Yazoo's
Mama Let Me Lay It on You is a 14-track sampler of Southeastern U.S. blues recordings made during the years 1926-1936. Like most Yazoo compilations, it is well put together and may be enjoyed by people who are new to this type of music as well as seasoned blues lovers. The title track was performed by Walter Coleman, a singer who made records with Hudson Whittaker, aka
Tampa Red. In addition to fairly well-known names like
Blind Boy Fuller and
Josh White, there are visitations by Spark Plug Smith, Leola B. Wilson aka Coot Grant;
Pink Anderson and Simmie Dooley; the harmonica-driven teams of Smith & Harper and Bobby Leecan and Robert Cooksey; Willie Walker (not to be confused with Minneapolis-based R&B vocalist Willie Walker) and Charlie Manson (not to be confused with
Charles "Helter Skelter" Manson). Potent and impressive as anything else in the Yazoo catalog,
Mama Let Me Lay It on You is strongly recommended as a single-disc core sample of Prohibition/Depression-era blues. ~ arwulf arwulf