old stuff

Old Joe's Hittin' The Jug
$0.89

Luigi Bormioli Gallerie Radiance 16-ounces Double Old Fashion, Set of 4
$25.00
We have used many different kinds of "tumblers/double old fashion" glasses, but these are my favorite so far. The size is perfect for drinks on the rocks, wine for everyday, or just water, juice, or a smaller iced tea. They wash well in the dishwasher, which is a big plus for me, and we keep the crystal for special wines or meals. We each have our favorite designs, and can always tell who's glass belongs to who. No... there is not a pedestal on the bottom... it is a reflection, but they are elegant even without it. I'm ordering two more sets just in case they go out of stock!

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
$26.98
Let me start by saying that there was one reason that I bought this, and that was the two Son House tracks that had only been discovered within the last five years.
These were from the long, lost 78rpm record from the 1930 Grafton, Wisconsin sessions for Paramount.
For anyone familiar with the idiom of blues, I don't believe I need to go into further detail about Son, save to say that his place is right at the pinnacle of the music.
Anyone unfamiliar with him would do well to educate himself.

The two House tracks featured here are "Mississippi Farm Country Blues" and "Clarksdale Moan."
About the former, anyone who has the Complete Library of Congress Sessions will immediately recognize it as the same song as "Farm Country Blues" from those recordings, but from 11 years previous!
Son is in top form, with his rapid fire picking punctuated with his trademark bottleneck accents and inimitable field holler voice.
"Clarksdale Moan" is something unique from Son, and it is much more laid back, again a great track.
Of course, anyone familiar with ANY artist who recorded for Paramount in the 1930s will not be surprised to hear that these tracks are surrounded with plenty of pop, crackle, and hiss.
Such was the criminally lackadaisacal attitude of Paramount at that time, although Son House was one artist (the other being Charlie Patton) who could not have his recordings held down by the poor quality of the records of his music.
Before moving on to the rest of the review, keep in mind that I have almost zero interest in straight country recordings, being primarily interested in blues, then bluegrass secondarily.

On to the other tracks...
Disk 1:
"Croquet Habits" is a nice bluegrass guitar and fiddle workup, with the expected white vocalist.

"I'm Going Back Home" immediately jumped out to me as the finest recording on here, after (of course) the two Son House tracks.
It features none other than Memphis Minnie and Joe McCoy playing guitar and sharing vocals.
Minnie is definitely the superior of McCoy on the vocals, with a wonderful female blues voice in contrast to McCoy's oddly spoken singing.
The sound quality is also excellent, especially taking into account the age of the recording.
LOVED this one.

"Old Timbrook Blues" is a terrific conventional rural blues piece, with nice guitar and a really good John Byrd singing in his strong baritone.

"Slidin' Delta" features none other than the great Tommy Johnson playing a beautifully subtle guitar and yodeling.
Again, a REALLY good song, and it is fascinating to hear a legendary delta bluesman so clearly influenced by country singers.

"Alabama Blues" is a nice quickfire guitar and banjo instrumental.

"Rollin' Dough Blues" is a nice guitar conventional blues, with a good tenor singer.

"Ginseng Blues" is really neat, featuring a mandolin and banjo, and white bluegrass singer yodeling.
The blues influence on this bluegrass song is unmistakable.

"Police and High Sheriff Ridin' Down" features only harmonica punctuated with the voice of a really good blues singer named Ollis Martin.
Again, a conventional blues piece, but with only the harp for accompaniment.

"Operator Blues" is really understated, with fiddle and guitar and a good tenor black singer.
Very relaxing.

"Jim Strainer Blues" features (yes, it's true) a tuba and (possibly) a kazoo for accompaniment for a black singer.
Very unconventional from what I am used to listening to in the way of blues.

"Old Rub Alcohol Blues" was terrific, featuring none other than Dock Boggs, with banjo accompaniment.
It really is fascinating to listen to a great country singer with such a clear blues influence.

"Mistreatin' Mama" is another song with nothing but harmonica and a rural blues singer.
Really good harp playing here, and he sure sings his heart out.

"Live the Life" rang a bell with me immediately, as it is (of course) a gospel song, but its tune is identical to another gospel song recorded by none other than blues giant Charlie Patton, "I'm Going Home."
Of course, knowing that, I liked this one right away, even though there is no accompaniment at all, and the style is quite different from Patton's own.

Disk 2:
"Sweet Mama" is a nice bit of piano and mandolin music, with a blues singer sounding remarkably like Robert Johnson, even though his true identity is listed as Yank Rachel.

"Down in Texas Blues" is a very stripped down guitar piece with traditional blues singing from Jesse "Babyface" Thomas.
Nice, simple, and straightforward.

"Chicken Don't Roost Too High" is a nice bluegrass piece with brisk fiddle and guitar.
There is even some amusing chicken vocalization to go with the singing, which I liked also, btw, since the singer didn't "twang it up," as so many who sing country/bluegrass seem to feel compelled.

"I'm Leavin' Town" is a nice bit of conventional blues, and I really liked the guitar, even though it was not really complicated, by the sound of it.

"Whoopee Blues" was a neat bit of guitar work, with some octave swoops, and spare bottleneck on guitar and singing from a gentleman who called himself King Solomon Hill.

"Skinny Leg Blues" was really a nice surprise, with an excellent female performer on guitar and vocals named Geeshie Wiley.
Since I have (yet) heard so few blues songs featuring female performers, this was really a welcome track, and Miss Wiley was really up to the task.

"I Shall Not Be Moved" (of course) was also recorded by Charlie Patton, and this version is a much more traditional conventional gospel version, with horn, piano and male and female singers.
Unlike with Patton, the piece stays in the slow tempo that Patton used only for the first stanza, whereas Patton doubled the tempo and unleashed his voice for the rest.
Naturally, I prefer the Patton version, but it remains a timeless religious song.

"If I Call You Mama" has a lengthy guitar intro and singing from a man named Luke Jordon that predates, by decades, that of Alan Wilson from the group Canned Heat.
Really liked this blues song, as the guitar was so well executed, and Mr. Jordon was an excellent singer.

"Green River" was a really lively bluegrass fiddle instrumental.
Fun listen.

"Don't Speak to Me" was a really good guitar and female singer piece by a woman named Lottie Kimbrough.
Junior Kimbrough's relation, anyone?
I think so, and this was a real pleasure to listen to.

"Married Man's Blues" is another heavily blues influenced bluegrass piece, with fiddle and singing from Wade Ward.

"Boll Weevil" by Jaybird Coleman, is a harp and singing piece, with Mr. Coleman's vocal intensity rivaling that of Patton or House.
Sadly, the 78 it was taken from must have been in absolutely frightful condition.
Nonetheless, Coleman's singing at least breaks on through the massive hiss and crackle.

"Bound Steel Blues" is a wonderful guitar and fiddle piece, with really good vocals by Bill Shepherd.
As with "Boll Weevil" above, the archival recording must have been in really sorry condition.

While the last track, "Bells of Love," is not really my cup of tea musically, I found it notable as an interesting piece of acapella.
And while the singing virtuosity is not quite in the league of that of the King Singers, it is worthwhile as an early example of the technique.

Sorry if my review is probably not as detailed or informed as it could be, but I have a kind of John Cleese view of music: I may not know much about music, but I know what I like!

Oh, I forgot to mention the artwork and booklet.
Of course, the cover and inner cartoon are by famed cartoonist R. Crumb, and those really are amusing, adding to the mystique of these historic recordings.
The liner notes go into some detail about some of the recordings, and spend quite a bit of time describing collectors (a better word would be "hoarder") and their eccentricities.
As with all of their releases, Yazoo goes to great lengths to remaster only enough to make the recordings listenable, stopping short at removing the top or lower end.
Major kudos to Yazoo for respecting the integrity of these super rare recordings.
It was also so exciting to hear, after 79 years, the only previously uncirculated recordings from blues giant Son House.

Crosley 1920 Country Kitchen Wall Phone (CR91)
$114.99
The phone is better then it looks in the picture. WE LOVE IT! Thanks