King Records was the brainchild of Syd Nathan a brash but imaginative entrepreneur. After many ventures (he sold jewelry, ran shooting galleries and promoted wrestling), he decided to go into selling records. He found a run-down premises and did a deal to buy an old employer's stock of records for 15Ã¸ each. Sales racks and listening booths came free. Most of his stock was hillbilly records. He was surprised when 'tall, gaunt-faced folks with the lonesome sound of the mountains in their talk' began to frequent his store and buy his records. The next step for Nathan was to start a label. In November 1943, his first artists were Merle Travis and Grandpa Jones. King began a blues series in August 1945 with Bull Moose Jackson first in line. Further early sessions included Slim Gaillard, Walter Brown, Annisteen Allen and Lennie Lewis with Harold Tinsley. Pianists Lee Brown and Jimmie Gordon and guitarist Johnny Temple soon followed. Joe Von Battle was another local music fan, who recorded local talent, and, who then sold the masters on to King. Much of Von Battle's roster was country-blues oriented, like harmonica players Robert Richard and Walter Mitchell. The sound that Nathan and Von Battle produced was crude but the performances had both authenticity and excitement. Principal among them was John Lee Hooker, the city's leading bluesman, happy to record for any label and adopt any name. On the recordings bought by King he refers to himself as 'Poor Slim' but the attempt at disguise was utterly pointless. Other artists included Detroit Count, Robert Richard, Walter Mitchell, Eddie Burns and Johnny Wright. Other bluesmen journeyed to Cincinnati to record, while Nathan also travelled to Chicago to oversee a number of sessions. These four CDs are in roughly chronological sequence to better illustrate artists' styles and their development.

Tracklist:

Horse Shooe Boogie
Ruby Moore Blues
Little Mary
Cheatin' Around
Rock That Boogie
Fast Life
Hastings Street Opera, Pt. 1
Hastings Street Opera, Pt. 2
Stomp Boogie 1
Who's Been Jiving You 1
Wig Wearin' Woman 1
New York Central 1
Black Man Blues 1
Poor Joe 1
Forgive Me Darling 1
Please Don't Think I'm Nosey 1
Since I Seen Your Smiling Face 1
Your Picture Done Faded 1
Blinds Blues 2
Slappin' the Boogie 2
Keep A-Walkin [Take 1] [Take] 2
Keep A-Walkin [Take 2] [Take] 2
Your Little Wagon 2
Mistreated Woman [Take 1] [Take] 2
Mistreated Woman [Take 2] [Take] 2
Mistreated Blues 2
I Ain't Like That No More 2
New Little Girl, Little Girl 2
Nightmare Blues 3
Late Last Night 3
Lend Me Your Love 3
Pacemaker Boogie 3
Wandering Blues 3
Don't Go Baby 3
Slim's Boogie 3
A Letter Home 3
Ain't It Sad 3
One More Time 3
Down at the Depot 4
Alabama Boogie 4
Penny Pinchin' Mama 4
Do It No More 4
Gonna Hop on Down the Line 4
Do Right 4
Something's Wrong with My Little Machine 4
Old Battle Ax 4
Hello Miss Jessie Lee 4
Dealing with the Devil 4
No Shoes [Take 1] [Take] 5
No Shoes [Take 2] [Take] 5
Low Land Blues 5
Round the World Boogie 5
My Baby's Acting Funny 5
It's My Time to Go 5
Devil's Jump 5
I'm Gonna Kill That Woman 5
Stop Messing Around 5
Pet Milk Blues 5
Moaning Blues 6
The Numbers 6
Root Hog 6
Gone Gone Gone 6
Baby' Don't Leave 6
(Sometimes I Feel Like a) Motherless Child 6
Life Is Like That 6
Baby Blues 6
In My Father's House 6
Mother Dear Mother 6
Side Walk Boogie 7
Early in the Morning 7
Miss Anna B 7
Door Bell Blues 7
Why'd You Do It 7
Boogie Baby 7
'54 Blues 7
That Woman's a Pearl Diver 7
Jumping at the Club Blue Flame 7
Chain Gang 7
I Believe I'll Go Downtown Again 8
Dixie Flyer 8
Nobody Loves Me [Alt] [Alternate Take] 8
Midnight Jump 8
Hastings Street Woogie Man 8
Detroit Boogie 8
Heart Trouble Blues 8
Slim's Stomp 8
Please Don't Think I'm Nosey 8
Time for Lovin' to Be Done 8
Up and Down 9
I Ain't Got Over It Yet 9
I'll Never Walk in Your Door 9
Black Cat Trail 9
I Came to See You Baby 9
I'm a Boogie Man 9
My Baby Left Me 9
I Stayed Down 9
I Was in St,. Louis 9
Jivin' Mess [Take 1] [Take] 9
The Spell [Take 3] [Take] 10
The Wolf Pack [Take 10] [Take]

UPC: 788065716424
Label: Jsp Records
Release Date: 3.26.13
Format: CD

Devils Jump-Indie Label Blues 1946 - The Devil's Jump-Indie Label Blues 1946-1957 (CD)