Sampson Pittman - The Devil Is Busy

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 1992
Styles: Pre-war Blues
Time: 36:44
Size: 84,9 MB
Covers: Front,CD,Tray

(3:50) 1. I Been Down in the Circle Before
(0:45) 2. Interview
(4:45) 3. Levee Camp Story
(3:35) 4. Highway 61 Blues
(6:41) 5. Brother Low-Down and Sister Do-Dad
(3:16) 6. Brother Low-Down and Sister Do-Dad (tk2)
(3:19) 7. Cotton Farmer Blues
(0:49) 8. Interview
(2:40) 9. Welfare Blues
(0:18) 10. Interview
(3:24) 11. Joe Louis
(0:25) 12. Interview
(2:50) 13. John Henry

Library of Congress field recordings by Alan Lomax from 1938, recorded in Detroit! These recordings are the earliest blues recordigs made in Detroit. Pittman was born and raised in the Arkansas delta town of Blytheville (he spent a substantial part of his life working on the levees), but moved to Detroit in the mid 1930s. Library of Congress rarely recorded in urban areas, so these session are exceptional and an important document of early urban blues. Pittman sings and speaks candidly about his toil on the levees and life in the camps. On "Welfare Blues" he sings freely and with criticism about Welfare in Detroit. Although he moved to a city, Pittman retained the vocal styles and instrumenta techniques of the Delta; bottleneck slide, percussive instrumental techniques, intensely passionate vocals and the use of falsetto and moaning. The secong guitar is played by Calvin Frazier.

The Devil Is Busy

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