The Blues in St. Louis, Vol. 2: Henry Brown and Edith Johnson: Barrelhouse Piano and Classic Blues
Henry Brown & Edith Johnson

Recorded in 1961, The Blues in St. Louis, Vol. 2 celebrates 1930s and ’40sstyle barrelhouse blues and boogiewoogie. Henry Brown and Edith Johnson came from very different musical backgrounds: pianist Brown was formally trained, while Johnson learned the blues by singing along with music playing in her husband’s record shop. Yet, the two came together in jazz and blues fan Bob Oswald’s recording studio, and the result is a combination of classic blues instrumentals and vocals like “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Little Drops of Water,” often accompanied by Brown tapping his foot against the piano pedal. Musician and scholar Samuel Charters gives a firsthand account of the musicians and circumstances of recording in the liner notes.
Track Listing
101
|
Henry Brown Blues | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 3:29 | |
102
|
Little Drops of Water | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 3:07 | |
103
|
Take It Light | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 3:18 | |
104
|
Soothing Syrup Blues | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 3:45 | |
105
|
Original Blues | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 3:26 | |
106
|
Honeysuckle Rose | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 1:37 | |
201
|
Nickel's Worth of Liver | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 2:44 | |
202
|
Deep Brown Blues | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 4:32 | |
203
|
Old Time Fast Blues | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 2:57 | |
204
|
Changing Blues | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 4:38 | |
205
|
Drive My Baby Slow | Henry Brown & Edith Johnson | 4:17 |