Blues Singer Vol. 1 & 2
A key figure of the pre-war Chicago blues scene, Big Bill Broonzy was working as a janitor at the Iowa State University when he received the invitation to perform a series of concerts in France during the Summer of 1951. Presented to audiences as “The last living bluesman,” Big Bill Broonzy was actually one of the first blues musicians to visit Europe—after Lead Belly (1949) and Josh White (1950)—and he took this opportunity to reinvent himself as a “folk blues” artist, interpreting a perfect blend of old Southern themes, urban strains and spiritual songs.
In September, at the end of his Summer tour, Big Bill, accompanied by only his guitar, entered the studio in Paris to record Blues Singer Vol. 1 for Disques Vogue. These recordings stand out as it was the first time a new blues recording session appeared in LP form. Even more important was the music presented on this LP as it familiarized audiences with what has since been labeled “folk blues”. Broonzy’s singing, the sophistication of his elaborate picking technique, the poetic force of his lyrics all contributed to the propagation of blues music to a brand new audience.
Big Bill would return to the studios in 1952 during his second stay in Europe to record Blues Singer Vol. 2. For Broonzy, these two albums marked the beginning of a highly prolific period. As he continued touring Europe, he expanded his discography with numerous LPs recorded in Paris, but also in Antwerp, London, Brussels, Copenhagen, and Milan. His new career as a “country” troubadour had a rippling effect in the States where he was considered one of the leading figures of the folk music revival by the mid 1950s. As such, he influenced a whole generation of younger creators, including Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan.
-2 x 180g 12’’ LPs / 45-RPM
-Limited edition of 450 copies per album, hand-numbered
-Available exclusively on www.samrecords.fr
Figure emblématique du Chicago blues d’avant-guerre, Big Bill Broonzy travaille comme concierge à l’université d’État de l’Iowa lorsqu’il reçoit l’invitation à donner une série de concerts en France au cours de l’été 1951. Présenté au public comme “le dernier bluesman vivant”, Big Bill Broonzy est en fait l’un des premiers musiciens de blues à se rendre en Europe – après Lead Belly (1949) et Josh White (1950) – et il en profite pour se réinventer en tant qu’artiste de “folk blues”, interprétant un mélange parfait de vieux thèmes sudistes, de blues urbains et de spirituals.
En septembre, à la fin de sa tournée d’été, Big Bill, accompagné de sa seule guitare, entre en studio à Paris pour enregistrer Blues Singer Vol. 1 pour Disques Vogue. Ces enregistrements sont remarquables car c’est la première fois qu’une nouvelle session d’enregistrement de blues apparaît sous forme de disque microsillon. La musique présentée sur ce disque est encore plus importante, car elle familiarise le public avec ce que l’on appelle depuis lors le “folk blues”. Le chant de Broonzy, sa technique de picking élaborée, la force poétique de ses paroles contribuent à la propagation de la musique blues à un tout nouveau public.
Big Bill retournera en studio lors de son second séjour en Europe en 1952 pour enregistrer Blues Singer Vol. 2. Pour Broonzy, ces deux albums marquent le début d’une période très prolifique. Au fil de ses tournées européennes, il enrichit sa discographie de nombreux disques enregistrés à Paris, mais aussi à Anvers, Londres, Bruxelles, Copenhague et Milan. Sa nouvelle carrière de troubadour a un effet d’entraînement aux États-Unis, où il est considéré comme l’une des figures de proue du renouveau de la musique folk au milieu des années 1950. À ce titre, il a influencé toute une génération de jeunes créateurs, dont Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joan Baez et Bob Dylan.
-2 x 180g LPs 30cm / 45-tours
-Edition limitée à 450 exemplaires par album, numérotés manuellement
-Uniquement disponibles sur www.samrecords.fr
Blues Singer vol. 1
Big Bill Broonzy: guitar, vocal.
Paris, September 20-21, 1951.
51V4106-1 A1 Blues in 1890 (Joe Turner Blues) (traditional) 3:36
51V4097 A2 The Moppin’ Blues (Big Bill Broonzy) 3:35
unknown # A3 Hollerin’ and Cryin’ the Blues (Big Bill Broonzy) 9:30
51V4105 B1 Make My Getaway (Big Bill Broonzy) 3:48
51V4101-2 B2 Backwater Blues (Bessie Smith) 4:38
51V4096-1 B3 In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down) (Leroy Carr) 4:43
51V4102-1 B4 Low Land Blues (Big Bill Broonzy) 3:25
Original 10” LP issue: Vogue LD030, January 1952.
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Blues Singer vol. 2
Big Bill Broonzy: guitar, vocal.
Paris, March 12, 1952.
52V-701-1 A1 Hey! Bud Blues (Big Bill Broonzy) 3:06
52V-702-1 A2 Baby, Please Don’t Go (Big Joe Williams) 2:27
52V-706 A3 Down by the Riverside (traditional) 3:03
52V-708 A4 Kind Hearted Blues (Big Bill Broonzy) 3:24
52V-709-1 B1 Louise, Louise Blues (Johnnie Temple) 4:14
52V-705 B2 Letter to My Baby (Big Bill Broonzy) 3:09
52V-707 B3 Stand Your Test in Judgment (traditional) 2:53
52V-702 B4 Do Right Blues (Big Bill Broonzy) 3:13
Original 10” LP issue: Vogue LD072, 1953.
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Original recordings supervised by Hugues Panassié for Disques Vogue.
Audio restoration and mastering by François Lê Xuân.
Lacquers cut by Kevin Gray, Cohearent Audio.
Cover illustration by Pierre Merlin.
Reissue produced and manually screen printed on Velin d’Arches paper
by François Lê Xuân and Fred Thomas for Sam Records/Saga.
Special thanks: Carolina Sanchez Boe, Karen M. Boe, Dominique Cravic, Sebastian Danchin, Martin Davies, Laure Fabry, Gérard Herzhaft, Jacques Ribières, Daniel Richard, Agnès & Gérard Thémines, Bfm de Limoges.