Stefan Grossman  Black Melodies On A Clear Afternoon
Released: March 2000
Label: Shanachie
Format:[email protected]

This disc, packed to the gills, captures a very wide selection of early Black American music arranged for fingerstyle guitar. As always, Grossman plays with taste and precision, negotiating blues, rags, and piano tunes in a variety of tunings and approaches, which makes every second of this collection a totally pleasurable experience. Taken from five different Kicking Mule vinyl albums, these 34 tracks are a veritable cornucopia of fingerstyle guitar played by an absolute master of the form. ~Review by Cub Koda


Stefan Grossman has been recording, performing, and writing about acoustic fingerstyle techniques and styles for more than 30 years. At age 15 he started taking lessons from the legendary bluesman the late Rev. Gary Davis. He also learned music from records by Brownie McGhee and Lightnin' Hopkins. When Grossman was 18, he formed the Even Dozen Jug Band with guitarist Steve Katz, harmonicist/singer John Sebastian and pianist Josh Rifkin. The group recorded the LP Even Dozen Jug Band  for Elektra in 1964. At the same time, Stefan became more interested in his work as a blues researcher.
During the period from 1965-1975 he studied and travelled with some of the legendary figures in the world of blues guitar-- Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and other great black American bluesmen and songsters. From this experience Stefan authored his landmark five-volume series for Oak Publications that presented these styles to pickers worldwide.
In 1973 Stefan co-founded Kicking Mule Records to counter the shortage of good instructional guitar records and music. With a lineup of artists including guitarists Dave Evans, Ton Van Bergeyk, Happy Traum, Duck Baker, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Davy Graham, Kicking Mule has been instrumental in promoting and preserving the best in blues, ragtime, and contemporary picking. Stefan has played with bands all over the world and has recorded numerous CDs. He has also written many books that have been published or distributed by Mel Bay Publications.


Tracklist
01. Struttin' Rag (2:31)
02. Blake's Breakdown (1:54)
03. Blues Ain't Dry (1:38 )
04. St. Louis Tickle (3:51)
05. Working On The New Railroad (2:34)
06. Atlanta Rag (2:05)
07. Nobody's Business (1:30)
08. Haag City Dance (1:22)
09. Mabel's Dream (3:50)
10. Spoonful (1:23)
11. East Colorado Blues (2:00)
12. Little Boy, Little Boy, Who Made Your Britches (1:38 )
13. Smokey Mokes (1:37)
14. The Entertainer (5:58 )
15. Glory Of Love (1:23)
16. Slippin' Til My Gal Comes In Partner (1:37)
17. Harlem Rag (1:29)
18. John Henry (2:13)
19. It Won't Be Long (1:02)
20. Sister Kate's Syncopated Dance (2:04)
21. Silver Swan (2:45)
22. Charley James (0:57)
23. Buck Dancer's Choice (1:29)
24. Down South Blues (2:50)
25. See That Girl Sitting On The Fence (2:52)
26. See See Rider (1:24)
27. Powder Rag (2:54)
28. Sugarbabe (1:01)
29. Franklin Blues (1:55)
30. A Salty Dog Rag (1:20)
31. King Porter Stomp (1:56)
32. Bill Bailey (2:49)
33. Delta Crossroads (1:14)
34. Faretheewell Titanic (2:03)