Throwback Thursday: Texas Alexander And Little Hat Jones' 'Double Crossing Blues'

We're throwing back deep this week, to a time when San Antonio was an important outlet for the recording industry. In the interwar period, SA served as a dot on the frontier for major labels to collect the scattered sounds of Mexican and blues musicians operating in South Texas. At the time, the idea of the field recording — capturing unheard sounds across America — was a hot commodity, sending major labels into the nation's boonies for the next big thing.

Robert Johnson's 1936 recording date at the Gunter Hotel is by far the most famous of these SA recordings, though the practice went back into the '20s. In June of 1929, Alger "Texas" Alexander and George "Little Hat" Jones teamed up for this San Anto recording of "Double Cross Blues." Jones, a street busker in San Antonio, joined blues legend Texas Alexander in the Okeh label's so called "location-recording" room for this hot summer session.

"Double Cross Blues" starts off with a fury, slowing down before Alexander's coyote-hurt yelp comes in to deliver the two-timing tale.