Friday, April 27, 2007

Lyrad's Random 10

Erik's "opening song discussion" seems like a pretty fair idea, so I'm going to steal it....

Cow Cow Davenport was one of the innovators of the boogie-woogie and barrelhouse styles of blues, starting in the mid '20s until his death in 1955. His "Cow Cow Boogie" was recorded in 1942 by Freddie Slack's Orchestra and ushered in the boogie-woogie craze of the 40s (though it was originally recorded with high energy in 1925). "Goin' Home Blues" is a good example of his piano led blues. While he had a below average voice, both in expression and in clarity, without much of a distinctive style of his own, his rhythm on the keys was fantastic. Here, in this Paramount recording from January of 1927, his voice does get a boost from the call-and-response with B.T. Wingfield on the cornet, which makes for an interesting dynamic, and carries a heavier jazz feel than many of his other recordings. Unfortunately, like so many other blues recordings from the time, the preservation was suspect and is, at times, unintelligible as a result.

1. Charles "Cow Cow" Davenport--Goin' Home Blues
2. Cat Power--He Turns Down
3. Tom Waits--The One that Got Away
4. Townes Van Zandt--Standin'
5. Jesus Lizard--Soft Damage
6. Hartmut Geerken, John Tchicai & Famoudou Don Moye--Mothers
7. Blind Boy Fuller--New Louise Louise Blues
8. Kaada--No Man's Land
9. Ella Fitzgerald--The Dipsy Doodle
10. At the Drive In--Hourglass