Show 55: Alphabet Blues, Pt. 15: Bluebird
Bluebird is one of the big houses in prewar and early postwar blues, and this show treats it like a backbone label. The records here tell the story of how a mainstream imprint helped package and spread country blues, city blues, and early electric sounds.
I'm your host. For today's 55th episode of the Copacetic Communion Blues Show, we'll be covering our Alphabet Blues series, where I aim to spin for you the most important tracks from every significant blues label from A to Z. Last week, we finished up the alphabet with Yazoo's greatest reissues from founder Nick Perls and heard the harrowing lengths he went to to source these immortal recordings. This week, we'll be covering the labels we skipped over in our first attempt, like Columbia Records, their Bluebird label, and Folkways Records. Up first, we've got Count Basie and his orchestra with a delightful vocal performance by Jimmy Rushing, "Rusty Dusty Blues."
| # | Track | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rusty Dusty Blues - 78rpm Version | Count Basie & His Orchestra; Vocal by Jimmy Rushing |
| 2 | Deep In The Blues - 78rpm Version | Count Basie & His Orchestra; Vocal by Helen Humes; Arranged by Henry Woode |
| 3 | Why Did You Go Last Night | Clifton Chenier |
| 4 | Early in the Morning | Bill Gillum |
| 5 | Boar Hog Blues | Bill Gillum |
| 6 | Jackson Blues | Sonny Boy Williamson II |
| 7 | I'm Tired of Truckin' My Blues Away | Sonny Boy Williamson II |
| 8 | Rising Sun | Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Coyal McMahan |
| 9 | Take Your Fingers off It | Will Shade,Charlie Burse,Gus Cannon |
| 10 | Ball and Chain Blues bridge | Peg Leg Howell,Jim Hill |
| 11 | Broke and Hungry Blues bridge | Peg Leg Howell |
| 12 | We Sure Got Hard Times | Barbecue Bob |
| 13 | Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground 📖 Story | Blind Willie Johnson |
| 14 | Kingfish Blues | Tampa Red |
| 15 | Witching Hour Blues | Tampa Red |
| 16 | I Got the Blues | Big Maceo |
| 17 | Winter Time Blues | Big Maceo |
| 18 | New Highway 51 bridge | Tommy McClennan |
| 19 | Helping Hand (A Thousand Miles Away from Home) bridge | Snooks Eaglin |
| 21 | Next-Door Neighbor | Robert Lee McCoy |
| 22 | The Slop | Melvin Jack" Jackson |
| 23 | Early This Morning (Write Me a Few of Your Lines) | Mississippi Fred McDowell |
| 24 | Outskirts of Town | Lead Belly |
| 25 | Linin' Track | Lead Belly |
| 26 | Meet Me in the Bottom | Pink Anderson |
| 27 | I Ride My Horses Most Anywhere | Daddy Hotcakes |
| 28 | Sun Goin' Down bridge | Son House |
| 29 | C.C. Rider bridge | Big Bill Broonzy |
| 30 | Hesitation Blues | Rev. Gary Davis |
| 31 | Married Woman Blues | Big Joe Williams |
| 32 | Up the Country Blues | Little Brother Montgomery |
| 33 | T.B. Blues | Josh White |
| 34 | Going Down the Road Feeling Bad | Elizabeth Cotten |
| 35 | Singing The Blues | Marty Robbins |
| 36 | Bad Lee Brown | Woody Guthrie |
| 37 | In My Time of Dyin' | Bob Dylan |
| 38 | On My Way to See Moe Asch bridge | Champion Jack Dupree |
| 39 | Beer Drinkin' Woman bridge 📖 Story | Memphis Slim |
| Mama, Don’t Tear My Clothes | Snooks Eaglin |