Henry Townsend
Source: Document Records
Both a guitarist (acoustic, electric) and pianist, Henry Townsend (Henry Jesse James Townsend aka the Mule) managed to record during eight consecutive decades from 1929 to 2006, the year he died. Born in Shelby, Mississippi, on 27 October 1909, Townsend left home for St. Louis at age nine, said due to an abusive father. St. Louis would become his main domicile the rest of his life. He spent his early career performing with such as Walter Davis and J.D. Short.
It was 1929 when Townsend traveled to Chicago to record his first plates on November 15. In matrix order: 'Henry's Worry Blues', 'Mistreated Blues', 'Long Ago Blues' and 'Poor Man Blues', those released per Columbia 14491-D and Columbia 14529-D. Those led to numerous record releases throughout the thirties. Townsend published more than 350 compositions during his career. All titles below were written by Townsend unless noted otherwise.
'Henry's Worry Blues' Henry Townsend Issued 30 June 1930
Recorded 15 Nov 1929 Chicago Matrix 403300-A Issued on Columbia 14529-D
'Mistreated Blues' Henry Townsend Issued 1930 Composer undetermined
Recorded 15 Nov 1929 Chicago Matrix 403301-A Issued on Columbia 14491-D
'Jack of Diamonds' Henry Townsend
Recorded May 1931 Grafton WI Issued on Paramount 13097
'Don't Love That Woman' Henry Townsend
Recorded 25 Feb 1935 Chicago Matrix 85493-1 Issued on Bluebird B-5966
'She's Got a Mean Disposition' Henry Townsend
Recorded 25 Feb 1935 Chicago Matrix 85494-1 Issued on Bluebird B-5966
'Every Day I Have the Blues' Henry Townsend w piano by Pinetop Sparks
Recorded 28 July 1935 Chicago Issued on Bluebird B-6125 on 23 Oct 1935
Composition: Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks & Marion Sparks (brother - aka Milton "Lindberg" Sparks)
Townsend's first LP was recorded by music historian, Sam Charters, in St. Louis in 1961: 'Tired of Bein' Mistreated' (Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1041 '62). That was issued again in 1984 by Folkway Records as 'The Blues in St. Louis Vol. 3'.
'Cairos' My Baby's Home' Henry Townsend 1962
From Henry Spaulding's 'Cairo Blues' 1929
Album: 'Tired of Bein’ Mistreated' Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1041
'I Got Tired' Henry Townsend 1962
Album: 'Tired of Bein’ Mistreated' (reissue of 1984 or 2004)
Composition: Lightnin' Hopkins
'The Train Is Coming' Henry Townsend Composer undetermined 1962
Album: 'Tired of Bein’ Mistreated' (reissue of 1984 or 2004)
'Buz Buz Buz' Henry Townsend Recorded August 1970
Album: 'Henry T. Music Man' Recorded 1969-1974 Issued 1974
Reissued as 'Cairo Blues' by Genes Records on GCD 9916 in 1999
''Do You Remember Me?' Henry Townsend Recorded August 1970
Album: 'Henry T. Music Man' Recorded 1969-1974 Issued 1974
Reissued as 'Cairo Blues' by Genes Records on GCD 9916 in 1999
Sixty years after busting out as a recording artist Townsend performed at the Folklife Festival at National Mall in Washington, D.C. toward the collaborative 'Roots of Rhythm and Blues: A Tribute to the Robert Johnson Era'.
''All My Money's Gone' Henry Townsend Recorded July 1991
Composition: Townsend & Roosevelt Sykes 1929 Issued on Columbia CK 48584
Just prior to the new millennium Townsend recorded his album, 'My Story', on October 11 and 12 of 1999 at Blue Heaven Studios in Salinas, Kansas, getting issued in 2001 on APO 2014. Townsend died five years later on 24 September 2006 in Mequon, Wisconsin.
Sources & References:
Audio Samples:
St. Louis Blues Ace (Recorded 1981-87 Issued 1996 on Swingmaster CD 2202)
Cairo Blues (1999 reissue of Henry T. Music Man recorded 1969-74)
Henry's Worry Blues (compilation 2000)
My Story (Recorded 11 & 12 1999 toward issue in 2001)
Catalogs:
Discogs (major data source)
Sessionographies:
Videos:
Further Reading:
National Endowment for the Arts
Classical Main Menu Modern Recording
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