• Track Listing

2024 release. With 'Destination Jail, Vol. 2', Bear Family Records® offers another intriguing collection of blues and rhythm & blues obscurities and classics from the '40s to the '60s about life behind bars. -It deals with the various elements of the US justice system: prison = county farm, chain gang; jail and penitentiary. -Among the better-known highlights are Jailhouse Rock by Frankie Lymon, the heartbreaking Please Mr. Jailer by Wynona Carr, the Prisoner's Song by Fats Domino - in this case a classic from the Anglo-Celtic tradition - and the tongue-in-cheek Good Morning Judge by Wynonie Harris. Incarceration is a frequent theme in American roots music, especially in blues and rhythm & blues. African American life in the New World started in chains and endured slavery and segregation. Despite significant changes initiated during the second half of the 20th century, equality has not yet reached all strata of society. The percentage of African Americans sentenced to time in prison is considerably higher than that of other demographic groups. Frequent analysis also reveals statistics that African Americans most likely receive longer prison sentences than white Americans. This is a sensitive topic, and one might wonder how this compilation of African American popular music from the 40s to 60s fits into the lighter and novelty-laden 'Destination' Series. See and listen for yourself. This compilation offers various styles. It also presents multiple viewpoints - from gallows humor, the laughing-to-keep-from-crying approach, the cry for help, and the promise of redemption.