Piano Blues Rarities 1933-1937 [Story of the Blues/Peter Pan]

There are certainly no household names to be found on this somewhat obscure release from the Da Music label; the music was leased from Document and essentially duplicates an LP on CD. Included are the complete recordings of four pianist/singers (Whistlin' Rufus, Earl Thomas, Ben Abney, and Curtis Henry) plus two songs by singer/guitar Red Nelson that were left out of some other reissue series. The 20 selections (four apiece from Rufus, Thomas, and Henry, six by Abney, and the pair of Nelson sides) are fairly typical of the mid-'30s blues scene, covering both urban (Chicago) and rural (Charlotte, NC) styles. Although none of this music is essential, it does fill in some gaps and hints at the great treasures that can be found in the vintage blues world once one gets beyond the major names.