Roy Hogsed Cocaine Blues (CD)

1-CD with 24-page booklet, 33 tracks. Playing time approx. 78 mns.

Roy Hogsed (1919-1978) forged one of the most original sounds in postwar country music, a tight and exciting small group sound that often anticipated the energy and drive of rockabilly and rock 'n' roll. He is best remembered for his hit version of the notorious Cocaine Bluesand most identified with the accordion and guitar lead and slapped-bass rhythm of his original Rainbow Riders Trio. Ironically, however, some of his best work, like Snake Dance Boogie, Let Your Pendulum Swing and Ain't A Bump In The Road occurred in a looser, slightly larger band context. A good-time feel and infectious joy characterized his performances from start to finish.

The Arkansas-born, San Diego-based Hogsed’s recording career was relatively brief, spanning 1947-54, and his greater impact may have been limited by his largely local orientation, but he left an uncommonly enjoyable legacy. Collected here is the cream of his recordings, from his first sides for Coast in 1947 through his 1949-54 Capitol tenure. In addition to Cocaine Blues and the other songs mentioned above, there are classics likeFree Samples, Shuffleboard Shuffle, Roll 'Em Dice, and a number of unissued sides, over 30 tracks in all.