Down in the Basement
various artists
label:: Old Hat Enterprises
format:: CD
Thank
god for the collectors in this world, and in particular thanks to Joe
Bussard, a collector who for more than 50 years has been keeping a collection
of 78 records in his basement in his Maryland home. Over the years Joe has
collected 25,000 78 RPM records, and Old Hat has collected
24 of them on Down in the Basement: Joe Bussard's Treasure Trove of Vintage
78s 1926-1937. Everything from jazz, blues, cajun music, gospel and bluegrass
music is included here, in incredibly crisp sound. Old Hat
must be commended for this collection and of course Joe Bussard for
the hard work and many, many years he's spent hunting for these rare and obscure
78s. There are obscure artists like Gitfiddle Jim and The
Corley Family and more known artists like Big Bill Bronzy
and Gene Autry all showcased equally here. To add to the
wonders of the music in these digital grooves, Old Hat has
also included a 70 page book with stories for each artist along with Joe's
own recollections, so it truly is like a trip down into his basement, just
as it is a trip back in time, when you pop on this compilation cd.
The Stripling Brothers start out the compilation with the hyper, wonderful instrumental theme song called The Lost Child that was the theme song for one of Joe's own radio shows (Joe, in fact still does numerous radio shows, spotlighting all sorts of music like music found on this compilation). Big Bill Bronzy gives us the metaphorically sexual blues song How You Want It Done? with it's charged finger picked guitar lines. The (New) Call Of The Freaks by Luis Russell & His Orchestra is a great jazz tune with it's rousing clarinet, mesmerizing piano and elegant vibraphone, all creating a swirling theme song.
You Got To Go Down from 1935 has a really raw preaching styled vocal by Blind Gary Davis - whom was later re-discovered in the 1960s to great acclaim. The Old Ark's A'Moving has A.A. Gray and Seven-Foot Dilly (aka John Dilleshaw) - John sounds like Johnny Cash here - and I wouldn't be surprised if Cash later covered this song. Ahaz Augustus Gray was better known for his fiddle playing, but instead is singing backup vocals here to great effect.
Easy Rider Blues by Soileau
and Robin is a really sweet cajun blues holler in an equally mesmerizing
and haunting style. Hastings Street has Blind Arthur Blake
on guitar and Charlie Spand on piano in an impromptu and
rollicking guitar/piano duet blues. The Corley Family have
a ragged but sweet down home family gospel vocal sound with a lot of charm
on Give The World A Smile. The Original Stack O'Lee Blues
by Long Cleve Reed and Little Harvey Hull (aka the Down
Home Boys) is not only really rare - it in fact is a one of a kind
record being the only copy known in existence! - it is also a mellow finger
picking blues which would make Dylan melt.
---Patrick
