His accompanists on record variously included Cripple Clarence Lofton, Blind John Davis, Black Bob, Kansas Joe McCoy, Papa Charlie McCoy, Big Bill Broonzy and Lonnie Johnson.
He was noted as "a fine vocalist with a telling falsetto", and was fortunate to be accompanied in his recordings with some of the best musicians available at that time.
[2] "Crying Mother Blues" and "Streamline Train" (both 1936) are two of the tracks from the period that music journalists have described as the best of his career.
[7] "Mother Fuyer", a jump blues song in the dirty blues tradition (including the lyric "I got to put this mule to jumpin' in yo' stall, I'm a lovin' muther for ya") written and recorded by Nelson in 1947 under the nom de disque Dirty Red, was released by Aladdin Records as a 78-rpm 10" shellac disc.
[2][4] Sheldon Harris's 1979 edition of Blues Who's Who stated that he "frequently worked outside of music (as a waiter), Trocadero Lounge Club, Chicago into the 60s".