The Texas Alexander Collection 1927-51

Alger “Texas” Alexander, born around 1900, was a blues singer, who played no musical instruments, but whose deep impressive voice and his highly personal way with blues songs encouraged many well-known names to accompany him across his career. His songs were simple, sometimes almost primitive, with basic melodies based on work songs and hollers that made them stark and effective. He performed around the Brazos River area in Texas during the 1920s, often Blind Lemon Jefferson, and made his first records in 1927. Beginning with his classic “Levee Camp Moan Blues”, this great-value 66-track 3-CD set comprises all the recordings he made at various sessions in New York, Fort Worth and San Antonio between 1927 and 1934 and which were released on the Okeh and Vocalion labels, plus two titles he made in 1951 after a career break and which were released on the Freedom label, not long before his death in 1954. He worked with a number of notable accompanists on these recordings, including Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Heywood, King Oliver, Clarence Williams, Eddie Lang, Little Hat Jones, Carl Davis, Bo Carter, Sam Chatman, Walter Vinson, Willie Reed, Buster Pickens, Leon Benson. It’s a comprehensive overview of his work, and a fine showcase for a distinctive artist, who has maybe not had the attention he deserves.