The Minstrel Man from Georgia
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| The Minstrel Man from Georgia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Compilation album by | |
| Released | 1996 |
| Recorded | 1928, 1929 |
| Genre | Minstrel music |
| Label | Legacy/Columbia |
| Producer | George Morrow, Lawrence Cohn |
The Minstrel Man from Georgia is a compilation album by the American musician Emmett Miller, released in 1996.[1][2] It was part of Legacy Recordings' Roots n' Blues collection.[3] The compilation was reissued in 2001 to coincide with Nick Tosches's Miller biography.[4] Tosches, who first wrote about Miller in his 1977 book, Country: The Biggest Music in America, expanded his research for the 2001 book, Where Dead Voices Gather.[5]
Interest in Miller grew over the years due to Tosches's writings as well as the Merle Haggard album I Love Dixie Blues; Haggard had first heard Miller while visiting an ill Bob Wills.[6][7] The songs on the compilation were recorded in New York City in 1928 and 1929 and originally released by OKeh Records.[8][7] Miller was backed by the Georgia Crackers, a group that included Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey.[9] Gene Krupa, Jack Teagarden, and Eddie Lang appeared on some of the tracks.[10] The liner notes are by musicologist Charles Wolfe.[11] The compilation added six tracks not found on a previous collection, 1969's Emmet Miller Acc. by His Georgia Crackers [sic].[12] While an influence on Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams, Miller considered his music and minstrel act to be a job, not a representation of his creativity or artistic imagination.[13] The compilation includes two skits as well as comedy bits that precede some of the songs.[14] Miller's recording of "Lovesick Blues" was an inspiration for Williams's version.[15] "St. Louis Blues" is a version of the W. C. Handy song; it was for years a standard of blackface entertainers.[16] "Anytime" is a version of the song written by Herbert Lawson and later covered by Eddy Arnold.[17]
