IDA COX - Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 1 (1923-38) 1996 / DO-5322

Ida Cox was one of the most powerful blues singers of the 1920s, ranking just below Bessie Smith. The Document label has reissued all of Cox's 1920s recordings on four CDs, leaving out many of the alternate takes (since there are a great deal from 1923-24) to be put out on a later series. The first CD has the master takes of all of Cox's recordings from 1923, plus four alternates. Except for the closing "Bear-Mash Blues," which finds the singer joined by her future husband Jesse Crump on piano, the music either features accompaniment by pianist Lovie Austin (an underrated blues player) or assistance from Austin, the great cornetist Tommy Ladnier and clarinetist Jimmy O'Bryant. Cox was one of the few singers from this early period who could overcome the technical limitations of the primitive recording equipment and really communicate with the listener. Among the highlights from her first year on records are "Any Woman's Blues," "Graveyard Dream Blues" (which is heard in three versions), "Ida Cox's Lawdy, Lawdy Blues," "Moanin' Groanin' Blues," "Come Right In" (which has some lines that would become quite familiar in later songs) and "I've Got the Blues for Rampart Street." Highly recommended.  by Scott Yanow 
Tracklist
1 Any Woman's Blues 3:36
2 Bama Bound Blues 3:17
3 Lovin' Is The Thing I'm Wild About 3:01
4 Graveyard Blues [Take 1] 2:55
5 Graveyard Blues [Take 2] 2:55
6 Weary Way Blues 2:47
7 Blue Monday Blues 2:48
8 I Love My Man Better Than I Love Myself 2:56
9 Ida Cox's Lawdy, Lawdy Blues [Take 3] 2:51
10 Ida Cox's Lawdy, Lawdy Blues [Take 4] 2:41
11 Moanin' Groanin' Blues 2:44
12 Chattanooga Blues 2:47
13 Chicago Bound Blues [Take 2] 2:41
14 Chicago Bound Blues [Take 3] 2:31
15 Come Right In 2:44
16 I've Got The Blues For Rampart Street [Take 3] 2:45
17 I've Got The Blues For Rampart Street [Take 4] 2:48
18 Graveyard Dream Blues [Take 2] 2:52
19 Mama Doo Shee Blues 3:03
20 Worried Mama Blues 3:15
21 So Soon This Morning Blues 2:59
22 Mail Man Blues 3:01
23 Confidential Blues 2:58
24 Bear-Mash Blues 2:47

IDA COX - Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 1 1923 

[1996] DO-5322 / FLAC / scans

'round to midnight...

IDA COX - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol. 2 1924-1925 [1996] DO-5323

Unlike most of her contemporaries, who spent at least part of their time singing vaudeville-type material and pop songs, Ida Cox stuck throughout her career to the blues. On the second of four Document CDs that reissue all of her 1920s material (although some of the many alternate takes are bypassed), Cox is mostly accompanied by either Lovie Austin's Blues Serenaders (which usually includes cornetist Tommy Ladnier and clarinetist Jimmy O'Bryant, although the great Johnny Dodds is on six selections) or, on one date, members of Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra. The recording quality of these Paramount 78s (which cover a 13-month period) is erratic, but there are a few classics here, including "Chicago Monkey Man Blues" (which has some lyrics that would later be used for "Going to Chicago"), "Blues Ain't Nothin' Else But," "Wild Women Don't Have the Blues" and "Death Letter Blues." Throughout, Ida Cox (who was second to Bessie Smith at the time) is quite consistent, making the most of her limitations. Recommended.  by Scott Yanow
Tracklist  
1 Mean Lovin' Man Blues (Take 3)  2:49
Accompanied By – The Pruit Twins
Banjo – Milas Pruitt
Guitar – Miles Pruitt
Vocals – Ida Cox
2 Down The Road Bound Blues (Take 2)  3:20
Accompanied By – The Pruit Twins
Banjo – Milas Pruitt
Guitar – Miles Pruitt
Vocals – Ida Cox
3 Last Time Blues (Take 2)  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
4 Worried Any How Blues  3:04
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
5 Chicago Monkey Man Blues (Take 1)  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
6 Chicago Monkey Man Blues (Take 2)  2:52
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
7 Mean Papa Turn Your Key  3:03
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano, Leader – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
8 Blues Ain't Nothin' Else But! (Take 2)  3:13
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Unknown Artist
Piano – Lovie Austin
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Ida Cox
9 Worried In Mind Blues (Take 1)  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone [Poss.] – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant, Stump Evans
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
10 My Mean Man Blues (Take 1)  2:42
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Alto Saxophone [Poss.] – Charles Harris 
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant, Stump Evans
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
11 Kentucky Man Blues  2:58
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
12 Cherry Picking Blues  3:19
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
13 Wild Women Don't Have The Blues  2:27
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
14 Worried In Mind Blues (Take 3)  3:00
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
15 Death Letter Blues  3:04
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
16 My Mean Man Blues (Take 4)  2:36
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
17 Those Married Man Blues  2:52
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Elmer Chambers
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
18 Misery Blues  3:13
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Elmer Chambers
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
19 Graveyard Bound Blues  3:20
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Howard Scott 
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
20 Mississippi River Blues  3:12
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Howard Scott 
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
21 Georgia Hound Blues  3:12
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Banjo – Charlie Dixon
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Howard Scott 
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
Whistle – Unknown Artist
22 Blue Kentucky Blues  2:54
Accompanied By – Her Five Blue Spells
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Don Redman
Cornet – Elmer Chambers
Drums [Prob.] – Kaiser Marshall
Piano – Fletcher Henderson
Trombone – Charlie Green
Vocals – Ida Cox
23 Black Crepe Blues  2:53
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Serenaders
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox
24 Fare Thee Well Poor Gal  2:50
Accompanied By – Lovie Austin And Serenaders
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ida Cox

IDA COX - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol. 2 

1924-1925 [1996] DO-5323 / FLAC / scans

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IDA COX - Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 3 1925-1927 [1995] DO- 5324

The third of four "complete" Ida Cox CDs from Document has 14 selections from 1925, six from 1926 and four from 1927. Most of the sessions feature the masterful blues singer assisted by Lovie Austin's Blues Serenaders, whose personnel was changing during this era -- they featured either Tommy Ladnier, the underrated Bob Shoffner, Bernie Young or Shirley Clay on cornet, Jimmy O'Bryant or (on two songs) Johnny Dodds on clarinet, and other unidentified musicians, including a trombonist. In addition, there are three duets with banjoist Papa Charlie Jackson, a couple of numbers in which Cox is joined by cornetist Dave Nelson and Jesse Crump on reed organ, and the first four tunes from a lengthy 1927 set that has Cox accompanied only by Crump's piano. Most interesting is "How Long Daddy, How Long," which was the basis of Leroy Carr's famous "How Long Blues." Other highlights include "Long Distance Blues," "Southern Woman's Blues," "Coffin Blues" and Cox's famous "'Fore Day Creep." All four of the discs in this valuable series are easily recommended to serious blues collectors.  by Scott Yanow
Tracklist
1 Cold Black Ground Blues 2:54
2 Someday Blues 2:55
3 Mister Man - Part 1 2:59
4 Mister Man - Part 2 2:45
5 Mistreatin' Daddy Blues (Take 1) 3:01
6 Long Distance Blues 3:01
7 Southern Woman's Blues (Take 2) 3:13
8 Lonesome Blues 2:52
9 How Long Daddy, How Long 2:58
10 How Can I Miss You When I've Got Dead Aim (Take 2) 2:44
11 I Ain't Got Nobody (Take 2) 2:56
12 Coffin Blues 3:16
13 Rambling Blues (Take 2) 2:36
14 One Time Woman Blues 2:56
15 Trouble Trouble Blues 2:56
16 Do Lawd Do (Take 1) 2:53
17 I'm Leaving Here Blues (Take 1) 3:06
18 Night And Day Blues (Take 2) 2:52
19 Don't Blame Me 3:04
20 Scottle De Doo 3:01
21 Fore Day Creep 2:26
22 Gypsy Glass Blues 2:41
23 Mojo Hand Blues 3:14
24 Alphonsia Blues 2:42

 
 Ida Cox ‎– Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 3 

(1925-1927) 1995 / DO- 5324 / FLAC / scans

'round to midnight...

IDA COX - Complete Recorded in Chronological Works, Vol. 4 (1927-1938) DO-5325 [1995]

The fourth and final CD in Document's extensive Ida Cox series features the classic blues singer in a variety of settings: backed by her future husband Jesse Crump on eight selections from 1927; accompanied by a variety of mostly unknown players on a dozen numbers from 1928; joined by a trio (including trombonist Roy Palmer) on two 1929 sides; and, finally, assisted by five Count Basie sidemen (trumpeter Shad Collins, trombonist Dickie Wells, tenorman Buddy Tate, bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones) and pianist James P. Johnson during her two songs at the 1938 Spirituals to Swing Concert. Unfortunately, Document did not put out a Vol. 5 to cover Cox's 1939-40 recordings (which were reissued by Affinity). Although none of these individual selections became that famous, she is heard in prime form throughout, and she is at her best during the duets with Crump. In fact, Cox is in such fine form during her 1938 concert appearance that it makes one wonder why she was not more active on records during the 1930s and '40s. The first two CDs in this series get the edge, but all four will be wanted by vintage blues fans.  by Scott Yanow  
Tracklist
1 Pleading Blues 3:00
2 Lost Man Blues 2:46
3 Hard Oh Lawd 2:33
4 Mercy Blues 3:00
5 Seven Day Blues 3:05
6 Cold And Blue 2:47
7 Midnight Hour Blues 2:51
8 Give Me A Break Blues 2:53
9 Bone Orchard Blues 2:57
10 Sobbing Tears Blues 3:29
11 Booze Crazy Man Blues 3:05
12 Broadcasting Blues 2:44
13 Western Union Blues 2:33
14 Fogyism 2:44
15 Separated Blues 2:40
16 Tree Top Tall Papa 2:25
17 Marble Stone Blues 2:41
18 Crow Jane Woman 2:44
19 Worn Down Daddy Blues 2:38
20 You Stole My Man 2:42
21 I'm So Glad 3:10
22 Jail House Blues 3:21
23 Four Day Creep 3:28
24 Low Down Dirty Shame 2:35

Ida Cox - Complete Recorded in Chronological Works, Vol. 4 (1927-1938) 

[1995] DO-5325 / FLAC / scans

'round to midnight...

IDA COX - Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order Vol. 5 (1939-1940) DO-5651 [1999]

Other than an album from 1961, this CD has blues singer Ida Cox's final recordings. The first seven selections (which include a previously unreleased "One Hour Mama") has four additional alternate takes. Cox is heard in 1939 backed by an accurately-titled "all-star band" that consists of trumpeter Hot Lips Page, trombonist J.C. Higginbotham, clarinetist Edmond Hall, either James P. Johnson or Fletcher Henderson on piano, guitarist Charlie Christian, bassist Artie Bernstein and Lionel Hampton on drums. Although her prime was considered the 1920s, Ida Cox on "Death Letter Blues" and "Four Day Creep" still sounds pretty strong. The remainder of this CD is taken from a 1940 session with trumpeter Red Allen, Higginbotham, Hall, pianist Cliff Jackson, bassist Billy Taylor, and drummer Jimmy Hoskins that resulted in four titles and four alternate takes; only two performances were released previously, but Cox's singing is excellent. It is a pity that because musical styles had changed, Ida Cox was largely forgotten during this period.  by Scott Yanow

Tracklist
1 Deep Sea Blues (Take 1) 3:20
Ida Cox
2 Deep Sea Blues (Take 2) 3:24
Ida Cox
3 Death Letter Blues (Take 1) 3:17
Ida Cox
4 Death Letter Blues (Take 4) 2:46
Ida Cox
5 One Hour Mama (Take 4) 2:56
Ida Cox / Porter Grainger
6 One Hour Mama (Breakdown) (Take 5) 0:17
Ida Cox
7 One Hour Mama (Take 6) 3:07
Ida Cox / Porter Grainger
8 Four Day Creep 3:28
Ida Cox
9 Pink Slip Blues 3:01
Porter Grainger
10 Hard Times Blues 3:00
Ida Cox
11 Take Him Off My Mind 3:05
Porter Grainger
12 Last Mile Blues (Take 1) 3:12
Ida Cox / Jesse Crump
13 Last Mile Blues (Take 2) 3:19
Ida Cox / Jesse Crump
14 I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Break My Heart 3:21
Ida Cox
15 I Can't Quit That Man (Take 1) 2:55
16 I Can't Quit That Man (Take 2) 3:00
17 I Can't Quit That Man (Take 3) 3:17
18 You Got To Swing And Sway (Take 1) 2:57
Ida Cox
19 You Got To Swing And Sway (Take 2) 2:33
Ida Cox

Credits

Henry "Red" Allen - Trumpet

Artie Bernstein - Bass, Sax (Bass)

Charlie Christian - Guitar

Ida Cox - Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals

Edmond Hall - Clarinet

Lionel Hampton - Drums

Fletcher Henderson - Piano

J.C. Higginbotham - Trombone

Jimmie Hoskins - Drums

Cliff Jackson & His Crazy Cats - Piano

James P. Johnson & His Orchestra - Piano

James P. Johnson - Piano

Hot Lips Page - Trumpet

Billy Taylor - Sax (Bass)

Billy Taylor, Sr. - Bass

IDA COX - Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 5 (1939-1940) 

[1999] DO-5651 FLAC / scans
'round to midnight...