Henry Thomas – “Texas Easy Street”
Born in 1874 in Big Sandy, TX, Henry Thomas was part of the first generation to be born out of slavery. He learned to hate cotton, but found solace in songwriting. “Texas Easy Street” was recorded in the mid-1920s and shows how Henry Thomas truly made his guitar swing. This is some heavy blues from Uncle PD to you. Enjoy!
Cecil Gant – “I Wonder”
“I Wonder” was pre-war pianist and blues singer Cecil Gant’s first single. Released on Oakland’s Gilt-Edge Records, “I Wonder” is a romantic pop-tinged ballad which topped the R&B charts despite a wartime shellac shortage that hit tiny independent companies like Gilt-Edge particularly hard. Grab a glass of wine, cozy up with your lover, and let the beautiful voice of Cecil Gant remind you of what’s really important in life.
Bukka White – “Shake ‘Em On Down”
Hailing from Oklona, Mississippi Booker White learned guitar from his father, and helped to define Delta Blues music as we know it. White’s interpretation of “Shake ’em On Down,” a popular theme of the day, was later covered as a rock piece by Led Zeppelin.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”
It was the holiday season, December 17, to be exact, in 1936, when this magnificent performance of Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” was recorded by The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Under the inspired leadership of the great German conductor Bruno Walter, each movement of the masterpiece comes to life and crackles with joyful energy.
Kudos to F. Reeder for the outstanding audio transfer to digital from the original Victor 78 RPM record. Here are all four movements, as breathtaking and unpretentiously beautiful as any music ever conceived. You can click the first one and the player will take you through the rest in sequence, or if you prefer you can download them by right clicking the links, select “save as” and download the files. Enjoy!
I. Allegro
II. Romanze (Andante)
III. Menuetto and Trio (Allegretto)
IV. Rondo (Allegro)
Blind Blake – “Diddie Wa Diddie”
Blind Blake was born Arthur Blake in Jacksonville Florida. During Blind Blake’s prosperous career he recorded over 75 cuts for the Paramount label. “Diddie Wa Diddie” shows off Blind Blake’s distinctive vocal and guitar rhythm. This song was later covered by Ry Cooder and Hot Tuna. I only wish somebody would tell me what “Diddie Wa Diddie” means.
Ma Rainey – “Slave To The Blues”
When you read the words “Slave to the blues,” it doesn’t compare to how it sounds and feels when Ma Rainey sings this song. You can imagine her holding her heart in chains during this dreary memory. It’s another way to say endless heart ache.
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