BIG SLIM ALIFF
Big Slim Aliff was a Kentucky singer and guitarist whose recording career was brief but memorable. Strongly influenced by Jimmie Rodgers, Aliff combined blue yodels, blues-inflected singing and solid guitar accompaniment into a style that was both polished and deeply rooted in Appalachian tradition. Although he recorded only a handful of titles between 1936 and 1937, they remain among the finest examples of Rodgers' influence during the late Depression era.
NEW BIRMINGHAM JAIL
Recorded December 17, 1936 – New York, New York
Matrix 61490-A - Decca 5365
"New Birmingham Jail" is a prison song in the Southern ballad tradition, telling the story of an inmate reflecting on his confinement and longing for freedom. Big Slim Aliff delivers the song in a restrained, heartfelt style, accompanied only by his guitar. Performed in 3/4 time, the recording combines the narrative quality of an old-time ballad with the vocal phrasing and blue yodel influences that characterize much of Aliff's work.
