Browse by Label: MONK (ITALY)

Artist:	REINHARDT, DJANGO
Title:	From The Ultraphone Shelves
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	MK 101LP

"From December 1934 to late September 1935, the Quintette du Hot Club de France, founded by gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and French violinist Stéphane Grappelli, cut nearly 20 titles for the Parisian based branch of the German Ultraphone label. During the nine months they spent under contract with Ultraphone, their repertoire included some original compositions by members of the band, as well as classic jazz gems. The selections proposed here offer a sample of Django's early genius, who showed the jazz community that the 'American way' of playing jazz was not the only one. Packaged in 78 rpm style deluxe plain cardboard sleeve."

Artist:	REINHARDT, DJANGO
Title:	The Last Years Of Peace (1936-1937)
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	MK 102LP

"The British Decca company, who had distributed the early Ultraphone sides in England, was attracted by the sudden success of the band and decided to start, in the autumn of 1935, with new recording sessions, now at the enhanced Polydor studios in Paris. Although dealing with such musicians was often quite challenging for the German Polydor technical engineers, some of the results were musically remarkable, despite some low figure sales. Even during his Polydor-Decca phase Django recorded for other companies, including French Gramophone, and in November 1935 he met modern pianist Garnet Clark and US trumpeter Bill Coleman. Packaged in 78 rpm style deluxe plain cardboard sleeve."

Artist:	REINHARDT, DJANGO
Title:	The 1938 London Debut And Paris Sessions
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	MK 103LP

"While 1937 came to a close on the notes of the virtuoso 'Tea For Two,' 1938 began with the first appearance of the Quintette du Hot Club de France in England, an even greater sell-out event than Duke Ellington. The London recording sessions for Decca took place a few days after that event. Django played his own compositions, some jazz hits, and accompanied solos, the sound being now improved and more mature. The British episode was short but intense, and three more titles were recorded later, in August. In-between Django also recorded three sides with Benny Carter, who had widely played around Europe beginning in 1935. Packaged in 78 rpm style deluxe plain cardboard sleeve."

Artist:	REINHARDT, DJANGO
Title:	Are You In The Mood?
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 104LP

Recorded in Paris in 1936-37. "The Hot Club of France was a kind of jazz appreciation society based in Paris in the 1930s and Django Reinhardt--perhaps the greatest jazz guitarist of all time--and his quintet (featuring Stephane Grappelli on violin) swiftly became its main attraction. In an era when it was commonly believed that in order to play jazz you had to be African American and from somewhere like New Orleans, Reinhardt managed to single-handedly debunk this myth and in the process become the first international European jazz star."

Artist:	REINHARDT, DJANGO
Title:	Swingin' With Django
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 105LP

Recorded in Paris in 1937. "Although Reinhardt played in the jazz idiom, he did not try to mimic his American counterparts, but developed his own distinct style of playing (on an instrument that was not even an accepted jazz solo instrument at the time and with two crippled fingers on his left hand)! His pre-war recordings for HMV and Swing became wildly popular; selling to audiences eager to hear what this new 'European jazz' was all about."

Artist:	REINHARDT, DJANGO
Title:	Rhythm Futur
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 106LP

"These recordings chronicle a time when Paris was the centre of the world--and the legendary night clubs of Montmarte, Pigalle and along the Champs- Elysees were filled with jazz bands--but with the onset of WWII, all this changed and gypsies like Django Reinhardt were systematically being rounded up and sent to the death camps. During this time Reinhardt found himself literally having to play and record in order to stay alive. As long as he was a star, he was safe. Amazingly, Reinhardt still managed to compose and record some of his best material during this dark era. Recorded in Paris between 1937 and 1940."

Artist:	PATTON, CHARLEY
Title:	You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die: The Recorded Works
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	4LP BOX
Price:	$122.00
Catalog #:	MK 300LP

2010 repress. "An absolute collector's item, this box features Patton's recordings from 1929 to 1934 all in one treat. Four albums and all you want to hear from the incredible king of Delta blues. If you're not already a blues maniac, you'll become one when you see this. Includes 6 postcards, a poster and a booklet. Contains the 3 different volumes of the Electrically Recorded trilogy (Prayer Of Death, High Water Everywhere and Jesus Is A Dying-Bed Maker) plus a forth LP available only in this box."

Artist:	PATTON, CHARLEY
Title:	Electrically Recorded: Prayer Of Death
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 304LP

"From the granddaddy of Delta blues comes this incredible compilation of his greatest songs. Charley Patton's influence on music cannot be overstated. He began playing music around 1900 and by the time he was 19, about a decade later, he had already written his most popular tune 'Pony Blues' and was on his way to becoming the first superstar of the Delta Blues and a household name. He was soon the most requested performer all over the South and influenced many young musicians, like Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson, to name a few. But it was not only his mastery of the guitar and incredible vocal style that gained him popularity. His rock star-style showmanship and stage antics -- like playing guitar down on his knees or behind his back -- with a girl on each arm and drink in hand after the show, made him the idol of young would-be musicians (and non) everywhere he played. And like a true rock star, by age 42 he was dead, which of course, only fuelled his fame."

Artist:	BOGGS, DOCK
Title:	False Hearted Lover's Blues
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 305LP

"Born in 1898 in Norton, Virginia, singer/songwriter and banjo player Dock Boggs got his start playing in the mining camps while working in the mines all over the Appalachian region. In 1927, he got a contract with Brunswick Records and began recording and playing parties all over the area. This collection represents his complete recordings from 1927-1929 when Dock was at the beginning and height of his short-lived recording career. 1929, however, was also unfortunately the beginning of the Great Depression and, like many musicians, Dock was forced to give up playing professionally due to lack of audience (no one had money for records or parties anymore). He thankfully was rediscovered in the 1960s by the folk revival movement and went on to record three great albums for Folkways, before his death in 1971."

Artist:	POOLE, CHARLIE
Title:	Husband And Wife Were Angry One Night
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 306LP

"Born in North Carolina in 1892, singer and banjo player Charlie Poole is often considered to be one of the grandfathers of bluegrass and modern country music. Poole recorded 60 songs during the 1920s for Columbia Records with his wildly popular North Carolina Ramblers, so this LP is a small sampling of some of his very best songs, many of which, like his first big hit for Columbia, 'Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues,' are blues standards. Although Poole died of an alcohol-induced heart failure at just 39 years old, he still had plenty of time to influence bluegrass greats like Bill Monroe, and more indirectly, Hank Williams and the folk singers of the 1960s. Although Poole wrote none of his own material, his genius lay in his unique ability to rework a song, by changing lyrics and tempo, to make it something entirely new. In fact, many fans bought his records just to see 'how Charlie did it.' His North Carolina Ramblers sold huge numbers of records for the time and Poole became one of the first country music stars."

Artist:	PATTON, CHARLEY
Title:	Electrically Recorded: High Water Everywhere
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 307LP

"One step further into the life and music of this true superstar of early blues, this compilation features the two-part 'High Water Everywhere,' considered to be one of the greatest blues songs of all time, along with other pearls like 'Devil Sent The Rain Blues,' making this second episode of Monk's retrospective on Patton, another must have. Patton's ability to put the harsh everyday struggle of the Delta dwellers into music makes him one of the most enduring and soulful musicians in the entire history of blues." All tracks recorded in Grafton, WI, October 1929.

Artist:	MCTELL, BLIND WILLIE
Title:	Scarey Day Blues
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$34.00
Catalog #:	MK 309LP

"William Samuel McTier was born in Georgia in 1898 (according to some sources), and despite his blindness was a talented musician since early childhood. He began his recording career in 1927 for Victor Records in Atlanta and is credited with having created an entire blues sub genre by mixing the hard roots of the Delta style with the more refined East Coast style (Piedmont Blues). His unique 'country blues' can be heard on the grooves of this double LP collection brought to you by Monk records."

Artist:	JOHNSON, BLIND WILLIE
Title:	If I Had My Way, I'd Tear The Building Down
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 310LP

"Texas born Blind Willie Johnson is one of the most talented bottleneck guitar players to have ever lived, beginning to play with self-made instruments like a cigar box guitar when he was five. Performing a blues style that often borders on spiritual, Johnson always took great inspiration from religious music, as shown in songs like, 'Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed,' 'Jesus Is Coming Soon' and all throughout this compilation taken from his 1927-1930 recording sessions."

Artist:	PATTON, CHARLEY
Title:	Electrically Recorded: Moon Going Down
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 311LP

"One of the earliest figures in American music, Charley Patton is not only often credited with being the father of the Delta Blues, but perhaps equally importantly was one of the first true 'rock stars' of American music. Not that he played rock music (according to musicologist Robert Palmer, he played 'deep blues, white hillbilly songs, nineteenth-century ballads, and other varieties of black and white country dance music'), but he acted like a modern rock star: flashy clothes, flashy stage performances, virtuoso guitar playing, and a 'live fast / die young' lifestyle. The tracks found here feature another giant of the Delta blues: Willie Brown. Although Willie Brown was an accomplished vocalist and his guitar playing was second to none, Brown was perhaps best known as a sideman (and for his seminal 'Make Me A Pallet On The Floor'), accompanying Robert Johnson, Son House and, as heard here, Charley Patton. He appeared on many of Patton's sessions recorded between 1930-1934 and his amazing guitar playing can be heard here on 'Moon Going Down', 'Some Summer Day', as well as on his own 'Dry Well Blues'. Much of the material recorded here was recorded in 1934 in NYC, just months before his death. 'Hang It On The Wall' and 'Poor Me', recorded in February, were the last songs he ever recorded."

Artist:	JEFFERSON, BLIND LEMON
Title:	I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Heart
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 312LP

"The epitome of a sort of 'dark' blues, Henry 'Blind Lemon' Jefferson lived a mere 35 years, during which time he became the quintessential bluesman, conjuring a personal mix of rural and urban blues, decrying the conditions of the sharecroppers and city slum dwellers alike. He actually got his start playing in brothels and barber shops, where he developed his theatrical vocal lament. Unfortunately this early genius of the blues allegedly met his premature demise by freezing to death in 1929 in America's Windy City."

Artist:	BLIND BLAKE
Title:	Back Biting Bee Blues
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 313LP

"Maybe Arthur 'Blind' Blake did not live too long but it was certainly enough to prove to the world that he was one of the blind geniuses the history of blues seems to be made of. Born in Florida in 1893, he died at the age of 40 in controversial circumstances -- booze? Car accident? -- leaving a good number of recordings for Paramount that made him famous as 'the king of ragtime guitar.' His astonishingly odd style made his riffs sound like a ragtime piano and his particular finger picking inspired many modern blues artists, Jorma Kaukonen among the best known."

Artist:	CARTER FAMILY, THE
Title:	I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blues Eyes
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 314LP

"This album compiles the very beginnings of one of the longest lasting groups in the history of American Music. Active from 1927 to 1956, the legendary Carter Family were originally a trio and dug deeply into the musical tradition of southwestern Virginia, bringing to light a number of gospel and folk songs that made them superstars in their day and later went on to inspire many revival groups of the sixties and seventies."

Artist:	MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS
Title:	Sitting On Top Of The World
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 315LP

"Formed in 1930 as a trio of guitar and fiddle music, the original lineup was composed of Lonnie, Sam and Armenter Chatmon, the latter best known as Bo Carter, who was also a solo star of the period. The Mississippi Sheiks took their name from Rudolph Valentino's movie The Sheik and became extremely popular in the 1930s despite the fact that the famous country music artists of the day were almost all solo artists. Their first single, 'Sittin' On Top of The World,' was also their biggest success. It went on to become a standard country blues song covered by many artists of the caliber of Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan and Cream."

Artist:	STOKES, FRANK
Title:	Downtown Blues
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 316LP

"African American singer and guitar player who got his start playing on the streets of Memphis around the turn of the century. His enormous repertoire of early folk, blues, old time country and popular music, along with his influence on local musicians has made many point to him as the true father of Memphis blues. He began touring the South with a black face Medicine Show comedian in the 1910s where it is said he met and influenced Jimmie Rodgers, among others. He then moved to Tennessee where he began playing with musician Dan Sane with whom he made his first recordings as the 'Beale Street Sheiks' for Paramount in 1927. Throughout this period Stokes recorded a number of sides for Paramount and Victor until his old time style began to lose popularity with the record buying public."

Artist:	JAMES, SKIP
Title:	Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 317LP

"Born in Bentonia, Mississippi in 1902, Skip James began recording for Paramount in Grafton, WI, in the 1930s after showcasing his unmistakable talent in a series of auditions in Jackson, Mississippi. Particularly interesting was his three finger picking technique, his high pitched voice and the rural blues tales that he put in music for a sub genre of blues that was later called the 'Bentonia school.' This LP includes some of his rarest early tunes from those lost 78 RPMs from the Grafton period."

Artist:	BOGGS, DOCK
Title:	When My Worldly Trials Are Over
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	MK 319LP

New lower pricing. "Pioneering singer / banjo player Dock Boggs (b. 1898) got his start playing (while working) in the coal mines all over the poverty-stricken Appalachian region. His earliest recordings, a blend Appalachian old-time music and early blues, come from 1927-1929. During this time Boggs was fairly popular and able to make a living with his music, much to the dismay of his wife who, like many others at the time, considered secular music a sin. By 1930, however, the Great Depression had forced Boggs to pawn his banjo and go back to selling moonshine and working in the coal mines. This would have been the end of Boggs' career had he thankfully not been rediscovered by folk revivalist Mike Seeger in the 1960s and subsequently recorded some great records for Smithsonian Folkways. This record is comprised of some extremely rare alternate takes (recorded between 1927-1929) of some of his greatest songs."

Artist:	JOHNSON, TOMMY
Title:	Cool Drink Of Water Blues
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$34.00
Catalog #:	MK 320LP

"Along with Son House and Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson was one of the great early talents of the Delta Blues style. Recorded in Memphis and Wisconsin in 1928 and 1929, these 17 tracks represent Johnson's complete recorded works from 1928 and 1929, and capture Johnson in his prime, when his talents were so great that when he told fans he'd made a pact with the devil... it was difficult not to believe him! Unfortunately Johnson's love for music was only surpassed by his love for 'canned heat' (large quantities of alcohol, in any form he could get it, including Sterno!). In fact, his 'Canned Heat Blues' is one of his better known songs (even lending its name to the well-known sixties blues band), along with 'Cool Drink of Water Blues' (famously covered by Howlin' Wolf as 'I Asked For Water (She Brought Me Gasoline) '). There is also some lesser known material included here, like 'Ridin Horse' and 'Alcohol and Jake Blues', taken from what is believed to be the only remaining copy of the original 78!"

Artist:	LEWIS, FURRY
Title:	I Will Turn Your Money Green
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	MK 321LP

Restocked, lower but not-quite cut-out pricing. "One of the great Memphis bluesmen of the 1920s, Furry Lewis was one of the only bluesmen of his generation to achieve widespread fame with the blues revival of the 1960s, after a recording hiatus of nearly three decades. He began his recording career in 1927 (his first session is found here) and his prowess on his instrument, along with his natural flair for storytelling, immediately set apart from so many other struggling young bluesmen. Songs like 'John Henry' and 'Casey Jones' are some of the greatest blues narratives ever recorded, and have long since become standard blues fare. Although Lewis remained an amazing musician up until the end of his life, even opening for the Rolling Stones during these later years, and appearing on the 'Tonight Show', these sides represent his best material, recorded at the end of the roaring twenties, when Lewis was a young man and at the height of his abilities."

Artist:	BRACEY, ISHMAN
Title:	Suitcase Full Of Blues 1928-1929
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$34.00
Catalog #:	MK 322LP

"One of the best, if lesser-known Delta bluesmen of the 1920s, singer and guitarist Ishman Bracey (1901-1970), along with his good friend Tommy Johnson, began playing juke joints first in Jackson, and then all over Mississippi around 1917, but did not make his first recordings until 1928. He recorded his first sessions for the Victor label with Charlie McCoy on second guitar, but by 1930 his recording career was over -- likely due to the onset of the Great Depression which made the recording industry dry up for the next decade. Bracey eventually left the blues scene for the church, and his blues output is therefore rather slim. He recorded a total of just 16 tracks in all and original 78s fetch high sums."

Artist:	BEALE STREET SHEIKS, THE
Title:	Chicken You Can Roost Behind The Moon
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$16.50
Catalog #:	MK 323LP

Restocked, lower but not-quite cut-out pricing. "The Beale Street Sheiks was the moniker used by Memphis guitar duo Frank Stokes and Dan Sane for their Paramount recordings (made in Chicago in 1927 and 1929). Stokes (1887-1955) was one of the earliest Memphis bluesmen, and his distinct vocal and guitar style has been imitated by many bluesmen since. Not only did he have a truly distinct style, but his repertoire was one of the most enormous and diverse in the history of blues, and his songs have become a living history of a bygone era. Although W.C. Handy is often cited as the father of Memphis blues, many scholars believe Frank Stokes to be its true originator."

Artist:	WILKINS, ROBERT
Title:	That's No Way To Get Along
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 324LP

"Seminal American blues guitarist and vocalist Robert Wilkins (1896-1987) played on the Memphis blues scene at the same time as Furry Lewis, Son House, Charley Patton and Memphis Minnie, and was versatile in a range of styles, including ragtime, blues, minstrel and gospel. These recordings cover his early years as a recording artist, from his debut recording session for Victor in 1928, which yielded the famous 'Rolling Stone', plus three more tracks, followed by 8 more tracks recorded for Vocalion in 1929-30, which included the legendary 'That's No Way To Get Along' aka 'Prodigal Son' (famously covered by the Rolling Stones). The final 5 tracks were recorded in Jackson, Miss. in 1935 and feature a second guitar player and a spoons player, resulting in the production of another classic, 'Old Jim Canan's'. In 1935 Wilkins left secular music altogether, becoming an ordained minister and herbalist. He was, however, rediscovered in the 1960s during the blues revival and played various festivals during this time, including Newport."

Artist:	ESTES, SLEEPY JOHN
Title:	I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$34.00
Catalog #:	MK 325LP

"A retrospective of 24 songs recorded between 1929-1937 in Memphis, Chicago and NYC, when Tennessee native, Sleepy John Estes was at the height of his abilities. Despite the fact that Estes wasn't the fastest or most technical blues guitarists out there, his distinct and emotional vocals, and uniquely relaxed style more than compensates for this, making him one of the genre's true geniuses. Estes, in fact, perhaps because he wasn't a guitar virtuoso, usually preferred to play in a group setting, and on these recordings he is often accompanied by great players like 'Yank' Rachell on mandolin or Hammie Nixon on harmonica. He is also frequently accompanied by piano and sometimes second guitar. Estes is also well known for his lyrics which talked about places and people he knew. I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More contains all of his best songs, including blues favorites like 'The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curly Hair' (covered by Led Zeppelin), 'Drop Down Mama', 'Milk Cow Blues' (covered by The Kinks), and 'Someday Baby Blues' (covered by Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan)."

Artist:	POOLE, CHARLIE
Title:	I'm The Man That Rode The Mule 'Round The World
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 326LP

"Born in North Carolina in 1892, influential singer and banjo player Charlie Poole is often considered to be one of the fathers of bluegrass and one of country music's first stars. Although Poole died at just 39-years-old, he still had plenty of time to influence greats like Bill Monroe and Hank Williams, to name just a few. Although Poole did not write his own material -- relying mainly on minstrel, vaudeville and burlesque songs of the day -- his genius lay in his unique ability to rework a song to make it his own, like this version of the drinking song 'If The River Was Whiskey.' Poole, along with his string band the North Carolina Ramblers, recorded over 60 sides for Columbia Records during the 1920s, many of which have become standard repertoire. The material found on this LP, taken from recordings made from 1925-1930, sheds welcome light on some of his lesser-known songs, like the hilarious 'It's Movin' Day.'"

Artist:	MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT
Title:	Blessed Be The Name
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 327LP

Subtitled: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings. "The songs on this album are especially significant because they represent the only existing recordings of John Hurt prior to the early 1960s when he was 'rediscovered' by blues revivalists. In 1928, an unknown Mississippi sharecropper named John Hurt played regular barn dances behind a white fiddle player who soon recommended Hurt to Okeh Records for recording. Okeh took the fiddle player's advice and recorded two sessions with Hurt, one in Memphis and one in NYC, of which only a single (Nobody's Dirty Business/Frankie) was ever recorded and promptly forgotten. Hurt spent the next 35 years sharecropping and working for the railroad (where he learned songs like 'Spike Driver Blues,' a variation on 'John Henry'). 'Avalon Blues,' an ode to his home town, was a song Hurt wrote during his recording session in NYC in 1928 and also the song that led to his rediscovery. Mississippi John Hurt today is one of the most appreciated of the Delta blues musicians, perhaps because his unique style makes him particularly accessible to modern audiences. Hurt, who died in 1966, lived just long enough to see his music finally appreciated by a wider audience."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Son House And Other Great Delta Blues Singers
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$34.00
Catalog #:	MK 328LP

"This 24-track collection of historic Delta blues recordings kicks off with Son House's earliest recorded material. These seven tracks were recorded by House for Paramount in Grafton, WI in 1930 and are keystone recordings in the history of American music. They include the original rare versions of 'Walkin' Blues' (later made famous by Robert Johnson) and 'Death Letter Blues' (here called 'My Black Mama Part II'), covered by Jack White of the White Stripes. The remaining 17 tracks on this album are a chance for listeners to hear some lesser known Delta bluesmen, all contemporaries of Son House like Rube Lacy, Garfield Akers, Joe Callicott, Jim Thompkins, Blind Joe (Willie) Reynolds, Kid Baley and Willie Brown. While these men are perhaps not quite the genius that House was -- with perhaps the exception of Willie Brown who often played with House (just check out 'Future Blues' if you need convincing) -- these lesser known artists are still all top drawer Delta bluesmen that add welcome context to the genre."

Artist:	JELLY ROLL MORTON
Title:	The Chant
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 329LP

"The father of jazz piano, Jelly Roll Morton got his start playing piano in the bordellos of New Orleans in the nineteen-teens, but soon began traveling around the South. He spent five years on the West Coast where he became very popular, but soon moved to Chicago to take advantage of its burgeoning jazz scene. After gaining his first hit in 1923 with 'Wolverine Blues,' he soon recorded several classic sides for Victor with a New Orleans-style band made up of some of the top sidemen of his day, called the Red Hot Peppers. These recordings, made in Chicago in 1926-27 are from that classic period and are some of the finest examples of the 'Hot' style."

Artist:	BLIND BLAKE
Title:	That Will Happen No More
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 331LP

"After their success with Blind Lemon Jefferson, Chicago's Paramount was scouting for more male blues talent, and they found it in 1926 in a man called Blind Blake (1893-1933), a sophisticated guitar player who was the antithesis of Delta blues. Like many, he played his guitar like a piano but few did it with the talent of this man. Called the 'King of Ragtime-blues', no one had fingers as fast as Blind Blake, but by 1933 he was dead (some say his drinking killed him). These recordings taken from 1927-28 are a collection of Blind Blake's early material, showcasing the man at his musical peak, before alcohol began to take its toll."

Artist:	CARTER FAMILY, THE
Title:	Bring Back My Blue-Eyed Boy To Me
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 332LP

"Drawing on the rich musical tradition of rural Appalachia, by 1930 the Carter family had become an American institution. Often called the 'first family' of country music, the original Carter family consisted of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and Sara's cousin Maybelle. Maybelle's daughter June Carter, would go on to become a star in her own right and famously marry Johnny Cash. Maybelle Carter's pioneering guitar style not only revolutionized American music, but she was also one of the first white musicians to use the guitar as a lead instrument. In February 1929 the Carter family returned to Camden, NJ for their third-ever recording session (for Victor) laying down 12 plus tracks of which 5 can be heard here. Their next recording session, also for Victor, was in Atlanta Georgia in November of that same year (just a month after the stock market crash), where they recorded their classic 'Wabash Cannonball', among others."

Artist:	SMITH, BESSIE
Title:	Them's Graveyard Words
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	MK 333LP

New lower pricing. "Bessie Smith was the greatest of all pre-war blues singers, and perhaps the greatest female blues singer of all time, as these meticulously restored sides from the very apex of her career in 1927 so divinely prove. At six feet tall and over 200 pounds, she belted out the blues of America's poor and downtrodden with a passion not heard before or since. In her short lifetime (she died in a car accident at age 42), she made close to 200 recordings, teaming up with just about every talented black musician of her day, including Clarence Williams, Charlie Green, Joe Smith, James P. Johnson, Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, to name just a few. The 'Empress of the Blues' fought her way to the top of the recording industry to become the biggest selling and highest paid black recording artist of the roaring twenties, and it was also in no small part thanks to the sales of Smith's 'race records' that Columbia Records was saved from bankruptcy. These recordings all made in New York City in 1927 include her best known sides, including 'Back Water Blues', 'Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out', and 'After You've Gone'."

Artist:	ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA, DUKE
Title:	Jubilee Stomp
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 334LP

"During a career spanning half a century, Duke Ellington and his orchestra composed enough songs to keep jazz musicians busy for the next half. During this time he also popularized jazz as a legitimate form of music to white audiences through his nightly performances at Harlem's legendary Cotton Club, beginning in 1927. 1927 was a watershed year for Duke Ellington, not only did he land the prestigious Cotton Club gig (and the nationwide radio broadcast that went along with it), but it was also the year that Ellington signed a lucrative deal with agent Irving Mills. Mills introduced Ellington to an even wider audience, getting him recording sessions with Victor, Columbia and Brunswick. His reputation grew and by 1929 he was starring in the groundbreaking all-African American RKO short film Black And Tan. These recordings, all from 1927 and 1928, mark those significant years when Ellington was a swiftly rising star."

Artist:	MCTELL, BLIND WILLIE
Title:	Searching The Desert For The Blues
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$34.00
Catalog #:	MK 335LP

"The 'King of the Georgia blues' and a master of the 12-string guitar, Blind Willie McTell is credited with having created an entire subgenre of the blues by mixing the hard roots of the Delta style with the more refined East Coast style (Piedmont Blues). Although McTell had been busking for change since his early teen years, his official recording career began for Victor in 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia. This 32-track collection of rare sides -- originally released on Okeh (as Georgia Bill), Victor (as Hot Shot Willie) and Vocalion (as Blind Willie) -- finds McTell playing alongside another amazing Georgia blues guitarist, Curley Weaver, and backing two fine Atlanta blues singers Ruth (Mary) Willis and Ruby Glaze."

Artist:	BLIND BLAKE
Title:	That Lonesome Rave
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 336LP

"Presumably born in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1893, Blind Blake came to prominence recording for Paramount from 1926 until the label closed in 1932. In fact, Blake was Paramount's best-selling and most recorded artist, with over a hundred sides to his name. Blake--one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time--is best known for his development of the 'ragtime' guitar style, the sheer complexity of which has baffled would-be imitators for the past eight decades. His mastery of this approach was so complete that none have ever come close to being able to imitate him. The tracks on this LP were recorded in the Paramount Studios in Chicago in May of 1928, with blues singer Bertha Henderson on vocals on 'That Lonesome Rave,' 'Leavin' Gal Blues' and several others. Guest vocalists also appear on 'Beulah Land' (Daniel Brown) and 'Elzadie's Policy Blues' (Elzadie Robinson). Many of these songs have long been considered early American blues classics."

Artist:	SMITH, BESSIE
Title:	Please Help Me Get Him Off My Mind
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 337LP

"Born into poverty in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1894, the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, began singing on street corners for change, but by 1912 she was performing with Ma Rainey's travelling show, fast on her way to becoming one of the most popular singers on the vaudeville circuit. Her 1923 debut single for Columbia Records ('Gulf Coast Blues/Down Hearted Blues') sold 800,000 copies across racial lines, to both black and white audiences. By the time the sides on this LP were recorded in 1928 in NYC, Smith was the highest-paid/biggest-selling black recording artist in the world, travelling to performances in her own railway car and even saving Columbia from bankruptcy thanks to the sale of her records. Her 'Empty Bed Blues,' featured here along with some lesser-known (but by no means lesser) recordings, is one of only three Smith recordings to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame."

Artist:	MCTELL, BLIND WILLIE
Title:	Fare You Well
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 338LP

"The 'King of the Georgia Blues' and master of the 12-string guitar, Blind Willie McTell's praise has been sung far and wide by everyone from the Allman Brothers (who famously covered his 'Statesboro Blues'), to Bob Dylan (who wrote a song about him called 'Blind Willie McTell'), to Jack White (who covered his 'Southern Can Mama' and 'Lord, Send Me An Angel'). Originally recorded for Vocalion (in New York City) and Decca (in Chicago) these tracks from the mid-thirties mark the height of McTell's recording career. Featuring his wife Kate singing on 'Ain't It Grand To Be A Christian' and long-time associate and Georgia guitar-great, Curley Weaver on several tracks."

Artist:	BLIND BLAKE
Title:	The Vanished Bluesman In Richmond
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 339LP

"After their success with Blind Lemon Jefferson, Chicago's Paramount was scouting for more male blues talent, and they found it in 1926 in a man called Blind Blake (1893-1933), a sophisticated guitar player who was the antithesis of Delta blues. In fact, Blake soon became Paramount's best-selling and most recorded artist, with over a hundred sides to his name. Blake--one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time--is best known for his development of the 'ragtime' guitar style, the sheer complexity of which has baffled would-be imitators for the past eight decades. His mastery of this approach was so complete that none have ever come close to being able to imitate him. These recordings from 1929 are a collection of sessions Blake recorded for Paramount in the Gennett Studios in Richmond, Indiana. Blake is accompanied by Charlie Spand on piano on several tracks. Spand was the king of the 1920s barrelhouse piano style and one of the most influential piano players of his day."

Artist:	JEFFERSON, BLIND LEMON
Title:	How Long, How Long Lasting Loving
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	MK 340LP

"The Father of Texas blues, Blind Lemon Jefferson began a successful recording career for Chicago's Paramount Records in 1926, recording over 100 sides in just three short years, right up until his premature death at age 35 in1929. Wildly popular, he was one of the first male blues guitar players to achieve national acclaim. His versatile guitar style and two-octave vocal range--which allowed him to sing in an impossibly high register--made his style unique among country blues singers. Influencing the likes of Leadbelly (with whom he played frequently while still in Texas) and Lightnin' Hopkins, his songs (often thinly veiled protest songs) have also been covered by many rock artists including The Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. All songs recorded in 1928 and originally released as Paramount singles."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Rag & Stomp: A Retrospective On 1930s Western Swing
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	MK 401LP

"During the 1930s in the vast region of the American Southwest, particularly in Texas and Oklahoma, a younger generation gave birth to a new form of popular dance music. In the hard years of the depression, both rural enthusiasts who played by ear, and others who had basic notions of written music joined together and participated in the development of the so-called 'western swing'. The elements which flow into this music are easily detectable on recordings by western swing groups, melting white and black swing across the country (Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, etc.), together with blues, fiddle music and ragtime, which was particularly strong in the regional heritage of Texas. Packaged in 78 rpm style deluxe plain cardboard sleeve."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Travelling With My Portable Electric Phonograph Volume 1
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 402LP

"What did South Africa and South East Asia of the 1940s and 50s have in common? In both places the local population was trying to gain independence from British colonialism. Although colonialism is never a good thing, there are always some positive outcomes when two cultures collide, especially when it comes to music. The Zulu of South Africa are the largest ethnic group in the country and are well known for their rich musical traditions. In the 1940s, however, Zulu musicians began fusing traditional Zulu choral music (often sung by migrant mine workers), like Mbube and Isicathamiya, with the instruments and rhythms of Western jazz. A continent away in India, we see that the same kind of musical revolution was taking place during this same period. Calcutta in particular became a musical hotbed beginning in WWII, when it became one of the major ports for the South East Asian Theatre of the War. The jazz scene was mainly centered on the house bands from the various luxury hotels and British social clubs, with these bands often recording for the South East Asian division of E.M.I. Interestingly, one of the hottest stars on this scene during the 1940s was Teddy Weatherford, an African American 'expat' from the Chicago jazz scene. Beginning in 1942, following the Japanese invasion of Burma (Myanmar), hundreds of thousands of refugees poured into India, among these great jazz musicians like Reuben Solomon (of Iraqi Jewish descent) of 'The Rangoon Gymkhana Club' fame. Batuk Nandy, on the other hand, was a well-known steel guitar player who rose to fame by making 'filmi' music for Bollywood films, while Bismillah Khan was an Indian shehnai (a traditional flute-like instrument) master, and one of only three classical musicians to have ever won the Bharat Ratna prize, the highest civilian prize in India. Khan was also one of the few musicians to perform at Delhi's Red Fort in 1947 for India's Independence celebrations. Despite the obvious negative outcomes, different cultures and religions forced together in the face of economic and political adversity has historically been a recipe for great music, and as this album testifies, India and South Africa were no different."

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Artist:	RAINEY, MA
Title:	Those Dogs Of Mine
Label:	MONK (ITALY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$24.00
Catalog #:	MK 318LP