Angola Prisoners' Blues

by ANGOLA PRISONERS BLUES / VARIOU

Overview

In the '50s, Harry Oster made several recordings of African-American inmates at the penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana. These sessions are primarily remembered for the discovery of Robert Pete Williams, but Oster also found several other acoustic blues performers of merit. Several of them are featured on this 20-track, 80-minute CD (which includes three tracks by Williams). Although these singers had hard daily lives and went through hard times before they were jailed, this is hardly a downer record. It's largely first-class acoustic blues with a relaxed (if sometimes sad) dignity. The lyrics are sometimes related to prison life, as in Robert Pete Williams' minor-keyed "Prisoner's Talking Blues" and Guitar Welch's "Electric Chair Blues." Yet much of the material is simply the usual songs of struggle and hope common to the blues, mixed in with some a cappella, spiritual-flavored cuts by female prisoners, and one male vocal group performance clearly derived from doo wop. Guitar blues is the predominant style, though, and country-blues fans will find much to enjoy here, whether they're interested in the folklore aspect or not. Thirteen of the tracks on the CD version were previously unreleased. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	07/16/1996
Label:	Arhoolie
UPC:	0096297041925
Rank:	113386

Tracks

1. Prisoner's Talking Blues  - Robert Pete Williams
2. Stagolee  - Hogman Maxey
3. Electric Chair Blues  - Guitar Welch
4. Black Night Is Fallin'  - Hogman Maxey
5. Some Got Six Months  - Robert Pete Williams
6. I'm Gonna Leave You Mama  - Guitar Welch
7. I'm Lonesome Blues  - Robert Pete Williams
8. Angola Bound  -  Capella A Group
9. Worried Blues  - Hogman Maxey  - Hally Wood
10. Josephine  - Guitar Welch
11. Soldier's Plea  - Clara Young
12. The Moon Is Rising  - Odea Mathews  - Johnny Shines
13. I'm Still in Love with You  - Thelma Mae Joseph
14. I Miss You So  -  Vocal Group
15. Hello, Sue  - Jody "Butterbeans" Edwards
16. Fast Life Woman  - Hogman Maxey
17. Careless Love  - W.C. Handy  - Martha E. Koenig  - Otis Webster  - Spencer Williams
18. Have You Ever Heard the Church Bells Tone  - Roosevelt Charles  - Otis Webster
19. 61 Highway  -  Traditional  - Guitar Welch
20. Strike at Camp I  - Roosevelt Charles

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Capella A Group   Primary Artist
Vocal Group   Primary Artist
Jody "Butterbeans" Edwards   Primary Artist
Clara Young   Primary Artist,Vocals
Guitar Welch   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Roosevelt Charles   Primary Artist,Vocals
Otis Webster   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Thelma Mae Joseph   Primary Artist,Vocals
Butterbeans   Primary Artist
Odea Mathews   Primary Artist,Vocals
Robert Pete Williams   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (12 String)
Hogman Maxey   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (12 String)

Technical Credits

Spencer Williams   Composer
Traditional   Composer
W.C. Handy   Composer
Harry Oster   Editing,Engineer,Liner Notes,Photography
Johnny Shines   Composer
Robert Pete Williams   Composer,Performer
Wayne Pope   Photography,Artwork
Hally Wood   Composer
Jody "Butterbeans" Edwards   Composer
Clara Young   Performer,Composer
Hogman Maxey   Composer,Performer
Martha E. Koenig   Composer
Chris Stachwitz   Editing,Liner Note Art,Release Production
Richard B. Allen   Assistant Engineer
Roosevelt Charles   Composer,Performer
Otis Webster   Performer
Thelma Mae Joseph   Composer,Performer
Guitar Welch   Composer,Performer
Chris Strachwitz   Editing,Producer,Liner Notes