Goin' Away Blues - Lena Kimbrough; Winston Holmes

Although primarily known for its 1930s jazz scene, Kansas City was also home to a number of interesting prewar blues artists whose performing styles were completely unique to their region. Unfortunately, most of these musicians are largely forgotten today, even among many of the blues cognoscenti. Some of this may have to do with the fact that record companies who catered to the race market mostly ignored this Midwestern metropolis in the 1920s, leaving its musicians sadly under-recorded. Even companies such as Paramount, Brunswick, and Gennett who did see commercial potential in releasing blues sides from Kansas City required the musicians to travel to their studios in Chicago or Richmond, Indiana. The only recording sessions that apparently did occur in KC were conducted by the local Meritt label, whose discography is scant even by race records standards.

Added 27 Mar 2026