Akins Birmingham Boys – “I Walked And Walked”

publicdomain4u — Mon, 12 May 2014 01:54:19 +0000

This is one fine early example of amply motivated walking in song, from a group called Akins Birmingham Boys. Little biographical info is available online about these ukelele strummin’ and fiddlin’ singers, but we do know they recorded this and one other side for Columbia records, and the songs more than stand the test of time. Great vocals on this early pop country gem.

http://archive.org/download/AkinsBirminghamBoysIWalkedAndWalkedAudio/AkinsBirminghamBoys-IWalkedAndWalked.mp3

The Blue Boys (Hayes and Prater) – “Easy Winner”

publicdomain4u — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 01:29:54 +0000

Guitarist Napoleon “Nap” Hayes and mandolinist Matthew Prater recorded this instrumental gem in Memphis, Tennessee in February of 1928. “Easy Winner” combined elements of ragtime and blues into a string band format, borrowing freely from Scott Joplin’s most famous piece, “The Entertainer.” Though biographical information about Hayes and Prater is scarce, we do know they performed as the Blue Boys and also as the Johnson Boys, leaving behind a handful of brilliant instrumental recordings on the Document Records label for us to enjoy.

http://archive.org/download/BlueBoys_201404/TheBlueBoys-HayesAndPrater-EasyWinner.mp3

String Bands | Public Domain 4U

Akins Birmingham Boys – “I Walked And Walked”

The Blue Boys (Hayes and Prater) – “Easy Winner”