Combine a great ear for music with a firm commitment to recording only what you personally like and you've got the formula that has fueled Arhoolie Records for 40 years. Founder Chris Strachwitz -- a German immigrant and former schoolteacher -- may have seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of the great compilers of regional American popular music, but that's sure what he turned out to be. This five-disc, 95-artist label retrospective is truly monumental. On disc one, which begins before Arhoolie's launch and covers 1954-1965, blues dominate. By the the time you've worked your way through all six hours of this collection, though, you'll understand why Strachwitz could never make it as a DJ even on a blues radio station; not only does he eschew mainstream commercial music, he couldn't possibly live within any format. Just when you think you've got Arhoolie pegged as a blues label, on comes a folk number. You settle into a zydeco groove, and the set shifts into gospel. Or Tex-Mex. There's also some bluegrass here. And jazz. Incredibly, all of this music makes some sort of sense together and the quality never flags throughout. Though the bulk of the package's greatest treats come from virtual unknowns (more than a few recorded in their own homes), you may already be familiar with some of these artists, including Jesse Fuller, K.C. Douglas, Mance Lipscomb, Clifton Chenier, and Flaco Jimenez. The accompanying 68-page, 41,000-word color "booklet" is more like a book. Co-producer Elijah Wald limited selections to recordings that Strachwitz himself made or supervised -- keeping the box from mushrooming beyond five discs -- but this meant the elimination of other great material. That will have to wait for the next box. ~ Jeff Burger, All Music Guide
Arhoolie 40th Anniversary Collection 1960-2000: The Journey of Chris Strachwitz
09/26/2000 | Arhoolie Records
All Music Guide Review
Arhoolie 40th Anniversary Collection 1960-2000: The Journey of Chris Strachwitz Track Listing
Credits of Arhoolie 40th Anniversary Collection 1960-2000: The Journey of Chris Strachwitz
- Andre Breckenridge
- Conga
- Rose Maddox
- Vocals
- Sidney Maiden
- Harmonica
- Jay Dee Maness
- Guitar (Steel)
- Preston Manuel
- Guitar, Vocals
- Cosimo Matassa
- Engineer
- Sidney Mejia
- Vocals
- D.L. Menard
- Performer
- Azim Mojaddidi
- Tambourine
- Dennis Moody
- Engineer
- Mark Needham
- Engineer
- Louis Nelson
- Trombone
- Alvin Nichols
- Bass
- Elmore Nixon
- Piano, Vocals
- Gerald Pederson
- Bass
- Herb Pedersen
- Guitar (Rhythm), Harmony, Vocals
- Lee Peterzell
- Engineer
- Austin Pitre
- Accordion, Vocals
- Stanley Poplin
- Bass
- Edward Poullard
- Fiddle
- Clyde Price
- Tenor (Vocal)
- Charles Prud'homme
- Guitar
- Robert Pulliam
- Sax (Tenor)
- Manuel Ramos
- Trumpet
- Dewey Renfro
- Bass
- Archie Reynolds
- Bass (Vocal), Leader
- J.D. Rhynes
- String Bass
- John Robichaux
- Drums
- Jimmie Lee Robinson
- Bass
- Ralph Robinson
- Tuba
- Alfonso Rondon
- Bass, Vocals
- William Skip Rose
- Piano
- Mark Rubin
- Tololoche
- Ann Savoy
- Guitar, Vocals
- Paul Senegal
- Guitar
- Bob Shumaker
- Engineer
- Booker Sidgrave
- Drums
- Lennis Sonnier
- Guitar, Vocals
- Reggie Stewart
- Trombone
- Chris Strachwitz
- Producer, Editing, Photography, Liner Notes
- Rodney Thomas
- Guitar
- Willie Thomas
- Guitar, Vocals
- Toby Torres
- Vocals, Bajo Sexto, Engineer
- Bruce Unsworth
- Sax (Tenor)
- Ruben Valle
- Bass
- Enrique Venegas
- Vocals
- Juan Viesca
- String Bass
- Robert Vignaud
- Bass
- Elijah Wald
- Producer, Editing, Liner Notes
- Lesly Jean Walker
- MIDI Guitar
- Joe Watkins
- Drums
- Elizabeth Weil
- String Bass
- Conjunto Alma Jarocha
- Performer
- Don Santiago Jimenez, Sr.
- Accordion, Vocals
- The New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra
- Performer
- Greg Hartman
- Engineer
- Eugene Rodriguez
- Guitar
- Edwin Duhon
- Bass
- Victor Leonard
- Drums
- Bell Ray
- Fiddle, Percussion
- Chavela Ortiz
- Accordion, Vocals
- Bruce Bratton
- Washtub Bass
- R.C. Smith
- Guitar (Electric), Vocals
- Los Cenzontles
- Performer
- Treme Brass Band
- Performer
- Sean Ardoin
- Saxophone
- Benito Gomez
- Drums
- David Julian Gray
- Clarinet
- Kristal Gray
- Vocals
- Jeffrey Hills
- Tuba
- Basile Marcentel
- Triangle
- Amalia Marines
- Vocals
- Salvador Arteaga Perez
- Vocals, Huapanguera
- Silverio Delgado Vega
- Violin
- Buddy Ray
- Engineer
- Johnny Woods
- Performer
- Robert Curtis Smith
- Performer
- Trio San Antonio
- Performer
- Jerry Hahn Quintet
- Performer
- L.C. "Good Rockin'" Robinson
- Performer
- Chuck Campbell
- Pedal Steel
- Jim Crenca
- Engineer
- Joey S. Lopez
- Bajo Sexto
- Valerie Mindel
- String Bass
- Genny Haley
- Guitar, Vocals
- The Campbell Brothers
- Performer
- Sonny Treadway
- Guitar (Steel)
- Hugo Gonzalez
- Vocals, Bajo Sexto
- Anayat Habibi
- Tambourine
- Rubén Castillo Juárez
- Accordion, Tenor (Vocal)
- Ronnie Mozee
- Guitar
- J.W. Pelsia
- Guitar (Steel)
- Bob Quellette
- Assistant
- Ray Valla
- Engineer
- Aubrey Ghent
- Vocals, Lap Steel Guitar
- James Pitre
- Drums
- James Lott
- Engineer
- José Antonio Moreno
- Performer
- Los Caporales de Panuco
- Performer
- Csókolom
- Performer
- Mercy Dee
- Performer
- Amado Banda
- Bajo Sexto
- Alex Moore
- Performer
- Gregor Schäfer
- Double Bass
- Carlton Campbell
- Drums
- Phillip Campbell
- Guitar
- Hilda Mendez
- Production Assistant
- Charles Ford Band
- Performer
- Ralph Hodges
- Mandolin, Vocals
- Darick Campbell
- Lap Steel Guitar
- Earl Cheeks
- Bass
- Gardner Ray Green
- Trumpet
- Otis Overcash
- Mandolin
- The Hodges Brothers
- Performer
- Robert Lee
- Vocals
- Paul Crawford
- Trombone
- Orange Kellin
- Clarinet
- The Klezmorim
- Performer
- Wade Walton
- Talking
- Black Ace
- Performer
- Butch Cage
- Fiddle, Vocals
- Bee Houston
- Performer
- John Littlejohn
- Performer
- Scotty Moore
- Drums, Engineer
- Blind James Campbell
- Guitar, Vocals
- Los Campesinos de Michoacán
- Performer
- Ray Park
- Fiddle
- Chuck Guillory
- Performer
- J.C. Burris
- Performer
- Rev. Louis Overstreet
- Performer
- Rebirth Brass Band
- Performer
- Mississippi Fred McDowell
- Guitar, Vocals
- Mercy Dee Walton
- Piano, Vocals
- Jimmy Dawkins
- Guitar
- Mark Ford
- Harmonica
- J.E. Mainer
- Fiddle
- Any Old Time String Band
- Performer
- Canray Fontenot
- Performer
- Charles Givens
- Bass
- Los Pinguinos del Norte
- Performer
- Octa Clark
- Accordion, Vocals
- Narciso Martínez
- Accordion
- Lawrence "Black" Ardoin
- Accordion, Vocals, Drums
- Chatuye
- Performer
- Aziz Herawi
- Dutar
- Omar Shariff
- Performer
- The Paramount Singers
- Performer
- Leo Thomas
- Drums, Vocals
- Ivan Cuesta
- Accordion, Vocals
- Lionel Ferbos
- Trumpet
- Bill Neely
- Guitar, Vocals
- Kermit Ruffins
- Trumpet
- Bill Baker
- Fiddle, Vocals
- Tommy Alesi
- Drums
- James Andrews
- Trumpet
- William Anthony
- Trumpet
- Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin
- Accordion, Vocals
- Gustave Ardoin
- Bass
- Morris Ardoin
- Guitar
- Kenneth Austin
- Drums (Snare)
- Rodney Balfa
- Guitar
- Will Balfa
- Fiddle
- George Bell
- Trumpet
- Esten Bellow
- Drums
- Fred Below
- Drums
- Andres Berlanga
- Vocals, Bajo Sexto
- Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin & Sons
- Performer
- Kate Brislin
- Vocals
- Wayne Burns
- Bass
- Ronny Cates
- Engineer
- Cleveland Chenier
- Rubboard
- C.J. Chenier
- Accordion, Rubboard, Saxophone, Vocals
- Otis Cherry
- Drums
- Albert Chevalier
- Accordion, Vocals
- Jonathan Clark
- Proof Reading
- Robert Clemon
- Accordion
- Michael Cogan
- Engineer, Remastering
- Annick Colbert
- Recorder
- Tommy Comeaux
- Mandolin
- Fred Cooper
- Drums
- Selwyn Cooper
- Guitar
- Clay Cotton
- Organ
- David Doucet
- Guitar
- Bob de Sousa
- Engineer
- Joseph Dean
- Tenor (Vocal)
- Tony Delafose
- Drums
- Tom Diamant
- Production Director, Co-Coordinator
- Lester Dorsie
- Drums
- K.C. Douglas
- Guitar, Vocals
- Hector Duhon
- Fiddle
- Steve Duncan
- Drums
- Skip Dysart
- Drums
- Lars Edegran
- Piano, Leader
- Clifton Edmond
- Guitar, Washboard
- Joseph Edwards
- Drums
- Steve Ehrmann
- Bass
- Rick Elmore
- Trombone
- Ricardo Escalante
- Bass
- Frank Fields
- Bass
- Flaco Jiménez
- Accordion, Liner Notes, Bajo Sexto, Vocals
- Isom Fontenot
- Harmonica, Vocals
- Patrick Ford
- Drums
- Carlton Frank
- Fiddle
- Preston Frank
- Accordion
- Keith "Bass Drum Shorty" Frazier
- Cymbals, Drums (Bass)
- Philip Frazier
- Tuba, Leader
- Isaac Garcia
- Drums
- Juan Garcia
- Bajo Sexto
- Ernest Gatewood
- Bass
- Jose Gonzales
- Violin
- Miguel Govea
- Bass, Vocals
- Steve Griffith
- Drums
- Madison Guidry
- Drums
- Corey Henry
- Trombone
- Inez Rivas Herrera
- Vocals, Jarana
- Bill Holford
- Engineer
- Lightnin' Hopkins
- Guitar, Vocals
- Harry Hypolite
- Guitar
- Noel Jewkes
- Sax (Tenor)
- William Johnson
- Tenor (Vocal)
- Doyle E. Jones
- Engineer
- Allan Joseph
- Vocals
- Ghulam Abbas Khan
- Tabla
- Lafayette Leake
- Piano
- Roger Lewis
- Sax (Tenor)
- Lev Liberman
- Saxophone
- Keith Little
- Banjo
- Valerio Longoria, Sr.
- Performer
- Flavio Longoria
- Sax (Alto)
- John Lumsdaine
- Guitar, Bandleader
- Santiago Jimenez, Jr.
- Accordion
- Lydia Mendoza
- Vocals, 12-String Bass Guitar
- Albert Lee
- Vocals
- Jack DeJohnette
- Drums
- Robben Ford
- Guitar
- John Jorgenson
- Guitar (Electric)
- Ron McClure
- Bass
- Sonny Simmons
- Sax (Alto)
- Barbara Donald
- Trumpet
- Jerry Hahn
- Guitar
- Juke Boy Bonner
- Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
- Eddie Boyd
- Organ
- Jesse Fuller
- Guitar, Harmonica, Kazoo, Vocals, Fotdella
- Buddy Guy
- Guitar
- Earl Hooker
- Guitar, Talking
- John Jackson
- Banjo, Vocals
- Mance Lipscomb
- Guitar, Vocals
- Whistlin' Alex Moore
- Performer
- Charlie Musselwhite
- Harmonica
- Big Mama Thornton
- Vocals
- Katie Webster
- Piano, Vocals
- Big Joe Williams
- Performer
- Del McCoury
- Guitar, Vocals
- Nathan Abshire
- Accordion, Vocals
- The Balfa Brothers
- Performer
- Dewey Balfa
- Fiddle
- Beausoleil
- Performer
- Clifton Chenier
- Accordion, Vocals
- John Delafose
- Accordion, Vocals
- Michael Doucet
- Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
- Wade Frugé
- Fiddle
- Hackberry Ramblers
- Performer
- Marc Savoy
- Accordion, Vocals
- Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band
- Performer











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