woman: Treme Brass Band & Henry Youngblood (2:19)
[Disk Two]
01 Fiddle Two-Step: Wilson & Joel Savoy (3:11)
02 Two-Step de Amede: The Savoy Family Band (4:32)
03 Louisiana Blues: Clifton Chenier (5:03)
04 Bye Bye Mo Neg: Clifton Chenier (5:37)
05 Los Ojos de Pancha: Los Alegres de Terán (2:02)
06 Nuestro Amor: Santiago Jiménez, Jr. (2:05)
07 Un Mojado Sin Licencia (A Wetbaack Without a License): Flaco Jiménez (3:39)
08 Mal Hombre: Lydia Mendoza (3:30)
09 En Cada Vida Hay Un Momento: Leo Garza (4:33)
10 La Tumba Sera El Final: Flaco Jimenez y Tomás Ortíz (2:20)
11 Let's Have a Ball: Ry Cooder & Flaco Jimenez (6:06)
12 Flor de Capomo: Los Cenzontles (2:26)
13 Golden Slippers: Whitetop Mountain Band Jam (2:12)
14 Ruby: No Speed Limit (5:54)
15 Grayson County Blues: No Speed Limit (3:36)
16 Pine Grove Blues: Pine Leaf Boys (4:40)
17 Oh, Franklin!: Cajun Jam (6:20)
18 Just a Little While / When the Saints Go Marching In: The Treme Brass Band (4:28)
[Credits]
Producer and Liner Notes: Chris Strachwitz and Adam Machado. Producer and Editor: Tom Diamant, Recorder: David Silberberg, Engineer: Nino Moschella
[Notes]
"This Ain’t No Mouse Music!" is the companion soundtrack to the documentary film of the same name. Released in 2014, the film followed Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz as he revisited many of the singers and musicians whom he had recorded over a 50-year period. Arhoolie, a slang expression for "field holler," focused on American roots music ranging from country blues to Cajun and zydeco, Tex-Mex and norteño, bluegrass, and New Orleans jazz. The music in this 2-CD soundtrack is only a small sample of what Strachwitz recorded or produced.

Big Joe Williams and Short Stuff Macon: Hell Bound and Heaven Sent Blues

Folkways Records FTS 31004

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released:1968
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Delta Blues
[Tracklist]
A1 Night Cap Blues: Big Joe Williams (2:55)
A2 My Jack Don't Drink Water No More: Short Stuff Macon (4:00)
A3 Flour Dough Blues: Big Joe Williams (2:45)
A4 Hell-Bound Blues: Short Stuff Macon (2:25)
A5 Big Legged Women, Keep Your Dresses Down: Big Joe Williams (3:10)
A6 Short Stuff Macon's Corinna: Short Stuff Macon (2:45)
B1 Don't Leave Me Here: Big Joe Williams (3:54)
B2 You Rascal, You: Big Joe Williams (1:05)
B3 Messing With That Thing: Short Stuff Macon (2:16)
B4 Bumble Bee: Big Joe Williams (4:12)
B5 If You Can't Fly: Big Joe Williams (2:46)
B6 Rock Road Bad Treatin': Short Stuff Macon (2:18)
[Credits]
Big Joe Williams (guitar/vocals) John Wesley Macon (guitar/vocals)
Producer: Harry Rosenblum, Jr., Designer: Craig Mierop, Liner Notes: Paul Nelson, Engineers: Dick Duman, Graham Gibson and Harry Rosenblum, Jr.
[Notes]
Recorded on the night of May 18, 1964 after a small concert at Bard College, Hell Bound and Heaven Sent Blues documents two blues singers and guitar players, Big Joe Williams and John Wesley "Short Stuff" Macon, amidst a struggling tour with an uncertain future. After a number of intimate shows at clubs, cafes, and schools, the pair had run out of options with no money and little hope other than Big Joe’s notion to "head west." With ragged and road-weary songs like "Don’t Leave Me Here" and "Hell Bound Blues," it’s blatantly apparent just how dire their prospects were. Growing up in rural Crawford, Mississippi, the two had come face to face with adversity since a young age—poverty, racism, and illiteracy were just a few obstacles they faced. Macon spent the first twenty-one years of his life playing his music almost entirely to himself, while Williams struggled on one unsuccessful tour after another. In spite of, or because of this, their strain of Delta blues is unique and idiosyncratic. Williams’ 9-string guitar and Macon’s crackling southern drawl seem as urgent and powerful today as they did in 1964.

Blues Rediscoveries 1966

RBF Records RBF-11

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 1966
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Delta Blues
[Tracklist]
A1 Ain't No Tellin': Mississippi John Hurt
A2 Avalon Blues: Mississippi John Hurt
A3 Sleepy Man Blues: Bukka White
A4 Aberdeen, Mississippi Blues: Bukka White
A5 Poor Man Blues: Henry Townsend
A6 Poor Man's Friend: John Estes
A7 Liquor Store Blues: John Estes
B1 Oh Lord Search My Heart: Blind Gary Davis
B2 You Got To Go Down: Blind Gary Davis
B3 Doin' Wrong: Peg Leg Howell
B4 Jelly Roll: Furry Lewis
B5 Sweet Papa Moan: Furry Lewis
B6 Highway 49: Big Joe Williams
B7 Someday Baby: Big Joe Williams
[Credits]
Mississippi John Hurt (guitar/vocals)
Compiled and Edited: Samuel B. Charters, Designer: Ronald Clyne, Photographer: Ann Charters