Leroy Carr Vol. 3 (1930-1932)

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Total Tracks: 22   Total Length: 66:45

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John Morthland

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John Morthland has been writing about music since the days of electronically rechanneled stereo and duophonic sound. His name has darkened the mastheads of Roll...more »

04.22.11
Leroy Carr, Leroy Carr Vol. 3 (1930-1932)
2005 | Label: Document Records / The Orchard

Though now largely forgotten, this Indianapolis dandy was arguably the most popular bluesman of his time, an influence on everyone from Robert Johnson to Count Basie, Howlin'? Wolf to the Inkspots. His urbane style showcased his high, tugging voice more than his suave but unremarkable piano. But his accompanist Scrapper Blackwell was a virtuoso, providing a distinct, single-note guitar style that was such a perfect foil the two men got equal billing on their initial releases; Leroy floated like a butterfly while Scrapper stung like a bee. "How Long-How Long Blues," his debut single and an instant standard, sets a mood thick as quicksand, while "Blues Before Sunrise,?" whose opening line unleashes a striking internal rhyme, shows how Carr's songwriting put a smooth sheen on rough, traditional imagery. Think of Carr as the Charles Brown of his day.

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More Blues on Document Records

By John Morthland, eMusic Contributor

My editor, bless him, is a sadistic fellow. To prove it, he assigned me to write an eMusic Dozen on Document Records. You see, Document has essentially released the complete works of prewar American roots artists. The real obscurities appear on compilations, while individuals prolific enough to have more than an album's worth of material are, how you say, documented with a series of releases containing all their work arranged chronologically. We're talking about easily… more »

They Say All Music Guide

Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3 (1930-1932) continues Document’s exhaustive overview of Leroy Carr’s recordings for Vocalion between 1928 and his death in 1935. Though Carr produced a few classics during the year and a half covered by this volume (including “Alabama Women Blues” and “New How Long How Long Blues, Pt. 2″), the vast majority of listeners will have trouble working through this material, much of which sounds very similar. Still, it’s the only way to hear the complete work of this important bluesman, which is more than enough for serious blues fans. – Thom Owens