Adam & Eve Had the Blues comes from Texas blueswoman Hociel Thomas, who recorded it back in 1925. A few years later, the East Texas Serenaders threw together their medley, the Three-In-One Two-Step, which includes bits and pieces of the Entertainer, Dill Pickles Rag, and I Don’t Love Nobody. Meanwhile, over the border at a house party in southwest Louisiana, an accordion and fiddle churned out dance tunes like Danse de Poullard and Chausettes Noirs, both of which we learned from the late Danny Poullard. For many years, we played for dancing nearly every Saturday night with Danny in the California Cajun Orchestra. Danny learned Danse de Poullard from his father, John Poullard Sr. and Chaussettes Noirs from Sidney Brown.

Eric’s introduction to Cajun music came in the early 1960s when he began collecting old 78s. One of the first ones he bought was a Gold Star record by Harry Choates called the Basile Waltz. Suzy fell in love with Cajun music somewhat later when she heard the Balfa Brothers at the 1976 San Diego Folk Festival. She eventually got a grant from the NEA to study with her first Cajun fiddle hero, Dewey Balfa, who cited Harry Choates as an early influence (both were from the town of Basile.) Valse de Balfa was written by Dewey’s elder brother, Will Bolfa; it is (like most Cajun songs) a passionate lament for lost love.

Moving farther east, we reach Algiers, Louisiana, the birthplace of Lizzie Douglas, better known as Memphis Minnie. In My Girlish Days tells the story of how she left her home in search of adventure. Memphis Minnie has been a great inspiration to us in both her singing and her gutsy guitar work. She is the only woman to be included in Robert Crumb’s “Heroes of the Blues” card set, which also includes the Mississippi Sheiks. A black string band who recorded extensively in the early 1930s, their hits included both Stop and Listen, which we do here as a string band tune, and the very first recorded version of Corrina, Corrina, which we have turned into a lullaby for our elder daughter. We started working on this album when Corrina was a baby; now, writing these notes, she has a little sister, Allegra. Thanks to Tom Diamant who collected 120 minutes of different versions of this song, from Mississippi John Hurt to Bob Wills to Big Joe Turner to Mac Wiseman to Jerry Lee Lewis and back again.

More influences and inspirations: Narmour and Smitgh, also from Mississippi (and known to have been acquainted with the Mississippi Sheiks) were a hillbilly fiddle-guitar duo who recorded the original Carroll County Blues, which became somewhat of a bluegrass and old-time standard. Hank Bradley (who plays a mean version of it himself) says that a copy of the original 78 hangs on the wall of the Carroll County courthouse.

What blues singer has not been moved by the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith? She gave us so many incredible blues recordings; Mean Old Bedbug Blues is one of her more lighthearted numbers. An early influence on Bessie Smith was an older classic blues singer, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, who barnstormed the South with her Rabbits Foot Minstrel Troupe; she is the source for Blame It On the Blues.

Even though it has nothing to do with the blues, we wanted to include Estil Ball’s gospel song When I Get Home, because it’s so pretty, and because we agree that playing music can certainly feel very much like heaven.

1. Stop and Listen (3:18) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, fiddle and guitar; Laurie Lewis, bass

2. Three-In-One Two-Step (2:53) – Eric, lead & rhythm guitars; Suzy, fiddle; David Grisman, mandolin; Laurie Lewis, bass

3.Basile Waltz (3:33) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, fiddle and vocal; Kevin Wimmer, fiddle; Danny Poullard, accordion and triangle; Beth Weil, bass

4. Blame It On the Blues (3:03) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, guitar and vocal; Will Scarlett, harmonica; Laurie Lewis, bass

5. Chaussettes Noirs (2:55) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, fiddle; Kevin Wimmer, fiddle; Danny Poullard, accordion

6. In My Girlish Days (2:23) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, guitar and vocal

7. When I Get Home (3:02) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, guitar and vocal; David Grisman, mandolin; Laurie Lewis, bass

8. Valse de Balfa (3:10) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, fiddle and vocal; Kevin Wimmer, fiddle; Danny Poullard, accordion and triangle; Beth Weil, bass

9. Adam & Eve Had the Blues (3:04) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, guitar and vocal

10. Danse de Poullard (2:00) - Eric, guitar; Suzy, fiddle; Kevin Wimmer, fiddle; Danny Poullard, accordion; Charlie St. Mary, rubboard

11. Corrina, Corrina (3:25) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, guitar and vocal; George Winston, music box; Laurie Lewis, bass

12. Carroll County Blues (3:16) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, fiddle; David Grisman, mandolin; Laurie Lewis, bass

13. Mean Old Bedbug Blues (5:48) – Eric, guitar; Suzy, vocals; Clay Cotton, piano; George Fleming, trumpet; Bill Bardin, trombone; Earl Scheelar, clarinet

Eric & Suzy Thompson with David Grisman, Laurie Lewis, Danny Poullard, Will Scarlett, Charlie St. Mary, Beth Weil, George Winston, Kevin Wimmer, and Clay Cotton, George Fleming, Bill Bardin & Earl Scheelar

Produced by John Lumsdaine with Eric & Suzy Thompson

Recorded in 1987-88 at Bay Records Studios, Alameda, California

Engineers: Bob Shumaker, Mike Cogan

Photo: Anne Nadler

Design: Debbie Berne

Originally issued in 1989 by Arhoolie Productions

Special thanks to: Eldon and Marj Thompson, Larry and Naomi Rothfield, Violet Fox, John Lumsdaine, Chris Strachwitz, Tom Diamant, Allegra Thompson, and all the musicians.

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