The Blues: A Smithsonian Collection of Classic Blues Singers

~ Release by Various Artists (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Disc 1, Mirrored): DIDP-079962 3
Mould SID Code (Disc 1): IFPI 5089
Matrix / Runout (Disc 2, Mirrored): DIDP-079963 3
Mould SID Code (Disc 2): IFPI 5069
Matrix / Runout (Disc 3, Mirrored): DIDP-079964 2
Mould SID Code (Disc 3): IFPI 5087
Matrix / Runout (Disc 4, Mirrored): DIDP-079965 1

Annotation last modified on 2025-08-09 12:47 UTC.

Tracklist

1▼CD
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1That Black Snake Moan
guitar:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter) (in 1929-03)
vocals:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter) (in 1929-03)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Sony Music Entertainment Inc. (company owned by Sony Corporation of America from 1991–2004, operated worldwide except in JP; normally not a release label) (in 1991)
recording of:
Black Snake Moan (in 1925)
lyricist and composer:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter)
Blind Lemon Jefferson2:54
2Broke and Hungry Blues
guitar:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter) (in 1926-11)
vocals:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter) (in 1926-11)
recording of:
Broke and Hungry
writer:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter)
Blind Lemon Jefferson3:03
3Match Box Blues
guitar:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter) (on 1927-03-14, in 1927-04)
vocals:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter) (on 1927-03-14, in 1927-04)
recording of:
Match Box Blues (on 1927-03-14)
lyricist and composer:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter)
recording of:
Match Box Blues (in 1927-04)
lyricist and composer:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter)
recording of:
Match Box Blues (in 1927)
lyricist and composer:
Blind Lemon Jefferson (American blues and gospel singer‐songwriter)
Blind Lemon Jefferson2:51
4Shake That Thing
banjo and vocal:
Papa Charlie Jackson
Papa Charlie Jackson3:00
5Shave 'em Dry
12 string guitar:
Miles Pruitt
guitar:
[unknown] (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.) (in 1924-08) and Milas Pruitt (in 1924-08)
vocals:
Ma Rainey (in 1924-08)
recording of:
Shave 'em Dry Blues
writer:
William Henry Jackson (real name of Papa Charlie Jackson; aka. Papa Charlie Jackson, Dentist Jackson) and Ma Rainey
Ma Rainey2:41
6Countin' The Blues
banjo:
Charlie Dixon (Jazz banjoist)
clarinet:
Buster Bailey (clarinetist)
cornet:
Louis Armstrong
drums (drum set):
Kaiser Marshall
piano:
Fletcher Henderson
trombone:
Charlie Green (Trombonist)
vocal:
Ma Rainey
Ma Rainey3:11
7Jailhouse Blues
piano:
Irving Johns
vocal:
Bessie Smith (Tennessee blues singer)
recording of:
Jailhouse Blues
writer:
Bessie Smith (Tennessee blues singer) and Clarence Williams (US jazz pianist, composer, singer and bandleader)
Bessie Smith3:16
8Mama's Got the Blues
piano:
Fletcher Henderson
vocal:
Bessie Smith (Tennessee blues singer)
recording of:
Mama's Got The Blues (Martin and Williams, 1920s)
writer:
Sarah Martin (1920s US blues singer, 1884–1955)
composer:
Clarence Williams (US jazz pianist, composer, singer and bandleader)
Bessie Smith2:59
9Back Water Blues
vocal:
Bessie Smith (Tennessee blues singer)
recording of:
Back Water Blues
writer:
Bessie Smith (Tennessee blues singer)
Bessie Smith3:19
10Special Delivery Blues
cornet:
Louis Armstrong
piano:
Hersel Thomas
vocal:
Sippie Wallace
recording of:
Special Delivery Blues
writer:
Sippie Wallace
Sippie Wallace3:26
11Death Sting Me Blues
clarinet:
Cyrus St. Clair
cornet:
King Oliver (jazz cornetist)
piano:
Clarence Williams (US jazz pianist, composer, singer and bandleader)
trombone:
Charlie Green (Trombonist)
vocal:
Sara Martin (1920s US blues singer, 1884–1955)
recording of:
Death Sting Me Blues
writer:
Clarence Williams (US jazz pianist, composer, singer and bandleader)
Sara Martin2:55
12Barbecue Blues
guitar and vocal:
Barbecue Bob
recording of:
Barbecue Blues
writer:
Barbecue Bob
Barbecue Bob3:14
13Mean Trouble Blues
harmonica and vocal:
Jaybird Coleman
piano:
R.D. Norwood (gospel singer, who recorded duets with Slim Duckett for OKeh in Jackson, Mississippi, 1930)
recording of:
Man Trouble Blues
writer:
Jaybird Coleman
Jaybird Coleman3:06
14Long Lonesome Day Blues
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1927-08-11)
guitar:
Lonnie Johnson (American blues and jazz musician) (on 1927-08-11)
lead vocals:
Alger “Texas” Alexander (on 1927-08-11)
recording of:
Long Lonesome Day Blues
composer:
Alger “Texas” Alexander
Alger “Texas” Alexander3:06
15Kansas City Blues, Parts 1 & 2
guitar and vocal:
Jim Jackson (African American blues and hokum singer)
recording of:
Kansas City Blues, Parts 1 & 2
writer:
Jim Jackson (African American blues and hokum singer)
Jim Jackson6:36
16Why Don't You Come Home Blues
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (on 1927-10-09)
guitar and lead vocals:
Furry Lewis (Walter E. Lewis, American country blues guitarist) (on 1927-10-09)
vocals:
Furry Lewis (Walter E. Lewis, American country blues guitarist) (on 1927-10-09)
recording of:
Why Don't You Come Home Blues (on 1927-10-09)
lyricist and composer:
Furry Lewis (Walter E. Lewis, American country blues guitarist)
Furry Lewis52:47
17Dark Was the Night - Cold Was the Ground
recorded in:
Dallas, Texas, United States (on 1927-12-03)
guitar and other vocals [humming and moaning]:
Blind Willie Johnson (on 1927-12-03)
vocals:
Blind Willie Johnson (on 1927-12-03)
publisher:
Harmony (20s/30s US)
part of:
Blues Hall of Fame: Classic of Blues Recording Single (number: 1999)
recording of:
Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground (on 1927-12-03)
writer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
composer and arranger:
Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie Johnson3.753:23
18Minglewood Blues
recorded in:
Memphis, Tennessee, United States (on 1928-01-30)
banjo and jug:
Gus Cannon (on 1928-01-30)
guitar:
Ashley Thompson (Cannon’s Jug Stompers) (on 1928-01-30)
harmonica:
Noah Lewis (on 1928-01-30)
vocals:
Ashley Thompson (Cannon’s Jug Stompers) (on 1928-01-30)
recording of:
Minglewood Blues (on 1928-01-30)
writer:
Noah Lewis
publisher:
APRS (American Performing Rights Society, Inc.(BMI)), Copyright Control (not for release label use! this is only for copyrights and publishing relationships) and Peermusic (UK) Ltd. (BMI)
Cannon’s Jug Stompers43:42
19Cool Drink of Water Blues
recorded in:
Memphis, Tennessee, United States (on 1928-02-03)
guitar:
Tommy Johnson (American Delta blues musician) (on 1928-02-03) and “Papa” Charlie McCoy (1930's delta blues musician) (on 1928-02-03)
vocals:
Tommy Johnson (American Delta blues musician) (on 1928-02-03)
recording of:
Cool Drink of Water Blues (on 1928-02-03)
writer:
Tommy Johnson (American Delta blues musician)
Tommy Johnson3:36
20Big Road Blues
recorded in:
Memphis, Tennessee, United States (on 1928-02-03)
guitar:
Tommy Johnson (American Delta blues musician) (on 1928-02-03) and “Papa” Charlie McCoy (1930's delta blues musician) (on 1928-02-03)
vocals:
Tommy Johnson (American Delta blues musician) (on 1928-02-03)
part of:
Blues Hall of Fame: Classic of Blues Recording Single (number: 1987)
recording of:
Big Road Blues (on 1928-02-03)
lyricist and composer:
Tommy Johnson (American Delta blues musician)
publisher:
Kokomo Music
Tommy Johnson3:23
21Bull Doze Blues
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (on 1928-06-13)
acoustic guitar, pan flute [quills] and lead vocals:
Henry Thomas (American country blues singer) (on 1928-06-13)
recording of:
Bull Doze Blues (on 1928-06-13)
lyricist and composer:
Henry Thomas (American country blues singer)
Henry Thomas53:28
22How Long, How Long Blues, Part 1
guitar:
Scrapper Blackwell (on 1928-06-19)
piano:
Leroy Carr (on 1928-06-19)
vocals:
Leroy Carr (on 1928-06-19)
part of:
Blues Hall of Fame: Classic of Blues Recording Single (number: 1988)
recording of:
How Long, How Long Blues (on 1928-06-19)
lyricist and composer:
Leroy Carr
publisher:
Compact Music and MCA Music Publishing (renamed since c. 1996 as Universal Music Publishing Group)
Leroy Carr3.53:04
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3▶CD
4▶CD

Credits

Release

liner notes:W. K. McNeil (liner notes related)
producer:Dennis Britton
W. K. McNeil (liner notes related)
Bruce Talbot
mastering:John Tyler (American engineer)
manufactured by:Sony Music Special Products
copyrighted (©) by:Smithsonian Institution
phonographic copyright (℗) by:Sony Music Entertainment (NOT FOR RELEASE LABEL USE! company owned by Sony Corporation of America since Oct 1, 2008; operates worldwide except in JP)
glass mastered at:DADC
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/release/12076013 [info]