Audio Samples
John Henry - Gabriel Brown (Vocal)
John Henry - Gabriel Brown
Blues - Gabriel Brown
Tone the Bell Easy - Gabriel Brown
Motherless Child - Gabriel Brown
Po' Boy, Long Way from Home - Gabriel Brown
Dream of Mine, A - Gabriel Brown
Education Blues - Gabriel Brown
Talking in Sebastopol - Gabriel Brown
Careless Love - Gabriel Brown
I Get Evil When My Love Comes Down - Gabriel Brown
You Ain't No Good - Gabriel Brown
Black Jack Blues - Gabriel Brown
Going My Way - Gabriel Brown
Down in the Bottom - Gabriel Brown
Bad Love - Gabriel Brown
I've Got to Stop Drinkin' - Gabriel Brown
Cold Love - Gabriel Brown
Not Now, I'll Tell You When - Gabriel Brown
I'm Gonna Take It Easy - Gabriel Brown
That's Alright - Gabriel Brown
Stick with Me - Gabriel Brown
I've Done Stopped Gamblin' - Gabriel Brown
Doing My Best - Gabriel Brown
Good-Time Papa - Gabriel Brown
Baby, Boy, Baby - Gabriel Brown
It's Getting Soft - Gabriel Brown
Don't Worry About It - Gabriel Brown
Mean Old Blues - Gabriel Brown
You Have to Be Different - Gabriel Brown
Jinx Is on Me, The - Gabriel Brown
It's Time to Move - Gabriel Brown
Hold Me Baby - Gabriel Brown
Nobody Loves Me Like My Little Girl - Gabriel Brown
Youngster's Blues - Gabriel Brown
Cold Mama - Gabriel Brown
I'm Just Crazy - Gabriel Brown
I Am Playing the Game - Gabriel Brown
I Am Just Hard Luck - Gabriel Brown
Got No Money Blues - Gabriel Brown
I Had My Hands on It - Gabriel Brown
Laughing Rag - Dan Pickett
Baby How Long - Dan Pickett
You Got to Do Better - Dan Pickett
Ride to a Funeral in a V-8 - Dan Pickett
Decoration Day - Dan Pickett
Drivin' That Thing - Dan Pickett
That's Grieving Me - Dan Pickett
99 1/2 Wond Do - Dan Pickett
Baby Don't You Want to Go - Dan Pickett
Chicago Blues - Dan Pickett
Something's Gone Wrong - Dan Pickett
Worried Blues - Ralph Willis
Comb Your Kitty Kat - Ralph Willis
Just a Note - Ralph Willis
Church Bells - Ralph Willis
Trouble Don't Last - Ralph Willis
Shake That Thing - Ralph Willis
So Many Days - Ralph Willis
That Gal's No Good - Ralph Willis
New Goin' Down Slow - Ralph Willis
Goin' to Chattanooga - Ralph Willis
Steel Mill Blues - Ralph Willis
I Will Never Love Again - Ralph Willis
Goin' to Virginia - Ralph Willis
Boar Hog Blues - Ralph Willis
Eloise - Ralph Willis
I've Been a Fool - Ralph Willis
Christmas Blues - Ralph Willis
Amen Blues - Ralph Willis
Neighborhood Blues - Ralph Willis
Mama, Mama Blues - Ralph Willis
Tell Me Pretty Baby - Ralph Willis
I'm Gonna Rock - Ralph Willis
Cool That Thing - Ralph Willis
Sportin' Life - Ralph Willis
Everyday I Weep and Moan - Ralph Willis
Somebody Is Got to Go - Ralph Willis
Blues, Blues, Blues - Ralph Willis
I Got a Letter - Ralph Willis
Too Late to Scream and Shout - Ralph Willis
Hoodoo Man - Ralph Willis
Income Tax Blues - Ralph Willis
Bed Tick Blues - Ralph Willis
Cold Chills - Ralph Willis
Black and Tan - Ralph Willis
Church Bell Blues - Ralph Willis
Tell Me Pretty Baby - Ralph Willis
Goodbye Blues - Ralph Willis
Lazy Woman Blues - Ralph Willis
Old Home Blues - Ralph Willis
Salty Dog - Ralph Willis
Cold Chills - Ralph Willis
Amen - Ralph Willis
Gonna Hop on Down the Line - Ralph Willis
Do Right - Ralph Willis
Door Bell Blues - Ralph Willis
Why'd You Do It - Ralph Willis
Early One Morning - Dan Pickett
Number Writer - Dan Pickett
Lemon Man - Dan Pickett
Laughing Blues - Dan Pickett
Number Writer - Dan Pickett (Take 1)
I Can Shake It - Dan Pickett
Drivin' That Thing - Dan Pickett (alternate take)Track List
John Henry - Gabriel Brown (Vocal)
John Henry - Gabriel Brown
Blues - Gabriel Brown
Tone the Bell Easy - Gabriel Brown
Motherless Child - Gabriel Brown
Po' Boy, Long Way from Home - Gabriel Brown
Dream of Mine, A - Gabriel Brown
Education Blues - Gabriel Brown
Talking in Sebastopol - Gabriel Brown
Careless Love - Gabriel Brown
I Get Evil When My Love Comes Down - Gabriel Brown
You Ain't No Good - Gabriel Brown
Black Jack Blues - Gabriel Brown
Going My Way - Gabriel Brown
Down in the Bottom - Gabriel Brown
Bad Love - Gabriel Brown
I've Got to Stop Drinkin' - Gabriel Brown
Cold Love - Gabriel Brown
Not Now, I'll Tell You When - Gabriel Brown
I'm Gonna Take It Easy - Gabriel Brown
That's Alright - Gabriel Brown
Stick with Me - Gabriel Brown
I've Done Stopped Gamblin' - Gabriel Brown
Doing My Best - Gabriel Brown
Good-Time Papa - Gabriel Brown
Baby, Boy, Baby - Gabriel Brown
It's Getting Soft - Gabriel Brown
Don't Worry About It - Gabriel Brown
Mean Old Blues - Gabriel Brown
You Have to Be Different - Gabriel Brown
Jinx Is on Me, The - Gabriel Brown
It's Time to Move - Gabriel Brown
Hold Me Baby - Gabriel Brown
Nobody Loves Me Like My Little Girl - Gabriel Brown
Youngster's Blues - Gabriel Brown
Cold Mama - Gabriel Brown
I'm Just Crazy - Gabriel Brown
I Am Playing the Game - Gabriel Brown
I Am Just Hard Luck - Gabriel Brown
Got No Money Blues - Gabriel Brown
I Had My Hands on It - Gabriel Brown
Laughing Rag - Dan Pickett
Baby How Long - Dan Pickett
You Got to Do Better - Dan Pickett
Ride to a Funeral in a V-8 - Dan Pickett
Decoration Day - Dan Pickett
Drivin' That Thing - Dan Pickett
That's Grieving Me - Dan Pickett
99 1/2 Wond Do - Dan Pickett
Baby Don't You Want to Go - Dan Pickett
Chicago Blues - Dan Pickett
Something's Gone Wrong - Dan Pickett
Worried Blues - Ralph Willis
Comb Your Kitty Kat - Ralph Willis
Just a Note - Ralph Willis
Church Bells - Ralph Willis
Trouble Don't Last - Ralph Willis
Shake That Thing - Ralph Willis
So Many Days - Ralph Willis
That Gal's No Good - Ralph Willis
New Goin' Down Slow - Ralph Willis
Goin' to Chattanooga - Ralph Willis
Steel Mill Blues - Ralph Willis
I Will Never Love Again - Ralph Willis
Goin' to Virginia - Ralph Willis
Boar Hog Blues - Ralph Willis
Eloise - Ralph Willis
I've Been a Fool - Ralph Willis
Christmas Blues - Ralph Willis
Amen Blues - Ralph Willis
Neighborhood Blues - Ralph Willis
Mama, Mama Blues - Ralph Willis
Tell Me Pretty Baby - Ralph Willis
I'm Gonna Rock - Ralph Willis
Cool That Thing - Ralph Willis
Sportin' Life - Ralph Willis
Everyday I Weep and Moan - Ralph Willis
Somebody Is Got to Go - Ralph Willis
Blues, Blues, Blues - Ralph Willis
I Got a Letter - Ralph Willis
Too Late to Scream and Shout - Ralph Willis
Hoodoo Man - Ralph Willis
Income Tax Blues - Ralph Willis
Bed Tick Blues - Ralph Willis
Cold Chills - Ralph Willis
Black and Tan - Ralph Willis
Church Bell Blues - Ralph Willis
Tell Me Pretty Baby - Ralph Willis
Goodbye Blues - Ralph Willis
Lazy Woman Blues - Ralph Willis
Old Home Blues - Ralph Willis
Salty Dog - Ralph Willis
Cold Chills - Ralph Willis
Amen - Ralph Willis
Gonna Hop on Down the Line - Ralph Willis
Do Right - Ralph Willis
Door Bell Blues - Ralph Willis
Why'd You Do It - Ralph Willis
Early One Morning - Dan Pickett
Number Writer - Dan Pickett
Lemon Man - Dan Pickett
Laughing Blues - Dan Pickett
Number Writer - Dan Pickett (Take 1)
I Can Shake It - Dan Pickett
Drivin' That Thing - Dan Pickett (alternate take)Album Reviews:
Living Blues (p.80) - "This set of over 100 titles illustrates how complex the East Coast style is....The style went on to flourish after a strong start from originators such as Fuller and Davis."
Album Notes
Personnel: Dan Pickett, Brownie McGhee (vocals, guitar); Sonny Terry (harmonica); Peter Sanders (washboard).
Recording information: Eatonville, FL (06/20/1935-07/14/1953); New York, NY (06/20/1935-07/14/1953); Philadelphia, PA (06/20/1935-07/14/1953).
JSP's Shake That Thing: East Coast Blues compiles four CD's of performances by country blues pickers Gabriel Brown, Dan Pickett, and Ralph Willis. It's hard to go wrong with these 105 obscure recordings cut between 1935 and 1953. The tracks have been remastered, making the majority of this material sound great. Unlike other packages of this type, the liner notes are informative; listing personnel, dates, and concise history without going on ad nauseam. As an extra bonus this is a budget-priced set making it highly recommended, for both the collector and the blues novice. ~ Al Campbell

























