George Reneau – “The Lonesome Road”
Here’s a very early version of the American Country and Blues music classic, “The Lonesome Road,” as performed by Country Music pioneer, George Reneau. The song was later recorded under the titles “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad,” or “I Ain’t Gonna Be Treated This Way” by Woody Guthrie, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Roy Hall, Elizabeth Cotten, the Grateful Dead and many others. George Reneau recorded this gem with guitar and harmonica for Edison Records in 1925.
Here is John Philip Sousa’s greatest march, staple of Independence Day celebrations across the USA and one of the most popular marches of all time, performed by Sousa’s own band. Happy 4th of July!
Recorded shortly before Charley Patton’s death, “Mind Reader Blues” is a song he performed with his common-law wife, Bertha Lee. In her magnificent voice, Lee scolds Patton for his womanizing even as he lovingly accompanies her on guitar. The lyrics are auto-biographical: “I remember a day when I were livin’ at Lula town, I remember a day when I were livin’ at Lula town, my man did so many wrong things ’til I had to leave the town.” Bertha Lee hailed from Lula, Mississippi, and Patton lived there with her for a time. What exactly he did so they had to leave, one can only wonder! This is a clean transfer from 78RPM platter from 1934.
Annette Hanshaw’s relaxed, jazz-influenced pop singing style was a hit with the Flappers in the 1920s. Known as “The Personality Girl,” Hanshaw had a prolific career, recording for Columbia, OKeh, and a handful of other labels through the late 1930s. Her early take on “Body and Soul” is a classic, which helped establish the song. Composed by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton with music by Johnny Green, this piece been interpreted by literally hundreds of artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Etta James, Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra.
This great song was written by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy a year after the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. It has since been adapted and recorded by Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin and many others. Dylan’s adaptation appeared on the recording “Modern Times” in 2006. Led Zeppelin included a version of this song on their fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV. Memphis Minnie is credited for her lyrical contribution on this very popular song. 
The Georgia Melodians were an early jazz band from Savannah Georgia that performed extensively on the east coast of the US and recorded for Edison Records in the 1920s. Here is their lively celebration of the dance craze The Charleston, released in 1926. Named after the city of Charleston, South Carolina, the dance became a world-wide sensation which peaked around 1927. Pictured is the great Josephine Baker, doing her famous version of the dance. This mp3 is from the original Edison Disc.