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USA Blues

Show 76: USA Blues, Pt. 1: Alabama to Arkansas

This opens the long state-by-state march, treating the blues as a national map instead of a single region. The show starts in the deep South and nearby ground, showing how local birthplaces, migration routes, and regional styles all feed one bigger American songbook.

Host Narration

We'll be celebrating our independence from England in the best way I know how, with a multi-part series featuring blues musicians from every state, except the hard ones like Alaska, from A to Z. Today's show is a trio of doozies: Alabama, Arizona, and Arkansas. Up first is my favorite country blues artist out of Alabama. It's Hank Williams chasin' rabbits, walkin' on his hands, and howlin' at the moon. Here it is.

35Tracks
35Artists
5Theme Tags
5Genre Tags
SeriesUSA Blues
Tagsgeographystate-by-stateregional surveyAmerican rootsblues map
Genresbluesclassic bluescountry bluesboogie-woogieragtime
Tracklist
#TrackArtist
1Howlin' At The MoonHank Williams;Drifting Cowboys
2Let's JamThe Foster Brothers;Lefty Bates
3Black Gal, What Makes Your Head So Hard?Joe Pullum;Robert Cooper
4I Got MoneyDetroit Junior
5It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day)Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers;Earl Gaines
6Big Rock JailEd Bell
7Alabama Mis-TreaterCow Cow Davenport with Dora Carr
8Don't Ask Me No QuestionsLittle Sonny
9Red Cross Blues bridgeWalter Roland
10Hard Luck Man bridgeSonny Scott
11Goin' Away BluesCharlie Campbell
12Suicide BluesPeanut The Kidnapper
13No Name BluesJohnny Shines
14Why'd You Do ItRalph Willis
15Cryin' BluesCharles Mingus
16Singing the BluesMarty Robbins
17Stormy Monday bridgeRoy Buchanan
18Caldonia bridgeLouis Jordan & His Tympany Five
19Confusion BluesBig John Greer;The Du Droppers
20Evil Is Going OnLuther Allison
21Bad AvenueLefty Dizz
22The Blues Ain't Nothin' but a Woman Cryin' for Her ManDinah Washington
23Boogie WoogieCalvin Frazier
24Blues in the Night bridgeJohnnie Taylor
25Crying In The Courthouse bridgeIke Turner;Houston Boines;Little Milton
26Respect Me BabyShakey Jake
27Hold That TrainWillie D. Warren;Howard Glazer
28Wicked Devil's BluesWesley Wallace with Robert Peeples
29Sykes Advice BluesRoosevelt Sykes
30Baby I Done Got WiseBig Bill Broonzy
31Where Were You Last Night?Washboard Sam
32Dark RoadFloyd Jones
33Bricks in My PillowRobert Nighthawk
34Good Morning Blues bridgeArbee Stidham
35Waiting for a Train bridgeJohnny Cash