Description
*This is a Vinyl LP*
Release Date: 2020
Label: Yazoo Records
Track List
Side A
A1. Carl Martin – Farewell To You Baby
A2. Carl Martin – Badly Mistreated Man
A3. Billy Bird – Mill Man Blues
A4. Blind Blake – You Gonna Quit Me Blues
A5. Blind Blake – Wabash Rag
A6. Tampa Red – Boogie Woogie Dance
A7. Tampa Red – Bumble Bee Blues
Side B
B1. Blind Blake – Guitar Chimes
B2. Blind Blake – Panther Squall Blues
B3. Sam Butler – Poor Boy Blues
B4. Sam Butler – Jefferson County Blues
B5. Sam Butler – Some Scream High Yellow
B6. William Moore – Ragtime Millionaire
B7. Carl Martin – Joe Louis Blues
Review
Guitar Wizards: 1926-1935 showcases some of the finest six-string players who resided in the Carolinas and along the Atlantic coast during the period. While it has consistently been afforded less significance than its Mississippi and Memphis counterparts, the area has one of the oldest blues traditions. Still, its recorded legacy remains small in comparison. Many of the musicians here had to make their way to larger cities for recording opportunities. The most successful was Blind Blake, a highly popular and influential recording artist with ties to both Chicago and the coast. An average singer and versifier, Blake’s reputation rests almost entirely on his stunning guitar technique. He makes four appearances on Guitar Wizards, the most impressive of which is the dazzling “Guitar Chimes Blues.” Blake sounds completely relaxed, taking the time to pause to repeat a chord or figure or spin graceful, syncopated lines. Also included is a tasteful stroll through the songster standard “You’re Gonna Quit Me Blues” and an example of his ragtime style on “Wabash Rag.” By contrast, there’s a sense of recklessness in the brisk picking of Sam Butler. His lines seem to jump ahead of the vocal, then wait for it to catch up. The results are thrilling on performances like “Jefferson County Blues” and “Some Scream High Yellow.” Tampa Red (whose technique won him the “Guitar Wizard” tag) plays in a forceful style, with clear, punctuating notes being broken by his characteristic, crying slide interjections. Nathan Bush
