Yellow Dog Records is an American independent record label based in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, that features authentic American music: blues,

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

and

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

. It was founded in 2002 by Mike Powers to support independent musicians on its roster with recording, production, promotion and distribution. Artists on the label have received numerous awards and played with notable musicians, including

Eden Brent Eden Brent (born November 16, 1965 in Greenville, Mississippi, United States) is an American musician on the independent Yellow Dog Records label. A blues pianist and vocalist, she combines boogie-woogie with elements of blues, jazz, soul, gospel ...

- Blues Music Award recipient for 2009 Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year for ''Mississippi Number One'', plus the winner of the

Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 blues organizations from various parts of the world. Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs the ...

's 2006

International Blues Challenge The International Blues Challenge (IBC) is a music competition run by the Blues Foundation. Notable blues artists that have competed in the IBC over the years also includes Fiona Boyes, Eden Brent, Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Sean Costello, Alb ...

; Fiona Boyes – the first Australian and the first woman to win the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge and three time Blues Music Award nominee; Mary Flower – 2008 Blues Music Award nominee for Acoustic Artist of the Year; and Terry Robb – 19 time Best Acoustic Guitar Muddy Award winner from the Cascade Blues Association and Oregon Music Hall of Fame member. The label name is inspired by the

Yellow Dog Railroad The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (Y&MV) was incorporated in 1882 and was part of the Illinois Central Railroad system (IC). Construction began in Jackson, Mississippi, and continued to Yazoo City, Mississippi. The line was later expanded ...

and its role in American music history. The Yazoo Delta railroad, known as the "Yellow Dog", was a renowned rail line running through the heart of the Mississippi delta in the early 1900s. References to the Yellow Dog appear in early blues songs by W.C. Handy,

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the " Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. Inducted into the Rock a ...

Charlie Patton Charley Patton (April 1891 (probable) – April 28, 1934), also known as Charlie Patton, was an American Delta blues musician and songwriter. Considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", he created an enduring body of American musi ...

Lucille Bogan Lucille Bogan (born Lucile Anderson; April 1, 1897August 10, 1948) was an American classic female blues singer and songwriter, among the first to be recorded. She also recorded under the pseudonym Bessie Jackson. Music critic Ernest Borneman not ...

and

Big Bill Broonzy Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African American audiences. In the 1930s ...

. In January 2016, Yellow Dog Records was a recipient of the 2016 Keeping the Blues Alive Awards, presented by the Blues Foundation.

Roster

* Asylum Street Spankers * Bluff City Backsliders *

The Bo-Keys The Bo-Keys are a soul jazz band from Memphis, Tennessee, formed as an homage to the city's rich musical tradition. History In 1998, Scott Bomar was asked to assemble a backing band for former Stax artist and songwriter Sir Mack Rice. His co ...

* Fiona Boyes *

* The Claudettes * Chris Cotton *

Big Joe Duskin Joseph L. "Big Joe" Duskin (February 10, 1921 – May 6, 2007) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist. He is best known for his debut album, ''Cincinnati Stomp'' (1978), and the tracks "Well, Well Baby" and "I Met a Girl Named Martha". ...

* William Lee Ellis * Mary Flower *

Mark Lemhouse Mark Lemhouse is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for releasing critically acclaimed solo albums as well as collaborating with Black Francis of The Pixies serving as producer for the album, ''Bluefinger.'' Lemhouse is known to ...

Colin Linden Colin Kendall Linden (born 16 April 1960) is a Canadian guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Linden plays acoustic and electric guitar, specializing in slide guitar, country blues, and ragtime fingerpicking. He frequently collaborates with ...

Calvin Newborn Edwin Calvin Newborn (April 27, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American jazz guitarist. Career He was the brother of pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. (1931–89), with whom he recorded between 1953 and 1958. They also formed an R&B band, with the ...

* Terry Robb *

The Soul of John Black The Soul of John Black is an American alternative soul, blues, and rock persona created by John Bigham. History John Bigham was previously a member of the band Fishbone and also worked with Miles Davis and Everlast, while Christopher Thomas who ...

* Cassie Taylor * Woodbrain

References

External links

Official Yellow Dog Records website
{{Authority control Record labels established in 2002 American independent record labels Blues record labels Soul music record labels Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad 2002 establishments in Tennessee