Leroy Carr
The term "urban blues" is usually applied to post-World War II blues band music, but one of the forefathers of the genre in its pre-electric format was pianist Leroy Carr. Teamed with the exemplary guitarist Scrapper Blackwell in Indianapolis, Carr became one of the top blues stars of his day, composing and recording almost 200 sides during his short lifetime, including such classics as "How Long, How Long," "Prison Bound Blues," "When the Sun Goes Down," and "Blues Before Sunrise." His blues were expressive and evocative, recorded only with piano and guitar, yet as author Sam Charters has noted, Carr was "a city man" whose singing was never as rough or intense as that of the country bluesmen, and as reissue producer Francis Smith put it, "He, perhaps more than any other single artist, was responsible for transforming the rural blues patterns of the '20s into the more city-oriented blues of the '30s."
Born in Nashville, Leroy Carr moved to Indianapolis as a child. While he was still in his teens, he taught himself how to play piano. Carr quit school in his mid-teens, heading out for a life on the road. For the next few years, he would play piano at various parties and dances in the Midwest and South. During this time, he held a number of odd jobs -- he joined a circus, he was in the Army for a while, and he was briefly a bootlegger. In addition to his string of jobs, he was married for a short time.
Carr wandered back toward Indianapolis, where he met guitarist Scrapper Blackwell in 1928. The duo began performing and shortly afterward they were recording for Vocalion, releasing "How Long How Long Blues" before the year was finished. The song was an instant, surprise hit. For the next seven years, Carr and Blackwell would record a number of classic songs for Vocalion, including "Midnight Hour Blues," "Blues Before Sunrise," "Hurry Down Sunshine," "Shady Lane Blues," and many others.
Throughout the early '30s, Carr was one of the most popular bluesmen in America. While his professional career was successful, his personal life was spinning out of control, as he sunk deeper and deeper into alcoholism. His addiction eventually cut his life short -- he died in April 1935. Carr left behind a enormous catalog of blues and his influence could be heard throughout successive generation of blues musicians, as evidenced by artists like T-Bone Walker, Otis Spann, and Champion Jack Dupree.
© Jim O'Neal /TiVo
-
Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1 (1928-1929) [Hd Remastered]
Blues - Pubblicato da Reborn recordings il 17 mag 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1929-1930) [Hd Remastered]
Blues - Pubblicato da Reborn recordings il 17 mag 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Recorded Works Vol3, 1930-1932 (Hq remastered)
Jazz - Pubblicato da Vintage Recordings il 17 set 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Thruthful Blues
Blues - Pubblicato da Milestones Records il 27 nov 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Naptown Blues (Hq Remastered 2023)
Jazz - Pubblicato da Vintage Recordings il 25 nov 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Blues Before Sunrise
Blues - Pubblicato da CTS Digital il 14 giu 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blues Before Sunrise
Blues - Pubblicato da Jasnet Records il 14 giu 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell - Greatest Hits (Best Value Music)
Leroy Carr, Scrapper Blackwell
Blues - Pubblicato da Best Value Music il 17 feb 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo