A definitive collection of blues music from New York City and the north-eastern region of the US from the early 1940s to the early 1960s, this four CD set, packaged in a deluxe digipak with an outer slip case, features 110 rare tracks, all digitally remastered, some of which have never been reissued since their original release.
Included is an 80 page book on the origins of the music and the blues scene in this region by eminent blues writer and scholar Chris Bentley, complete with essay, rare photos, tracklisting and full sessionography.
This is black American musicians, many with pre-war country blues roots which had evolved with an edge that didn't have to come out of the Delta and migrate up to the Illinois or Michigan cites during and after the Second World War. Here, many hailed from Florida, Georgia, Alabama and The Carolinas. 110 performances from single solo artists who were lucky enough to get just one, sublime record release, up to the tight small combo groups of musicians whom all produced equally fine intense recordings.
Disc: 1
1. Big Chief Ellis - Big Chief's Blues
2. Big Boy Ellis and His Rhythm - I Love You Baby
3. Skoodle - Dum- Tampa Blues
4. Skoodle - Dum- Gas Station Blues
5. Gabriel Brown - Hold That Train
6. Gabriel Brown - I'll Be Seeing You One Of These Days
7. Bob Camp And His Buddies - Gonna Pitch A Boogie
8. Bob Camp And His Buddies - Reading Blues
9. Irene Wiley - Boa Hog Blues
10. Irene Wiley - Irene's Boogie Blues
11. Big Chief Ellis - Poor Man's Blues
12. Big Chief Ellis - Mr Radio Announcer
13. Fred Dunn - Fred's Boogie Woogie
14. Fred Dunn - Baby Don't Feel Lowdown
15. Hank Kilroy - Awful Shame
16. Rosita (Chicken) Lockhart - Be Bop Daddy Blues
17. Rosita (Chicken) Lockhart - Mean Mean Woman Blues
18. Allen Bunn - Somebody Changed The Lock
19. Allen Bunn - You're A Little Too Slow
20. Gabriel Brown - Wrap Me Up Tight
21. Gabriel Brown - I Can't Last Long
22. Brownie McGhee - How Can I Love You
23. Brownie McGhee - My Bulldog Blues
24. John Tinsley And Fred Holland - Trouble Blues
25. Sonny Terry - Telephone Blues
26. Sonny Terry - Tell Me, Tell Me
Disc: 2
1. Alonzo Scales - My Baby Don't Allow
2. Alonzo Scales - Let Me Home Blues
3. Allen Bunn and Trio - The Guy With A "45"
4. Allen Bunn and Trio - She'll Be Sorry
5. Sunny Jones - Leaving Blues
6. Sunny Jones - Don't Want Pretty Women
7. Sonny Terry - Black Horse Blues
8. Sonny Terry - Going Down Slow
9. Doug Quattlebaum - Foolin' Me
10. Doug Quattlebaum - Don't Be Funny Baby
11. Otis Hinton - Emmaline
12. Otis Hinton - Walkin' Down Hill
13. Allen Bunn and Trio - Discouraged
14. Allen Bunn and Trio - I Got You Covered
15. Jimmy Newsome - Playboy
16. Jimmy Newsome - I'm Gonna Chunk You Down
17. Robert Henry - Something's Wrong With My Loving Machine
18. Robert Henry - Miss Anna B
19. Doctor Gaddy And His Orchestra - Evil Man Blues
20. Doctor Gaddy And His Orchestra - Doctor Gaddy's Blues
21. Jimmy Newsome - Do That Thing
22. Jimmy Newsome - My Little Child
23. Robert Henry - Early In The Morning
24. Robert Henry - Old Battle Ax
25. Square Walton - Fish Tail Blues
26. Square Walton - Pepper Head Woman
Disc: 3
1. Cousin Leroy - Goin' Back Home
2. Cousin Leroy - Catfish
3. Jack Dupree - Sharp Harp
4. Alonzo Scales - Hard Luck Child
5. Alonzo Scales - We Just Can't Agree
6. Lick, Slick And Slide - I Got Drunk
7. Lick, Slick And Slide - I Love My Baby
8. Eddie Riff with Orchestra - Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby
9. Eddie Riff with Orchestra - My Baby's Gone Away
10. Alonzo Scales - My Baby Likes To Shuffle
11. Alonzo Scales - She's Gone
12. Bob Gaddy - Paper Lady
13. Bob Gaddy - Out Of My Name
14. Cousin Leroy - Highway 41
15. Cousin Leroy - Will A Match Box Hold My Clothes'
16. Mojo Watson - You Know You Don't Want Me
17. Mojo Watson - All Alone
18. Cousin Leroy - I'm Lonesome
19. Cousin Leroy - Up The River
20. Jack Dupree - Dirty Women
21. Jack Dupree - Just Like A Woman
22. Cousin Leroy - Crossroads
23. Cousin Leroy - Waiting At The Station
24. Jesse And Buzzy - Without Your Love
25. Jesse And Buzzy - Going Back To Orleans
26. Little Red Walter - Aw Shucks Baby
27. Little Red Walters - Picking Cotton
28. Emright And Mattie - That Minute There With You
29. Emright - One Of These Days
Disc: 4
1. Kine Morgan - Nobody's Fool
2. Kine Morgan - We're Goin' Out To Rock Tonight
3. Little Boyd And The Blues Bees - Don't Leave Me Baby
4. Little Boyd And The Blues Bees - Harmonica Rock
5. Little Luther - Ever Lovin' Baby
6. Little Luther - Cryin' Blues
7. Guitar Nubbit - Laura
8. Guitar Nubbit - Evil Woman Blues
9. Little L. Boyd - Drinking Blues
10. Little L. Boyd - Drinking Blues Pt.2
11. The Bees - So Jealous
12. The Bees - Terror
13. Morris Bailey And The Thomas Boys - Tell Me Why
14. Morris Bailey And The Thomas Boys - Calendar Hanging On The Wall
15. Betty James - I'm A Little Mixed Up
16. Betty James - Help Me To Find My Love
17. Guitar Nubbit - I've Got The Blues
18. Guitar Nubbit - New Orleans
19. The Bees - Oh Yes
20. The Bees - Tough Enough
21. 'Guitar' Crusher - I Got To Know
22. 'Guitar' Crusher - Cuddle Up
23. Little Luther - Steppin' High
24. Little Luther - Du Dee Squat
25. Curley Mays - I'm Walkin' On
26. Guitar Nubbit - Hard Road
27. Guitar Nubbit - Georgia Chain Gang
28. Little Luther - Doggin' Me
29. Little Luther - Automatic Baby
