Tarter and Gay Brownie Blues

I do not own the copyright to this recording. This video is for historical and educational purposes

Tarter & Gay were a prewar blues guitar duo that were sadly underrecorded. Stephen Tarter (whose real surname may have been Tartar), was born c. 1895 in Knoxville, TN. and passed way sometime in the mid-1930's. Harry Gay was born November 23, 1904 in Gate City, VA. and passed away c. 1980. They had one recording session in 1928. Two songs were recorded, resulting in one 78 RPM record. Their one recording session took place in Bristol, TN. and may have been produced by Ralph Peer. It was around the same time that the famed Peer-produced Bristol sessions resulted in Country music artists making their debuts. Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family & the obscure one record artist J.P. Nestor. In any case, this is one side of Tarter & Gay's only record.

Stephen Tarter:Vocals & Guitar

Harry Gay:Guitar

Recorded in Bristol, TN. Friday, November 2, 1928

Originally issued on Victor V38017 (78 RPM)

This recording taken from the 1991 CD "East Coast Blues 1928-1935"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tarter
• Gay
• Prewar
• Blues
• Guitar
• East
• Coast
• Tennessee
• Ragtime

[svaaangus]

thanks a lot, great forgotten tune! do you have the other side up?

[randomandrare]

I don't have it up at the moment, but let me see if I can locate it and I will have it up soon!

Thank you,

Mike

[tycobrahe789]

Great song! Thanks for posting!

[randomandrare]

You're very welcome!

[moproducer]

That's some very decent guitar work; pretty sophisticated for a couple of backwoods guys from southwestern Virginia. Very cleanly picked.

R.S. Peer's first Bristol Sessions (referred to as country music's 'big bang') took place between July 22 and August 5, 1927. These sessions included Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Stoneman and the Carter Family, among others. Peer returned to Bristol in 1928 for more recordings of the Carters and numerous other acts he'd auditioned, including Tarter & Gay.

[biglon68]

If anyone has a copy of the original 78 for sale please let me know.

[TheMastergatorbaiter]

baddass.

[JSLLH]

tarter and gay ! what an excellent team ! thanks a million !