I hope that everyone had a lot of fun with the St. James’ posts. I keep going back to the second set of songs personally. I think almost all of those songs are top notch. We are back to our normal, yet sporadic posts of blues joy around these parts.

We are starting off with a wonderful batch of instrumentals by groups of players in Georgia in 1929. The first track is an dual harp instrumental version of “Honey, Where You Been So Long” The harmonica players are Eddie Mapp and James Moore and are back by Guy Lumpkin on guitar. Only Mapp is somewhat known for playing on a few tracks with Curley Weaver. The second track is Mapp back by Slim Barton on Guitar – and Mapp shows what a talented harmonica player he really was – as he leads this take on 4th Avenue Blues.

Eddie Mapp/James Moore – Where You Been So Long? (1929)
Eddie Mapp/Slim Barton – Fourth Avenue Blues (1929)

This is the final release of The St. James Infirmary collection here at Honey. There are some real gems in this group, Blind Willie McTell, Jimmie Rodgers and Two Gallants are my favorites in this batch. Thanks again to all the readers who submit files – This couldn’t have come together without ya’ll.

1. Roy King – St. James Infirmary
2. King Oliver’s Band – St. James Infirmary
3. Boogaloosa Prayer – St. James Infirmary
4. Artie Shaw – The Chant
5. Alan Lomax – St. James Hospital
6. Alphonso Tent and Orchestra – St. James Infirmary
7. Blind Willie McTell – Dying Crapshooter’s Blues
8. Dock Boggs – Old Joe’s Barroom
9. Atlantic Syncopators – St. James Infirmary
10. Louis Armstrong – St. James Infirmary
11. Cisco Houston – St. James Infirmary
12. Snakefarm – St. James Infirmary
13. Spike Hughes – St. James Infirmary
14. Jack Acid – St. James Infirmary
15. Doc Watson and Taj Mahal – St. James Infirmary
16. Baba Blues – St. James Infirmary
17. Belmont Street Oztet – St. James Infirmary
18. California Ramblers – St. James Infirmary
19. Bobby “Blue” Bland – St. James Infirmary
20. Barebones – St. James Infirmary
21. The Louvin Brothers – Let Her Go, God Bless Her
22. Cassandra Wilson – St. James Infirmary
23. George E Lee and His Orchestra – St. James Infirmary
24. Marc Ribot – St. James Infirmary
25. G. Austin – St. James Infirmary
26. Jimmie Rodgers – Those Gambler’s Blues
27. Five Keys – St. James Infirmary
28. Las Blacanblus – St. James Infirmary
30. King Oiver & F. Marvin – St. James Infirmary
31. Barrelhouse Blues Band – St. James Infirmary
32. Rube Bloom & His Bayou Boys – St. James Infirmary
33. Pete Seeger – St. James Infirmary
34. Scatman Crothers – St. James Infirmary
35. Gaby Jogeix – Saint James Infirmary Pt. 1
36. Clark Stern – St. James Infirmary
37. Gaby Jogeix – Saint James Infirmary Pt. 2
38. Two Gallants – Dyin’ Crap Shooter Blues

I’ve updated the Stagolee page again, reducing the number of MIA tracks, thanks to Bert and others who have sent in files recently. The Final (!!) update to St. James should be up on the donors page tonight (or at least by 9/2) – apparently I like downloading, deleting and re-downloading those files over and over again. I know I’ve lost a few on the way because of that. If you donated tracks for these collections and haven’t heard from me by tomorrow night (9/2) send me an email (pkpatnaik@prewarblues.org) for your password.

This song was requested awhile ago, but I’m just now getting around to putting it up. I wasn’t familiar with George Hannah before this request, I just had a few of his tracks scattered across a few discs. Hannnah isn’t the best singer, but he is a very unique songwriter – focusing on the other side of city life in the pre-war era. Boy in Boat is a great observation of city life, and sound somewhat like Tom Waits in parts. Freakish Man Blues goes more into details about his own personal leanings and is quite fun. Hannah is backed on both tracks by Meade Lux Lewis who is always a pleasure to hear.

George Hannah – The Boy In The Boat (1930)
George Hannah – Freakish Man Blues (1930)