The Blues, Limited

October 12, 2009 - 10:18 AM

One thing we never see enough of is good blues on vinyl. A very few of our customers have been lucky enough to snatch up the limited edition releases we've managed to bring in on Mississippi Records, a small imprint out of Portland, Oregon. Though MR has done a few repressings, for the most part their initial runs are rather limited, usually to just 1000 copies, making them rather difficult to get hold of. They've also done some non-blues releases of an international focus as well as some folk and gospel recordings. We've had a few of their blues compilations, as well as their Abner Jay and Cecil Barfield releases, and they've all sold out instantly.

However, that's all about to change as I've now got a reliable source for the label who'll be able to provide us with all Mississippi Records releases as soon as they become available... and, at by far what I think will be the cheapest price around. My initial order will probably be in in about two weeks and should consist of:

Abner Jay - True Story of Abner Jay
This is one of my favorite blues albums. It comes with an archival photo (pictured at left), typed notes, and a lovely flyer that looks like it was made in the '70s. Outstanding.

Fred McDowell - Fred McDowell
Reissue of the Arhoolie LP originally titled "Fred McDowell - Volume 2". A beautiful set by the Mississippi blues legend. One of Fred's best. Intense Delta blues.

Various Artists - Fight On, Your Time Ain't Long
Fantastic comp of blues featuring Bukka White, Bo Weavil Jackson, Blind Joe Taggart and more.

Cecil Barfield - South Georgia Blues
I've written about this album in a previous post. See below.

Various Artists - Mortika (2LP)
2LP set of Greek underground folk music sometimes called "rembetica" or "Greek Oriental Music." Compiled by Tony Klein. Songs about drugs, sex, crime, poverty, & heartbreak. Housed in a box & includes 20 page notes with extensive archival photos & full lyric translations.

Michael Hurley - Parsnip Snips
Originally released in 1997 in Germany in a press size of 500. These original copies were seized by the government shortly after the record's release. Only 150 or so were sold before the seizing, but copies have leaked out of whatever dank German bureaucratic basement they were relegated to. Still, a very hard record to find for years, now back in print. This release is remastered from the original tapes and has superior sound quality to the original. Culled from Michael's unreleased output between his 1964 'First songs' LP and 'Armchair Boogie' in 1972. All tracks feature just Michael and guitar.

Joseph Spence - Bahaman Guitarist
Reissue of the Arhoolie LP recorded in 1971. Joseph Spence was a highly original guitarist & vocalist from the Bahamas. His music is hard to describe - extreme guitar runs with joyful vocalese rambled along with it. This album includes hits such as "Out On the Rolling Sea" and "Sloop John B". Silk screened cover glued over a hand manufactured folkways style cover.

Various Artists - Mata La Pena
Compilation focusing on music from around the world -- from Calypso to Flamenco to Thai ballads to Indonesian instrumentals to American country to Hawaiian music. Designed as a sort of sequel to the out of print I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore comp. Heavyweight sleeve with paste-on Folkways style cover. Limited run of 3000. Cover design by Eric Isaacson, featuring a painting by Chris Johansson. Project direction for cover and sleeve construction and assembly by Pow Wow.

Mississippi Records also has some interesting things in the pipe, and we'll be sure to get them as soon as they're available:

Clara Rockmore - Theremin Virtuoso LP

Various Artists - five LP releases to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Lomax's Southern Journey--a mix of released & never before released material straight from the Lomax Archive!

Various Artists - Madagascaran field recordings LPs

And while I'm writing about limited releases from a small label... we're also bringing in a few releases some similar outfits:

Various Artists - A Orillas del Magdalena (Coastal Cumbias from Colombia's Discos Fuentes)
Radiant cumbias from Colombia in the 50s and 60s. Soft accordions with snaking melodies, an inistent rhythm said to sound like the bouncing shackles on the ankles of slaves, and also horns, chants and tons of unusual percussion accents. If you travel to Colombia today, this would be the equivalent of listening to 'Sitting on the Dock of the Bay'--you can easily hear why it spread hastily through the rest of Latin America. Compiled by the fine New Orleans store Domino Sound Record Shack.

Bobby BeauSoleil with the Freedom Orchestra & The Magick Powerhouse of Oz - The Lucifer Rising Suite 4LP Set
Remastered recordings spanning 11 years, from the ‘67 recording to the Tracy Prison recordings of ‘78. Four full-length LPs worth of ‘Lucifer Rising’ material with half being never-before-heard sessions personally selected by Bobby BeauSoleil. Nine new pieces of art from Bobby: eight record sleeve panels and one 2′ x 3′ poster. Two posters, one by Bobby BeauSoleil and one by Dennis Dread. A much-extended version of the ‘Fallen Angel Blues’ piece by Bobby that originally appeared in the Kenneth Anger DVD set. ‘Hymns to the Solar Temple’ - impressions on a visit to Bobby at the Oregon Correctional Facility in Pendleton, Oregon by Dennis Dread. The Saga of a Soundtrack by Michael Moynihan. Art from Dennis Dread for the back of the LP box, also included as a 2′ x 2′ poster. Art from Dennis Dread for the front lid of the box which will provide a window into the works of Bobby’s to be found within. Remastered by Robert Ferbrache, well known for his work with Blood Axis, 16 Horsepower and others.”