Two New Releases: An Unheralded Blues Artist and Recordings That Demonstrate the Power of the Human Voice
Out Now: "Excavated Shellac: Voices" and Roosevelt Holts: "Sun Gonna Shine"
Today, we are excited to present two new albums of music from the past — each produced by a compiler with whom we have a longstanding relationship: David Evans and Jonathan Ward.
First, we have the second album in a series of never-before-heard music from David Evans’s personal archive. Following up last year’s Pied Piper from New Orleans by Babe Stovall, this release highlights the life and music of blues artist Roosevelt Holts, with David offering a personal reflection on Holts’s musical legacy. A beautifully-designed 40-page PDF accompanies the album.
Roosevelt Holts (1905–1994) was a Mississippi-born bluesman who was the cousin-in-law and protégé of Tommy Johnson. Recorded between 1966 and 1973 by David Evans, Sun Gonna Shine documents Holts in rare form, alternating between acoustic bottleneck and electric guitar, between blues standards, Tommy Johnson songs, and gospel pieces sung with family and friends. (On Sunday, we will be publishing an essay about Holts that David Evans recently wrote.)
Listen to Roosevelt Holts’s version of “Big Road Blues” here…
✨ Paid subscribers will receive the full album audio below.
Second, we have the third “Excavated Shellac” album in the series of from 78 collector Jonathan Ward. The theme here is the infinite versatility and strength of the human voice. Jonathan, who also compiled the Opika Pende and Excavated Shellac anthologies for us, as well as Reeds and Strings, likes to call these smaller, compact releases his “bagatelles.” He likens them to a set-list if you came over one night and joined him for a record-listening session.
Excavated Shellac: Voices is a compilation that brings together sixteen rare 78 rpm recordings which exemplify the powerful range of the human voice. From Mongolian overtone singing and Albanian iso-polyphony to Brazilian jongo, Mauritanian griot poetry, and Georgian krimanchuli, these performances offer a vivid portrait of vocal expression in the early 20th century. A beautifully-designed 76-page PDF accompanies the album.
Enjoy this track, P.E.A. Shangaan Guitar Player - “Machanjawa” from Mozambique:
✨ Paid subscribers will receive the full album audio below.
Bandcamp Friday
Today as part of Bandcamp Friday, we’re offering discounts on several collections:
“Where Will You Be Christmas Day?,” our perennial holiday favorite is 30% off.
If you are interested in purchasing Our Complete Discography, you can do so at a 60% discount via any release of ours on the Bandcamp site.
Bandcamp Codes for Past Purchases
While on the subject of Bandcamp, people frequently email us asking for digital versions of items in our label’s catalog that they purchased in physical format. We are always happy to send Bandcamp codes to customers whether they bought the release from us or another vendor. Just email us at info@dust-digital.com and we’ll get you set up.
As an appreciation for your support, Paid Subscribers can access the two new digital releases: Excavated Shellac: Voices and Roosevelt Holts: Sun Gonna Shine.