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:	123473

Tracks

1. Prisoner's Talking Blues
2. Stagolee
3. Electric Chair Blues
4. Black Night Is Fallin'
5. Some Got Six Months
6. I'm Gonna Leave You Mama
7. I'm Lonesome Blues
8. Angola Bound
9. Worried Blues
10. Josephine
11. Soldier's Plea
12. The Moon Is Rising
13. I'm Still in Love with You
14. I Miss You So
15. Hello, Sue
16. Fast Life Woman
17. Careless Love
18. Have You Ever Heard the Church Bells Tone
19. 61 Highway
20. Strike at Camp I

Album Credits

Performance Credits

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

Technical Credits

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