How Low Can You Go?: Anthology of the String Bass

The first anthology ever dedicated to the string bass, this set uncovers the instrument’s hidden history as the driving force of American music between 1925 and 1941.

How Low Can You Go? Anthology of the String Bass (1925–1941) shines a long-overdue spotlight on the bass—an instrument that propelled rhythms, anchored harmonies, and gave depth to the sound of early jazz, blues, country, and popular music.

Across 78 tracks, this expansive anthology charts the bass’s evolution from its earliest recorded appearances in dance bands and string ensembles to its defining role in swing orchestras, jug bands, sanctified church groups, and Western swing. Featuring masters like Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Walter Page’s Blue Devils, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, and Cab Calloway—alongside rare sides from jug bands, string bands, and gospel congregations—How Low Can You Go? reveals the bass as both the heartbeat and the hidden voice of a generation.

What’s Included

• 78 audio tracks (1925–1941)
• newly remastered tracks
• View the complete tracklist here: [Insert hosted PDF link]
• 144-page dgital book (PDF) features:
• Essays, artist biographies, rare photographs, and detailed recording notes
• Stunning design and archival presentation highlighting the role of the bass across jazz, blues, swing, gospel, jug bands, and string traditions

About the Compilers

Compiled by Lance Ledbetter and Dick Spottswood, this anthology is a labor of love from Dust-to-Digital’s mission to preserve forgotten Americana. It was nominated for the 2008 Jazz Journalists Association Award for Reissue/Historical Box Set of the Year, honoring its significance in jazz and archival preservation.

Praise & Reviews

“A treasure trove of deep cuts and forgotten gems, revealing the bass as both backbone and innovator in American roots music.”

— AllMusic

“Another triumph of curation and presentation from Dust-to-Digital… history you can hear and feel.”

— The Wire

“Makes the humble bass sound like the star of the show—because it was.”

— JazzTimes