Bob Geddins was largely responsible for developing blues in the San Fransisco-Oakland area in the late 1940's into the late 1950's. Largely unknown today except by deep blues record collectors, Geddins struggled to record a number of good local talent. Artists like Lowell Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin, Roy Hawkins, K.C. Douglas, Mercy Dee Walton (a personal favorite), Johnny Fuller, Juke Boy Bonner, Big Mama Thornton, and other singers who were virtually unknown-all recorded for Geddins on his various labels. Geddins himself (along with his brother on vocals) is even heard on the track "Irma Jean Blues", something he would do when the mood struck.

A TV/radio repairman by trade, Geddins would start up a record label when he had the necessary cash, only to see his labels go out of business, usually because he had no real distribution-he was the sole distributor of his artists. Another reason his labels didn't last was someone would cheat him in a shady business deal, but Geddins would persevere and start up another label when he could. Geddins realized that there were few labels catering to the population which had moved there looking for work. He was basically a one man record label-even owning his own pressing plant.

Geddins' artists were a combination of locally or regionally known musicians, and "walk-ins"-people who literally walked in wanting to record a track or two. When Geddins recorded someone, he wanted it to sound as sad as possible. As Geddins said, "I want black folks to feel the troubles of the old times". And all the tracks have a certain sad aura about them, especially the slower tunes. Even the up-tempo jump tunes have a certain amount of sadness- a reminder of hard times. But as with all good blues, there's a small amount of optimism heard in these songs which gives added depth to the music.

The groups range from small two or three man bands, to larger ensembles including a proper rhythm section and a horn or two. But no matter the size of the band, these tracks are a great example of what people in the Bay Area were listening to after WWII, and on into the 50's. In many ways these artists are closer to what large numbers of people in the region preferred to listen to. None of the major record labels would touch this music-especially artists not nationally known. And while a few of the artists heard here went on to larger fame, many remained locally popular/and or faded back into obscurity.

This set is a window into another time and place long since past. But listen to this music and be transported back to a time of local watering holes, with ten cent beer and a jukebox in the corner-probably playing some of this very music. It's exciting, and it's real,and while the people and the era have vanished, this collection takes you right back there again, every time you hear it. ~Stuart Jefferson

Bitrate: 320K/s 
Label: JSP
Styles: Various blues styles
Year: 2009 
Art: Front 



Album: The Bob Geddins Blues Legacy (CD A) 
Time: 74:35 
Size: 174.2 MB 

[3:00] 1. Lowell Fulson - Jelly, Jelly
[2:57] 2. Lowell Fulson - Mean Woman Blues
[2:59] 3. Lowell Fulson - 9:30 Shuffle
[2:55] 4. Lowell Fulson - Thinking Blues
[2:31] 5. Turner Willis - Re-Enlisted Blues
[2:52] 6. Jimmy McCracklin - Rock And Rye
[2:54] 7. Jimmy McCracklin - Miss Minnie Lee Blues
[2:49] 8. Jimmy McCracklin - Playin' On Me
[3:03] 9. Jimmy McCracklin - Big Foot Mama
[2:53] 10. Jimmy Nelson - Streamlined Baby
[2:43] 11. Jimmy Nelson - The Red Light Gotta Go
[2:56] 12. Lowell Fulson - Trying To Find My Baby
[2:57] 13. Lowell Fulson - Let's Throw A Boogie Woogie
[2:48] 14. Lowell Fulson - Highway '99'
[3:08] 15. Lowell Fulson - Whiskey Blues
[2:18] 16. Bob Geddins - Irma Jean Blues
[3:13] 17. Lowell Fulson - Tell Me Baby
[3:01] 18. Lowell Fulson - Fulson Boogie
[2:44] 19. Lowell Fulson - My Baby Left Me
[2:51] 20. Lowell Fulson - Stormin' And Rainin'
[2:49] 21. Johnny Ingram - Ridin' Hi
[2:36] 22. Johnny Ingram - Jubudy
[2:45] 23. Jimmy McCracklin - When I'm Gone
[2:54] 24. Jimmy McCracklin - South Side Mood
[2:47] 25. Jimmy McCracklin - Listen Woman
[2:59] 26. Jimmy McCracklin - I Can't Understand Love


Album: The Bob Geddins Blues Legacy (CD B) 
Time: 76:35 
Size: 178.4 MB 

[3:24] 1. Jimmy Wilson - Nobody's Business
[2:48] 2. Jimmy Wilson - Mistake In Life
[3:13] 3. Lowell Fulson - Prison Bound
[3:15] 4. Jimmy McCracklin - Bad Luck And Trouble
[3:12] 5. Jimmy McCracklin - Railroad Blues
[2:54] 6. Roy Hawkins - Ain't No Fault Of Mine
[3:08] 7. Roy Hawkins - They Raided The Joint
[2:29] 8. K.C. Douglas - Mercury Boogie
[2:35] 9. Sidney Maiden - Eclipse Of The Sun
[2:41] 10. Jimmy Wilson - Strangest Blues
[3:02] 11. Jimmy Wilson - I Used To Love A Woman
[3:09] 12. West Side Trio - So Tired I Could Cry
[2:04] 13. West Side Trio - West Side Jump
[3:01] 14. Willie B. Huff - Beggar Man Blues
[3:07] 15. Willie B. Huff - I've Been Thinkin' And Thinkin'
[2:54] 16. Jimmy McCracklin - Jimmy's Blues
[2:44] 17. Jimmy McCracklin - Low Down Mood
[3:15] 18. Ulysses James - Poor Boy
[3:11] 19. Emery Franklin - Lonesome Blues
[3:03] 20. K.C. Douglas - Lonely Boy Blues
[3:16] 21. K.C. Douglas - K.C. Boogie
[2:52] 22. Jimmy McCracklin - She's My Baby
[3:10] 23. Mercy Dee Walton - Trailing My Baby
[2:56] 24. Mercy Dee Walton - The Main Event
[2:45] 25. Jimmy Wilson - Blues In The Alley
[2:15] 26. Jimmy Wilson - Oh Red



Album: The Bob Geddins Blues Legacy (CD C)
Time: 71:26 
Size: 166.7 MB 

[3:09] 1. Jimmy Wilson - Tin Pan Alley
[2:42] 2. Jimmy Wilson - Big Town Jump
[2:34] 3. Jimmy Wilson - Mountain Climber
[3:02] 4. Jimmy Wilson - Teardrops On My Pillow
[3:18] 5. Joe Hill Louis - Bad Woman Blues
[2:41] 6. Joe Hill Louis - Hydramatic Woman
[2:15] 7. Jimmy Wilson - Call Me A Hound Dog
[2:14] 8. Jimmy Wilson - Instrumental Jump
[2:03] 9. Jimmy Wilson - Jumpin' From Six To Six
[2:19] 10. Jimmy Wilson - Trouble In My Home
[2:36] 11. Willie B. Huff - I Love You Baby
[3:12] 12. Willie B. Huff - Operator 209
[2:39] 13. James Reed - You Better Hold Me
[2:37] 14. James Reed - Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[3:05] 15. Little Caesar - Big Eyes
[2:22] 16. Little Caesar - Can't Stand It All Alone
[2:38] 17. Jimmy Wilson - I Found Out
[2:06] 18. Jimmy Wilson - Oh Red
[3:00] 19. Jimmy Wilson - A Woman Is To Blame
[2:50] 20. Jimmy Wilson - Blues At Sundown
[2:26] 21. King Solomon Trio - Mean Train
[2:12] 22. King Solomon Trio - Baby, I'm Cutting Out
[2:41] 23. Little Caesar - Wonder Why I'm Leaving
[2:37] 24. Little Caesar - What Kind Of Fool Is He
[2:38] 25. Fats Gaines - He's A Real Fine Man
[2:52] 26. Fats Gaines - Home Work Blues
[2:25] 27. Frank Motley_Angel Face - Don't Ever Leave Me Again


Album: The Bob Geddins Blues Legacy (CD D) 
Time: 78:43 
Size: 183.6 MB 

[2:53] 1. Johnny Fuller - Train Train Blues
[2:59] 2. Johnny Fuller - Bad Luck Overtook Me
[2:38] 3. Johnny Fuller - Mean Old World
[2:52] 4. Johnny Fuller - How Long
[2:28] 5. Jimmy McCracklin - I Wanna Make Love To You
[2:47] 6. Jimmy McCracklin - You're The One
[2:36] 7. Jimmy McCracklin - Fare-Well
[2:55] 8. Jimmy McCracklin - Take A Chance
[3:16] 9. Johnny Fuller - Sunny Road
[2:28] 10. Johnny Fuller - I Can't Succeed
[3:08] 11. Johnny Fuller - Too Late To Change
[2:46] 12. Johnny Fuller - Roughest Place In Town
[2:25] 13. Juke Boy Bonner - Well Baby
[2:52] 14. Juke Boy Bonner - Rock With Me Baby
[3:01] 15. Johnny Fuller - Mama Told Me
[2:51] 16. Johnny Fuller - Comin' Round The Corner
[3:01] 17. Johnny Fuller - Fool's Paradise
[2:37] 18. Johnny Fuller - First Stage Of The Blues
[2:43] 19. Big Mama Thornton - Don't Talk Back
[2:24] 20. Big Mama Thornton - Big Mama's Coming Home
[3:09] 21. Jimmy McCracklin - Savoy's Jump
[2:49] 22. Jimmy McCracklin - I'm The One
[2:55] 23. Jimmy McCracklin - Beer Tavern Girl
[2:33] 24. Jimmy McCracklin - My Love For You
[2:37] 25. Johnny Fuller - Lovin' Lovin' Man
[2:29] 26. Johnny Fuller - Remember
[3:11] 27. Johnny Fuller - Strange Land
[3:06] 28. Johnny Fuller - Weeping And Mourning