On September 17, Sunset Blvd. Records is releasing the live recordings of Texas song stylist Mance Lipscomb. Called “Navasota,” Mance was born just outside there on April 9, 1895. He played blues classics throughout his life, and was the first signing, in June 1960 by the Legendary Roots music label, Arhoolie Records. This was also the first recorded music from Mance, who was celebrating his 65th year.
Mance Lipscomb represented one of the last remnants of the 19th century songster tradition, which predated the development of the blues. Though songsters might incorporate blues into their repertoires, as did Lipscomb, they performed a wide variety of material in diverse styles, much of it common to both black and white traditions in the South, including ballads, rags, dance pieces (breakdowns, waltzes, one and two steps, slow drags, reels, ballin’ the jack, the buzzard lope, hop scop, buck and wing, heel and toe polka), and popular, sacred, and secular songs.
Mance Lipscomb himself insisted that he was a songster, not a guitarist or “blues singer,” since he played “all kinds of music.” His eclectic repertoire has been reported to have contained 350 pieces spanning two centuries.
This album represents 3 previously unreleased performances from 1963, ’64 and ’72.
Albuu notes by Bill Wahl for Sunset Blvd, noted that Mance’s performances included “finger-picked guitar technique provided vivid and irresistible accompaniment for his supremely atmospheric vocals” of repertoire than encompassed Tin Pan Alley ditties….., along with slide-soaked gospel pieces, reels, breakdowns, patriotic themes—each and every one rendered in his own inimitable style” which was rooted in blues.
$1.00 From Each Album Sold Will Be Donated To Knowledge-First.org, Houston, Texas
Disc 1 1972 Harvard University
Texas Blues
Alabama Jubilee
See See Rider
Baby Please Don’t Go
I Ain’t Got Nobody
Done Had My Fun
Rock Me Baby
Keep On Trucking
Key To The Highway
Shine On Harvest Moon
All Night Long
True Religion
When The Saints Go Marching In
Disc 2 Texas ’63/’64
Rock Me Mama
So Different Blues
Shorty George Cut Down
Long Way From Tipperary
Trouble In Mind
Night Time Is The Right Time
Mama Don’t Allow
Careless Love
When Death Comes Creepin’ In Your Door (Run Sinner Run)
Motherless Children
Blues In G
Bumble Bee Blues
Rag In F
Diddy Wah Diddy
Little Brown Jug
Ella Speed
Big Black Mule To Ride
You Don’t Have To Go
Late Hour Blues
Nobody Cares For Me
