This release follows Yazoo's
Twenty First St. Stomp as the second volume focusing on the spirit and sound of St. Louis piano blues.
Down on the Levee gathers together over 20 different recordings from the '20s and '30s, ranging from such well-known and revered artists as
Roosevelt Sykes and
Lonnie Johnson (heard here on one cut each) to less familiar St. Louis mainstays like Wesley Wallace and Alice Moore. Continuing with the artists heard on the first volume,
Down on the Levee especially offers more selections from
Henry Brown and
the Sparks Brothers (also billed as Pinetop & Lindberg). In all, this collection presents a good sampling of early St. Louis piano blues with about average surface noise. ~ Joslyn Layne