*A Mixed Bag Musical Potpourri-Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Rock And Rockabilly-Legends Of The Blues

Click On Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of Roosevelt Sykes Doing "Gulfport Boogie".

Legends Of The Blues, Indeed

Legends Of The Blues: Volume Two, various artists, Sony Music, 1991

I recently noted in reviewing a CD containing the work of legendary early acoustic blues guitarists in this same series that sometimes a review, especially a review of old time blues artists, is a very easy chore. That is certainly the case here with this CD, another Columbia Legacy series production, highlighting most of the known names from the early days of the genre. I have spilled some ink here previously discussing the impact of the early acoustic blues artists on the post-World War II explosion of electric blues, most notably the Chicago blues sound. Well, here they are all together in one place guitarists, vocalists, harmonica players and pianists for the beginner and for the aficionado.

A role call of honor here tells the tale. The “Honeydripper” Roosevelt Sykes on the salacious “Henry Ford Blues” (if you can believe that). Guitarist extraordinaire Tampa Red on “Turpentine Blues”. Brownie McGhee on “Goodbye Now”. Harmonica man “Jazz” Gillum on “Is That A Monkey You Got?”. Lucille Bogan on “Bo-Easy Blues”. I think I have made my point. Right?

Tampa Red - Turpentine Blues lyrics

Turpentine's all right, provided that wages are good
Turpentine's all right, provided that wages are good
But I can make more money now, by somewhere choppin' hardwood

Turpentine business ain't like it used to be
Turpentine business ain't like it used to be
I can't make enough money now, to even get on a spree

I ain't gonna work no more, I tell you the reason why
I ain't gonna work no more, tell you the reason why
Because everybody wants to sell, and nobody wants to buy

You can work in the field, you can work at the sawmill too
You can work in the field, you can work at the sawmill too
But you can't make no money, at nothin' you try to do

So Lordy please tell me what we turpentine people are gonna do
Lordy please tell me what we turpentine people gonna do
We may work one week, but we got to lay off a month or two

Turpentine is like dice, to shoot you up on the loose
Turpentine is just like dice, to shoot you up on the loose
That's the reason why, I've got those turpentine blues