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Take a trip back to the golden age of American roots music as The Old Dingy Jukebox spins another eclectic collection of original 78 RPM records featuring vintage country, blues, bluegrass, western swing, Cajun music, and old-time string bands.
Episode #40 digs deep into the grooves of forgotten records and legendary performers, from the raw Detroit honky-tonk of Skeets McDonald and the early bluegrass harmonies of Jimmy Martin and Bobby Osborne to the powerful Kansas City blues of Big Joe Turner accompanied by stride piano great Willie “The Lion” Smith.
We'll hear Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys swing through their World War II-era hit “Smoke on the Water,” Memphis Minnie deliver her unmistakable guitar-driven blues on “Lean Meat Won't Fry,” and a young Porter Wagoner years before his Grand Ole Opry stardom.
Along the way, we'll uncover obscure honky-tonk sides from Ace Ball and Al Dexter, Mississippi string-band music from the Leake County Revelers, classic country harmonies from Kirk and Sam McGee and Johnnie and Jack, and hard-driving Chicago blues from harmonica master Jazz Gillum.
The journey also crosses the Texas-Mexico border with Melquiades and Encarnación Villarreal, heads down the highway with Bob Newman's “Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues,” and winds through the Louisiana backwoods with Luderin Darbone and His Hackberry Ramblers.
Sixteen vintage recordings, all drawn from the rich history of 78 RPM records, tell the story of American music before rock and roll took over the airwaves.
Featured artists: Skeets McDonald • Jimmy Martin & Bobby Osborne • Big Joe Turner • Zeke Manners • Ace Ball • Leake County Revelers • Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys • Porter Wagoner • Kirk & Sam McGee • Al Dexter • Memphis Minnie • Melquiades & Encarnación Villarreal • Jazz Gillum • Bob Newman • Hackberry Ramblers • Johnnie & Jack
Dust off your dancing shoes, turn up the volume, and enjoy another trip through the forgotten sounds of American music on The Old Dingy Jukebox.
The Old Dingy Jukebox — Original 78 RPM records, vintage American roots music, early country, prewar blues, western swing, old-time music, and the stories behind the records.
Track Listing — October 2026
- Skeets McDonald — “The Tattooed Lady”
Fortune 145-B | Detroit, Michigan | c. 1950
Skeets McDonald, vocal. Recorded for Jack and Devora Brown's Fortune Records. Additional session personnel unconfirmed. - Jimmy Martin and Bobby Osborne — “Blue-Eyed Darling”
King 1037-AA | Matrix K3238 | August 27, 1951 | Cincinnati, Ohio
Jimmy Martin, guitar/vocal; Bobby Osborne, mandolin/vocal; Charlie Cline, banjo; Curly Ray Cline, fiddle; Ralph Guenther, bass. - Big Joe Turner — “Doggin' the Dog”
Decca 7824-A | Matrix 68394 | Recording date/location unverified
Big Joe Turner, vocal; Willie “The Lion” Smith, piano. - Zeke Manners and His Band — “Sioux City Sue”
Victor 20-1797-A | Mid-1940s
Zeke Manners, bandleader; Curly Gribbs, vocal refrain. Composed by Ray Freedman and Dick Thomas. - Ace Ball — “Weeds of Hate”
Okeh 18040 | Matrix CO 50883 | Recording date unverified
Ace Ball, vocal; accompaniment unidentified. Promotional radio-station pressing marked “Not for Sale.” - Leake County Revelers — “Johnson Gal”
Columbia 15149-D | Reported matrix W143967 | April 13, 1927 | New Orleans, Louisiana
Will Gilmer, fiddle/vocal; Dallas Jones, guitar; Jim Wolverton, banjo; Robert Oscar Mosley, mandolin or banjo. Matrix attribution requires confirmation. - Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys — “Smoke on the Water”
Okeh 6736 | Matrix H1242 | January 24, 1945 | Hollywood, California
Tommy Duncan, vocal; Bob Wills, bandleader. Other musicians associated with this period include Noel Boggs, Jimmy Wyble, Cameron Hill, Millard Kelso and Joe Holley; exact master personnel unconfirmed. - Porter Wagoner — “Takin' Chances”
RCA Victor 20-5086 | Matrix E2-VB-7354 | September 9, 1952 | Springfield, Missouri
Recorded at KWTO Radio Station. Accompaniment includes Speedy Haworth Jr., George Rhodes, Claude Jackson, Robert White, Buster Fellers and Paul Mitchell. Produced by Stephen Sholes. - Kirk and Sam McGee — “Brown's Ferry Blues”
Decca 5348-A | Matrix 19655 | Issued 1937
Kirk and Sam McGee, vocals and string instruments. Recording session unverified. Flip side: “Railroad Blues.” - Al Dexter and His Troopers — “Bar Hotel”
Vocalion 05121 | Matrix DAL 791-3 | June 13, 1939 | Dallas, Texas
Al Dexter, vocal; Jack Lee, steel guitar; Leaford Hall, fiddle; Aubrey Gass, harmonica/washboard; Mabel Ogden, piano. Also issued on Conqueror 9330. - Memphis Minnie — “Lean Meat Won't Fry”
Columbia 37579 | Matrix CCO 4632 | September 20, 1946
Memphis Minnie, vocal/guitar; accompanying guitar, bass and drums, personnel unconfirmed. Issued in 1947, backed with “Fish Man Blues.” - Melquiades and Encarnación Villarreal — “Cada Vez Que Cae la Tarde”
Ideal 407-A | Matrix R-407-A | Recording date unverified
Melquiades and Encarnación Villarreal, performers; Enrique Vela, accordion; additional guitar, bajo sexto and bass accompaniment. - Jazz Gillum — “Reckless Rider Blues”
RCA Victor 20-1974-A | Matrix D6-AB-1816 | 1946
Jazz Gillum, vocal/harmonica; Big Maceo Merriweather, piano; Leonard Caston, guitar; Alfred Elkins, bass. Exact session date/location unverified. - Bob Newman — “Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues”
King 945-AA | Matrix 3148 | Recording date unverified
Bob Newman, vocal; unidentified string-band accompaniment. Composed by Lee Roberts. - Luderin Darbone and His Hackberry Ramblers — “Dans le Grand Bois”
De Luxe 6038-A | Matrix 942 | Recording date unverified
Luderin Darbone, fiddle/bandleader; Lennis Sonnier, vocal. Additional personnel unconfirmed. - Johnnie and Jack — “Take My Ring from Your Finger”
RCA Victor 21-0448-B | 45 RPM issue 48-0448-B | Released March 1951
Johnnie Wright and Jack Anglin, vocals; Tennessee Mountain Boys, accompaniment. Composed by Ira and Charlie Louvin. Exact recording session unverified.
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