Charlie “Specks” McFadden – Complete Recorded Works (1927-1937)

Charlie “Specks” McFadden was not destined to become famous, but at the time he made his debut recordings in 1929, he was considered one of the top blues-oriented singers based in St. Louis.

A good friend of Roosevelt Sykes, who plays piano on 12 of the 20 selections included on this CD, McFadden was a fine blues singer. He had a minor hit with Groceries on the Shelf which has three versions included on this disc. Apparently, McFadden was quite a character, being arrested 13 times during 1929-1935, including ten times for gambling, which gives credibility to his version of Gambler’s Blues.

As with too many of the early blues performers, virtually nothing is known of McFadden’s life, especially after his final record date in 1937. All of his recordings, except for four titles that have not been found, are on this CD and Charlie “Specks” McFadden consistently shows that he deserves to be remembered or at least have his performances enjoyed by blues collectors. – Scott Yanow