Blues Roots Vol. 1
(2000) BMG Music
Review by J Bryan
I came across this CD at Amoeba Music on Sunset Boulevard in L.A. and what a find it is. You can hear the authenticity of the music in the graininess of the recordings, and listening to this CD transported me back in time to hear Leadbelly singing “Alberta” and the bluegrass stylings of Memphis Minnie with The Memphis Jug Band as they perform “Bumble Bee Blues.” The song “He’s a Jelly Roll Baker” by Lonnie Johnson has a great sense of humor, with the lines, “Just like Maxwell House Coffee, it’s good down deep in my soul.”
I tried to find some information about the CD but there is no information in the booklet and I couldn’t find anything about it on the Internet. I would love to know when and where these songs were recorded since these songs capture blues history at its best. Maybe it’s not important to know the stories behind the songs. It only matters that the songs have been preserved in their original state for future generations to know and enjoy.
J Bryan is a writer, teacher, and music lover. He lives in Seattle, Washington.