Document Records ?

[Dmitry]

Bought 2 cds on Document Records tonight -

THE EARLIEST BLACK STRING BANDS - Vol.2 - Dan Kildare [1917-1919]

and

Kid Ory - The Complete Sunshine, Exner, Decca Recordings 1922-1945 & "This is Jazz" Broadcast 1947

I'm not familiar with the Document label, but the songs in their on-line juke-box are cool. The store I bought these from had a bunch of Document cds for 6.99 -8.99. Should I pick up anything else?

http://www.document-records.com/

I am largely not familiar with the pre-swing music, but I'm very slowly easing into it.

[LAL]

I satisfy my regular cravings for the music of the early female blues singers via reissues by this label. Victoria Spivey, Alberta Hunter, Mamie Smith, Virginia Liston - you name it, they've got it. They've even a 14 volume series of obscure female blues/vaudeville singers. Then there's all that other jazz, blues and spirituals stuff. Too darn many reissues I say...

Sound quality is variable - from atrociously bad to decent.

[Dmitry]

Something tells me Lon will have a couple of words to say about this label.

[AllenLowe]

hm....and why would Lon have something to say?

[jazzbo]

Great label, own a few. Most of the ones I might get, I have the material on other labels. I have a few Lizzie Miles Documents though.

There, some words.

Edited July 22, 2005 by jazzbo

[paul secor]

Document is a good source for gathering complete recordings of nearly every pre-WW2 blues artist and many gospel artists also. The sound quality of their issues is variable, and they're one of those labels that seem to taken much of their material from other labels who have done their work for them through previous reissues.

If you're looking for completeness, Document is probably the way to go.

[BeBop]

Most of the material I've got on this label is pre-war Blues. For that genre, it's among the best, IMO.

[Late]

... they're one of those labels that seem to have taken much of their material from other labels who have done their work for them through previous reissues.

Are there any CDs where Document is the sole reissue label?

This label always catches my eye, but my experience has been hit-or-miss, with the misses often winning out due to the sometimes awful sound quality. So, another question: anyone have a Document CD with good sound where they also enjoy the music? I'm particularly interested in some of the more obscure country blues artists (sans piano).

[AllenLowe]

the sound is variable but Document, at least in its original issues, is a priceless label - their goal was basically to issue all African American recordings, and no one else came near the scope of what they did - HOWEVER - in their second incarnation (they went out of business and than were resuscitated) they started to "improve" the sound, which meant digital distortion and other horrors - so beware the later series of stuff -

[Late]

The sound is variable, but Document, at least in its original issues, is a priceless label ...

Are there any titles from this first series that you recommend in particular? Not necessarily the "bigger" names, but other country blues artists that are more obscure but deserving of wider recognition?

[AllenLowe]

wouldn't know where to start - I must own 100 cds from this label - what I love in particular are the early gosepl cds (from the 1920s and 1930s) - a lot of it is, however, hard to get now - for individual country blues singers I would tend to go to Yazoo -

[Late]

... for individual country blues singers I would tend to go to Yazoo.

I do too. I have a fair amount of Yazoo titles already, so I guess I'll just start snooping around in Document-land with a newbie's sense of awe. (That's part of the fun anyway, I guess.)

[AllenLowe]

pick up the Arizon Dranes if you can find it -

[jostber]

Document Records have a lot of great releases with wonderful musc, and a fine catalogue too.

Some of my recommendations:

Lonnie Johnson

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetail...rodID=BDCD-6024

Robert Petway

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetail...rodID=DOCD-5671

Big Maceo

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetail...rodID=DOCD-5673

Leadbelly

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetail...rodID=DOCD-5676

Never Let The Same Bee Sting You Twice

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetail...rodID=DOCD-5678

Blind Willie McTell

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetail...rodID=DOCD-5677

Henry Thomas

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetail...rodID=DOCD-5665

and Arizona Dranes, Little Brother Montgomery, Jimmy Yancey and many more...

[AllenLowe]

beware, as I mentioned: I've stopped buying their new releases as the ones I've purchased have been filled with bad noise reduction, digital distortion, etc -

[seeline]

Most of Document's releases are available on Emusic.com - and at high bitrates. It might be easier just to browse there and purchase tracks you'd like to have, rather than buying actual CDs.

Edited May 29, 2008 by seeline

[Late]

Most of Document's releases are available on Emusic.com - and at high bitrates. It might be easier just to browse there and purchase tracks you'd like to have, rather than buying actual CDs.

Excellent point. I go off and on with emusic. It's a great service, though I tend to cancel my subscription when I can't keep up with the listening. It's also nice that there's no penalty to cancel and then resubscribe!

[Late]

Document Store

Document on Discogs