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' CLIFTON CHENIER 1r R. C. SMITH 1r LIGHTNING HOPKINS 1r MERCY DEE K. C. DOUGLAS 1r FRED McDOWELL 1r BUKKA WHITE 1r MANNY NICHOLS LITTLE SON WILLIS "1 DETROIT SLIM 1r ESSIE JENKINS 1r JAMES PHILLIPS

This is the third in a series of albums devoted to some of the finest and most interesting blues minstrels in the country. This anthology of blues poets like its predecessors ( Arhoolie F 1006 and 1012) presents a wide spectrum of blues styles and reflects the many faces of the blues from the Louisiana "zydeco" accordion sound of Clifton Chenier to the story of the terrible influenza epidemic which hit the South following the first World War.

None of the selections on this LP are dupli­cated on any other album, although most of the artists can be heard to fuller advantage on other Arhoolie recordings.

uOO~ [P~OOlf@OOG:AJ~OO~ CLIFTON CHENI.ER

Born in Opelousas, La., on July 25, 1925, Clifton learned many of the old"french" num­bers from his father who also played the accor­dion. However, the music which Clifton de­veloped is an interesting blend of the old acadian ( or ca jun) dance tunes and contemporary blues. In 1942 Clifton moved to Houston, Texas and has since become the most famous of the "zydeco" players; The selection on this LP is a straight blues but many of Clifton's french num­bers will be presented on a future Arhoolie LP. ( Clifton Chenier ,an also be heard on the Ar­hoolie LP 1009-Zydeco: Dance Music of the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast:)

R. C. SMITH Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta cot­

ton country, R. C. has spent most of his 3 5 years as a farm laborer and tractor driver trying to feed his large family. He has tried to leave Mis­sissippi but found employment opportunities in Chicago and Texas not much better than at home. R.C. has recently become a devoted church member and has given up singing the blues. (Also heard on Arhoolie F 1005-1 have to paint my face.)

ME.RCY DEE Born August 13, 1915 in Waco, Texas-died

in Stockton, California, December 2, 1962, Mer­cy Dee Walton brought a strong Texas piano blues tradition with him when he moved to California in the late 1930's. He was a field hand most of his life but in the early 1950's Mercy Dee made his first recordings and later "One Room Country Shack" became a national R&B hit. (Also on Arhoolie F 1007-Mercy Dee.)

LIGHTNING & SPIDER

Lightning Hopkins and his drummer for many years Spider Kilpatrick formed a perfect parner­ship. Although featured as an instrumentalist

' here, Lightning Hopkins is no doubt the great­est blues singer of our time. Born March 15, 1912 near Centerville, Texas as Sam Hopkins, he acquired his nickname at his first recording session in Los Angeles when he was accompany­ing the piano player Thunder Smith. (Also on Arhoolie F 1011-Lightnin' Sam Hopkins and Arhoolie R 2007-Lighcning Hopkins-Early Recordings. )

JAMES PHILLIPS Born April 20, 1914 this blind, brooding

self-taught singer-guitarist from Birmingham, Alabama is typical of the many fine blues stylists active in many parts of the country. He plays mostly church songs today but has a strong blues background. (Also on Arhoolie F 1012-Blues N' Trouble, Vol. 2.)

LITTLE SON WILLIS Recorded in Los Angeles this pianist was

strongly influenced by the late "Dr. Clayton" who was a sucessful blues artist during the 1940's.

K. C. DOUGLAS Born near Canaan, Mississippi, KC. grew up with Mississippi Delta blues singers like Tommy Johnson from whom he learned many songs. In 1945 KC. moved to California and began to play professionally for dances picking up the cur­rent styles in Rhythm and Blues. KC. still plays some of the older numbers but prefers the type of music heard on this selection.

FRED McDOWELL Born January 12, ca. 1904 in Tennessee, he

moved to Mississippi to pick cotton and has worked at various jobs in and around the Delta region most of his life. Fred was never a pro­fessional musician but learned the bottle-neck guitar style from neighbors like Sid Hemphill and Eli Green and was much impressed with the records of Charlie Patton whom he later met at a Mississippi road house. Alan Lomax made Fred McDowell's first recordings and since then Fred's superb singing and guitar style has made him famous around the world. ( Also on Ar­hoolie F 1021-Mississippi Delta Blues by Fred McDowell.)

DETROIT SLIM

Recorded in Detroit by John Von Battle, one of the most colorful characters in the business of producing blues records. This unknown team is typical of the fine blues men who have moved from the rural South to the major cities of the North like Chicago and Detroit.

ESSIE JENKINS Born and raised in Mt. Holly, Arkansas, Mrs.

Jenkins learned to play piano and sing in her church. She played all over Arkansas until she was 15-then she moved to Nebraska and in 1944 she came to California-but everywhere she continued her playing and singing at vari­ous Churches of God in Christ. She met KC. Douglas in California and played with him in his blues band for awhile, having always liked the blues ever since she heard Sonny Boy Wil­liamson and Kokomo Arnold as a youngster.

BUKKA WHITE Born November 12, 1906 near Houston, Mis­

sissippi, Booker T. Washington White grew up in the cotron lands of the Mississippi Delta and in the 30's made a series of hauntingly beauti­ful recordings which eventually lead co his re­discovery in 1963. Bukka is one of the most vivid folk poets I have ever met and some of his best material is on two Arhoolie LPs ( F 1019 and 1020) entitled "Sky Songs". The se­lection on this LP was recorded for Takoma Records and has · been reissued with their kind permission.

CHRIS STRACHWITZ-1965

WHY DID YOU GO LAST NIGHT: Clifton Chenier-vocal and accordion, Elmore Nixon-piano, Bob Murphy-drums, recorded Houston, Tex. 2/8/64.

I

DON'T DRIVE ME AWAY-R. C. Smith vocal and guitar, acc. by drums, recorded Memphis, Tenn. 7 /28/61

BIRD BRAIN BABY-Mercy Dee vocal and piano recorded Stockton, Calif. 3/12/62

CANDY WAGON-Lightning Hopkins-guitar, Spider Kilpat­rick-drums recorded Houston, Texas 1/23/62

NO LOVIN'-James Phillips-vocal and guitar recorded Birmingham, Alabama 8/24/62

BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE-Little Son Willis vocal and and piano, with guitar acc. recorded Los Angeles, Calif. ca. 1950's

I KNOW YOU DIDN'T WANT ME-K. C. Douglas vocal and guitar, C. V. Hook second voice, George Hurst-piano, Jimmy Rainey-drums, recorded Berkeley, Calif. 8/19/63

FRED'S RAMBLING BLUES - Fred McDowell - vocal and guitar, recorded Como, Miss. 2/13/64

HARLEM BLUES-Little Son Willis-same as above.

NELLY MAE-Detroit Slim-unknown guitar and harmonica, recorded Detroit, Mich. ca. 1950's

INFLUENAZA BLUES-Essie Jenkins vocal and piano, re­corded Berkeley, Calif. 3/17 /62

MIDNIGHT BLUES-Bukka White vocal and steel guitar, Jimmy Rainey-drums, recorded Berkeley, Calif. 1964

THROW A LITTLE BOOGIE-Manny Nichols vocal and guitar, recorded in Texas.

ARHOOLIE F1018

Fl018

WHY DID YOU GO LAST NIGHT Clifton Chenier

DON'T DRIVE ME AWAY R. C. Smith

BIRD BRAIN BABY Mercy Dee

CANDY WAGON Lightning & Spider

NO LOVIN' James Phillips

BAD LUCK N' TROUBLE Little Son Willis

I KNOW YOU DIDN'T WANT ME K. C. Douglas

FRED'S RAMBLING BLUES Fred McDowell

HARLEM BLUES Little Son Willis

NELLY MAE

Detroit Slim

INFLUENZA BLUES Essie Jenkins

MIDNIGHT BLUES Bukka White

THROW A LITTLE BOOGIE Manny Nichols

Cover Photo: George Adins

Cover Design: Wayne Pope

All songs: Tradition Music - BMI Produced by Chris Strachwitz

ARHOOLIE RECORDS

BOX 5073, BERKELEY 5, CALIF.

OUTSTANDING FOLK ARTISTS

ON ARHOOLIE RECORDS

Black Ace-Lowell Fulson-Guitar Slim-Hackberry Ramb­

lers-Lightning Hopkins-Lil' Son Jackson-Perry Leder•

man-Mance Lipscomb-J. E. Mainer-Fred McDow•II­

Alex Moore-Rev. Overstreet-Janet Smith-Alice Stuart

-Kid Thomas-Joe Turner-Mercy Dee Walton-Bukka

White-Big Joe Williams.