It's an enlightening and substantial overview of the career and music of a notable and important bluesman.

John Adam Estes, born in Tennessee in 1899, was a blues singer, guitarist and songwriter whose work influenced later artists from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin. Working as a field hand, he started performing at parties and picnics around the age of 19, often accompanied by harmonica player Hammie Nixon and guitarist, mandolin player James Rachell, who sometimes featured on his recordings. He recorded his first sessions for Victor in Memphis in 1929, followed by more Memphis sessions for Victor/Bluebird in 1930, then sessions for Decca in Chicago in 1935 and New York in 1937, 1938 and 1940, and back with Bluebird in Chicago in 1941. He then largely disappeared from the scene until being rediscovered in 1962, after which he performed and recorded during the folk/blues revival. This 50-track 2-CD collection comprises just about all his releases from those early sessions on which he performs as the lead vocalist, and includes most of the titles he recorded as a member of The Delta Boys towards the end of this era. It features performances with Hammie Nixon, Robert Lee McCoy, (harmonica), John Hardge, Jab Jones (piano), James Rachell (mandolin), Charlie Pickett (guitar), Ham Lewis (jug), Son Bonds (guitar, kazoo) and Raymond Thomas (bass). It naturally includes the songs for which he is best-known like 'Milk Cow Blues', 'Some Day Baby Blues', 'Working Man Blues', 'Lawyer Clark Blues' and others. It's an enlightening and substantial overview of the career and music of a notable and important bluesman.

Track Listing

• Diving Duck Blues
• The Girl I Love Got Long Curly Hair
• Broken Hearted, Ragged And Dirty Too
• Black Mattie Blues
• Street Car Blues
• Milk Cow Blues
• Whatcha Doing
• Poor John Blues
• Sweet Mama
• Expressman Blues
• Stack O' Dollars
• My Black Gal Blues
• Someday Baby Blues
• Who's Been Tellin' You, Buddy Brown
• Married Woman Blues
• Drop Down Mama
• Down South Blues
• Stop That Thing
• I Want To Tear It All The Time
• Vernita Blues
• Airplane Blues
• Hobo Jungle Blues
• Jack And Jill Blues
• Need More Blues

• I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More
• Government Money
• Poor Man's Friend (T Model)
• Floating Bridge
• New Someday Baby
• Brownsville Blues
• Liquor Store Blues
• Special Agent (Railroad Police Blues)
• Easin' Back To Tennessee
• Clean Up At Home
• Everybody Oughta Make A Change
• Fire Department Blues (Martha Hardin)
• Drop Down (I Don't Feel Welcome Here)
• Tell Me How About It (Mr. Tom's Blues)
• Mailman Blues
• Time Is Drawing Near
• Mary, Come On Home
• Jailhouse Blues
• You Shouldn't Do That
• Black Gal Swing
• Little Laura Blues
• Lawyer Clark Blues
• Everytime My Heart Beats
• Don't You Want To Know
• Get Up And Go
• Working Man Blues

Additional Details

Label: Acrobat

Genre: Blues

Run Time: 142 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 03/28/25

UPC: 824046354220