Andrew & Jim Baxter’s World
The music of African-American fiddler Andrew Baxter backed-up by his son Jim on guitar is one great example of an old string-band tradition among African-Americans that is now almost completely extinct and was rarely recorded on phonograph records. Folklorists and researchers found that the rural string-band music so much associated with whites nowadays was commonly played also by blacks in the Southern States until the beginning of the 20th century but soon faded away due to migrations to the North and the cities, the popularity of Blues and Jazz during the phonograph years and changes in popular tastes. Many white musicians testified to have learned the banjo or the fiddle in their youth watching black musicians and some of this influential musicians were recorded by phonograph companies or on field recordings. Their repertoire was sometimes very similar to white string-bands but included tunes that were typically african-american in style. Some were able to play in more than one style to please their public, whether it was a white or a black audience. Andrew and Jim Baxter,for example, could play breakdowns, Blues or Church music even if their more Bluesy repertoire is prominent on the recordings we have of them, due to the popularity of the genre among the black record buyers from those days. They came from Gordon County, Georgia and were recorded in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1927 by the Victor Records company. They made the trip to the recording studios with a white string-band from their hometown called The Georgia YellowHammers. Due to segregation, they had to be separeted on their train ride to Charlotte and recorded in separate sessions. But for one track, “G rag”, Andrew Baxter played fiddle with The Georgia Yellow Hammers, a very rare example of an “integrated” band during the 1920′s.
-I stumbled upon this fine article about the music of Andrew and Jim Baxter on “Done Gone”, a great blog about Country Blues and Old-time Music.
-For those interested in African-American string-band music, i recommand those records:
“Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!” and “Violin, Sing The Blues For Me” are two great compilations on Old-Hat Records that feature the fiddle played by African-Americans on 78rpm records.
“Altamont” and “Ain’t Gonna Rain No More: Blues and Pre-Blues from Piedmont North Carolina” on Rounder Records and “Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia“ on Smithsonian/Folkways are great recordings of the earlier rural music played on banjos and fiddles by African-Americans.
-Joe Thompson from North Carolina is maybe the last musician still active who preserved this tradition of fiddle music among blacks and his duets with his cousin Odell on banjo are featured on the records cited above. “Family tradition“ on Rounder is an album devoted entirely to his music.
-The music of fiddler Butch Cage and guitarist Willie B. Thomas is also another great example of this tradition, with a strong Blues feel reminescent of the music Andrew and Jim Baxter. One disc is devoted to their music on Arhoolie Records
-I compiled all of the known recordings of Andrew and Jim Baxter from two Document Records cds. One is called “String Bands 1926-1929″ and the other is “Black Fiddlers“ (The remaining titles on this two cds is really great so be sure to check them out as well)
- Georgia Stomp
- Dance The Georgia Poss
- It Tickles Me
- Forty Drops
- The Moore Girl
- K.C. Railroad Blues
- Bamalong Blues
- G Rag (Andrew Baxter with The Georgia Yellow Hammers)
- Done Wrong Blues
- Treat Your Friends Right
- Operator Blues
- Goodbye Blues
The Stomp Variations
In searching for variants of “Georgia Stomp” by Andrew and Jim Baxter, i discovered that a incredible lot of tracks with the word “stomp” on their title were recorded, especially during the 1920′s, 1930′s and 1940′s. The word “stomp” in a musical context meant a sort of dance with heavy steps and the word was widespread to design all sorts of rhytmic and syncopated music. Like the words “Blues”, “Breakdown”, “Rag”, it was a fashionable appellation in those years and you can find it in many genres of popular and folk american music.
- I selected 50 “stomp” tracks from my personnal collection, with examples in black and white String Band music, Early Jazz,Blues, Cajun, Western Swing and Bluegrass. I had a lot of fun selecting all this great and lively music and i hope you’ll enjoy it as well!
PART 1:
- Georgia Stomp Bing Bang Boys I’m Feeling Good
- Darbone’s Creole Stomp Hackberry Ramblers Early Recordings: 1935-1950
- Seaboard Stomp Blind Blake Ragtime Guitar’s Foremost Fingerpicker
- Brush Stomp – The Chicago Footwarmers The Chicago Footwarmers Breaking Out Of New Orleans
- Shirt Tail Stomp – Benny Goodman Benny Goodman Yiddish Songs – Traditionals (1911 1950) Vol. 3
- Honoloulou Stomp H.M. Barnes Blue Ridge Ramblers Slidin’ On The Frets: The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Phenomenon
- Deep Minor Rhythm Stomp Lonnie Johnson The Great Lonnie Johnson, Vol. 2
- Come On And Stomp, Stomp, Stomp Johnny Dodds’ Black Bottom Stompers Breaking Out Of New Orleans
- Memphis Stomp Blue Boys Before The Blues Vol. 2
- Hackberry Stomp Robert LeBlanc, Al Berard, Mitch And Lisa Reed Allons A La Veille Chez Robert
- Indescretion Stomp Tom Ball Bloodshot Eyes
- Jazzbo Stomp Memphis Jug Band Memphis Jug Band (1932-1934)
- Wild Man Stomp Memphis Mighthawks (Alabama Rascals) State Street Ramblers Vol. 2 (1931-1936)
- Kansas City Stomp Jelly Roll Morton 1923-1926
- Walkin’ Cane Stomp Kentucky Jug Band Ruckus Juice & Chittlins, Vol. 2
- Lake Arthur Stomp Lionel LeLeux & Michael Doucet J’ai Ete Au Bal – Vol 1
- Stove Pipe Stomp Big Bill Broonzy The Young Big Bill Broonzy
- Memphis Highway Stomp Charlie Burse & His Memphis Mudcats Memphis Shakedown Disc D
- Field Mouse Stomp Minnie Wallace & Her Night Hawks Memphis Shakedown Disc D
- Ted’s Stomp Carl martin Carl Martin / Willie ’61′ Blackwell 1930-1941
- Bluegrass Stomp Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys Live Recordings 1956-1969: Off the Record Volume 1
- Harmonica Stomp Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry Pawnshop Blues
- Oklahoma Stomp Spade Cooley & the Western Swing Dance Gang Spade Cooley & the Western Swing Dance Gang
- Knox Country Stomp Tennessee Chocolate Drops A Richer Tradition – Country Blues & String Band Music, 1923
- Mississippi Stomp (Blythe’s Stomp) King Mutt & His Tennessee Thumpers Punch Miller (1925-1930)
PART 2:
- Jackson Stomp Mississippi Mud Steppers A Richer Tradition – Country Blues & String Band Music, 1923
- New Orleans Stomp Johnny Dodds’ Black Bottom Stompers Classic Jazz – The World’s Greatest Jazz Collection 1917-193
- Mermentau Stomp Hackberry Ramblers Cajun Early Recordings – CD D
- King Porter Stomp Ton Van Bergeyk Famous Ragtime Guitar Solos
- Alabama Stomp Fletcher Henderson & The Dixie Stompers 1925-1928
- Kentucky Stomp The Dixie Four Jazz Piano Parties
- Old Virginia Stomp Doug MacLeod Come To Find
- Bluegrass Stomp Red Allen And Frank Wakefield The Kitchen Tapes
- Barrow County Stomp Theo & Gus Clark Georgia Stringbands Vol. 1 (1927-1930)
- Florida Stomp Fletcher Henderson & The Dixie Stompers 1925-1928
- Knox County Stomp Carl Martin Carl Martin / Willie ’61′ Blackwell 1930-1941
- Acorn Stomp East Texas Serenaders (1927-1937)
- George St Stomp Cincinnati Jug Band Rare Country Blues Vol. 3 (1928-1936)
- Osage Stomp Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys The Ultimate Collection
- Sam McGee Stomp Sam McGee Grand Dad of the Country Guitar Pickers
- Booneville Stomp Dutch Coleman & Red Whitehead Harmonica Masters
- Sugar Tree Stomp Arthur Smith Trio Nashville Early String Bands, Vol. 1
- Arkansas Stomp Lonnie Robertson Lonnie’s Breakdown
- Bluegrass Stomp Doc Watson And David Grisman Doc And Dawg
- Cajon Stomp The Sons Of The Pioneers Symphonies Of The Sage
- Pigmeat Stomp Alabama Washboard Stompers Washboard Story
- Arizona Stomp East Texas Serenaders (1927-1937)
- Pigmeat Stomp (Instrumental) Merle Travis Walkin’ the Strings
- Fais Do Do Stomp Harry Choates Fiddle King Of Cajun Swing
- Georgia Stomp Run of the Mill String Band Steal Aboard
