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 1-25 of 73 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-80381 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | I'll kill your soul (And dare your spirit to move) | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with kazoo, guitar, and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80382 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | If I let you get away with it (You'll do it all the time) | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with kazoo, guitar, and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80383 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | I'll find my way | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80384 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | You've got to do better | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with kazoo, guitar, and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80385 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | Kingfish blues | Artists vary | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80386 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | You don't want me blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80387 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | Nobody's sweetheart | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with kazoo, guitar, and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80611 | 10-in. | 6/14/1934 | Early in the morning | B. Gillum | Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80613 | 10-in. | 6/14/1934 | At the break of day | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-80614 | 10-in. | 6/14/1934 | I want to go home | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85517 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | The Southern blues | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85518 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | Good jelly | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85523 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | Worthy of you | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jug band and talk | speaker, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85524 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | If it ain't that gal of mine | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jug band | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85525 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | Mean old tom cat blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with piano and guitar | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85526 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | Don't dog your woman | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with piano and guitar | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85527 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | Singing and crying blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with piano and guitar | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-85528 | 10-in. | 2/26/1935 | Shake it up a little | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with piano and guitar | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-91423 | 10-in. | 7/27/1935 | Mountain blues | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-91424 | 10-in. | 7/27/1935 | Bad luck blues | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-91425 | 10-in. | 7/27/1935 | I can't make you satisfied | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-91426 | 10-in. | 7/27/1935 | I'm just a bum | Big Bil | Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96230 | 10-in. | 10/31/1935 | Keep your hands off her | Big Bil | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96231 | 10-in. | 10/31/1935 | Sun gonna shine in my door some day | Big Bil | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96232 | 10-in. | 10/31/1935 | Good liquor gonna carry me down | Big Bil | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Black Bob," accessed November 6, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304557.
Black Bob. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304557.
"Black Bob." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 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
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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