Illustrated Arvella Gray discography

Arvella Gray on Maxwell Street, Chicago, 1967
photographer: Vivian Maier Arvella Gray
real name: James Dixon a/k/a "Blind Dixon"
b. January 28, 1906 in Somerville, Burleson County, Texas
d. September 7, 1980 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
buried in Restvale Cemetery, Alsip IL
discography A R V E L L A G R A Y; source: Front cover of Albatros ALB 8 (photographer's name not given); originally published as part of 1972 notes / PR material to Birch 60091 ???
source: Front cover of Albatros ALB 8; photographer's name not given
originally published as part of 1972 PR material to Birch LP 60091 ???

#	year of release	title / label / notes
1	1961	Blues From Maxwell Street Blind Arvella Grey [sic] # - Corrine Corrina @ youtube James Brewer * - I'm So Glad Good Whiskey's Back @ youtube Blind Arvella Grey [sic] # - Have Mercy, Mr. Percy @ youtube - Railroad Work Song & John Henry @ youtube - Have Mercy, Mr. Percy No. 2 @ youtube King David // - Fannie Mae ["Don't Start Me Talkin'"] @ youtube - Sugar Mama @ youtube - Good Mornin', Little Schoolgirl @ youtube - 38 Pistol @ youtube - 44 Blues @ youtube Daddy Stovepipe \\ - Tennessee Waltz @ youtube - South Of The Border @ youtube - Old Time Religion @ youtube - Monkey And The Baboon @ youtube # rec. July 11, 1960 in Chicago, IL by John Steiner; Arvella Gray, voc, g; session organized by Paul Oliver * rec. July 11, 1960 in Chicago, IL by John Steiner; James Brewer, voc, g; session organized by Paul Oliver // rec. July 1960 in Chicago, IL by Donald R. Hill & Robert Koester; King David, voc, hca \\ rec. July 1960 in Chicago, IL by Björn Englund & Donald R. Hill; Daddy Stovepipe (Johnny Watson), voc, hca, g front cover photo: Arvella Gray, 1960; photographer: Paul Oliver notes by Paul Oliver Heritage HLP 1004 (UK 1961) = Collector's Issue C-5527 (Austria 1989?) notes by Paul Oliver, Rien Wisse & Gary Atkinson = Document DOCD 5692 (UK 2012) Heritage Records discography Collector's Issue discography James Brewer discography Daddy Stovepipe discography
2	1965	Conversation With The Blues A Documentary of Field Recordings by Paul Oliver LP tracks: Boogie Woogie Red - So Much Good Feeling (spoken, with own piano) Willie Thomas - A Little Different spoken James Butch Cage & Willie Thomas - Kill That Nigger Dead (Cage, vocal and fiddle; Thomas, vocal and guitar) Lil' Son Jackson - The Onliest Way (spoken) J. B. Lenoir - My Father's Style (guitar solo) J. B. Lenoir - So It Rocked On (spoken) J. B. Lenoir - Move To Kansas City (vocal and own guitar) Otis Spann - When She Comes Back (spoken) Otis Spann - Poor Country Boy (vocal, with own piano) Lightnin' Hopkins - Ain't No Easy Thing (spoken) Mance Lipscomb - Evil Heart Blues (vocal and own piano) Blind Arvella Gray - A Roughneck (spoken) # Roosevelt Sykes - West Helena Blues (vocal and guitar) Will Shade - Days Of Nineteen-Hundred (spoken) Will Shade - Newport News Blues (vocal and own guitar) Whistling Alex Moore - Chock House Days (spoken) Whistling Alex Moore - Come and Get Me (vocal and own piano) Brother John Sellers - Move Back For What? (spoken) J. B. Lenoir - I Been Down So Long (vocal and own guitar) Jasper Love - Santa Fé Blues (vocal and piano) John Lee Hooker - Somewhere Down The Line (spoken) Robert Curtis Smith - I Hope One Day My Luck Will Change (vocal and own guitar) Otis Spann - Only Places They Can Go (spoken) Otis Spann - People Calls Me Lucky (vocal and own piano) Henry Townsend - What Have I Committed (spoken) James Butch Cage - Tween Midnight And Day (vocal and own guitar) Little Brother Montgomery - Walking Basses (spoken) Little Brother Montgomery - Dud Low Joe (piano solo) Little Brother Montgomery - It's A Barrelhouse Blues (spoken) [] Little Brother Montgomery - Vicksburg Blues (vocal with piano) Little Brother Montgomery - They Beat Me To Chicago (spoken) [] Roosevelt Sykes - They All Called Him 'Pork Chops' (spoken) Roosevelt Sykes - Forty-Four Blues (vocal and own piano) Robert Junior Lockwood & Sunnyland Slim - Doctor Clayton And Me (spoken) [] Robert Junior Lockwood & Sunnyland Slim - Take A Little Walk With Me (vocal with own electric guitar, with Sunnyland Slim, piano) [] Edwin Buster Pickens - To Have The Blues Within (spoken) Mance Lipscomb - Blues In The Bottle (vocal and own guitar) CD track sequence:@ youtube (full album) - So Much Good Feeling - Boogie Woogie Red - A Little Different - Willie Thomas - Kill That Nigger Dead - James "Butch" Cage & Willie Thomas - The Onliest Way - Lil Son Jackson - My Father's Style / So It Rocked On / Move To Kansas City - J.B. Lenoir - When She Come Back / Poor Country Boy - Otis Spann - Ain't No Easy Thing - Lightnin' Hopkins - Evil Heart Blues - Mance Lipscomb - A Roughneck - Blind Arvella Gray # - West Helena Blues - Roosevelt Sykes - Days of 1900 / Newport News Blues - Will Shade - Chock House Days / Come and Get Me - Whistling Alex Moore - Move Back! For What? - Brother John Sellers - Been Down So Long - J.B. Lenoir - A Place They Call Boots' - James "Stump" Johnson [] - Henry Brown Blues - Henry Brown [] - # They Called Us Gandy Dancers / ## Work Songs & John Henry - Blind Arvella Gray # with Blind James Brewer ## [] (starting @ 31:23) - Santa Fe Train - Edwin "Buster" Pickens - Most Reason I Sing - Robert Curtis Smith - Santa Fe Blues - Jasper Love - Somewhere Down The Line - John Lee Hooker - I Hope One Day My Luck Will Change - Robert Curtis Smith [] - Only Places They Can Go / People Call Me Lucky - Otis Spann - What Have I Committed? - Henry Townsend - 'Tween Midnight And Day - James "Butch" Cage - Walking Basses / Dud Low Joe / The First Vicksburg Blues - Little Brother Montgomery - They Call Him "Pork Chops" / Forty-Four Blues - Roosevelt Sykes - Blues In The Bottle - Mance Lipscomb - To Have The Blues Within - Edward "Buster" Pickens - Colorado Springs Blues - Edwin "Buster" Pickens []< All tracks recorded between June 26 and August 28, 1960 # rec. July 9, 1960 in Chicago, IL; Arvella Gray, voc, g or sp; ## Jim Brewer, g LP and CD have slightly different tracks: [] = not on LP resp. CD !!! notes (plus 6-pp. insert) by Paul Oliver Decca LK 4664 insert (1 sheet folded to 6 pp.) Decca LK 4664 (UK 1965) notes by Paul Oliver = Decca LK 4664 (Germany 1965) LP resp. CD accompanying Paul Oliver's book by the same title: London (Cassell) (1st UK ed. 1965) xv, 217 p., [48] p. of plates : ill., ports. ; 22 cm New York (Horizon Press) (1st US ed. 1965) xix, 217 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm London ("Jazz Book Club") JBC 64 (2nd UK ed. 1967) Cambridge (University Press) 0 521 59181 3 (revised edition of the original 1965 book with enclosed CD) (2nd US ed. 1997) Doyosha LLC (1st Jp ed. 2016) ISBN 978-4-907511-25-8 (190 × 129 × 21,8 mm \| 336 pages (incl. 48 photos) \| weight: 9,5 pound; price: 1.850 JPY equals 14,84 EUR) translated by Yasufumi Higurashi
3	1965	Arvella Gray (Blind Street Singer) - Freedom Riders (A) - Freedom Bus (B) rec. Chicago, c. 1965; Arvella Gray, voc, g 7 inch 45 rpm Gray 100
4	1965	Arvella Gray (Blind Street Singer) - You Are My Dear (G-1313) - Deborah (G-1314) rec. Chicago, c. 1965; Arvella Gray, voc, g with James Brewer, g 7 inch 45 rpm Gray 13
5	1965	Arvella Gray (Blind Street Singer) - John Henry (G-1315) - The Walking Blues (G-1316) @ youtube rec. Chicago, c. 1965; Arvella Gray, voc, g with James Brewer, g 7 inch 45 rpm Gray 14
6	1972	Blind Arvella Gray: The Singing Drifter - There's More Pretty Girls Than One - John Henry - Arvella's Work Song - Take Your Burden To The Lord - When The Saints Go Marching In - Standing By The Bedside Of A Neighbor - Join in with Arvella (instr) (with percussion accompaniment by The Three Honkies) °° - Those Old Fashioned Alley Blues - Gander Dancing Song - Stand By Me - What Will Your Record Be rec. September 22, 1972 at Sound Unlimited Studios in Harvey, IL by Dave Wylie, assisted by Cary Baker, Harlan Hollander and Phillip Rozansky °° not on 2005 CD reissue notes by Cary Baker Birch 60091 (US 1972) [David Wylie's label] PR material to Birch 60091 ??? Conjuroo CD 001 (US 2005)
7	1999	And This Is Maxwell Street CD One - The Sun Is Shining- Johnny Young - Can't Hold Out Much Longer - Big John Wrencher - Juke Medley - Carey Bell - That's All Right - Robert Night Hawk - Red Top/Ornithology - Little Arthur King - Maxwell Street Jam - Carey Bell - Lucille - Big John Wrencher - Corinna, Corinna - Arvella Gray - Power To Live Right - Carrie Robinson - Cheating And Lying Blues - Robert Night Hawk - Honky Tonk - Robert Night Hawk - Dust My Broom - Robert Night Hawk - Peter Gunn Jam - Robert Night Hawk - I Need Love So Bad - Robert Night Hawk - All I Want For My Breakfast - Johnny Young - Take It Easy, Baby - Robert Night Hawk - Long Gone John - Unknown Harpist CD Two - Mama, Talk To Your Daughter - Big Mojo Elem - I'm Ready - Carey Bell - Carey'n On - Carey Bell - When The Saints Go Marching In - James Brewer Group - Back Off Jam - Robert Night Hawk - John Henry - Arvella Gray - Anna Lee/Sweet Black Angel - Robert Night Hawk - Love You Tonight - Big John Wrencher - The Time Have Come - Robert Night Hawk - Cruisin' In A Cadillac - Carey Bell - Honey Hush - Robert Night Hawk - I'll Fly Away - James Brewer Gospel Group - I Shall Overcome - Fannie Brewer Street recordings made for 1964 documentary film 'And This Is Free' 2 CD set with 62 pp. booklet P-Vine PCD-5527/28 (Jp 1999) 3 CD set notes by Colin Talcroft with Allan Murphy (=) Rooster CD ROO2641 (US 2000) 3 CD set (=) Catfish KAT3D1 (UK 2000) Catfish Records (UK) discography
8	2000	I Blueskvarter Chicago 1964, Volume Two CD One: Paul Butterfield - Help Me - Going Back Home - Everything's Gonna Be Alright - Poor Boy - Last Night - Got My Mojo Working Washboard Sam - Mountain Blues - All By Myself - Booker T Blues - I'm A Lonely Man - I'm Been Treated Wrong John Lee Granderson - Death Valley Blues - Easy Street - Bumble Bee Blues - That's All Right - Minglewood Blues Avery Brady (& John Lee Granderson) - Bad Weather - City Of New Orleans - Gangster Blues - I Have A Woman Who Lives Down By The Sea CD Two: Little Brother Montgomery (& Mike Bloomfield) - West Texas Blues - Up The Country Blues - Cow Cow Blues - Mama, You Don't Mean Me No Good - Suitcase Blues Arvella Gray * - John Henry @ Spotify - Corrine, Corrina @ Spotify - Have Mercy, Mister Percy @ Spotify - Captains A Hollering @ Spotify St. Louis Jimmy (& Sunnyland Slim, Mike Bloomfield and Washboard Sam) - Can't Stand Your Evil Ways - Complete This Order - Poor Boy Blues - The Girl I Love Interviews (& Olle Helander) John Lee Granderson (2:43/ Avery Brady (3:30/ Little Brother Montgomery (2:21/ Arvella Gray (5:25/ * @ Spotify * rec. May 16, 1964 in Chicago, IL by Olle Helander for the Swedish Radio Corporation 2 CD set notes by Scott Barretta, Hans Westman, Rolf Wikström & Per "Slim" Notini Jefferson Records SBACD 12655/6 (Sweden 2000)
9	2005	Blind Arvella Gray: The Singing Drifter - There's More Pretty Girls Than One - John Henry - Arvella's Work Song - Take Your Burden To The Lord - When The Saints Go Marching In - Standing By The Bedside Of A Neighbor - Those Old Fashioned Alley Blues - Gander Dancing Song - Stand By Me - What Will Your Record Be - If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again °° - Motherless Children Have A Hard Time °° - Take My Hand Precious Lord °° - Cryin' Holy Unto The Lord °° - What Would Your Record Be (partial outtake) °° remastered from acetate reference discs of original 1972 session, because master tapes were lost after Arvella Gray died °° CD bonus tracks remastered from tape Birch 60091 (1972) notes by David Wylie and Cary Baker Conjuroo CD 001 (US 2005)
10	2014	The Roots Of It All: Acoustic Blues - The Definitive Collection, Vol. 3 disc 1: The 1960s Mance Lipscomb - Shake, Shake, Mama (2:50) John Lee Hooker - Tupelo (3:19) Rev. Gary Davis - Samson And Delilah (4:05) Robert Pete Williams - I've Grown So Ugly (2:48) Lightnin' Hopkins - Mojo Hand (3:03) Lonnie Johnson - Moaning Blues (4:01) Smoky Babe - Hottest Brand Goin' (4:06) Herman E. Johnson - I Just Keeps On Wanting You (2:45) Scrapper Blackwell - Shady Lane (5:27) Pink Anderson - I Got Mine (3:07) Pete Franklin - Prison Bound (4:21) Shirley Griffith - Bye Bye Blues (4:11) R.C. Smith - Please Don't Drive Me Away (2:25) Memphis Willie B. - Wine Drinking Woman (3:36) Baby Tate - What Have I Done To You (2:42) Leroy Dallas - She Caught The M & O (3:43) Sleepy John Estes - Vernita's Blues (2:19) J.D. Short - I'm Just Wastin' My Time (5:25) Muddy Waters - Feel Like Going Home (3:52) Buddy Moss - Amy (2:42) Johnny Young - Want My Lovin' (3:30) Arvella Gray - Corrine, Corrina (2:13) Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man (2:53) Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis - Alberta (2:56) disc 2: The 1970s Son House - Empire State Express (3:41) Mississippi Fred McDowell - Frisco Lines (3:59) J.B. Lenoir - If I Get Lucky (2:59) Skip James - Sickbed Blues (4:06) R.L. Burnside - Long Haired Doney (2:45) Furry Lewis - Old Original Furry Lewis Blues (3:46) Joe Callicott - Lonesome Katy Blues (3:04) John Jackson - Rocks And Gravel (3:15) Babe Stovall - Worried Blues (3:33) Howlin' Wolf - Ain't Goin' Down That Dirt Road #2 (4:20) Larry Johnson - Four Women Blues (2:33) Jack Owens - I Love My Baby (4:50) Johnny Shines - Your Troubles Can't Be Like Mine (4:18) Brownie McGhee - My Last Suit (3:53) Juke Boy Bonner - Tired Of The Greyhound Bus (2:26) Tarheel Slim - So Sweet, So Sweet (3:19) Tom Shaw - Baby Be A Boy Child Named Him After Me (5:44) Eddie Taylor - Bullcow Blues (3:10) Bill Williams - Salty Dog (4:37) Guitar Shorty - Jessie Jones (3:58) Rev. Pearly Brown - It's A Mean Old World To Try To Live In (2:24) Louisiana Red - Dead Stray Dog (3:56) David "Honeyboy" Edwards - Big Fat Mama (2:56) Henry Townsend - Can't You See (3:18) front cover photo (of Big Joe Williams) by Axel Küstner 112-pp. booklet notes by Bill Dahl Bear Family BCD 17231 (Germany 2014)

Sources:
- own record collection
- Lawrence Cohn: Nothing But The Blues.- New York, London, Paris (Abbeville Press) 1993
- Mike Leadbitter & Neil Slaven: Blues Records 1943 to 1970 - A selective discography, Vol. one, A to K.- p. 479
- https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=143304624
- eBay auctions
- diverse internet resources

thanks to Flemming Nielsen and Fernando Goin for additional info / scans

Arvella Gray, 1960
source: Larry Cohn: Nothing But The Blues, p. 307
photographer: Paul Oliver

Arvella Gray on Maxwell Street, Chicago, IL, September 1972
source: Blues Unlimited 137/138 (Spring 1980), p. 10
photographer: Bill Greensmith

Arvella Gray on Maxwell Street, Chicago, IL
source: Blues World 45 (1973), back cover; photographer: Cary Baker

Arvella Gray source: Blues Link #2 (Oct./Nov. 1973), p. 19
photographer: Valerie Wilmer

A R V E L L A G R A Y 1978; photo Rien Wisse; Block 96 (1995), p. 19
Arvella Gray 1978 source: Block 96 (1995), p. 19
photographer: Rien Wisse

Arvella Gray
source: Notes accompanying Jefferson Records SBACD 12655/6
photographer: Clas Ahlstrand

Arvella Gray painting by Dusan Ciran
[picture kindly provided by current owner Chris Wawer, Chicago]

Blues Power Magazin #6 (1994); click to enlarge!

Blind Arvella Gray - The Singing Drifter.- Blues Power Magazin #6 (1994), pp. 22-2; click to read article as pdf-file (2 MB)

Blind Arvella Gray - The Singing Drifter.- Blues Power Magazin #6 (1994), pp. 22-24

The article above (in German !) is 'published' here for private research only. While of historical interest, it may contain factual errors only revealed by later research. Be advised that more recent reference works should be consulted regarding factual points such as spelling of names, dates of birth, dates of recordings.

Jas Obrecht: Arvella Gray:
Half A Century Of Street-Corner Blues
Guitar Player vol. 14 # 2 (Febr. 1980), p. 70-77

Cary Baker: Obituaries: Blind Arvella Gray
Living Blues 47 (summer 1980), p. 32
Jas Obrecht: Arvella Gray, 1906-1980
Rolling Stone 330 (Nov. 13, 1980), p.26-27

Albatros ALB 8
3LP = VPA 8187/88/89
"Il Blues Rurale/Jazzistico/ Urbano"
Albatros Records discography

Blue Flame # 14 (1971)
Cary Baker's Chicago area blues fanzine
with Arvella Gray cover story

Arvella Gray bio, photos, sound and news clips
at Cary Baker's www. conjuroo.com

Cary Baker (source: Chicago Reader July 8, 2005; photographer: Jim Newberry)

Cary Baker - "The Devoted Fan"

Old Maxwell Street
Arvella Gray: 0:23 - 0:30

Arvella Gray bio, photos, sound and news clipsat Cary Baker's www. conjuroo.com

Arvella Gray bio, photos, sound and news clips
at Cary Baker's www. conjuroo.com