Roosevelt Scott - Vocalion (1939 - 1940)

Just got this complete run of blues singer, Roosevelt Scott, on Vocalion. These are from two Chicago sessions in 1939 and 1940. Not much is known about Scott judging from scant results of internet searches.

Roosevelt Scott v / Jesse "Monkey Joe" Coleman p / Willie B. James g / Alfred Elkins vocal bass.

Recorded in Chicago on September 13, 1939.

Roosevelt Scott v / Jesse "Monkey Joe" Coleman p / Fred Williams d.

Recorded in Chicago on January 26, 1940.

Big Bill Broonzy - Mercury 8271 (1951)

Big Bill Broonzy g, v / Bob Call p / Ransom Knowling b.

Recorded in Chicago on November 8, 1951.

Tommy McClennan - Bluebird 34-0716 (1942)

Here's gravelly voiced Mississippi blues musician, Tommy McClennan. He frequently played with fellow Yazoo City born, Robert Petway.

McClennan was with Bluebird from 1939-1942 but this record was released in 1944.

Tommy McClennan g, v / Ransom Knowling sb.

Recorded in Chicago on February 20, 1042.

Rev. J.M. Gates - Herwin 92035 (1926)

From wikipedia...

The Reverend J.M. Gates (July 14, 1884 – August 18, 1945) was an American Christian preacher and Gospel music singer.

From 1914 to his death, Gates was the pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Rock Dale Park, Atlanta, Georgia. He had a very prolific recording career, recording over 200 sides between 1926 and 1941, including frequent rerecordings. Experts estimate that at least a quarter of all sermons commercially released on record before 1943 were recorded by Gates.

His first best-seller, 1926's "Death's Black Train Is Coming", sold 35,000 copies by the end of its release year. Many of his recordings were strong warnings of the hellish punishments that awaited sinners.

Gates is credited with introducing the gospel music of former blues artist Thomas A. Dorsey into the black gospel market via his crusades. His funeral drew the largest crowd of any memorial service in the city before Martin Luther King, Jr. In addition to a Columbia Records collection and a "complete works" set from Document Records, Gates' work has been frequently featured in gospel and roots music anthologies, including Harry Smith's influential Anthology of American Folk Music.

Herwin Records was an American independent record label founded and run by brothers Herbert and Edwin Schiele, the trademark name being formed from their first names (HERbert and EdWIN).

Herwin Records was based in St. Louis, Missouri, and produced records starting in 1924. Most of the material released on the label was from master discs leased from Gennett Records and Paramount Records. In 1930 Herwin was sold to the Wisconsin Chair Company, the parent of Paramount Records, which discontinued the Herwin label.

Recorded in New York in August, 1926.

Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson - Odeon 286073 (1929)

Just came into a batch of European issues of early jazz. By request, here is the first offering.

Click the name tags below for other posts by these artists.

Eddie Lang g / Lonnie Johnson 12 string g.

Recorded in New York on May 7, 1929.

They’ve Got Those Old, Hard-to-Find Blues (NY Times 7/8/09)

This is one of my favorite articles that I have run across on the net. It let me know that there are others out there with the same passion for wax that I have...albeit my collection is on a MUCH smaller scale as the subjects being interviewed.

It also provided a face or two to people that I have had dealings with in the past on eBay...either as a buyer or a seller.

Brand New 78s??

Browsing the web, I recently came across a site for Rivermont Records. They still make 78 rpm records! They have 2 sets of limited edition 78's available.

One set contains two 78's consisting of the brilliant cornetist, Bix Beiderbecke's 4 piano solos...3 of which Bix never put down on shellac. Pianist Bryan Wright records Candlelights, Flashes, In The Dark & the  masterpiece...originally recorded by Bix in 1927 on Okeh 40916...In A Mist. Click here to read more about the set and to hear samples of each track.

The other 78 available is by Andy Schumm & His Flatland Gang. The tracks are Down In The Gallion & The Swing. Down In The Gallion was originally recorded by John Williams' Synco Jazzers in 1927. That original line up featured a young pianist named Mary Lou Burleigh who would later marry the band leader and become arguably the most prominent female figure in jazz history, Mary Lou Williams. The Swing was originally recorded in 1924 by Johnny De Droit & His New Orleans Orchestra. Click here to read more about Andy Schumm & His Flatland Gang and to hear samples of each track.