When Bluebird/RCA launched its blues-oriented When the Sun Goes Down series in 2002, it described the compilations as "the secret history of rock & roll." That didn't mean that the series focuses on obscure, lesser-known rock & roll recordings; rather, it spotlights pre-'50s recordings that helped pave the way for the rock & roll explosion. Spanning 1927-1936, When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 2: The First Time I Met the Blues illustrates the diversity of the prewar blues world. The terms "country blues" and "prewar blues" are often used interchangeably, and in fact, a lot of prewar blues did fall into the country blues category (which could be anything from Mississippi Delta blues to Piedmont blues to Memphis blues). But there was also an urban, jazz-influenced school of prewar blues: classic female blues, which was quite popular in the '20s and '30s -- and when this CD is playing, one is reminded of the differences between classic female blues and country blues. Recordings by
Victoria Spivey ("Telephoning the Blues") and
Lizzie Miles ("I Hate a Man Like You") are the essence of jazz-minded classic blues -- the latter even boasts
Jelly Roll Morton on piano -- whereas
Bo Carter's "Doubled Up in a Knot" and
Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curly Hair" are state-of-the-art country blues. Meanwhile, old-time country singer
Jimmie Rodgers (not to be confused with the
Jimmy Rogers who recorded for Chess) favors a rural/urban blend on "Blue Yodel No. 9," which boasts
Louis Armstrong on cornet.
Rodgers' outlook was primarily rural, but "Blue Yodel No. 9" underscores his willingness to incorporate jazz on occasion. Historians will find a lot to admire about this diverse, far-reaching CD. ~ Alex Henderson