Born in Texas in 1914, Andrew Hogg was taught guitar by his father and in his teens was touring the logging camps and juke joints of East Texas with B.K., Turner, better known as Black Ace. He recorded a session in 1937, but it was a decade before he was back in the studio after military service. He recorded in Texas and Los Angeles in a variety of musical environments – solo, in duos and in small groups, for a staggering array of record labels, the records generally being released under the named Smokey Hogg, or various different spellings of that name, with his style being regarded as reminiscent of Big Bill Broonzy and Peetie Wheatstraw.
This excellent-value 56-track 2-CD set comprises selected A and B sides from his releases on the Decca, Modern, Bullet, Specialty, Exclusive, Macy’s, Independent, Sittin’ In With, Jade, Imperial, Mercury, Combo, Top Hat, Federal, Show Time, Crown, Ray’s and Ebb labels during this era. It includes at least one side from the majority of his releases and recording sessions during this era, which effectively represented the entirety of his recording career – he died in 1960 at the age of 46. It includes his Top 10 R&B chart hits “Long Tall Mama” from 1948 and “Little School Girl” from 1950. It’s an absorbing selection of classic blues recordings, redolent of their provenance and showcasing his talents as guitarist, singer and songwriter.
REVIEWS
“56 tracks of prime Smokey Hogg and if you're not familiar with the music of Mr Hogg this is a good place to dip your toe in the water” - Phil Wight (Blues & Rhythm Dec-Jan 2020-1)
“The career of Andrew ‘Smokey’ Hogg spanned two decades, and this two-CD set offers purchasers 56 of the 70 or so sides he is known to have cut for various labels. Arranged chronologically, you can hear how Hogg develops over the decades in question… Not an essential purchase, I guess, but an album that will likely interest many. ” - David Osler (Blues Matters January 2021)
“This is a double CD set featuring the Texas blues singer who sadly did not live to see the blues revival that led to a burst of late life fame for so many performers from the 30s and 40s who had been overlooked for many years. The comprehensive liner notes do him full justice and as always with Acrobat place the artist in question in the context of their music and their times. Although only a fairly minor figure compared to some of the blues greats, Hogg nevertheless merits this substantial overview of his career as a solid journeyman who contributed much to the genre during a fairly low key period in its history. We are very lucky to live in an era where there is such a wide availability of music by performers who while not 'top table' big names are still well worth hearing.” - Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 343)
Disc 1 |
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Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Kind-Hearted Blues |
Andrew Hogg |
2 |
Too Many Drivers |
Smokey Hogg |
3 |
Unemployment Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
4 |
Hard Times |
Smoky Hogg |
5 |
Anytime Is The Right Time |
Smokey Hogg |
6 |
Long Tall Mama |
Smokey Hogg |
7 |
Jivin' Little Woman |
Smokey Hogg |
8 |
Golden Diamon Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
9 |
My Baby's Worrying Me |
Smokey Hogg |
10 |
My Christmas Baby |
Smokey Hogg |
11 |
I'm Gonna Find Your Trick |
Smokey Hogg |
12 |
Little School Girl |
Smokey Hogg |
13 |
Nobody Treats Me Right |
Smokey Hogg |
14 |
Evil Mind Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
15 |
I Want My Baby For Christmas |
Smokey Hogg |
16 |
Low Down Woman Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
17 |
He Knows How Much We Can Bear |
Andrew Hogg |
18 |
Restless Bed Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
19 |
You Better Watch That Jive |
Smokey Hogg |
20 |
What More Can A Woman Do |
Smokey Hogg |
21 |
You Gotta Go |
Smoky Hogg |
22 |
Worried Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
23 |
The Way You Treat Me |
Smokey Hogg |
24 |
Classification Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
25 |
Let's Get Together And Drink Some Gin |
Smokey Hogg |
26 |
You Won't Stay Home |
Smoky Hogg |
27 |
I Love You Baby |
Smoky Hogg |
28 |
Back To The Country |
Smoky Hogg |
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Disc 2 |
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|
Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Comin' Out Blues [That's My Baby] |
Smokey Hogg And His Guitar |
2 |
I Have Often Wondered |
Smokey Hogg And His Guitar |
3 |
Up Today Down Tomorrow |
Smokey Hogg |
4 |
Great Big Mama |
Smokey Hogg |
5 |
Smokey's In Town [aka She's My Baby] |
Smokey Hogge |
6 |
Sleepless Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
7 |
She's Always On My Mind |
Smokey Hogg |
8 |
Dirty Mistreater |
Smokey Hogg |
9 |
Patrol Wagon Blues |
Smokey Hogg |
10 |
Oohw Baby |
Smokey Hogg |
11 |
Hello Little Girl |
Smokey Hogg |
12 |
Believe I'll Change Towns |
Smokey Hogg |
13 |
I'm Leaving |
Smokey Hogg |
14 |
Penitentiary Blues Part 1 |
Smokey Hogg |
15 |
Baby Shake Your Leg |
Smokey Hogg |
16 |
Crawdad |
Smokey Hogg |
17 |
Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes |
Smokey Hogg |
18 |
Keep A-Walkin' |
Smokey Hogg |
19 |
River Hip Mama |
Smokey Hogg |
20 |
Penny Pinching Mama |
Smokey Hogg |
21 |
Gone Gone Gone |
Smokey Hogg |
22 |
I Just Can't Help It |
Smokey Hogg |
23 |
When I've Been Drinkin' |
Smokey Hogg |
24 |
Train Whistle |
Smokey Hogg |
25 |
No More Whiskey |
Smokey Hogg |
26 |
I Declare |
Andrew H. |
27 |
I've Been Happy |
Smokey Hogg |
28 |
Good Mornin' Baby |
Smoky Hogg |