Black Bob
Black Bob (fl. 1930s) was the pseudonym used by an American blues piano player, based in Chicago, who recorded widely in the 1930s accompanying other performers. His real name is unknown, but suggestions have included Bob Hudson, Bob Robinson, Bob Alexander, and Bob Schanault (or Chenault). Almost nothing is known of his life beyond his recordings. According to Chicago pianist Charlie West, he became known as Black Jack in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving around 1927 to Chicago where he adopted the name Black Bob. Reportedly, Big Bill Broonzy thought that his real name was Robert Alexander, though Memphis Slim gave his name as Bob Hudson. It was once erroneously suggested that Black Bob was a pseudonym for Bob Call. Reviewing the evidence, researcher Bob Eagle raised the possibility that he may have been the Bob Schanault (possibly misspelled) who recorded with Memphis Minnie in 1936. Black Bob was the pianist on many Chicago blues recordings of the mid and late 1930s, notably for the Bluebird and Vocalion labels. His recordings included sessions by Broonzy, Amos Easton, Jazz Gillum, Lil Johnson, Red Nelson, Joe McCoy, Memphis Minnie, Merline Johnson, Papa Charlie McCoy, Tampa Red, Casey Bill Weldon, and Washboard Sam. One reviewer described his "muscular runs and rippling fills... clearly... an accomplished professional of his day." Although he seems not to have recorded after 1938 or perhaps 1941, Memphis Minnie reported that she both performed and recorded with him in her backing band as late as 1954. Nothing is known of his later life. |
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1934 - 1937
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, speaker
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-73 of 73 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-100894 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | I hate myself | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100940 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | Give me lovin' | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and washboard | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100941 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | Crazy about Nancy Jane | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and washboard | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100942 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | Cherry Hill blues | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and washboard | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100943 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | Levee blues | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and washboard | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01874 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | If it wasn't for you | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01875 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Right or wrong | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01876 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Stop truckin' and Suzi-Q | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01877 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Cheatin' on me | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01878 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Your one and only | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01879 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | My za zu girl | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01882 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | I love all my women | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01883 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Out with the wrong woman | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01884 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Come on in | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01885 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Big woman | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01886 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Nashville, Tennessee | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01887 | 10-in. | 12/21/1936 | Razor cuttin' man | Washboard Sam | Male vocal solo, with washboard band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-07606 | 10-in. | 5/4/1937 | She said it | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-07607 | 10-in. | 5/4/1937 | It's hard to believe it's true | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-07608 | 10-in. | 5/4/1937 | When love comes in | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-07609 | 10-in. | 5/4/1937 | You got to learn to do it | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-07610 | 10-in. | 5/4/1937 | I give my love to you | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-07611 | 10-in. | 5/4/1937 | I see you can't take it | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Black Bob," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304557.
Black Bob. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304557.
"Black Bob." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Black Bob (Pianist) - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98055482
Wikidata: Black Bob - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25208975
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/14386415
MusicBrainz: Black Bob - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/08fbb532-f24b-437f-b8cc-c0dda0a0cd3c
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