Review by Matt O’Donnell

I collect a lot of music. A big part of my life is as simple as that. My iTunes library just reached a cumulative 82,000 songs, taking up almost half of a terabyte. Every week, I collect pretty much every record that comes out that is made by anyone I’ve ever heard of before. I like to know what’s out there, who’s hot, and who’s not.

Letting you know that right up front is what will convince you that I’m deadly serious when I tell you that the most intriguing music being put out right now is about 100 years old.

Dust to Digital is a godsend small, archive-reissue record label based out of Atlanta, GA. Headed by Lance Ledbetter, the company’s first release was a six CD box of rare gospel music recordings that were harvested from numerous attics, basements, and personal collections. Entitled “Goodbye, Babylon” (DTD-01), it has since gone on to be lauded by critics and music fans alike. Curiously, catalog number DTD-04 is an anthology of string bass recordings from 1925-1941 called “How Low Can You Go?”

This no-holds barred set is comprised of 3 CDs and a 96-page book in a very nicely designed slip box. The first two discs are assorted recordings that generally go in order through the years that the set advertises, while the third disc is dedicated solely to the bass playing of Bill Johnson.

Bill Johnson, for anyone who’s had to sit through a bass history class (do they really have anything like that outside of Berklee?) will know, is the first recorded master of the string bass. He appeared most notably (in history, however not on this set) for King Oliver’s Creole Orchestra when a young cornet prodigy named Louis Armstrong came through Chicago.

The other two discs are intriguing as they peer into multiple genres and configurations that supported this plectrum replacement for the tuba. Hearing artists like Thelma Terry, who may very well be the first female superstar of the bass, is a huge treat, while listening to others like Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington with the mindset of “bass first” will be sure to give fresh perspective to seasoned record collectors.

What I think is the most fascinating part of this project is the book. One thing that is usually absent from historical releases is detail to information regarding the music. Each track is accompanied by a paragraph letting you know who the bass player is, along with information about the band, the time and place where the recording is credited to, and anything else they can provide you which might be pertinent. The information on Thelma Terry, for instance, is credited as borrowing heavily from the only account of her story to be presented. This is a clear indication that Dust to Digital will leave absolutely no stone unturned!

Low end fans, if you want to know anything about your musical forefathers, you owe it to yourself to order this set from the good folks at Dust to Digital. This is the real deal!