What did South Africa and South East Asia of the 1940s and 50s have in common? In both places the local population was trying to gain independence fro..
dock boggs
when my worldly trials are over
Pioneering singer / banjo player Dock Boggs (b. 1898) got his start playing (while working) in the coal mines all over the poverty-stricken Appalachia..
ma rainey
those dogs of mine
Ma Rainey or "The Mother Of The Blues" began recording in 1923 for Paramount, making her one of the first blues artists ever to record. Active since 1..
son house
and the other great delta blues singers
This 24-track collection of historic Delta blues recordings kick off with Son House’s earliest recorded material. These 7 tracks were recorded by Hous..
tommy johnson
cool drink of water blues
Along with Son House and Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson was one of the great early talents of the Delta Blues style. Recorded in Memphis and Wisconsin ..
furry lewis
i will turn your money green
One of the great Memphis bluesmen of the 1920s, Furry Lewis was one of the only bluesmen of his generation to achieve widespread fame with the blues r..
skip james
jesus is a mighty good leader
Born in Bentonia, Mississippi in 1902, Skip James began recording for Paramount in Grafton, WI in the 1930s after showcasing his unmistakable talent i..
jelly roll morton
the chant
The father of jazz piano, Jelly Roll Morton got his start playing piano in the bordellos of New Orleans in the nineteen-teens, but soon began travelin..
blind blake
that will happen no more
After their success with Blind Lemon Jefferson, Chicago's Paramount was scouting for more male blues talent, and they found it in 1926 in a man called..
blind lemon jefferson
see that my grave is kept clean
The father of Texas blues, Blind Lemon Jefferson began a successful recording career for Paramount Records in 1926 in Chicago, recording over 100 side..
charlie poole
i'm the man who rode the mule 'round the world
Born in North Carolina in 1892, influential singer and banjo player Charlie Poole is often considered to be one of the fathers of bluegrass and one of..
the carter family
bring back my blue-eyed boy to me
Drawing on the rich musical tradition of rural Appalachia, by 1930 the Carter family had become an American institution. Often called the "first famil..