Paramount All Stars - Hometown Skiffle (Test Pressing)

[prometheus919]

was blind lemon on this?

[KawhackitaRag]

@prometheus919 he was supposed to be on it, but legend has it he died right before the scheduled recording session. I'm not sure of the exact story.

The folks featured on this are:

The Hokum Boys

(Alexander Robinson, emcee and lead vocals; Alex Hill, piano and harmony vocals);

Will Ezell (piano and talking);

Blind Blake (guitar and talking);

Charley Spand (piano, vocals, and talking);

Papa Charlie Jackson (6-string banjo, vocals, and talking);

unknown - "police officer"!

[djoutrage18]

this has gotta be one rare as hell record!

there's a cd called rare parramount blues and the version on there is far worse sounding than this one! how'd you get this?

[KawhackitaRag]

@djoutrage18 I would also like to know where elpanchito421 got this record. Judging from the sound, this HAS to be a vinyl test-pressing, and thus must truly be as rare as hell!!! I have a friend who has some similar-vintage vinyl test-pressings of stuff issued on Paramount and Vocalion, and they also sound great!

The secret? These recordings were done well in good studios, but Paramount used the cheapest material for their actual records, meaning commercial issues sound terrible!

[KawhackitaRag]

Man, I can tell that Carl Sonny Leyland has been listening like crazy to Charley Spand!!! Just listen to some of his vocal stuff on Youtube!

[KawhackitaRag]

0:50 "Aw, stop, don't play it no more, Hill" :D

Is that Jimmy Blythe or Alex Robinson as the second voice of the "Hokum Boys"?

You can really tell a different pianist has sat down when Will Ezell goes into his thing! Nice to hear his voice, too!

[wininboy]

Hot dog!

Soo good...

[tdub1941]

Fabulous - I love it!

"LIKE"

RagJazzMonkey Tom

[RagtimeDorianHenry]

I love the Blind Blake part !

[skaryguy71]

Amazing jam!

[KawhackitaRag]

Is that Alex Hill on piano at the beginning?

And - is that the voice of Will Ezell from 1:13 to 1:18?

Fantastic document and terrific recording!

I guess that's Alex Hill on piano from 3:22 to 4:00 with the Hokum boys, God he sure sounds great! I've heard a couple of Alex Hill band records where he takes some pretty terrible piano solos, but he's really in his element here and you can tell he's been listening like crazy to Jimmy Blythe!

Charley Spand is great too!

[zenguitarblues]

great post~ 5***** and faved

[blinddrunkal]

Astonishing - never heard this before!!! Great stuff. All the best :o) Alan

[blinddrunkal]

p.s. how come Blind Lemon is pictured on the advert?

[elpanchito421]

Thanks for the comment! I think it's merely an advertising mistake on the part of the Paramount folks.