Sometimes miracles happen. That’s the only way I can explain a remarkable new compilation of the blues from none other than Starbucks. I can’t stand their coffee, so I’m not about to endorse the coffee chain.
But this recording was compiled by the great Sam Charters—the music historian, writer, record producer, musician and poet. His first book in 1959 was The Country Blues, a classic of blues literature. During the 1960s, Charters produced the music of Country Joe and the Fish. He’s had an amazing career.
The Starbuck’s recording, called Town and Country Blues, consists mostly of reissues from the Prestige series, The Bluesville Years Volumes 1-12, compiled by Charters. The performers include Sunnyland Slim, Dave Van Ronk, Roosevelt Sykes, the Rev. Gary Davis, Furry Lewis, Mildred Anderson, Tom Rush, Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim, Jimmy Witherspoon, Curtis Jones, Victoria Spivey, Lonnie Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery and Danny Kalb.
Kalb, a personal friend and the guitarist who founded The Blues Project, called to tell me about Town and Country Blues. On it, he said, is a recording he made in 1964—prior to The Blues Project—called Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out. Though only Kalb is credited with the song from the record The Folk Stringers, he said guitarist Barry Kornfeld—who played on Dylan's Blood on the Tracks—and bassist Abe Bolar played with him on the track.
“It’s one of my best pieces ever. It’s wonderful,” Kalb said. “I never thought it would be released. Probably about 50 people heard it before.”
You can order the record here. It’s well worth owning for any serious blues collection.
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Danny Kalb (left) and Al Kooper (right), both members of the Blues Project, recently at The Turning Point in Pierpoint, New York
