Sonny Terry - Sonny Terry And His Mouth-Harp '1953/1999

Tracks list

       This rare December 1953 session (reissued on CD in 1999) was unusual for
Terry in that his guitar accompanist was not Brownie McGhee, but Alec Seward,
who had previously recorded as Guitar Slim in a duo with "Fat Boy" Hayes" (aka
Jelly Belly). It's unusual only in the personnel, however. It sounds like
typical Sonny Terry, as he works his way through original material, including
standards like "John Henry" and other blues tunes like "In the Evening" (the
song that would provide much of the basis for Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain").
You'd have to say that it's usually more interesting to hear Terry with his
longtime partner McGhee than it is to hear him with Seward, but it's not
terribly different. The trademark vocal and harmonica whoops, and hollers are in
gear and running throughout the album, sometimes to exhilarating effect, as on
the rapid "The Fox Chase (aka "Hound Dog Holler")." His lyrics get uncommonly
specific on "Goodbye Leadbelly," a tribute to the then-recently deceased
folk-blues legend, composed by "writer unknown." The recording engineer on the
session, incidentally, was a young Jac Holzman, who had just started Elektra
Records.



1.01 - Sonny Terry - In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down) (Album Version)
(2:32)
1.02 - Sonny Terry - Move To Kansas City (Album Version) (2:31)
1.03 - Sonny Terry - John Henry (Album Version) (3:11)
1.04 - Sonny Terry - The Fox Chase (AKA Hound Dog Holler) (Album Version) (2:21)
1.05 - Sonny Terry - Louise (Album Version) (2:51)
1.06 - Sonny Terry - Red River (Album Version) (2:27)
1.07 - Sonny Terry - Goodbye Leaderbelly (Album Version) (3:05)
1.08 - Sonny Terry - Custard Pie (Album Version) (2:30)
1.09 - Sonny Terry - I Woke Up This Morning And I Could Hardly See (Album
Version) (3:08)
1.10 - Sonny Terry - Old Woman Blues (Album Version) (2:46)
1.11 - Sonny Terry - Talkin' About The Blues (Album Version) (3:06)
1.12 - Sonny Terry - Changed The Lock On My Door (Album Version) (2:53)
1.13 - Sonny Terry - Moanin' And Mournin' (Album Version) (3:20)
1.14 - Sonny Terry - Baby, Baby (Album Version) (2:47) 

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