Black Ivory King

Known primarily by the moniker Black Ivory King, which served as the recording alias for Dave Alexander, the musician left behind a limited discography consisting of merely four tracks. These were committed to tape for the American Decca label during a session in Dallas at the beginning of 1937, a time when he may have called the Dallas-Fort Worth area home. As a habitual rider of freight trains, he recounted his experiences on the rails within what stands as his most accomplished composition, "The Flying Crow," a piece titled after the specific route originating in Shreveport and passing through Port Arthur, Texas, Ashdown, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and ultimately reaching Kansas City, Missouri. Beyond these details, scant information exists regarding his background, save for his acquaintance with the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson, evident in his rendition of "Match Box Blues," which weaves in several verses originally performed by Jefferson.