For the last half-century, Arhoolie Records has recorded and released an astounding assortment of folk, blues, Tejano, brass, string band, Cajun, zydeco, sacred steel, and any other type of non-pop music to grateful ears. In honor of the label’s 50th anniversary, head honcho Chris Strachwitz has curated a four-CD set that features his mostly unreleased recordings from the San Francisco Bay area in the 1960s. These recordings are the sound of roots music circa the 1960s in a nutshell. There are blues from well-known artists such as Lightnin’ Hopkins and more obscure players like Jesse Fuller. There’s folk music from Dylan cohort Bob Neuwirth and Debbie Green, and talking blues from Merritt Herring. Louisiana makes an appearance with cuts from the Hackberry Ramblers, John Simien and Clifton Chenier.
The recording settings vary from sessions in Strachwitz’ living room to coffeehouses to folk festivals, which contributes to what is striking about these tracks: their intimacy. When K.C. Douglas and Clarence Van Hook sing the rough-but-right-on harmonies of “I Know You Didn’t Want Me,” it is easy to hear their surprise at how good it sounds and how much fun they are having. When Skip James, one of the more plaintive and eerie bluesmen, sits down at the funky piano in Strachwitz’ house to sing “Low Down Dirty Shame,” the deep feeling behind his music is inescapable. And in some tracks, such depth hits the musicians as strongly as the listeners. When Country Joe and the Fish’s 1965 spasm/hokum band version of “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” comes on, you can hear the band realizing how much conviction they have behind this song, and how it could become the anthem.
On some songs, the guitars or pianos are not fully tuned and some voices warble in the melodies, but this rawness elevates the music. In addition, the CDs come with a book of essays about the musicians and their circumstances, illustrated with great candid pictures of the players and the scenes in which they flourished. If you are a fan of this music, these tracks will be a confirmation of these musicians’ greatness. If you’re on the fence, this compilation could be a revelation.
