VA - When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 2: The First Time I Met the Blues

When Bluebird/RCA launched its blues-oriented "When the Sun Goes Down" series in 2002, it described the compilations as "the secret history of rock & roll." That didn't mean that the series focuses on obscure, lesser-known rock & roll recordings; rather, it spotlights pre-'50s recordings that helped pave the way for the rock & roll explosion.

Spanning 1927-1936, "When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 2: The First Time I Met the Blues" illustrates the diversity of the prewar blues world. The terms "country blues" and "prewar blues" are often used interchangeably, and in fact, a lot of prewar blues did fall into the country blues category (which could be anything from Mississippi Delta blues to Piedmont blues to Memphis blues). But there was also an urban, jazz-influenced school of prewar blues: classic female blues, which was quite popular in the '20s and '30s -- and when this CD is playing, one is reminded of the differences between classic female blues and country blues. Recordings by Victoria Spivey ("Telephoning the Blues") and Lizzie Miles ("I Hate a Man Like You") are the essence of jazz-minded classic blues -- the latter even boasts Jelly Roll Morton on piano -- whereas Bo Carter's "Doubled Up in a Knot" and Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curly Hair" are state-of-the-art country blues. Meanwhile, old-time country singer Jimmie Rodgers (not to be confused with the Jimmy Rogers who recorded for Chess) favors a rural/urban blend on "Blue Yodel No. 9," which boasts Louis Armstrong on cornet. Rodgers' outlook was primarily rural, but "Blue Yodel No. 9" underscores his willingness to incorporate jazz on occasion. Historians will find a lot to admire about this diverse, far-reaching CD.

Tracklist:

–Victoria Spivey - Telephoning The Blues
–Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers - Viola Lee Blues
–Genevieve Davis - Haven't Got A Dollar To Pay Your House Rent Man
–Ishman Bracey - Saturday Blues
–Jim Jackson - When I Woke Up This Morning She Was Gone
–Tommy Johnson - Canned Heat Blues
–Blind Willie McTell - Statesboro Blues
–Memphis Jug Band - Stealin', Stealin'
–Furry Lewis - Judge Harsh Blues
–Edna Winston - Rent Man Blues
–Harris & Harris - I Don't Care What You Say
–Lizzie Miles - I Hate A Man Like You
–Frank Stokes - 'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do -- Pt. 1
–Sippie Thomas - I'm A Mighty Tight Woman
–Jimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel #9
–Sleepy John Estes - The Girl I Love, She Got Long, Curly Hair
–Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe - Don't Want No Woman
–Memphis Jug Band - Cocaine Habit Blues
–Blind Willie Reynolds - Married Woman Blues
–Jimmie Davis - Red Nightgown Blues
–Mississippi Matilda - Hardworking Woman
–Bo Carter - Doubled Up In A Knot
–Daddy Stovepipe & Mississippi Sarah - If You Want Me, Baby
–Little Brother Montgomery - The First Time I Met The Blues
–The Mississippi Sheiks - Sales Tax

VA - When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 2: The First Time I Met the Blues

(320 kbps, cover art included)