This 2001 CD is volume two in a series produced by Frenchman
Bernard Fremeaux
and his associates that explores the roots of
rock & roll
in the
blues
and
rhythm & blues
of the late '30s, the '40s, and the early '50s. The songs of that era were sung by primarily African American musical artists and became the inspiration for the phenomenon known as
. The music features hard-driving rhythms, as well as a sensuousness in both style and lyrics. Many of the early
stars, notably
Elvis Presley
, drew on this rich tradition. Unlike
the King
, most of these musicians received little notice or remuneration from the white audiences that devoured
music from the '50s on. In this volume of the collection, the music comes from as early as 1938 and carries up through 1946. Selections from a wide array of singers and musicians give the listener an appreciation for the complex range of these harbingers of the coming tsunami known as
.
The Shelton Brothers
,
Albert Ammons
Adolph Hofner
Amos Milburn
Hank Penny
, and
Moon Mullican
are not exactly household names in mainstream America. Yet, they contributed their considerable talents to the genre, along with more recognizable artists, such as
Louis Jordan
Big Bill Broonzy
Ernest Tubb
Merle Travis
Champion Jack Dupree
T-Bone Walker
. They and many other artists can all be heard here on such tunes as
Wynonie Harris
' classic shout
"Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well,"
"Mississippi Muddle"
by
the Radio Cowboys
, and a sultry
Peggy Lee
on
"Everything's Movin' Too Fast."
~ Rose of Sharon Witmer