Texas Alexander - Texas Alexander & His Circle 1927-1951 (2017)

A marvellous set featuring Texas Alexander and friends. 92 tracks,all fully remastered. Compiled and annotated by Neil Slaven with full discography. Born in Jowett, Texas in 1900, he played with the best - one of his early collaborations was with the guitarist Lonnie Johnson. Where he developed ned his prodigious voice is unknown, but by 1927 he was in Dallas working as a warehouseman and moonlighting as a singer in local clubs and bars. He was discovered by one of those record company scouts who were looking for performers to emulate the success of artists like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charley Patton.

He was quickly guided to a recording studio where he recorded ten tracks. He had the uncanny luck to be accompanied on six tracks by ace guitarist Lonnie Johnson and on four by pianist Eddie Heywood. He had problems with keeping a regular tempo (probably because he usually sang unaccompanied) and few accompanists were better equipped to accommodate this.

Those first sides were successful enough for him to be recalled early the following year - again with Johnson's backing. He was on his way. The following years would see him in collaborations with Lightnin' Hopkins, Lowell Fulson and the Mississippi Sheiks. He would endure the Depression, a short stay in jail (for murder) and indifferent health. He died in 1954, almost forgotten. His fame started to revive with the 'blues boom' of the 1960s. It's rarely wavered since. There are others here, too - 'Little Hat' Jones, Willie Reed and 'Suitcase' Johnson among them.

TRACKLIST

CD 1:

01. Range In My Kitchen Blues (Remastered) (3:07)
02. Long Lonesome Day Blues (Remastered) (3:01)
03. Corn-Bread Blues (Remastered) (2:47)
04. Section Gang Blues (Remastered) (2:53)
05. Levee Camp Moan Blues (Remastered) (3:02)
06. Mama, I Heard You Brought It Right Back Home (Remastered) (2:53)
07. Farm Hand Blues (Remastered) (3:00)
08. Evil Woman Blues (Remastered) (2:53)
09. Sabine River Blues (Remastered) (3:17)
10. Deathbed Blues (Remastered) (2:32)
11. Yellow Girl Blues (Remastered) (2:45)
12. West Texas Blues (Remastered) (3:15)
13. Bantam Rooster Blues Take A (Remastered) (3:12)
14. Deep Blue Sea Blues (Remastered) (3:01)
15. No More Woman Blues (Remastered) (2:59)
16. Don't You Wish Your Baby Was Built Up Like Mine (Remastered) (2:58)
17. Bell Cow Blues (Remastered) (2:50)
18. Bantam Rooster Blues Take B (Remastered) (3:09)
19. Sittin' On A Log (Remastered) (2:59)
20. Mama's Bad Luck Child (Remastered) (3:13)
21. Boe Hog Blues (Remastered) (2:54)
22. Work Ox Blues (Remastered) (3:16)
23. The Risin' Sun (Remastered) (3:23)
24. Penitentiary Moan Blues (Remastered) (3:05)

CD 2:

01. She's So Fair (Remastered) (3:10)
02. Rolling And Stumbling Blues (Remastered) (2:59)
03. Frost Texas Tornado Blues (Remastered) (3:24)
04. Texas Troublesome Blues (Remastered) (3:13)
05. Blues In My Mind (Remastered) (3:11)
06. Mistreatin' Woman (Remastered) (3:08)
07. Polo Blues (Remastered) (3:31)
08. Normangee Blues (Remastered) (3:13)
09. Worried Blues (Remastered) (3:03)
10. Prairie Dog Hole Blues (Remastered) (3:05)
11. Justice Blues (Remastered) (2:51)
12. Katy Crossing Blues (Remastered) (2:54)
13. Lonesome Blues (Remastered) (3:20)
14. Lonesome Valley Blues (Remastered) (3:05)
15. One Morning Blues (Remastered) (2:31)
16. Deceitful Blues (Remastered) (2:49)
17. Easy Rider Blues (Remastered) (2:44)
18. Good Feelin' Blues (Remastered) (3:03)
19. Bottoms Blues (Remastered) (2:47)
20. Cross Roads (Remastered) (2:32)
21. Back Door Blues (Remastered) (3:16)
22. Leavenworth Prison Blues (Remastered) (3:13)
23. Hard Time Blues (Remastered) (2:53)
24. California Desert Blues (Remastered) (3:11)
25. Cartey Blues (Remastered) (3:01)

CD 3:

01. She's So Fair (Remastered) (3:10)
02. Rolling And Stumbling Blues (Remastered) (2:59)
03. Frost Texas Tornado Blues (Remastered) (3:24)
04. Texas Troublesome Blues (Remastered) (3:13)
05. Blues In My Mind (Remastered) (3:11)
06. Mistreatin' Woman (Remastered) (3:08)
07. Polo Blues (Remastered) (3:31)
08. Normangee Blues (Remastered) (3:13)
09. Worried Blues (Remastered) (3:03)
10. Prairie Dog Hole Blues (Remastered) (3:05)
11. Justice Blues (Remastered) (2:51)
12. Katy Crossing Blues (Remastered) (2:54)
13. Lonesome Blues (Remastered) (3:20)
14. Lonesome Valley Blues (Remastered) (3:05)
15. One Morning Blues (Remastered) (2:31)
16. Deceitful Blues (Remastered) (2:49)
17. Easy Rider Blues (Remastered) (2:44)
18. Good Feelin' Blues (Remastered) (3:03)
19. Bottoms Blues (Remastered) (2:47)
20. Cross Roads (Remastered) (2:32)
21. Back Door Blues (Remastered) (3:16)
22. Leavenworth Prison Blues (Remastered) (3:13)
23. Hard Time Blues (Remastered) (2:53)
24. California Desert Blues (Remastered) (3:11)
25. Cartey Blues (Remastered) (3:01)

CD 4:

01. New Two Sixteen Blues (Remastered) (2:55)
02. Two String Blues (Remastered) (3:08)
03. Rolled From Side To Side Blues (Remastered) (3:01)
04. Hurry Blues (Remastered) (3:07)
05. Little Hat Blues (Remastered) (3:08)
06. Corpus Blues (Remastered) (3:12)
07. Kentucky Blues (Remastered) (3:10)
08. Bye Bye Baby Blues (Remastered) (3:06)
09. Cross The Water Blues (Remastered) (3:12)
10. Cherry Street Blues (Remastered) (3:24)
11. Dreaming Blues (Remastered) (3:04)
12. Texas Blues (Remastered) (3:18)
13. Leavin' Home (Remastered) (2:48)
14. Goin' Back To My Baby (Remastered) (2:46)
15. Some Low Down Groundhog Blues (Remastered) (2:47)
16. All Worn Out And Dry Blues (Remastered) (3:07)
17. Army Mule In No Man's Land (Remastered) (2:45)
18. Traveling Man (Remastered) (3:31)
19. Drunkard's Special - Remasterd (3:15)
20. The Elder's He's My Man (Remastered) (3:04)
21. Locked In Jail Blues (Remastered) (2:24)
22. You've Gotta Lay Down Mama (Remastered) (2:34)
23. Sam's Comin' Home (Remastered) (2:40)
24. Sam's Boogie (Remastered) (2:19)