NAPTOWN BLUES (1929-1934)

As the classic sound of blues developed in the?pre-World War II years, numerous individual?artists found success performing and recording?throughout the deep South, but relatively few?groups and duos. The combination of Leroy?Carr & Scrapper Blackwell bucked this trend,?attracting audiences with their intricate marriage?of Carr's pleasant blues piano to Blackwell's?proto-jazz guitar melodies. The partnership?proved to be highly successful, and?helped inject the genre with an air of urban?sophistication, while numerous singles were?recorded for Vocalion and Bluebird Records.?The partnership would be unfortunately?cut short in 1935, when Carr died of?alcohol-induced nephritis. Blackwell would later?fall victim to a shooting, 27 years later.?Carr & Blackwell's collaborations would later be?compiled by Yazoo in the 1970s, and released?as Naptown Blues, which catalogued their?recordings from 1929 to 1934. Some of their?most enduring tracks can be heard throughout?Naptown Blues, including Carried Water For?The Elephant, I Keep The Blues, Memphis?Town, and the title track. The influence of their?distinctive styles can be heard throughout the?works of later legends like Muddy Waters, Little?Walter, and Ray Charles.??A1. Carried Water For The Elephant A2. Low Down Dog Blues A3. Papa Wants A Cookie A4. Naptown Blues A5. Break Baker A6. I Keep The Blues A7. Gettin' All Wet B1. What More Can I Do' B2. Longing For My Sugar B3. Fore Day Rider B4. How About Me' B5. Memphis Town B6. Hold Them Puppies B7. Papa Wants To Knock A Jug