Skip James was a Delta blues enigma, whose mesmerizing guitar playing and haunting voice produced bluer than blue masterpieces. This beautifully re-mastered collection of his seminal 1931 recordings shows why his otherworldly blues cast its spell on many blues greats from Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton.
Arguably the greatest of the original Delta blues guitarists with his mesmerizing and truly unique style. 'The Rough Guide To Skip James' highlights his diverse repertoire of songs ranging from deep, dark Delta blues to upbeat barrelhouse piano tunes and spirituals.

TRACK LISTING

Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues
I’m So Glad
Drunken Spree
If You Haven’t Any Hay Get On Down The Road
Cherry Ball Blues
Be Ready When He Comes
Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die Blues
Devil Got My Woman
How Long “Buck”
Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader
Cypress Grove Blues
Illinois Blues
22-20 Blues

This Rough Guide captures a whole menagerie of animals, both large and small, which provided the inspiration for many classic early blues recordings.

From the mighty alligator to the lowly bedbug, these songs provide an intriguing insight into this weird, wonderful and often hilarious association.

180-gram Limited Edition Vinyl

Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques The early recorded annals of the blues allude to a real Noah's Ark of beasts, both large and small

Guitar wizardry abounds from the likes of Josh White, Ramblin' Thomas and Curley Weaver

Featuring legendary blues divas including Memphis Minnie, Ma Rainey and Victoria Spivey

Early blues music refers to animals in ways both metaphoric and in the literal sense to help convey its underlying message

Includes a track by the original Howling Wolf himself "Funny Papa" Smith from 1930

Following on from the success of other blues titles in the Rough Guide range

An album which offers a more light-hearted take on the blues

Featuring seminal recordings by arguably the two greatest early blues pioneers, Charley Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson

TRACK LISTING

The Alligator Pond Went Dry
Howling Wolf Blues (part 1)
Lazy Black Snake Blues
Ground Hog Blues
Black Cat Hoot Owl Blues
Mean Old Bedbug Blues
Frankie Jean (That Trottin' Fool)
Wild Cat Kitten
Mosquito Moan
Alligator Blues
Black Skunk Blues
Mississippi Boweavil Blues
The Wild Cat Squawl

From the classic sounds of the jug band heyday to the earthy blues straight from the Mississippi Delta, Memphis was at the very epicentre of the 1920s country blues explosion

This Rough Guide charts the city's huge influence with classic tracks by blues legends Memphis Minnie, Furry Lewis, Sleepy John Estes and many more.

180-gram Limited Edition Vinyl

Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques

An album which traces the development of the Memphis blues during its 1920s/30s heyday

Featuring seminal recordings by many blues legends including Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Robert Wilkins

Memphis is one of the quintessential musical melting pots of the US, which helped spawn the blues

Featuring classic tracks by blues divas Memphis Minnie and Minnie Wallace

Nowhere provided a concentration and diversity of early blues forms to rival Memphis

Featuring classic tracks by the great jug bands, including Will Shade's Memphis Jug Band and Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers

Memphis is often dubbed as the "Home of the Blues"

Following on from the success of other blues titles in the Rough Guide range

TRACK LISTING

Save Me Some
The Girl I Love She Got Long Curly Hair
North Memphis Blues
The Old Folks Started It
Falling Down Blues
On The Road Again
I Let My Daddy Do That
Kassie Jones - Part 1
Viola Lee Blues
I Couldn't Help It
Cold Iron Bed
Happy Blues
How Long Blues

This collection brings together six pioneering figures whose legacies encapsulate the very essence of the Delta blues - the cornerstone of American popular music and the bedrock of rock'n'roll.

Like arrows through time, these seminal tracks belie the age in which they were recorded. Seminal recordings by six Mississippi Delta blues legends - Skip James, Tommy Johnson, Bukka White, Charley Patton, Willie Brown and Son House. Following on from the success of other blues titles in the Rough Guide range this is a must-have album for blues and guitar enthusiasts. All the tracks have been lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques.

TRACK LISTING

Skip James - Devil Got My Woman
Tommy Johnson - Cool Drink Of Water Blues
Bukka White - Fixin' To Die Blues
Charley Patton - It Won't Be Long
Willie Brown - Future Blues
Son House - My Black Mama - Part 1
Skip James - I'm So Glad
Tommy Johnson - Canned Heat Blues
Bukka White - Shake 'Em On Down
Charley Patton - I'm Goin' Home
Willie Brown - M & O Blues
Son House - Walkin' Blues

From humble origins in New Orleans to its journey upriver to Chicago, this Rough Guide charts the 1920s “golden age” of jazz with classic tracks by legends such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington & Jelly Roll Morton as well as many other pioneering artists.

Seminal recordings by trailblazing jazz artists who paved the way for what has become a global phenomenon. Includes the instrumental brilliance of soloists including Eddie Lang, Bix Beiderbecke and Earl Hines. Following on from the success of other American roots titles in the Rough Guide range, ‘The Rough Guide to the Roots of Jazz’ is the perfect overview of the emerging styles and key performers of early jazz on one album.

Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques.

TRACK LISTING

King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band - Dippermouth Blues
Eddie Lang - Eddie’s Twister
Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers - Doctor Jazz
Earl Hines - I Ain’t Got Nobody And Nobody Cares For Me
Freddie Keppard’s Jazz Cardinals - Salty Dog
Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Way Down Yonder In New Orleans  Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Black And Tan Fantasy 
Louis Armstrong Orchestra - Muggles
Original Dixieland Jazz Band - Tiger Rag
James P. Johnson - Carolina Shout
Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Ol’ Man River
New Orleans Rhythm Kings - Bugle Call Blues
Fats Waller - Muscle Shoals Blues
Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra - The Stampede

A unique compilation of tracks from blind blues musicians who left remarkable musical legacies in the face of incredible adversity. Featuring many legendary guitarists including Blind Blake, Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell and Blind Willie Johnson

A remarkable phenomenon in the history of the blues was the vast contribution made by blind musicians, whose legacy left a lasting impact on American music to this day. From ‘The Father Of The Texas Blues’ Blind Lemon Jefferson to slide guitar evangelist Blind Willie Johnson, this Rough Guide highlights the blind blues pioneers who, against all the odds and in the face of incredible adversity, were responsible for a musical revolution.

The image of the blind bluesman is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and meaningful themes in the history of the blues. A diverse selection of tracks ranging from upbeat rags and gospel tunes to earthy blues. Highlighting the incredible contribution made by blind blues musicians that has left a lasting mark on the history of American music . Includes hidden gems by artists shrouded in mystery. Following on from the success of other blues titles in the Rough Guide range. A must-have album for blues guitar enthusiasts. Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques

TRACK LISTING

Blind Blake - He’s In The Jailhouse Now
Teddy Darby - Lawdy Lawdy Worried Blues
Blind Boy Fuller - Truckin’ My Blues Away No. 2 (Take 2)
Blind Lemon Jefferson - See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Sonny Terry - Harmonica Stomp
Blind Joe Reynolds - Third Street Woman Blues
Blind Joe Taggart - Religion Is Something Within You
Blind Willie McTell - Stomp Down Rider
Reverend Gary Davis - The Angels Message To Me
Willie Walker - South Carolina Rag (Take 2)
Blind Willie Johnson - Nobody’s Fault But Mine
Blind Roosevelt Graves - Crazy About My Baby
Blind Gussie Nesbit - Pure Religion

Featuring the greatest names in early blues music including Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bessie Smith, Charley Patton and Ma Rainey. The perfect overview of the many different styles and key performers of early blues on one album. An incredibly diverse selection of tracks including bottleneck guitar, barrelhouse piano, classic songster tunes and vaudeville blues. An album which traces the development of blues music during its early recorded history of the 1920s. An unique insight into the first great wave of blues artists who remain an inspiration to this day.

The first documented description of what we now recognise as the blues occurred in 1903 when the composer and musician W.C. Handy was waiting for a train at Tutwiler, Mississippi. He heard a man playing a guitar by pressing a knife against the strings and singing a song with the line, “Goin’ where the Southern cross the Dog”. Handy went on to become a great collector and populariser of the blues and was hugely influential in bringing this local folk music from the Mississippi Delta to public attention. Along with Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey spearheaded the 1920s “classic era” of recorded blues. Handy’s ‘St. Louis Blues’ were recorded in the mid-1920s heyday of the classic blues era, shortly before the female dominance of the genre was eclipsed by the rougher sound of the country blues. Likewise, many white musicians were heavily influenced by the blues including the ‘Father of Country Music’, Jimmie Rodgers whose yodel-infused blues became a prominent element of his music.

There can be little doubt that the blues grew up in the Mississippi Delta as an elaboration on work chants, slave songs, and the lyrical and haunting field hollers. Unquestionably the most influential of all the blues forms, the Delta blues laid the foundations for what was to become rock and roll, with all roads leading to its father figure Charley Patton who served as a major influence on other legendary bluesmen who followed including Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Along with the guitar, the piano came into its own in the barrelhouses, as roving musicians hammered out high-spirited tunes for the drinkers and dancers.

TRACK LISTING

Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie - When The Levee Breaks
Scrapper Blackwell - Kokomo Blues
Ma Rainey - Stack O’Lee Blues
Blind Blake - West Coast Blues
Henry Thomas - Fishing Blues
Memphis Jug Band - Stealin’, Stealin’
Victoria Spivey - T.B. Blues
Blind Lemon Jefferson - See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Cow Cow Davenport - Cow Cow Blues
Blind Willie Johnson - Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time
Dick Justice - Brown Skin Blues
Bo Weevil Jackson - Devil And My Brown Blues
Mississippi John Hurt - Got The Blues, Can’t Be Satisfied
Hambone Willie Newbern - Roll And Tumble Blues
Clarence “Pinetop” Smith - Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie
Texas Alexander - Section Gang Blues
Blind Willie McTell - Statesboro Blues
Speckled Red - The Dirty Dozen
Charley Patton - Screamin’ And Hollerin’ The Blues
Jimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel No. 1 (T For Texas)
Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blues
Papa Charlie Jackson - All I Want Is A Spoonful
Weaver And Beasley - Bottleneck Blues
Tampa Red & Georgia Tom - It’s Tight Like That - No. 2
Tommy Johnson - Canned Heat Blues

From sublime bottleneck guitar and upbeat rags to classic songster tunes and hokum, this Rough Guide highlights the many different facets of country blues, with tracks by blues legends including Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, Skip James and many more. This LP is a perfect overview of the many different styles and key performers of country blues on one album and is an incredibly diverse selection of tracks including bottleneck guitar playing, upbeat rags and classic songster tunes. It traces the development of country blues during its 1920s/1930s heyday and has been lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques.

TRACK LISTING

Skip James - Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues
Blind Willie McTell - Georgia Rag
Blind Willie Johnson - God Moves On The Water
Big Bill Boonzy - How You Want It Done?
Frank Stokes - I Got Mine
Bukka White - Sic ‘Em Dogs On
Blind Blake - Come On Boys Let’s Do That Messin’ Around
Charley Patton - A Spoonful Blues
Mississippi John Hurt - Ain’t No Tellin’
Blind Lemon Jefferson - Jack O’Diamonds (Take 2)
Blind Boy Fuller - Mama Let Me Lay It On You
Son House - My Black Mama - Part 1
Furry Lewis - Billy Lyons And Stack O’Lee
Leadbelly - Packin’ Trunk Blues

Named after the rough and ready bars where labourers gathered to drink and dance, barrelhouse was a raucous form of piano blues that got the juke joints swinging. From early pioneers such as Cow Cow Davenport and Speckled Red to the boogie-woogie legends Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons, this collection charts the rise and incredible influence of this good-time blues. A classic collection of up-beat piano blues originating from the ‘juke joints’ of the rural Southern States featuring many legendary blues pianists including Leroy Carr, Cripple Clarence Lofton and Montana Taylor.

TRACK LISTING

Speckled Red - The Dirty Dozen
Jimmy Yancey - Slow And Easy Blues
Cripple Clarence Lofton - Strut That Thing
Will Ezell - Heifer Dust
Walter Roland - Watcha Gonna Do?
Skip James - If You Haven’t Any Hay Get On Down The Road
Victoria Spivey - Hoodoo Man Blues
Cow Cow Davenport - Cow Cow Blues
Clarence “Pinetop” Smith - Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie
Meade Lux Lewis - Honky Tonk Train Blues
Pete Johnson & Albert Ammons - Barrelhouse Boogie
Montana Taylor - Detroit Rocks
Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell - Barrelhouse Woman No.2

Blind Willie McTell was blessed with an exquisite voice and sublime talent for the twelve-string guitar. This collection highlights his diverse repertoire of songs ranging from ragtime and hokum to traditional blues and gospel. This LP edition includes a download card enabling you to download the full album as well as bonus Blind Willie McTell tracks.

The record includes classics such as “Southern Can Is Mine”, “Statesboro Blues”, “Georgia Rag” and “Broke Down Engine Blues”. ‘Nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell’ sang Bob Dylan in his 1983 heartfelt dedication to the Atlanta bluesman.

TRACK LISTING

Southern Can Is Mine
Broke Down Engine Blues
Stomp Down Rider
Love Changing Blues
Travelin’ Blues
Lay Some Flowers On My Grave
Statesboro Blues
Georgia Rag
Mama, ‘Tain’t Long Fo’ Day
Atlanta Strut
Lord, Send Me An Angel
Warm It Up To Me
God Don’t Like It

Thelonious Monk was one of the most innovative and idiosyncratic figures in jazz history. A true originator he collaborated with some of the finest jazz musicians of all time including John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis. This compilation features many of Monk’s standards including “Blue Monk”, “Round Midnight” and “Straight No Chaser”.

Almost from the outset the pianist pursued a singular artistic vision as player and composer and played a key part in the birth of the music which emerged from New York City in the mid-1940s, which, with its new harmonic and rhythmic ideas, ultimately became known as bebop.

By the time of his passing in 1982 he’d long established a classic canon, many of which are included here and are a fitting tribute to Monk in 2017, his centennial year.

TRACK LISTING

Straight No Chaser
‘Round Midnight
Epistrophy
Criss Cross
Blue Monk
Brilliant Corners
Bemsha Swing
Little Rootie Tootie

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

This is a 180 gram limited edition LP and includes a FREE download card allowing you to download the full album with bonus tracks.

TRACK LISTING

Nelson Y Sus Estrellas - Aguardiente Y Pollo
Federico Y Su Combo Latino - Todo El Mundo
Mario Allison Y Su Combo - Bamba Curé
Los Kenya - Esa Mujer
Gilberto Sextet - Do You Want To Be Free
Piper Pimienta Y Su Orquesta - Pensamiento
Spanglish Fly - My Shingaling Boy
Los Po - Boy
Citos - Estelita’s Boogaloo
Rumba Caliente - Papa Was A Rolling Stone
Rumba Caliente - Papa Fue
Ray Lugo - Yo Lo Que Quiero Es Vacilar