Various Artists - Bluesin' By The Bayou: Ain't Broke, Ain't Hungry

Year: 2017
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:08
Size: 169,7 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Mercy Baby - Pleadin' (2:19)
2. Leroy Washington - I've Been In This Prison (2:29)
3. Lightnin' Slim - Little Girl Blues (2:59)
4. Ramblin' Hi Harris - I Haven't Got A Home (3:02)
5. 'Honey Boy' Allen Pierre - Better Start Doin' It (1:59)
6. Slim Harpo - Cigarettes (2:12)
7. Lightnin' Slim - Hoo Doo Blues (2:30)
8. Polka Dot Slim - Ain't Broke, Ain't Hungry (3:04)
9. Lazy Lester - I'm A Lover Not A Fighter (2:52)
10. Joe Richards - Dreaming, Dreaming (2:26)
11. Al Smith - Still In Love With You (2:40)
12. Cookie & The Cupcakes - In The Evening (2:50)
13. Polka Dot Slim - A Thing You Gotta Face (2:59)
14. Jake Jackson - Life Gets Hard (2:40)
15. Barbara Lynn - Sugar Coated Love (2:46)
16. Boozoo Chavis & His Zodico Accordian - Tee Black (2:08)
17. Jimmy Anderson & The Joy Jumpers - Angel Please (2:50)
18. Clarence Garlow - Make Me Cry (2:51)
19. Boozoo Chavis & His Zodico Accordian - Hamburgers & Popcorn (1:33)
20. Lightnin' Slim - I Hate To Leave You Baby (2:55)
21. Al Smith - If I Don't See You (2:28)
22. Ramblin' Hi Harris - Baby, Baby, Baby (2:45)
23. Lightnin' Slim - I Don't Know (2:07)
24. Big Walter - If The Blues Was Money (3:18)
25. Jake Jackson - Somebody Tell Me (3:00)
26. Al Smith - I Love Her So (2:09)
27. T.B. Fisher - Don't Change Your Mind (2:05)
28. Unknown Artist - I'm Gonna Find My Baby (3:01)

The “By The Bayou” series leaps to Volume 18 with a return to the blues of South Louisiana, bringing you rare or previously unissued tracks from stars of the genre such as Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester and Slim Harpo, plus a host of little-known or completely unknown performers. We also have two artists who you would never think performed in the downhome style – Barbara Lynn and Cookie (aka Huey Thierry) – but who sound right at home, with an unknown harmonica player setting the tone on Barbara’s track whilst Cupcakes guitarist Marshall Laday supports Cookie with some mean blues pickin’. In fact there are several tracks here that will have air-guitar virtuosos reaching for their imaginary axes.

We reveal in the booklet that the much-reported birthplace of Lightnin’ Slim may be another creation of this enigmatic performer. Sorting out the different takes of his songs has proven complicated because he was inclined to sing subtle changes in the lyrics whilst performing identical guitar work. This time we have had the support of a dedicated fan who prefers to remain anonymous but provided detailed analysis. As for Slim Harpo, ‘Cigarettes’ is one of my favourites amongst his lesser-known titles.

As always there are a handful of mystery singers. Was there really a “Ramblin’ Hi Harris”, for example, or was his name created later by J.D. Miller? Another rarity is an artist whose record doesn’t appear in that veritable tome The Blues Discography 1943-1970. T.B. Fisher may have escaped notice there but he is proof of what a great ear Huey Meaux had for all manner of music. The man had a real knack for spotting talent and bringing out their best on vinyl, and I’ll wager there will be many a blues aficionado hunting for Fisher’s disc once it’s been heard.

Bluesin' By The Bayou: Aint' Broke, Ain't Hungry mc
Bluesin' By The Bayou: Aint' Broke, Ain't Hungry zippy

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Various Artists - Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving

Year: 2016
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:53
Size: 179,6 MB
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues, zydeco
Scans: Full

1. Henry Gray - I'm A Lucky Man (2:14)
2. Juke Boy Bonner - I'm Not Jiving (2:39)
3. Lightnin' Slim - Miss Fannie Brown (2:53)
4. Slim Harpo - Things Gonna Change (2:25)
5. Boogie Jake - I Don't Know Why (2:20)
6. Lazy Lester - I Told My Little Woman (2:46)
7. Lonesome Sundown - I'm A Mojo Man (2:19)
8. Boozoo Chavis - Oh Yeah She's Gone (2:14)
9. Clifton Chenier - Everbody Calls Me Crazy (2:39)
10. Blue Charlie Morris - Don't Bring No Friend (2:48)
11. Lonesome Sundown - No Use To Worry (2:55)
12. Jimmy Anderson - Baby Let's Burn (2:06)
13. Slim Harpo - Wild About My Baby (1:59)
14. Silas Hogan - (Roaches In My Kitchen) Trouble At Home Blues (2:28)
15. Elton Anderson - I Want To Talk To You (Baby) (2:35)
16. Lazy Lester - Patrol Wagon (2:43)
17. Ramblin' Hi Harris - Early One Morning (2:09)
18. Schoolboy Cleve - She's Gone (2:11)
19. Chris Kenner - Don't Let Her Pin That Charge On Me (2:53)
20. Clarence Garlow - I Feel Like Calling You (3:21)
21. Boozoo Chavis - Bye Bye Catin (2:37)
22. Clifton Chenier - Night And Day My Love (2:40)
23. Henry Clement - Late Hour Blues (3:03)
24. Henry Gray - Cold Chills (4:48)
25. Elton Anderson - Prove Me Guilty (2:51)
26. Johnny Sonnier - Sitting Here All Alone (3:21)
27. Vince Monroe (Mr Calhoun) - Prisoner's Song (4:28)
28. Jimmy Anderson - Frankie And Johnny (3:13)

Raw blues gems trawled from the swamps of South Louisiana, plus a touch of zydeco. Ten tracks are previously unreleased or alternate takes, while the other 18 are extremely rare.

Baton Rouge was arguably the blues centre of Louisiana and just about all of the artists featured in this compilation spent part of their lives there. Long-time favourites Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo and Silas Hogan certainly honed their skills in its clubs and bars, although they travelled some 70 miles west to record at J.D. Miller’s studio in Crowley. Everything here emanated from Miller’s studio or from his close rival Eddie Shuler’s facility in Lake Charles, except series newcomer Chris Kenner’s track, which was cut in New Orleans. Other artists new to the series are Henry Gray, Juke Boy Bonner, Elton Anderson, Ramblin’ Hi Harris and Schoolboy Cleve.

All of which means we have another feast of classic blues, led by guitar, piano or harmonica, plus a little zydeco from Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis, whose tracks sit comfortably alongside the work of Lonesome Sundown, Jimmy Anderson and our other artists. During the 50s and 60s zydeco was the blues of the French-speaking black population of Louisiana, with the accordion replacing the harmonica as instrument of choice. Today the music is enjoying huge popularity, with thousands of aficionados from across the globe flooding to festivals in Lafayette, Breaux Bridge and other small towns across southwest Louisiana.

Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving mc
Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving zippy

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VA - Bluesin' By The Bayou

Size: 166,6 MB
Time: 69:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Louisiana Blues, Zydeco, Cajun
Art: Full

01. Silas Hogan - Just Give Me A Chance (2:07)
02. Slim Harpo - That's Alright (2:32)
03. Lazy Lester - Late In The Evening (2:40)
04. Clifton Chenier - Worried Life Blues (2:16)
05. Thaddeus Declouet - Catch The Morning Train (2:34)
06. Lightnin' Slim - Big Fat Woman (2:08)
07. Joe Rich - Dreaming, Dreaming (2:48)
08. Jimmy Dotson - Oh Baby (2:18)
09. Mr Mojo - They Say The World Loves A Lover (2:28)
10. Jimmy Anderson - In The Dark In The Park (2:23)
11. Blue Boy Dorsey - Walkin' Out My Door (2:15)
12. Joe Mayfield - I'm A Natural Born Man (1:49)
13. Boogie Jake - Early Morning Blues (2:03)
14. Honey Boy Allen - I'm A Real Lover Baby (2:23)
15. Boozoo Chavis - Forty One Days (2:47)
16. Thaddeus Declouet - Trouble Trouble (2:45)
17. Talton Miller - Long Journey (Life's Journey) (3:10)
18. Lefthand Charlie - Gonna Miss My Lognion (3:10)
19. Lightnin' Slim - I Ain't Got No Money (2:11)
20. Lonesome Sundown - I'm A Samplin' Man (2:06)
21. Lazy Lester - I'm Gonna Leave You Baby (2:09)
22. Lightnin' Slim - Stranger In Your Town (2:48)
23. Silas Hogan - Sitting Here Wondering (2:58)
24. Leroy Washington - Lost Love Letter Blues (3:16)
25. Joe Rich - Lonesome Lover Blues (2:06)
26. Jimmy Anderson - I Want You, I Need You (2:26)
27. Sylvester Buckley - I Can Be On My Way (2:13)
28. Johnny Sonnier - Slow Walking Fever And The Asiatic Flu (2:46)

Hardly have we savoured the full taste of “Rhythm ’n’ Bluesin’ By The Bayou” than here comes another bucketful of steaming South Louisiana gumbo and this time it’s “Bluesin’ By The Bayou” – a spicy mix of guitars, harmonicas, and even the occasional accordion, accompanying those tales of despair or machismo that are the recipe for the blues.

All the tracks stem from the studios of J.D. Miller in Crowley and Eddie Shuler in Lake Charles. These two men were wonders at spotting talent and getting the best out of the performers, as illustrated on the 28 tracks on this CD.

Half of the songs are heard here for the first time, while the other half have appeared before on obscure 45s or long-deleted reissue LPs. Of the previously unissued numbers, some are alternate takes; they are not included just because they are alternates, but because they have something to offer and deserve to be heard.

The three earlier CDs in the “…By the Bayou” series made you feel like dancing. This collection makes for more reflective listening; maybe you’ll pick a little air guitar along with Lightnin’ Slim et al as you drink in the atmosphere of a juke joint on a steamy Louisiana night.

With blues giants Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo and Lonesome Sundown augmented by lesser-known talents such as Silas Hogan, Jimmy Dotson, Joe Rich, Jimmy Anderson and Tal Miller, plus a touch of Zydeco from Clifton Chenier, Boozoo Chavis and Thaddeus Declouet, this is the first CD of its kind to be issued for many a moon.

Europeans took real notice of the blues some 60 years ago when Big Bill Broonzy and Muddy Waters first crossed the Atlantic, but it wasn’t until a band of enthusiasts founded the groundbreaking Blues Unlimited magazine at the start of the 60s that we began to discover just how much of this music was out there and how many obscure records there were to collect. And here we are, 50 years down the line, and still learning. So, whether you are an old-school blueser or new to the genre, there is something here for you

The ongoing joy of sifting through the tapes in the Miller vaults, which provide the backbone of this series, plus the hundreds of tracks already transferred, means that there will be more to come in the “…By The Bayou” series. Who knows what previously undiscovered gems may lie in the next unlabelled box to be opened.

In the meantime, let’s get groovin’ to some downhome blues – pass the jug!

Thanks to MrWalker.
Bluesin' By The Bayou

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