Way Back in the Country Blues: The Lost Dr. Oster Recordings

Robert Brown was an acoustic country blues guitarist and singer. Born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in 1927, Brown performed under the name Smoky Babe. His only known recordings were made in the early 1960s by Dr. Harry Oster, an ethnomusicologist at Louisiana State University. Little is known of Brown—one of his fellow blues musicians, harmonicaist Lazy Lester, described him as "… just a little street guitar player." This collection of 17 songs was recorded by Oster in 1960–1961 but remained unissued until 2014.

Track Listing

101	Boss Man Blues Smoky Babe	02:58
102	Backyard Boogie Smoky Babe	04:03
103	Bad Luck and Trouble Smoky Babe	02:35
104	Diggin' My Potatoes Smoky Babe	02:32
105	What's Wrong With You Smoky Babe	02:31
106	Chicago Bound Smoky Babe	03:09
107	If I Had Listened to What My Mama Say Smoky Babe	03:30
108	On Mr. Walter's Farm Smoky Babe	02:48
109	I'm Goin' Home on the Morning Train Smoky Babe	02:51
110	I'm Goin' Away Baby Smoky Babe	03:12
111	Way Back in the Country Blues Smoky Babe	04:03
112	Shake, Shake Mattie Smoky Babe	02:53
113	I’m Wild about You, Black Gal Smoky Babe	02:29
114	Arkansas Blues Smoky Babe	02:15
115	Terraplane Blues Smoky Babe	03:28
116	Goin' Home Blues Smoky Babe	03:54
117	Boogie Gal Smoky Babe	03:33