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William “Casey Bill” Weldon was a country blues singer, guitarist and songwriter, born in 1901 in Arkansas, but who made his home in Kansas City for a long while, giving rise to his nickname of Casey, or K.C., although he spent a number of years living and working in Chicago, the primary centre for blues recording in that era. He played a National steel guitar, often playing it on his lap Hawaiian style, and became known as the “Hawaiian Guitar Wizard”. This 67-track 3-CD collection comprises a substantial proportion of his career recordings – he had stopped recording by 1938, although he lived until 1972. The set features recordings for the Vocalion and Bluebird labels from this era under the names Casey Bill, Casey Bill Weldon and Kansas City Bill Weldon, plus recordings as a member of the Washboard Rhythm Kings and Brown Bombers Of Swing. It includes his notable compositions “Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town” and “Someone Done Changed The Lock On That Door”. It features recordings with noted bluesmen of the era, including Peetie Wheatstraw, Black Bob, Tampa Red, Arnett Nelson, Washboard Sam, Bill Settles, Charlie McCoy, Big Bill Broonzy, Calvin Dillard, Clifford Medlock and Henry Singleton. He was well-known for his upbeat and extrovert style, often performing material in the hokum idiom, and this is an entertaining showcase for his distinctive approach to the blues
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