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
rock & roll. The music features hard-driving rhythms, as well as a sensuousness in both style and lyrics. Many of the early
rock & roll 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
rock & roll 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
rock & roll.
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, and
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
