Mercury Records Collection: EmArcy MG-36137: The Blues

MG-36137: The Blues / Big Bill Broonzy

Label Type :	blue EmArcy type C
Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	MG-36137A-1 MSI M A
	SIDE-B	MG-36137B-1 MSI M B

Comments

Inside The Groove

Robust and earthy folk blues, available for the first time on LP format, sung by the blues giant Big Bill Broonzy.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

EmArcy label was originally intended for releasing Jazz music, but interestingly there are several Blues releases in the EmArcy's catalogue. They were EmArcy MG-26010, MG-26034 and MG-36052. And this MG-36137 is also blues album.

This album consists of two different sessions, and some tracks were originally released in 78rpm format by Mercury. Big Bill was accompanied with his guitar and Ransom Knowling's bass on eight tracks, while on the rest tracks he was accompanied with a bluesy quintet. Both sessions surely presents Big Bill's great artistry of the folk blues.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

8 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-A
A-1	4525-1	Walkin' Down A Lonesome Road (Broonzy)	3:08
A-2	4526	Mopper's Blues (Broonzy)	2:44
A-3	4523	Get Back (Broonzy)	2:53
A-4	4521-2	Hey, Hey (Broonzy)	2:46
A-5	4524	Willie Mae (Broonzy)	2:40
A-6	4522	Stump Blues (Broonzy)	2:49
SIDE-B
B-1	4527	I Know She Will (Broonzy)	3:04
B-2	4528	Hollerin' Blues (Broonzy)	2:57
B-3	4529	Leavin' Day (Broonzy)	2:53
B-4	4530	Southbound Train (Broonzy)	2:50
B-5	4532	You Changed (Broonzy)	2:43
B-6	4531	Tomorrow (Broonzy)	2:42

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

Side-A, B-1, B-2:
Big Bill Broonzy (vo, g), Bob Call (p on B-2), Ransom Knowling (b).
Recorded in Chicago, IL on November 8, 1951.

B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6:
Big Bill Broonzy (vo, g), Oett “Sax” Mallard (as), Bill Casimir (ts),
Bob Call (p), Ransom Knowling (b), Judge Riley (ds).
Recorded in Chicago, IL on November 9, 1951.