Blues & Jazz Obscurities 1923-1931 is aptly named and makes up the complete recorded works of Sammie Lewis and Mandy Randolph, Hezekiah and Dorothy Jenkins, Margaret Whitmire, Arnold and Irene Wiley, and William Walker, all taken from the original 78s. The sound on these rare tracks varies from OK to horrible, depending on the condition of the source disc, and this compilation is recommended only for serious record collectors and historians. Most of it is fairly standard parlor piano and vocals, but there are some interesting lyric twists, mostly by Hezekiah Jenkins, who shows a wry political wit on tracks like "The Panic Is On," which contains the lines "the rich will live/and the poor will die/dog-gone/the panic is on." Document Records should be lauded for digging this stuff up and preserving it, but only serious collectors need apply. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide