Josh at Midnight/Ballads and Blues

Performer: Josh White
Engineer: Leonard Ripley
Producer: Jac Holzman
Distributor: Gotham Distributing Corp.

Notes: 2 LPs on 1 CD: JOSH AT MIDNIGHT (1956)/SINGS BALLADS & BLUES (1957). Personnel: Josh White (vocals, guitar); Al Hall (bass); Sonny Greer (drums). Originally released on Elektra (102) & Elektra (114). Liner Note Author: Kenneth S. Goldstein. Elektra Records' president, Jac Holzman, was usually one step ahead of the competition. In the early '50s, way before the Kingston Trio kicked off the folk revival with "Tom Dooley," he recorded Bob Gibson and Theodore Bikel. He also recorded folk-blues artists like Josh White. Josh at Midnight/Ballads and Blues were recorded in 1956 and 1957, respectively, and helped to reintroduce the singer to a new audience. Josh at Midnight represents a couple of approaches, switching between solo cuts like "St. James Infirmary" and duos where he's accompanied by another, deeper-voiced singer, like "Raise a Rukus." There's also the interesting coupling of racy songs like "Jelly Jelly!" and religious ones like "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho." Ballads and Blues chooses a more integrated, progressive approach, adding drums and bass. While folk purists may find these additions sacrilegious, White's soulful renditions of "Miss Otis Regrets" and "One for My Baby" work extremely well in these settings. It's interesting that despite the change in arrangements on these cuts, he continues to play acoustic guitar. It's also fascinating that Holzman didn't object to the inclusion of a political piece like "Jim Crow Train." Taken together, Josh at Midnight/Ballads and Blues offer 70 minutes of music and provide a good introduction to a fine blues singer. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

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