Leadbelly - The Bourgeois Blues (CD, Comp) (Very Good (VG))

Media Condition: Very Good (VG)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Notes:

Made in Australia by Disctronics Leadbelly is the hard name of a harder man. On December 31 (1934), a forty-nine year old Negro ex-convict who was born in Louisiana, arrived in New York City. His first forty-nine years were spent in the deep South, where he learned to play the twelve string guitar. He was friends with Blind Lemon Jefferson, and they travelled around together for about a year singing and playing. But at that time Hudie Ledbetter got into a brawl that resulted in a killing. His prison sentence was thirty years at hard labour. Leadbelly was an unusually powerful man. Alan Lomax writes, "In the Texas Pen he was the number one man in the number one gang on the number one farm on the state - the man who could carry the lead row in the field for 12 or 14 hours a day under the boiling July and August." He could pick a bale of cotton a day - that's 500 pounds! Governor Pat Neff of Texas recalled that Leadbelly had come up to him while he, the Governor, was visiting the prison and said, "Will you listen while I sing you a song? Part of the song was: If I had the gov'ner Where the gov'ner has me Before daylight I'd set the gov'ner free I begs you gov'ner Upon my soul If you won't gimme a pardon, Won't you gimme parole? The parole came in January, 1925. In 1930 he was sent to Angola Penitentiary in Louisiana. His sentence was ten years. John Lomax, Amareican folklorist, found him in Angola. This time Leadbelly sang, and John recorded: If I had you Gov'ner O.K.Allen, like you got me I would wake you in the morning, let you out on reprieve... The Governor didn't reposnd but Leadbelly was released in 1934 because of "good time". He then came to New York and worked for John Lomax. He recorded his songs, which have become as widely known as any in the history of American folk or popular music, among them Rock Island Line, Good Night Irene, Old Cottonfield At Home, Take This Hammer, Pick A Bale Of Cotton, Boll Weevil, Midnight Special. Leadbelly died a pauper in Bellevue Hospital in 1941. His fame posthumous; his songs and singing are a powerful part of American folk music.

1. The Bourgeois Blues 3:20
2. Looky, Looky Yonder, Black Betty, Yellow Woman's Doorbells 3:00
3. Poor Howard Green Corn 3:13
4. The Gallis Pole 3:00
5. Dekalb Woman 2:50
6. Noted Rider 1:30
7. Big Fat Woman 1:20
8. Burrow Love & Co 1:15
9. Bring Me Li'l Water Silvy 0:55
10. Julie Ann Johnson 0:40
11. Line 'Em 0:55
12. Whoa Back Buck 1:20
13. John Hardy 4:22

Barcode and Other Identifiers:

Matrix / Runout MADE BY DISCTRONICS B * * DMCD51 * * #01

Made By Disctronics B

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