This pianist was an accompanist on hundreds of blues records in the 30s, mainly for Bluebird, backing ‘Big’ Bill Broonzy, Jazz Gillum, Tampa Red, Lil Johnson, Washboard Sam and many others. His identity was the subject of years of speculation, for it seemed absurd that the possessor of such a prodigious stride and blues technique should be completely anonymous. Circumstantial evidence suggested that his true name was Bob Alexander, but his immediately recognizable style, percussive, yet sparkling and melodious, is very similar to that on an unissued test by Bob Hudson; furthermore, Memphis Slim, when asked if he had known a Bob Hudson, replied, ‘Yeah. We called him Black Bob.’