Artist: Josh White
Album: The Early Years Collection 1929-36
Label: Acrobat Records
Year Of Release: 2022
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Tracklist:
CD 1:
1. Blind Joe Taggart & Joshua White – Scandalous And A Shame (02:56)
2. Joshua White – Black And Evil Blues (03:15)
3. Joshua White – Little Brother Blues (03:01)
4. Joshua White – Baby, Won’t You Doodle-Doo-Doo (03:00)
5. Joshua White – High Brown Cheater (02:59)
6. Joshua White & His Guitar – Bad Depression Blues (02:58)
7. Joshua White & His Guitar – Howling Wolf Blues (03:06)
8. Joshua White – Crying Blues (03:03)
9. Joshua White – Double Crossing Woman (02:51)
10. Pinewood Tom – Good Gal (03:04)
11. Joshua White – Downhearted Man Blues (03:16)
12. Joshua White – Lazy Snake Blues (02:52)
13. Joshua White – Low Cotton (02:53)
14. Joshua White – Blood Red River (02:49)
15. Joshua White – Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed (03:04)
16. Joshua White – Motherless Children (02:47)
17. Joshua White – Pure Religion Hallilu (03:12)
18. Joshua White – I Don’t Intend To Die In Egyptland (02:57)
19. Joshua White – There’s A Man Going ‘Round Taking Names (03:09)
20. Joshua White – Lay Some Flowers On My Grave (03:05)
21. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – This Heart Of Mine (02:58)
22. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – Can’t Help But Crying Sometime (02:40)
23. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – Lord, I Want To Die Easy (03:26)
24. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – Death’s Coming Back After You (03:06)
CD 2:
1. Joshua White – You Sinner You (02:43)
2. Pinewood Tom – Stormy Weather No. 1 (03:01)
3. Pinewood Tom – Welfare Blues (03:25)
4. Pinewood Tom – I Believe I’ll Make A Change (02:55)
5. Pinewood Tom & His Blue Hounds – Gone Mother Blues (02:33)
6. Pinewood Tom & His Blue Hounds – Evil Man Blues (02:32)
7. Pinewood Tom & His Blue Hounds – Mean Mistreater Mama (02:40)
8. Pinewood Tom & His Blue Hounds – She’s Alright With Me (02:41)
9. Pinewood Tom – Black Gal (02:56)
10. Pinewood Tom – Milk Cow Blues (03:04)
11. Pinewood Tom – D.B.A Blues (03:05)
12. Pinewood Tom – Badly Mistreated Man (03:13)
13. Pinewood Tom – Sissy Man (02:50)
14. Pinewood Tom – Gone Dry Blues (02:59)
15. Pinewood Tom – Black Man (03:05)
16. Pinewood Tom – Homeless And Hungry Blues (03:00)
17. Pinewood Tom – Prodigal Son (02:55)
18. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – I Got A Home In That Rock (02:52)
19. Pinewood Tom – Cherry Picker (02:55)
20. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – Got The Key To The Kingdom (03:15)
21. Pinewood Tom – Jet Black Woman (02:54)
22. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – On My Way (03:04)
23. Joshua White (the Singing Christian) – My Soul Is Gonna Live With God (03:00)
24. Pinewood Tom – Silicosis Is Killin’ Me (02:58)
Josh White was an entertainer, singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor and civil rights activist, who became a very public face of protest in the 1940s and was well-known and popular in showbiz circles. However, his early career, having been born in South Carolina in 1914, was as a street performer working with blind blues singers, dancing, singing and collecting money. Making his way with Blind Joe Taggart to Chicago in 1927, he made his first recordings with Taggart in 1929, and a couple of years later started recording in his own right as a solo artist. He recorded under various names for the American Record Corporation (ARC) which owned several imprints releasing records for dime store chains as well as the mainstream market, and his records came out variously on the Melotone, Banner, Perfect, Oriole, Romeo and Conqueror labels. He recorded initially as Joshua White, and then in blues style as Pinewood Tom, sometimes with a group The Blue Hounds, and in gospel style as Joshua White (The Singing Christian). This 48-track 2-CD set comprises one title for Paramount with Blind Joe Taggart, and then selected sides on the labels mentioned in his various guises through to 1936, when his career was interrupted for a couple of years by a hand injury until he returned to record for major labels. It includes many of his notable compositions, and underlines his authenticity and skill as a guitarist and blues performer as he carved out a living through the Depression years.
