Son Bonds and Charlie Pickett – Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order – 1934-1941

Son Bonds was from Brownsville,Tenn. and played guitar in the style of Sleepy John Estes. On this CD are all his recordings from 1934-41. Hammie Nixon plays harp on some Songs... This is Tennessee Blues!!!

Track Listing:
1. All Night Long - 2:53   2. She Walks Like My Woman - 3:06   3. Weary Worried Blues - 2:47   4. Back and Side Blues - 2:41   5. I Want to Live So God Can Use Me - 3:02   6. Ain't That News? - 2:50   7. Give Me That Old Time Religion - 2:54   8. In My Father's House - 2:52   9. Trouble Trouble Blues - 3:00   10. Tennessee Worried Blues - 3:00   11. I'll Work Up to You Someday - 2:25   12. Old Bachelor Blues - 2:36   13. Black Gal Swing - 2:54   14. Get Up and Go - 2:48   15. Every Time My Heart Beats - 3:08   16. 80 Highway Blues - 2:50   17. A Hard Pill to Swallow - 2:54   18. Come Back Home, Little Girl - 2:53   19. Crazy 'Bout My Black Gal - 3:10   20. Trembling Blues - 2:50   21. Let Me Squeeze Your Lemon - 2:48   22. Down the Highway - 3:13

Personnel:
On 1-4: Brownsville Son Bonds (vocal, guitar) , Hammie Nixon (harmonica)
On 5-8: Brother Son Bonds (vocal, guitar) , Hammie Nixon (vocal on 5,6,8, jug)
On 9-10: Hammie and Son: Son Bonds (vocal, guitar) , Hammie Nixon (harmonica)
On 11-12: Son Bonds (vocal, guitar) , Sleepy John Estes (guitar)
On 13-15: The Delta Boys: Son Bonds (lead vocal, kazoo) , Sleepy John Estes (guitar, vocal) , Raymond Thomas (vocal)
On 16-18: Son Bonds (lead vocal, kazoo) , Sleepy John Estes (guitar, vocal) , Raymond Thomas (vocal)
On 19-20: Charlie Pickett (vocal, guitar) , Lee Brown (piano) , Hammie Nixon (harmonica)
On 21-22: Charlie Pickett (vocal, guitar)

Reviews:

1. AllMusic - Bruce Eder
This is an above average collection from Wolf Records in Vienna, both in terms of audio quality and content. The 18 songs by "Brownsville" Son Bonds, recorded between 1934 and 1941, are in surprisingly decent sound, for the most part, with no horrendous flaws to mar the collection. The songs are all good and the playing generally inspired, especially on the later tracks, where Bonds added a kazoo to his sound and really takes off, in a more rocking and freewheeling way than even Tampa Red. The diversity of the material is also a surprise -- four of the songs are rough, fervent gospel numbers, including the extraordinarily beautiful "I Want to Live So God Can Use Me," "Ain't That News," and "Give Me That Old Time Religion," cut by Bonds working as "Brother Son Bonds" (with Hammie Nixonbacking him up on vocals and jug). They fit in well with their raw quality amid the lusty country blues numbers ("All Night Long," "She Walks Like My Woman," etc.) that make up the rest of this disc. The guitar-harmonica duets between Bonds and Nixon are especially pleasing, but Bonds' voice, surging and soaring, is the real show, especially on the early numbers, where the recordings really don't do justice to his guitar. The last four songs on this disc feature Charlie Pickett on vocals and guitar, and were recorded in 1937, with Nixon linking one of Pickett's songs with the rest of this collection.