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 26-50 of 73 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-96233 | 10-in. | 10/31/1935 | Down the line blues | Big Bil | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96250 | 10-in. | 11/1/1935 | When I take my vacation in Harlem | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96251 | 10-in. | 11/1/1935 | Drinkin' my blues away | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96252 | 10-in. | 11/1/1935 | Dark and stormy night | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96253 | 10-in. | 11/1/1935 | Good woman blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96254 | 10-in. | 11/1/1935 | You missed a good man | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-96255 | 10-in. | 11/1/1935 | Waiting blues | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and string bass | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100099 | 10-in. | 4/1/1936 | When you were a gal of seven | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100300 | 10-in. | 4/1/1936 | Let's get drunk and truck | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100301 | 10-in. | 4/1/1936 | Maybe it's someone else you love | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100302 | 10-in. | 4/1/1936 | I wonder what's the matter | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100303 | 10-in. | 4/1/1936 | She don't know my mind | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100304 | 10-in. | 4/1/1936 | She don't know my mind | Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100317 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | Too long | Papa Charlie's Boys | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100318 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | Let my peaches be | Papa Charlie's Boys | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100319 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | Gypsy woman blues | Papa Charlie | Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100320 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | You can't play me cheap | Papa Charlie | Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100327 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | Take it easy, greasy | Trixie Butler | Female vocal solo, with string bass and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100328 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | You got the right key | Trixie Butler | Female vocal solo, with string bass and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100329 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | Just a good woman with the blues | Trixie Butler | Female vocal solo, with string bass and piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100889 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | You stole my heart | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100890 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | You got me worryin' | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100891 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | Caught my gal truckin' | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100892 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | All night long | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-100893 | 10-in. | 8/5/1936 | That's the way I do | Chicago Five ; Tampa Red | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Black Bob," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/304557.
Black Bob. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/304557.
"Black Bob." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 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
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