Oxford American 2005 Southern Music CD

It's been awhile since I posted an Oxford American Southern Music comp, so here's the CD from the 2005 issue, and what a fine sampler it is. As with other volumes in this series, the producers manage to cram a staggering amount of artistic variety on just one disc. Even aficionados of the most obscure types of music are likely to find something of interest here.

BLIND TOM

I guess some people think it's cute when you have a bunch of kids from another country sing a nursery rhyme like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" Thus the track by the Schoolchildren of Wanseko, Uganda. This compilation really gets under way with Dale Hawkins' "Mystery Train"-like "Number Nine Train," which compares favorably with early Elvis. Speaking of the King, his live version of "Suspicious Minds" serves as evidence that not all of his later-period stuff totally sucked. Early rock 'n' roll is also well represented by the Buddy Holly demo recording of "Dearest." There is lots of good Southern Soul to be found here, including Howard Tate's "Where Did My Baby Go," Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart," Joe Tex's "You Said a Bad Word," and Al Green's "I'm Glad You're Mine." "Sally Jo" is fine modern-day bluegrass by Ricky Skaggs, while enthusiasts of hillbilly and early country music will probably enjoy the Western Swing version of "Milk Cow Blues" by Johnnie Lee Wills (Bob's younger brother) and his Boys as well as the DeZurik Sisters' "Arizona Yodeler." "Crow Dance" is an interesting a cappella piece that folklorist Zora Neal Hurston had evidently learned while doing research on Bahamian music in the 1920s. "Had a Gal Called Sal" is good electric blues courtesy of Lightnin' Hopkins, but if prewar blues is your thing, check out Blind Willie McTell's "Searching the Desert for the Blues." Difficult-to-classify Jim Ford turns in a great performance with "I'm Gonna Make Her Love Me." Some people might call a song like this "country soul," but let's just say it's rock 'n' roll so that I can also mention Bubble Puppy's "Hot Smoke and Sassafras" (surely you're all familiar with this, right?) and the early Johnny Winter track, "You'll Be the Death of Me." Pianist John Davis performs a short composition by Blind Tom Wiggins titled "Oliver Galop" that only hints at the tremendous talent of this forgotten giant of American music. Born a slave circa 1850, the sight-impaired "idiot savant" had not only become one of America's most famous musicians by the late 1860s, but internationally recognized as well. Read more about his fascinating story here. Country music songwriting legend Jack Clement hasn't exactly been prolific the last quarter century or so, but his take on the self-penned "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" from his 2004 album Guess Things Happen That Way is almost as good as Johnny Cash's better-known version. And yes, that's the Man in Black you hear on backing vocals. If you're looking for more worthwhile postwar country material, give "Trouble's Back in Town" by the Wilburn Brothers and the outstanding "This Room for Rent" by the underrated Sammi Smith a listen. Need a jazz fix? Then see what Henry "Red" Allen's lively "Get the Mop" and Nat King Cole's sophisticated "Beale Street Blues" can do for you. Or if you like female jazz vocalists doing vintage New Orleans music, you can't go wrong with Helen Humes' rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In." Although primarily thought of as a New York street musician, the legendary Moondog did spend a considerable amount of his youth in the South, so I guess that his "Symphonique #6" belongs on a comp like this after all. Empress of the Blues Bessie Smith could also capably handle spiritual material as demonstrated by "On Revival Day." The a cappella novelty gospel of "Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb" by the Pilgrim Travelers is pretty sweet, too. Erykah Badu's "Southern Gul" is too hip hop for my tastes, but some of you might enjoy it. And in similar fashion to this comp's opening track, the presumably Cajun piece "Un Matin, J'Etais sur ma Galerie" by Elita, Mary, and Ella Hoffpauir is just a little too brief and cloying to be useful.

JACK CLEMENT (L) & JOHNNY CASH

Get the 1997 CD here and the 2003 CD here.

1. Row, Row, Row Your Boat - Schoolchildren of Wanseko, Uganda
2. Number Nine Train - Dale Hawkins
3. Where Did My Baby Go - Howard Tate
4. Sally Jo - Ricky Skaggs
5. Milk Cow Blues - Johnnie Lee Wills and his Boys
6. Crow Dance - Zora Neal Hurston
7. Had a Gal Called Sal - Lightnin' Hopkins
8. I'm Gonna Make Her Love Me - Jim Ford
9. Oliver Galop - Blind Tom (played by John Davis)
10. Get the Mop - Henry "Red" Allen
11. Hot Smoke and Sassafras - Bubble Puppy
12. You'll Be the Death of Me - Johnny Winter
13. Ballad of a Teenage Queen - Cowboy Jack Clement
14. The Arizona Yodeler - The DeZurik Sisters
15. Symphonique #6 (Good for Goodie) - Moondog
16. On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual) - Bessie Smith
17. When the Saints Go Marching In - Helen Humes
18. Beale Street Blues - Nat King Cole
19. Southern Gul - Erykah Badu
20. Piece of My Heart - Irma Franklin
21. Trouble's Back in Town - The Wilburn Brothers
22. This Room for Rent - Sammi Smith
23. Searching the Desert for the Blues - Blind Willie McTell
24. You Said a Bad Word - Joe Tex
25. I'm Glad You're Mine - Al Green
26. Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb - The Pilgrim Travelers
27. Suspicious Minds (live) - Elvis Presley
28. Dearest - Buddy Holly
29. Un Matin, J'Etais sur ma Galerie - Elita, Mary, and Ella Hoffpauir