SWEET ALBERTA

Created on 30/11/2000
Latest update on 06/05/2021

Artist: Jackson Blue Boys
Author: traditional
Label: Columbia
Year: 1929

Three Mississippi Sheiks in New Orleans (Bo Carter, Walter Vincson and Charlie McCoy). This barrelhouse song became extremely popular on Fannin Street, the red light district of Shreveport where the Sheiks recorded their version and where there must have been a real Madame Alberta with quite a reputation. Tom Waits (and with him John Hammond and Scarlett Johansson) situate their Fannin Street in Houston.

Covers:

1930:

Mississippi Sheiks [as Alberta Blues]

1935:

Lead Belly [he was from Mooringsport, close to Shreveport and might have known the real Alberta; his oldest version remained unissued]

1937:

Jazz Gillum [with Big Bill Broonzy]

1956:

Big Bill Broonzy

1957:

Alexis Korner [with Cyril Davies]

1961:

Snooks Eaglin

1977:

Eric Clapton [and also in '92]

1998:

Geoff Muldaur

2001:

Blues Band

2002:

Alvin Youngblood Hart

2003:

Roland

2008:

Chuck Leavell

Sounds like Corrine Corrina (see there). Memphis Slim, also a Chatman but not related to the brothers Chatmon from The Mississippi Sheiks, also recorded an Alberta, while Alberta #1 & 2 from Bob Dylan's Self Portrait album (and #3 from Another Self Portrait) are also different (see: Alberta, Let Yo' Hair Hang Low).

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
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B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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