New Release The Definitive Leadbelly Box Set

The Definitive Leadbelly

click image for track listing

Sometimes I want to scream, "OH NO, not another box set!" But then I have to remind myself that most people don't collect this stuff like I do. The Definitive Leadbelly is three-CDs with 75-tracks and the whole thing won't put too big of a dent in your back pocket. It has some of Leadbelly's best stuff, like blues, spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads. Of course songs like "Midnight Special," "Goodnight Irene," "John Henry," and "Death Letter Blues" are included. If you are a fan of Huddie Ledbetter than this is the collection for you.

Leadbelly mp3s @HypeMachine
Leadbelly mp3s @Elbos.ws

mp3s by Leadbelly

Leadbelly has always been one of my favorite blues men. My affection for him stems from the fact that he played and sang his music in my home town of Shreveport, Louisiana, down on Fannin Street back in the twenties and thirties. I was so excited to learn that he probably lived and walked around in the Ledbetter Heights section of Shreveport.

As you have probably noticed if you frequent this blog or if you look around a bit I am attracted to the prewar blues men. Later I may focus more on the post war and modern blues musician, but right now I am happy to find and do research on the pre war musicians.

The details of Leadbelly's life can be found here in an article from Answers.com. Also of note is the very interesting entry from the Handbook of Texas Online "Ledbetter, Huddie (Leadbelly)". And finally an article that has some great links for those who are interested in Leadbelly's life.

"Midnight Special" (3:11, 541 kB) - 124-A-1, Louisiana State Penitentiary, 1 July 1934

"Packin' Trunk" (2:56, 508 kB) - 16685-1, New York City, 23 January 1935

"Death Letter Blues, Part 1" (3:18, 553 kB) - 16695-2, New York City, 24 January 1935

"The Gallis Pole" (3:01, 519 kB) - GM-509-A, New York City, 1 April 1939

"Good Morning Blues" (2:53, 498 kB) - 051501-1, New York City, 15 June 1940



file under;
music, blues, mp3, Leadbelly

It's the Birthday of Leadbelly

Important Recordings 1934-1949

please click image

Today is the birthday of singer, songwriter Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 1888.

He is best known for his versions of "Goodnight Irene" and "Rock Island Line." He was an inmate at Angola Prison in Louisiana when a white man named Alan Lomax arrived, asking to record any songs the prisoners knew. Lomax was traveling across the south making field recordings for the Library of Congress. Lomax helped him obtain a pardon and took him to New York where he was a big hit.

Over the years I have written several post on Leadbelly, click here for Leadbelly @SqueezeMyLemon.

file under;
mp3, blues, music

It's the Birthday of Leadbelly

Important Recordings 1934-1949

please click image

Today is the birthday of singer, songwriter Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 1888.

He is best known for his versions of "Goodnight Irene" and "Rock Island Line." He was an inmate at Angola Prison in Louisiana when a white man named Alan Lomax arrived, asking to record any songs the prisoners knew. Lomax was traveling across the south making field recordings for the Library of Congress. Lomax helped him obtain a pardon and took him to New York where he was a big hit.

Over the years I have written several post on Leadbelly, click here for Leadbelly @SqueezeMyLemon.

file under;
mp3, blues, music

Video of Leadbelly

I've posted some mp3s of Leadbelly in this blog but until now I have not posted any video of him. These songs probably fit more in the folk music catagory, but I like them all the same. I love folk music (I love all kinds of music), but I like the simple lyrics and the presentation of most folk performers. Kind of the same way that I love the simple presentation of the early blues music.

Leadbelly for example had a very rhythmic way of playing his guitar as he sang. And seeing him on video is a much more satisfying experience then just hearing him sing. With that in mind, please take a look at this video of Leadbelly doing several of his songs. Note how he seems to be dancing with his guitar as he sings.

file under;
music, blues, video

Leadbelly at Angola, Louisiana

Prison Compound No. 1, Angola, Louisiana, Leadbelly in Foreground

Buy at AllPosters.com


When we were boys, the old folks used to tell us, "If you keep being bad, you going to end up in Angola."

That would make us behave for a good thirty minutes or so.

Wikipedia's Picture of Leadbelly

I like this photo of Leadbelly with an Accordeon. I found it on Wikipedia, which I reference a lot. I know that there are those who don't like Wikipedia, but I think it is a great source. And they have many entries that can be of interest to blues fans. Their article on The Blues is very comprehensive, and I think is a must read.

Please donate something to Wikipedia

Leadbelly Newsreel

File this one under blues history.



Notes from YouTube;

This is an excerpt from a 1935 March of Time newsreel (produced by Time magazine) which re-enacts Leadbelly's release from Angola Prison, Louisiana. John Lomax plays himself, and Leadbelly performs 'Goodnight Irene'.

Thanks to my twitter friend The Ash Grove

Happy Birthday Leadbelly

Today is the birthday of singer, songwriter Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 1888.

He is best known for his versions of "Goodnight Irene" and "Rock Island Line." He was an inmate at Angola Prison in Louisiana when a white man named Alan Lomax arrived, asking to record any songs the prisoners knew. Lomax was traveling across the south making field recordings for the Library of Congress. Lomax helped him obtain a pardon and took him to New York where he was a big hit.

Click here for Mp3s by Lead Belly

file under;
mp3, blues, music

Blues Places - Shreveport Blues

As some of you who have been reading this blog for a while probably know I am from Shreveport, Louisiana originally. I was born and raised there and grew up in a neighborhood just out side of downtown called Allendale. We had a few juke joints like that one on the corner of Dale and Alston St. They tore that building down a long time ago though.

They are busy tearing down that whole neighborhood. Things have changed, the blues there have changed too. I remember walking down Alston St. and passing this one house where a lady sat on the front porch. She listened to B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone" over and over. I probably passed by that house hundreds, if not thousands of times. And that was the only song I ever heard coming from that house. It was not until I became an adult that I understood the kind of blues she had. That is the kind of blues that people in Shreveport have.

I have done a few post on my hometown blues favorite Leadbelly. The video below is a cool one that I had not seen before, it is of Pete Seeger talking about Leadbelly.

Lead Belly Teaser


And I also want to introduce some to another Shreveport native who in my assessment is the real deal when it comes to the blues. Consider young Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Prison Blues


Check out the official Kenny Wayne Shepherd web site here.

Another blues song about Shreveport that some of you may know is this Memphis Minnie song.

Shreveport Blues

I've got a man in Shreveport, he's forever on my mind
I've got a man in Shreveport, he's forever on my mind
When I lay down at night, he bothers me all the time

He's a long tall papa, live mostly on Texas Avenue
He's a long tall papa, live mostly on Texas Avenue
And if I don't get that man, I'll forever have the Shreveport Blues

He's a sweet lovin' man, one that knows his stuff
He's a sweet lovin' man, one that knows his stuff
Takes me in his arms so easy, he's not a bit rough

I never get tired of lovin', cause he's got all I need
I never get tired of lovin', cause he's got all I need
I want my lovin', ten or twelve times a week

Shreveport Shreveport, Shreveport where is my man?
Shreveport Shreveport, Shreveport where is my man?
Shreveport Shreveport, Shreveport where is my man?

And for the blues piano fans, check out Jim Hession playing Jelly Roll Morton's Shreveport Stomp.

Jim Hession /Shreveport Stomp /Jelly Roll Morton

Texas blues

Growing up in Louisiana, in the shadow of the great state of Texas gives you a different perspective on things. Especially music. Especially blues music. I feel like I really understand what those great Texas blues musicians were singing about, you know what I mean?

People like Lightin' Hopkins, Big Mama Thornton, T-Bone Walker and Leadbelly. Living there for a few years, and going to college there only served to make me appreciate the state, the people and the great Texas Blues music even more.

According to Wikipedia;

Texas Blues began to appear in the early 1900s among African Americans who worked in oilfields, ranches and lumber camps. In the 1920s, Blind Lemon Jefferson innovated the style by using jazz-like improvisation and single string accompaniment on a guitar; Jefferson's influence defined the field and inspired later performers, like Lightnin' Hopkins and T-Bone Walker. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, many bluesmen moved to cities like Galveston, Houston and Dallas. It was from these cities that a new wave of popular performers appeared, including slide guitarist and gospel singer Blind Willie Johnson and legendary vocalist Big Mama Thornton. Duke Records and Peacock Records were the most important labels of the scene.

In the 1960s, however, the record industry moved north, reducing Texas's importance in the blues scene. The area's importance returned in the 1970s when a Texas blues rock sound developed, led by Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, ZZ Top and the The Fabulous Thunderbirds. This set the stage for the revival of the 1980s, which produced Stevie Ray Vaughan and moved the blues capital of the state to Austin.

Notable Texas Blues performers

• Albert Collins


• The Fabulous Thunderbirds


• Lightnin' Hopkins


• Blind Lemon Jefferson


• Billy Gibbons


• Freddie King


• Leadbelly


• Delbert McClinton


• Guitar Shorty


• Big Mama Thornton


• Jimmie Vaughan


• Stevie Ray Vaughan


• T-Bone Walker


• Johnny Winter


• Canned Heat


• Mance Lipscomb


• ZZ Top

Music and Politics

One of my favorite News blogs (at least the is what I consider them) fivethirtyeight.com. I mention that because they are a Stats based site that writes about politics, sports, science & health, economics and pop culture.  They lend the power of statistics to stuff that we often think about.

A July 14 article, titled Hip Hop is Turning on Trump examined hip hop lyrics and how Trump and Clinton are referenced in rap music.

I thought this article was interesting because I was surprised by the response of many of the comments.  I left a comment;

I'm not a fan of most rap (surprise I'm sure to some people who think that Black people are a monilith) but I would also like to know if other music geners make political references, I know that early blues and folk music were often political, and I would guess that a lot of country and western music also have political messages. It would be cool to see you all do some stats on other music genres. Good article, keep up the good work.

Which brings me to a few blues / folk songs that have politics as their theme.

Woody Guthrie -- I Ain't Got No Home/Old Man Trump by the Missin' Cousins - This song is very interesting, From the YouTube notes, "Woody Guthrie wrote these lyrics in 1951, and 65 years later, the Missin' Cousins, a County-Western music group from Oakland California, present a recording of these new lyrics to I Ain't Got No Home in this World Anymore."

Mr. Hitler - Leadbelly - (notes from YouTube) "Huddie William Ledbetter(Lead Belly or Leadbelly, January 1888 December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician. This song was recorded in 1942.

Big Bill Broonzy - I Wonder When I Will be Called a Man - Includes the lyrics.

John Lee Hooker - Welfare Blues 

Jimmy Dawkins - Walfare Blues  

BB King - Why I Sing the Blues

Some lite reading on the subject;

wikipedia Music and politics Nice overview.

5 best blues songs with political slants Songs by Woodie Guthrie

I Feel Like Going To Church - Eric Bibb - In My Father's House

I really enjoy Grammy Award nominated singer songwriter Eric Bibb's music. He captures the spirituality of the blues well.

He has many gospel blues songs that showcase the sounds of bouzouki, mandolin, accordion and gospel music. He seems to be inspired by bluesmen like Leadbelly who seamlessly married gospel music with blues.

Eric Bibb @Amazon.com

Folk, Gospel & Blues - Will the Circle Be Unbroken

I don't think I can recommend this mp3 album more enthusiastically. I love it, and think that fans of the blues, folk music, and gospel music will too. Just check out the various artist who are included here.

The cool part about mp3 albums is that you only have to buy the tracks that you like, but in this case each track is a keeper.

Folk, Gospel & Blues: Will The Circle Be Unbroken

click image for mp3s @Amazon.com

CD1
1. Ezekiel Saw De Wheel - Fisk Jubilee Singers
2. Crazy Blues - Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds
3. Careless Love Blues - Bessie Smith
4. Frankie - Mississippi John Hurt
5. Lord I Can't Just Keep From Crying - Blind Willie Johnson
6. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today - Washington Phillips
7. Sitting On Top Of The World - The Mississippi Sheiks
8. Blues Before Sunrise - Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell
9. If You See My Saviour - Thomas A. Dorsey
10. Broke Down Engine - Blind Willie McTell
11. Mister Tom Hughe's Town - Leadbelly
12. Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson
13. Key To The Highway - Big Bill Broonzy
14. Nine Foot Shovel - Joshua White
15. Cowboy's Lament - Burl Ives
16. Me And My Chauffeur Blues - Memphis Minnie
17. Swing Down Chariot - The Golden Gate Quartet
18. Dere's A Man Goin' Round / I Know De Lord - Paul Robeson
19. Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams
20. Hard Day Blues - Muddy Waters
21. I'll Never Forget - Ira Tucker & The Dixie Hummingbirds
22. I'll Fly Away - The Trumpeteers
23. I Will Move On Up A Little Higher - Mahalia Jackson
24. Greenfields - The Brotehrs Four

CD2
1. Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan
2. The Patriot Game - The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
3. Green, Green - The New Christy Minstrels feat. Barry McGuire
4. We Shall Overcome - Pete Seeger
5. The Sound Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
6. Death Letter - Son House
7. Little Boxes - Malvina Reynolds
8. Will The Circle Be Unbroken - The Staple Singers
9. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
10. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue - Taj Mahal
11. These Days - Tom Rush
12. Mean Mistreater - Johnny Winter
13. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man - Willie Dixon
14. Blue River - Eric Andersen
15. Longer - Dan Fogelberg
16. Romeo's Tune - Steve Forget
17. Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble
18. Steady On - Shawn Colvin
19. Galileo - Indigo Girls
20. Stand Still - Shirley Ceasar feat. John P. Kee
21. Every Morning - Keb'Mo'

leadbelly - house of the rising sun

Match Box Blues - A History

There is a Zen saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

As a student of the blues, I know when someone is being a teacher, or taking me to school. I enjoyed the lesson on the history of that proverbial blues song "Match Box Blues" given over at Heart on a Stick Blog.

These two comprehensive entries (linked below) will give you all the information that you will ever need about this song and the many artist who preformed it over the years.

The More You Cry (The Matchbox Blues Blues, Pt. 1)

The Further You Drive Me Away (The Matchbox Blues Blues, Pt. 2)

Just to give you an idea of what a treasure these post are, consider the opening note to post one.

[Note 1: These are long. No, seriously. I don't expect anyone to read any of it. But there are 33 mp3s in these two entries and, as they're pretty much taking up all my online storage space, they won't be up very long. A week, maybe. The text and the stitched-together comparison track up will stay up, but grab whatever else you might want while you can.]

These were posted yesterday, so if you want to check out any of the mp3s you better get over there soon.


Leadbelly - Match box blues

House of the Rising Sun

There are a lot of recorded versions of this tune. Lots of people associate it with the "hit" version by The Animals, but this tune, also called Rising Sun Blues, was around in one form or another for a long time before the Animals found it.

Here's Leadbelly


And Odetta

Jump down turn around, pick a bale of cotton...

Here's Leadbelly,


Hokie Joint


İstanbul Blues Kumpanyası
This one is a very different take on picking a bale a day...

The History Of The Blues: The Roots, The Music, The People

Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press (September 2, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0306812967
ISBN-13: 978-0306812965

Book Description (from Amazon.com)

Francis Davis's The History of the Blues is a groundbreaking rethinking of the blues that fearlessly examines how race relations have altered perceptions of the music. Tracing its origins from the Mississippi Delta to its amplification in Chicago right after World War II, Davis argues for an examination of the blues in its own right, not just as a precursor to jazz and rock 'n' roll. The lives of major figures such as Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, and Leadbelly, in addition to contemporary artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray, are examined and skillfully woven into a riveting, provocative narrative.

Blues Song In The Spot Light: Ain't No More Cane

I remember the first time I heard the prison work song Ain't No More Cane it was one of those moments when blues music caused me great sadness.

I don't normally associate blues music with sadness, but this song takes me there. It might have been Leadbelly's delevery, but I thought about all those men who died working on prison work gangs.

Over the years there have been a few more upbeat treatments of the song, and some have really made it rock. Check these out;

Ain't no more cane on the Brazos(1)

Oh, oh, oh, oh...

Its all been ground down to molasses

Oh, oh- oh, oh- oh...


You shoulda been on the river in 1910
They were driving the women just like they drove the men.

Go down Old Hannah,(2) don'cha rise no more
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day's for sure

Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Its all been ground down to molasses

Captain(3), don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Well ya drove that bully(4) til he went stone blind

Wake up on a lifetime(5), hold up your own head
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead

Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Its all been ground down to molasses.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] The Brazos is a river in Texas which features in many prison songs because it runs past virtually all of the old prisons in Texas.
[2] Old Hannah is the name given to sun.
[3] Captain is one of the ranks in the hierarchy of prison guards, the man in charge of half the workers in a field. Also used outside the prisons to mean the White boss. In some of the old slave songs the singers call Jesus their captain. I also think that this language carried over from the Civil War.
[4] Bully: an inmate working in the line. The word can also be used as a verb, in which case it means working hard.
[5] A Lifetime prison sentence.


Other Notable Versions

Ollabelle - YouTube Version two

Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Ollabelle




The Band - YouTube - The Basement Tapes (1975)

Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Bob Dylan & The Band




Lyle Lovett - YouTube Kansas City 2007

Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Lyle Lovett




Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Son Volt (Non Album Track)





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Band Of Heathens






Ain't No More Cane mp3 by The Tex-I-An Boys

Very traditional version





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Paul Austin Kelly






Ain't No More Cane mp3 by by Ernest Williams & James (Iron Head) Baker

Song by actual prison gang




Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Dennis Monroe

Triditional folk version





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Alan Lomax

Traditional folk version





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Harvey Reid

Traditional folk treatment






The Band - YouTube - Woodstock 69

Lonnie Donegan - YouTube (1958) Very sad version.

Eric Bibb - YouTube Wales in 2006

The Black Crowes - YouTube in Portland, ME

TheFolksinger - YouTube For Odetta