Blues, Stomps, & Rags #40

[Ranald]

I could find ittle about Clarence Conaway, the enjoyable blues mandolinist who backed up blues singers Ida Cox and Clara Smith on recording sessions from 1923-1925. Ida Cox was from Georgia and died in Tennessee, while Clara Smith of South Carolina settled and recorded in New York, so Conaway could have been based either in the south or in New York, where perhaps Ida Cox also recorded. Clarence Conaway played blues ukelele as well as mandolin, and performed with the guitar player Lincoln M. Conaway, perhaps his brother, as Conaway's Rag Pickers. As we've seen with previous artists, it's not always clear who recorded on a particular record. Accompaniement on one of the tunes below has also been credited to The Pruitt Twins (see Blues, Stomps, and Rags #16). (Information from rateyourmusic.com, wikipedia, and other minimal internet sources.)

Here are Conaway's Rag Pickers backing up the popular blues singer, Ida Cox. If the links don't work, search YouTube for "Ida Cox --Mean Lovin' Man Blues".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3agryos0kY




And here they support another well-known blues singer, Clara Smith. If the links don't work, search YouTube for "Clara Smith -- I Don't Love Nobody" .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIksKw_HVZM

[maudlin mandolin]

Thanks for posting this - I had never heard of Clarence Conaway before.
According to Godrich & Dixon the accompanists on the Ida Cox track were the Pruitt twins and I think this is correct as it was recorded in March 1924 in Chicago; whereas Clarence Conaway backed Bessie Smith, Clara Smith and Lena Wilson in February, March and April 1924 in New York. I suppose he could have travelled to Chicago and back but it seems unlikely.
The only actual credit to "Conaway's Rag Pickers" is on Lena Wilson's tracks Four Flushin' Papa and Hula Blues where Clarence is supposed to play ukulele and Lincoln steel guitar. However on listening to Hula Blues the accompaniment consists of a piano and steel guitar. (Can't find Four Flushin' Papa on youtube)

[maudlin mandolin]

I love that Clara smith track - she was a great blues singer. In addition to the mandolin and guitar there is supposed to be a kazoo backing her but it sounds more like a swanee whistle to me.