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Scrapper Blackwell: Bad Liquor Blues
ByBlackwell’s arsenal of string effects celebrated the full range of his instrument from deep bass string plucks to skillful treble runs and near virtuosic solos were a regular part of his repertoire. His vocals favored a wizened warble well suited to the directness of his string play. The 21 tracks contained here run the gamut of his talents ranging from the enigmatic hokum of “Be-Da-Da-Bum” to the purely instrumental fireworks of the “D Blues.” Several of the tunes also feature Blackwell on piano, an instrument he had no reason to play on his more popular recordings, but which he shows himself adept at just the same.
An added bonus is the relatively clear sound of the transfers, taken from original Vocalion, Varsity and Champion acetates. Virtually all of Blackwell’s numerous and nimble turns of phrase are audible in the resulting mix. Whether he was a more talented performer than his partner Carr is moot, what matters most is the music they made together and apart. Catfish has done blues fans a great service by compiling this important facet of the both the duo and Blackwell’s legacy.
Catfish on the web: www.catfishrecords.co.uk
Track Listing
Kokomo Blues/ Penal Farm Blues/ Be-Da-Da-Bum/ Back Door Blues/ Morning Mail Blues/ Down South Blues/ D Blues/ Blues That Make Me Cry/ Wayback Blues/ A Blues/ Motherless Boy Blues/ Alley Sally Blues/ Blue Day Blues/ Texas Stomp/ Trouble Blues, pt. 1/ Trouble Blues, pt. 2/ Non Skin Tread/ Hard Time Blues/ My Old Pal Blues/ Bad Liquor Blues/ Rambling Blues.
Personnel
Scrapper Blackwell
guitar, acousticScrapper Blackwell, vocals, guitar & piano; Leroy Carr- piano; Dot Rice- piano; Bertha
Album information
Title: Bad Liquor Blues | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Catfish Records (UK)
Comments
About Scrapper Blackwell
Instrument: Guitar, acoustic
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