Nimbus Records HOME TOWN SKIFFLE

Set 10 of the iconic Matchbox Bluesmaster Series. Containing six CDs, alongside extensive notes from world authority on the blues Paul Oliver, this unique series documents the very early days of blues, ragtime, hokum, and gospel music from 1926 to 1934 and gives an insight into the way that black music was first released on record. From a commercial standpoint, record companies such as OKEH sent out talent scouts to find black singers, mang of them singing for nickels on street corners. These early blues performances feature some outstanding playing and singing and a new generation is now discovering the musical wealth to be found in these early recordings. Review Another set of recordings from Saydisc (Matchbox), featuring blues, rags, the odd dance tune and (Discs 5 and 6) an assortment of blues source material, these six CDs feature not only established legends of the music (Blind Boy Fuller, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Boy Williamson, Blind Blake etc.), but also a host of less well-known figures, all carefully and knowledgeably annotated by David Harrison and Tony Russell. The first two CDs are devoted to Blind Boy Fuller, Disc 1 comprising his own work, the second (mainly) that of musicians influenced by him… Fuller is a true blues great, his singing affecting, sure and confident, his diction clear, his guitar playing assured, often downright virtuosic, his careful picking tellingly interspersed with double-time passages and skilful rhythmic variations. The material on the first disc, recorded between 1937 and 1939, is a mixture of wonderfully atmospheric blues (“Corinne”, “Mean and No Good Woman”) rags/dance tunes and humorous songs with suggestive lyrics (“What’s That Smells Like Fish”), but whatever style of music he plays, Fuller delivers the goods in spades, his light but surprisingly strong voice beautifully complemented by his dexterous guitar... What liner-note writer Tony Russell refers to as the “pre-history of the blues” is documented on the consistently fascinating Discs 5 and 6. Vaudeville, country music and ragtime all fed into the genre, and the first collection, which is, as Russell suggests, “utterly unlike most other anthologies of blues music”, provides a rich overview of these sources…A wholly enjoyable and – given the relatively unusual nature of its material – valuable compilation. --London Jazz News, Chris Parker We've reached the tenth in the unmatched series of Matchbox Bluesmaster reissues and the quality is undimmed… These Matchbox collections are meticulous and thorough and they make no apology for some of the distinctly odd bits and pieces that nestle in between the timeless gems. They are what they are and they are part of the history and development of our music… Still, the legacy preserved here for blues and folk lovers is about as comprehensive a representation of the early days as you could hope for. It's fascinating, bemusing and amusing listening. And, of course, lots of it is fantastic… if you have any love of the simple yet elusive magic that is the blues, you have to make room for this set. --Jazz Rag, Stuart Maxwell As always, the production is exemplary… I have been a fan of the series since the beginning and believe Saydisc/Nimbus are owed a great deal of praise for their intrepid work in preserving for posterity and sharing these remarkable historic recordings. --Jazz Journal, Ian Lomax