Eugene Powell / Sonny Boy Nelson

Eugene Powell

b. December 23th, 1908 in Utica (Mississippi)

d. November 4th, 1998 in Greenville (Mississippi)

COMPLETE RECORDINGS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Wolf

MISSISSIPPI BLUES vol.3

Document

October 1936

Eugene nait dans le Mississippi et grandit dans une plantation proche de Shelby. Il apprend la guitare et joue avec son demi-frère Ben "Sugar" Watson lors de pique-niques et de fêtes locales. Eugene est un proche de la famille Chatmon et se marie avec la chanteuse Mississippi Matilda. En octobre 1936, il grave six morceaux pour le label Bluebird à la Nouvelle Orléans sous le pseudonyme de Sonny Boy Nelson. On peut retenir les excellents "Long tall woman", "Low down", "If you don't believe I'm leaving baby" et surtout "Lovin' blues". Sur cet album et ses rééditions (excepté "Catfish blues"), on retrouve les titres de Sonny Boy Nelson mais aussi ceux gravés lors des mêmes séances par ses acolytes Mississippi Matilda et Robert Hill.

Eugene was born in Mississippi and grew up on a plantation near Shelby. He learned guitar and played with his half-brother Ben "Sugar" Watson on picnics and local parties. Eugene is close to the Chatmon family and marries the singer Mississippi Matilda. In october 1936, he recorded six pieces for the Bluebird label in New Orleans under the pseudonym Sonny Boy Nelson. We can point out the excellent "Long tall woman", "Low down", "If you don't believe I'm leaving baby" and especially "Lovin' blues". On this album and its reissues (except "Catfish blues"), we find the titles of Sonny Boy Nelson but also those recorded during the same sessions by his acolytes Mississippi Matilda and Robert Hill.

MEMPHIS BLUES CARAVAN vol.1

Memphis Archives

January 1975

POLICE IN MISSISSIPPI BLUES

Albatros

MISSISSIPPI DELTA & SOUTH TENNESSEE BLUES

Albatros

I GOT THE BLUES THIS MORNING

Albatros

WAY BACK YONDER

Albatros

BLUES AT HOME vol.3

Mbirafon

August 1976 / August 1978

Redécouvert par les italiens Gianni Marcucci et Enzo Castello, Eugene Powell trouve à nouveau l'opportunité d'enregistrer substantiellement. Lors de deux séances pendant les étés 1976 et 1978, il grave de nombreux titres seul à la guitare. Ces titres apparaissent sur diverses anthologies du label Albatros dirigé par Marcucci. En 2013, l'ensemble du matériel - agrémenté de nombreux inédits et prises alternatives - est rassemblé dans un CD ("Blues at home vol.3"). S'exprimant dans le plus pur style Delta Blues, il propose de très beaux titres comme "Pony blues", "Texas blues", "Meet me in the bottom", "Poor boy blues", "Dark road blues", "So cold in China".

Rediscovered by the italians Gianni Marcucci and Enzo Castello, Eugene Powell once again found the opportunity to record substantially again. During two sessions during the summers of 1976 and 1978, he recorded numerous titles alone on guitar. These titles appear on various anthologies from the Albatros label directed by Marcucci. In 2013, all the material - enhanced with numerous unreleased tracks and alternative takes - is collected on a CD ("Blues at home vol.3"). Playing in the purest Delta Blues style, he offers beautiful titles like "Pony blues", "Texas blues", "Meet me in the bottom", "Poor boy blues", "Dark road blues", "So cold in China".

GIANTS OF COUNTRY BLUES GUITAR

Wolf

GIANTS OF COUNTRY BLUES GUITAR vol.1 & 3

Wolf

THE LAST GIANTS OF MISSISSIPPI BLUES

Wolf

June 1981 / September 1982

Eugene Powell enregistra sporadiquement pour Hannes Folterbauer et Ulrich Hahn en 1981-82. Ces titres ont paru sur diverses anthologies Wolf aux titres très proches. Les morceaux ont été réédités (à l'exception d'un seul) dans le CD "The last giants of Mississippi Blues". Un programme nécessairement inégal mais on peut ressortir les intéressants "Police in Mississippi blues", "44 blues", "When I leave town".

Eugene Powell recorded sporadically for Hannes Folterbauer and Ulrich Hahn in 1981-82. These titles appeared on various Wolf anthologies with very similar titles. The pieces were reissued (with the exception of one) in the CD "The last giants of Mississippi Blues". A necessarily uneven program but we can highlight the interesting "Police in Mississippi blues", "44 blues", "When I leave town".

SOUTHERN BLUES

Wolf

1985

THE LAST GIANTS OF MISSISSIPPI BLUES

Wolf

September 1991

Un bon titre ("Goin' up the country") enregistré par Hannes & Andrea Folterbauer.

A good title ("Goin' up the country") recorded by Hannes & Andrea Folterbauer.