Lonnie Johnson Vol 4 1928 - 1929

Lonnie Johnson, vocal, guitar.

Includes:
Victoria Spivey, vocal.
Eddie Lang, guitar.
Spencer Williams, vocal.

With contributions by: Clarence Williams, piano; J.C. Johnson, piano; Joe “King Oliver”, cornet; Hoagy Carmichael, percussion, vocal.

Genres: Blues, Blues Guitar, Jazz Guitar, Country Blues.

From this CDs booklet notes.
In March 1928, Lonnie Johnson was in San Antonio, travelling with Okeh's mobile unit, and supplying accompaniment as needed. Part way through a stint backing Texas Alexander, he took time out to make the lovely ballad I'm So Tired Of Living All Alone, and a few days later he cut a four title session which included the first version of his famous attack on pimps, Crowing Rooster Blues; as so often with Lonnie, this song also includes some jaundiced opinions on women — note his advice on the dangers of buying them silk underwear in quantity. Broken Levee Blues is an unusual song of protest about the means by which the levees along the Mississippi were maintained, a system which a few years later was called "Mississippi Slavery in 1933" by Roy Wilkins of the NAACP.

Lonnie Johnson Vol 5 1929 - 1930

Lonnie Johnson, vocal, guitar.

Includes duets with:
Eddie Lang, guitar.
Spencer Williams, vocal.
Victoria Spivey, vocal.
Clarence Williams, vocal.
With contributions by: J. Johnson, piano.

Genres: Blues, Blues Guitar, Jazz Guitar, Blues Piano.

Informative booklet notes written by Chris Smith.
Detailed discography.

From this CDs booklet notes.
Through 1929, Lonnie Johnson continued to explore three musical fields on record. With Eddie Lang, he pushed at the frontiers of jazz guitar with the tone poem Bull Frog Moan, displays of technique such as Hot Fingers and the yearning, pop-structured Blue Room. At the same time, he was cranking out third and fourth parts to It Feels So Good with Spencer Williams, and in a more adult, but still hokumbased vein, duetting with Victoria Spivey on a composition that much later became a favourite of B. B. King's. Continued...

Lonnie Johnson Vol 6 1930 - 1931

Lonnie Johnson, vocal, guitar.

Includes duets with:
Spencer Williams, vocal.
Clara Smith (as “Violet Green”), vocal.

With contributions by: James P. Johnson, piano; Clarence Williams, washboard, Alex Hill, piano.

Genres: Blues, Blues Guitar, Blues Duets, Blues Piano.

Informative booklet notes by Chris Smith.
Detailed discography.

After the desperation of “Headed For Southland” (see DOCD-5067), the two part I Got The Best Jelly Roll In Town formed a light-hearted interlude in Lonnie Johnson’s 23rd January 1930 session. Featuring some impressive guitar, even by Johnson’s high standards, it’s the first tryout of a song which, as “Jelly Roll Baker”, he was to record again more than once. The singing on this version is remarkable, given the very slow tempo. For the last two titles of the session, Lonnie switched to piano, which he hadn’t played on disc since 1926; by 1930, he had worked out a favourite accompaniment, featuring a staccato, four-to-the-bar chordal bass part, over which are laid darting right hand figures that are clearly inspired by his guitar playing. Continued...