Wiki
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Release Date
2000
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Length
18 tracks
This Arhoolie Record was the first US Album released by Sonny Boy Williamson II A.KA Alex "Rice" Miller.
(1) It contains both sides of the Trumpet Records released as singles under his name from 1951-1955,
If you are as fascinated as many are at the uniquely mournful sound of "Mighty Long Time," it features Sonny Boy on harp and vocals accompanied solely (or is it "soulfully") by Cliff Givens, a bass singer who "pumped bass" during the recording. Givens have been the bass singer at various times in two editions of The Southern Sons, The Golden Gate Quartet, The Ink Spots, and Billy Ward and his Dominoes and recorded with Ry Cooder and James Taylor.
(2) In addition it contains the only known audio recording of Sonny Boy Williamson performing (but not hosting - Sonny Payne would probably have done that as he is white) on King Biscuit Time on KFFA in Helena Arkansas.
(3) Finally, recent releases of this CD have included "Dust My Broom" the one side recorded by Trumpet by Elmore James on which Sonny Boy Williamson plays harmonica or blues harp. (The other side was "Catfish Blues" a similar song recorded by an artist known to Lillian McMurry owner of Trumpet Records as "Slim" which is attributed to "Elmo James." Dust My Broom" along with Sonny Boy's "Mighty Long Time" and "Nine Below Zero" were Trumpet's three biggest hits which sold big time in her market which she described as "Chicago Down."
Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records told me that while he was in Helena in April or May of 1965, he gave to a Canadian rock group looking for Sonny Boy. That would have been Levon and the Hawks later known as The Band. To hear their side of that story, watch the interviews in "The Last Waltz" movie.
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