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Lizzie Douglas, otherwise known as Memphis Minnie, was a blues guitarist, singer and songwriter from Mississippi, born in 1897, who ran away from home when she was 13 to start playing on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. She started performing with her second husband Kansas Joe McCoy and they made their first records in 1929 – she remained active as a performer and recording artist until the 1950s. She was without doubt one of the true pioneers among female country blues artists. 

This 99-track 4-CD collection comprises selected A and B sides from her releases on the Columbia, Vocalion, Decca, Bluebird, Okeh, Regal, Checker and J.O.B. labels covering the spectrum of her career – she recorded over 200 titles, so this set offers a representative selection. It Includes classics like “Bumble Bee”, “When the Levee Breaks, “Me And My Chauffeur Blues”, Nothing in Rambling” and many more. Apart from the recordings with Kansas Joe McCoy, it also features performances with Casey Bill Weldon, Little Son Joe and others. 

Among the blues artists of her era, she was particularly influential, not least as her career spanned a crucial quarter century in the genre. This collection offers a substantial and nicely representative showcase for her distinctive style of blues.

Tracks

CD 1
1. WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie (Columbia 14439D) 1929 
2. GOIN' BACK TO TEXAS Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie (Columbia 14455D) 1929 
3. FRISCO TOWN Memphis Minnie (Columbia 14455D) 1929 
4. I WANT THAT Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie (Columbia 14542D) 1929 
5. BUMBLE BEE Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1476) 1930 
6. I'M GONNA BAKE MY BISCUITS Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1512) 1930 
7. CAN I DO IT FOR YOU Kansas Joe McCoy & Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1523) 1930 
8. I DON'T WANT NO WOMAN I HAVE TO GIVE MY MONEY TO Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1535) 1930 
9. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE MILL? Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1550) 1930 
10. I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT YOU NO.2 Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1556) 1930 
11. SHE WOULDN'T GIVE ME NONE Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1576) 1930 
12. FRANKIE JEAN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1588) 1930 
13. MEMPHIS MINNIE - JITIS BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1588) 1930 
14. GRANDPA AND GRANDMA BLUES Memphis Minnie & Her Jug Band (Vocalion 1601) 1930 
15. GARAGE FIRE BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1601) 1930 
16. GEORGIA SKIN BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1603) 1930 
17. SHE PUT ME OUTDOORS Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1612) 1930 
18. NEW DIRTY DOZEN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1618) 1930 
19. PLYMOUTH ROCK BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1631) 1930 
20. YOU DIRTY MISTREATER Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1638) 1930 
21. TRICKS AIN'T WALKING NO MORE Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1653) 1931 
22. AFTER WHILE BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1658) 1931 
23. SOO COW SOO Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1658) 1931 
24. PICKIN' THE BLUES Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1660) 1931

CD 2  
1. LAY MY MONEY DOWN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1665) 1931 
2. TODAY TODAY BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1673) 1931 
3. I DON'T WANT THAT JUNK OUTA YOU Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1678) 1931 
4. CRAZY CRYIN' BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1678) 1931 
5. WHERE IS MY GOOD MAN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1698) 1932 
6. OUTDOOR BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1698) 1932 
7. FISHIN' BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1711) 1932 
8. JAILHOUSE TROUBLE BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 1718) 1932 
9. DRUNKEN BARRELL HOUSE BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 2711) 1934 
10. MY BUTCHER MAN Memphis Minnie (Okeh 8948) 1933 
11. TOO LATE Memphis Minnie (Okeh 8948) 1933 
12. CHICKASAW TRAIN BLUES Memphis Minnie (Decca 7019) 1934 
13. KEEP IT TO YOURSELF Memphis Minnie (Decca 7037) 1934 
14. MOANING THE BLUES Memphis Minnie (Decca 7037) 1934 
15. DIRTY MOTHER FOR YOU Memphis Minnie (Decca 7048) 1935 
16. LET ME RIDE Gospel Minnie (Decca 7063) 1935 
17. SYLVESTER AND HIS MULE BLUES Memphis Minnie (Decca 7084) 1935 
18. DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS Memphis Minnie (Decca 7102) 1935 
19. JOCKEY MAN BLUES Memphis Minnie (Decca 7125) 1935 
20. KEEP ON GOING Texas Tessie (Memphis Minnie) (Bluebird 6141) 1935 
21. WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN Memphis Minnie (Bluebird 6187) 1935 
22. SELLING MY PORK CHOPS Memphis Minnie (Bluebird 6199) 1935 
23. HUSTLIN' WOMAN BLUES Memphis Minnie (Bluebird 6202) 1935 
24. YOU WRECKED MY HAPPY HOME Texas Tessie (Memphis Minnie) (Bluebird 6429) 1935

CD 3
1. JOE LOUIS STRUT Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3046) 1935 
2. YOU AIN'T DONE NOTHING TO ME Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3144) 1935 
3. AIN'T NOBODY HOME BUT ME Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3187) 1935 
4. HOODOO LADY Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3222) 1936 
5. CAUGHT ME WRONG AGAIN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3258) 1936 
6. IF YOU SEE MY ROOSTER Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3285) 1936 
7. OUT IN THE COLD Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3398) 1936 
8. I DON'T WANT YOU NO MORE Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3436) 1936 
9. IT'S HARD TO BE MISTREATED Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3474) 1936 
10. I'M A BAD LUCK WOMAN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3541) 1936 
11. BLACK CAT BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3581) 1936 
12. DOWN IN THE ALLEY Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3612) 1937 
13. HOT STUFF Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3651) 1937 
14. NO NEED YOU DOGGIN' ME Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3697) 1937 
15. WANTS CAKE WHEN I'M HUNGRY Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3768) 1937 
16. MY BABY DON'T WANT ME NO MORE Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3894) 1937 
17. WALKING AND CRYING BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 3966) 1937 
18. HAS ANYONE SEEN MY MAN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4250) 1938 
19. GOOD BISCUITS Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4295) 1938 
20. I HATE TO SEE THE SUN GO DOWN Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4356) 1938 
21. LONG AS I CAN SEE YOU SMILE Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4506) 1938 
22. BLACK WIDOW STINGER Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4694) 1939 
23. LOW DOWN MAN BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4797) 1939 
24. KEEP YOUR BIG MOUTH CLOSED Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4858) 1939 
25. CALL THE FIRE WAGON Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4858) 1939

CD 4
1. WORRIED BABY BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 4898) 1939 
2. POOR AND WONDERIN' WOMAN BLUES Memphis Minnie (Vocalion 5004) 1939 
3. NOTHING IN RAMBLIN' Memphis Minnie (Okeh 5670) 1940 
4. IT'S HARD TO PLEASE MY MAN Memphis Minnie (Okeh 5728) 1940 
5. FINGERPRINT BLUES Memphis Minnie (Okeh 5811) 1940 
6. MA RAINEY Memphis Minnie (Okeh 5811) 1940 
7. ME AND MY CHAUFFEUR Memphis Minnie (Okeh 6288) 1941 
8. CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE MY MAN Memphis Minnie (Okeh 6288) 1941 
9. IN MY GIRLISH DAYS Memphis Minnie (Okeh 6410) 1941 
10. PIGMEAT ON THE LINE Memphis Minnie (Okeh 6505) 1941 
11. IT WAS YOU BABY Memphis Minnie (Okeh 6624) 1941 
12. LOOKING THE WORLD OVER Memphis Minnie (Okeh 6707) 1941 
13. WHEN YOU LOVE ME Memphis Minnie (Okeh 6733) 1944 
14. I'M SO GLAD Memphis Minnie (Columbia 37295) 1946 
15. LEAN MEAT WON'T FRY Memphis Minnie (Columbia 37579) 1946 
16. HOLD ME BLUES Memphis Minnie (Columbia 37977) 1946 
17. THREE TIMES SEVEN BLUES Memphis Minnie (Columbia 38099) 1947 
18. TRUE LOVE Memphis Minnie (Columbia 30003) 1944 
19. DAYBREAK BLUES Memphis Minnie (Columbia 30120) 1947 
20. WESTERN UNION BLUES Memphis Minnie (Columbia 30134) 1946 
21. JUMP LITTLE RABBITT Memphis Minnie (Columbia 30164) 1949 
22. WHY DID I MAKE YOU CRY Memphis Minnie With Sunnyland Slim (Regal 3259) 1950 
23. KIDMAN BLUES Memphis Minnie With Sunnyland Slim (Regal 3259) 1950 
24. BROKEN HEART Memphis Minnie With Little Joe & His Band (Checker 771) 1952 
25. KISSING IN THE DARK Memphis Minnie & Her Combo (J.O.B. 1101) 1953 
26. WORLD OF TROUBLE Memphis Minnie & Her Combo (J.O.B. 1101) 1953