Label: Document Records.
Release Date: April, 1991.
Recording Time: 71 minutes.
Release Info: Compilation Studio Recording.
Recording Date: August 1929 - June 1932.
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Country Blues, Piedmont Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Regional Blues, Delta Blues, Pre-War Blues.
The fourth and final volume in Document's series assembles a wide range of Blind Blake material, from sides cut under the name Blind Arthur ("Guitar Chimes" and "Blind Arthur's Breakdown"), collaborations with vaudeville singer Chocolate Brown (a.k.a. Irene Scruggs), and even his sole two-part blues, the morbid "Rope Stretchin' Blues." Among the final pair of tracks, from mid-1932, the first, "Champagne Charlie Is My Name," is so atypical that some question whether it is even Blake at all; however, his last known side, "Depression's Gone from Me Blues," is a career-capping triumph -- just why he never recorded again is just one of the many mysteries which continue to swirl about this legendary figure. ~ Jason Ankeny
Credits: Blind Blake - composer, guitar (rhythm), primary artist, vocals; Papa Charlie Jackson - banjo, vocals; Laura Rucker - vocals; Irene Scruggs - vocals.
Personnel: Blind Blake - vocals, guitar, speech, comments; Blind Blake (as by Blind Arthur) - guitar solo; possibly Tiny Parham or Aletha Dickerson - piano; Papa Charlie Jackson - banjo, vocals, speech; Irene Scruggs (as Chocolate Brown) - vocals; Laura Rucker - vocals.
Tracks: 1) Sweet Jivin' Mama - Blind Blake; 2) Lonesome Christmas Blues - Blind Blake; 3) Third Degree Blues - Blind Blake; 4) Guitar Chimes - Blind Blake; 5) Blind Arthur's Breakdown - Blind Blake; 6) Baby Lou Blues - Blind Blake; 7) Cold Love Blues - Blind Blake; 8) Papa Charlie And Blind Blake Talk About It, Part 1 - Blind Blake and Papa Charlie Jackson; 9) Papa Charlie And Blind Blake Talk About It, Part 2 - Blind Blake and Papa Charlie Jackson; 10) Stingaree Man Blues - Irene Scruggs (as Chocolate Brown); 11) Itching Heel - Irene Scruggs (as Chocolate Brown); 12) You've Got What I Want - Irene Scruggs (as Chocolate Brown); 13) Cherry Hill Blues - Irene Scruggs (as Chocolate Brown); 14) Diddie Wa Diddie No. 2 - Blind Blake; 15) Hard Pushing Papa - Blind Blake; 16) What A Low Down Place The Jailhouse Is - Blind Blake; 17) Ain't Gonna Do That No More - Blind Blake; 18) Playing Policy Blues - Blind Blake; 19) Righteous Blues - Blind Blake; 20) Fancy Tricks - Laura Rucker; 21) Rope Stretchin' Blues, Part 2 - Blind Blake; 22) Rope Stretchin' Blues, Part 1 (take 2) - Blind Blake; 23) Champagne Charlie Is My Name - Blind Blake; 24) Depression's Gone From Me Blues - Blind Blake.