Here’s some blistering harmonica boogie from “blues harp” masters Dutch Coleman and Red Whitehead. Expertly shaping the tone with their breath and their mouths, this duo of innovators created a trance-inducing sound way back when, and lucky us, they recorded it. Pure instrumental music goodness with two guys jamming full-on and stompin’ they feet.
Old Time Music legend Asa Martin delivers a tongue-in-cheek tune about the perplexing ways of women. As Martin straight-faces these lyric without a shred of guilt in his drawl, his one-liners pile up to what would drive a modern-day woman out of her working shoes. I’m gonna take the fifth amendment on this particular topic and hope that you get a good tickle out of this mp3. Great mandolin and guitar pickin’ on this track, copied from an old 78 RPM record and free for ya’ll to enjoy.
Guitarist Tommie Bradley and fiddler James Cole recorded “Where You Been So Long?” in Richmond, Indiana. Their music, a unique blend of blues, vaudeville, hillbilly fiddling, and Tin Pan Alley style jazz, provides the perfect backdrop to their sparkling vocal harmonies. There’s so much energy in this track, it puts you right in the room with them nearly a century ago. Another priceless gem from the wayback machine. Enjoy and share.
Here’s another classic Ukulele gem from the “Under The Ukulele Moon” collection, lovingly compiled by Happy Puppy Records. Accompanied by a small brass band and choir and of course a gleeful ukulele strum, this topical tropical number has lyrical references to the Women’s Suffrage movement of the time, and hula dancing. Of course! Enjoy with a nice umbrella drink in your finest beach apparel. And don’t forget to vote.
After his debut appearance in a comic strip by E. C. Segar, Popeye the Sailor became a beloved star of: radio, TV, theater, movies, popular songs, and even pinball and video games. In short, Popeye was successful in every arena he could possibly appear in. This very early version of the “Popeye the Sailor Man” theme song is enough to inspire even the most squeamish of kids to try some gooey, slimy, canned green spinach for the first time.
South Carolina brothers Dorsey and Howard Dixon worked for many years in Carolina textile mills, and some of their original compositions were sung by striking mill workers during labor disputes in the early 1930’s. This earned them the nickname “hillbilly communists” among the local authorities. RCA Victor Records saw fit to record the rabble-rousing duo, and they released over fifty sides in their time. “Intoxicated Rat” features The Dixon Brothers’ easy vocal harmonies and trademark slide guitar style.
