Yellow Dog Records is an American

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

based in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

, that features authentic American music:

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

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'' (1981 film), an American drama film * ''Americana'' (20 ...

. 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, gospe ...

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

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 t ...

'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, ...

; 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 Mary Flower is an American musician and music educator on the independent Yellow Dog Records label. A blues and ragtime fingerstyle guitarist and vocalist, she combines intricate syncopated Piedmont style fingerpicking with lap-slide guitar. In ...

– 2008 Blues Music Award nominee for Acoustic Artist of the Year; and

Terry Robb Terry Robb (born August 14, 1956) is a Canadian fingerstyle guitarist, composer, arranger and record producer living in the United States. He plays electric and acoustic guitar, and is associated with the American Primitive Guitar genre through hi ...

– 19 time Best Acoustic Guitar Muddy Award winner from the Cascade Blues Association and

Oregon Music Hall of Fame The Oregon Music Hall of Fame is an award honoring musicians from the U.S. state of Oregon. The first induction ceremony took place on October 13, 2007. History The Oregon Music Hall of Fame was conceived of in the 1990s by a group called the Oreg ...

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 expand ...

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 William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. He was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musician ...

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was t ...

Charlie Patton Charlie Patton (April 1891 (probable) – April 28, 1934), more often spelled Charley 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 America ...

Lucille Bogan Lucille Bogan (née 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 noted tha ...

and

Big Bill Broonzy Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1893 or 1903August 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 19 ...

. 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 Asylum Street Spankers was an American acoustic blues and roots rock band from Austin, Texas, United States. The band played cover versions of early jazz and comical, often risqué original songs. In 2006, the band's satirical antiwar video "Sti ...

* 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 c ...

* Fiona Boyes *

The Claudettes The Claudettes is an American blues, rock and pop group, which formed in 2010. They are led by Johnny Iguana, and although the combo has had a changing line-up since its inception, they have released four albums to date. Biography Overview In l ...

* 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 *

* Mark Lemhouse *

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, who frequently collaborates wi ...

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 ...

* The Soul of John Black *

Cassie Taylor Cassie Taylor (born 1986 in Boulder, Colorado) is an American singer-songwriter and blues musician. She started her career in the early 2000s touring as a bassist for her father Otis Taylor, a trance blues musician. Taylor released a positivel ...

* 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 Record labels based in Memphis, Tennessee