My nice new Blues Calendar

[johncorrigan]

April 12, 1867 was the birth date of one of the earliest born blues performers to make a record, one Johnny Watson, born in Mobile, Alabama. He earned the name Daddy Stovepipe when busking on the streets of Chicago, because of his big top hat, but should not be confused with two other musicians who used the name Stovepipe. He also recorded as one half of Sunny Jim and Whstlin' Joe, and also recorded with his wife, Mississippi Sarah. Seems Stovepipe played his 12-string in minstrel bands, cajun bands and mariachi bands too. He died in Chicago aged 96.
Here's a really ancient version of 'Sundown Blues' almost 100 years old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tzHbvcgd9s

[johncorrigan]

Blues singer, Texas Alexander, died 16th April, 1954 in Richards, Texas, of syphilis, apparently. He had spent five years in the Paris, Texas penitentiary after murdering his wife in 1940. This fine vocalist had been accompanied by a litany of great players through the years from his original recordings in the mid-twenties including Blind Lemon Jefferson, Eddie Lang, King Oliver, Lonnie Johnson, Bo Carter and many more. I suppose he's best known for recording the earliest version of 'House of the Rising Sun', but here he is fronting the Mississippi Sheiks featuring Carter, Sam Chatman and Walter Vinson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMjaq6uHWUk

[johncorrigan]

A few birthdays on the old calendar today including Albert King (born Albert Nelson in 1923 in Indianola, Mississippi) and Ella Fitzgerald (1917 in Newport News, Virginia). Also is a man who travelled and played with Robert Johnson, Johnny Shines, born this day in Frayser in Memphis, Tennessee. John Ned Shines was a fine guitarist who played around the south till moving to Chicago in the 40s to work in construction. He seems to have made a name playing his versions of Robert Johnson songs, as well as his own. Here's 'Evening Sun'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH0smw8kWl4

[Globaltruth]

. He seems to have made a name playing his versions of Robert Johnson songs, as well as his own. Here's 'Evening Sun'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH0smw8kWl4

Yes, I think we've been down that path before somewhere else of the relationship between Johnny Shines and Robert Johnson.
Here's a really good interview:

https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=7511.0

...as in Terraplane Blues

[johncorrigan]

Thanks GT, but sorry that I missed Otis Rush's birthday yesterday, born 85 years back in Philadelphia, Mississippi. This working from home business is upsetting my rituals.

Today's birthday is the mighty Reverend Gary Davis, born Laurens County, South Carolina this day in 1896. Here he is on Pete Seeger's show doing 'Glory Halleloo' - such joy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972Dx71AtFA

[johncorrigan]

May 5th, 1901 (maybe 1898) in Thomson, Georgia, and one of the giants of the blues, William Samuel McTier arrives on earth to become the renowned Blind Willie McTell, of whom Bob Dylan says nobody played the blues like. Here he is accompanying Kate McTell on 'Dying Gambler'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgGbPt4oP-0

[johncorrigan]

Yes, I think we've been down that path before somewhere else of the relationship between Johnny Shines and Robert Johnson.
Here's a really good interview:

https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=7511.0

...as in Terraplane Blues

Robert Johnson's birthday today, Global, born 8th May, 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Say no more...'Terraplane Blues'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It-tJ8DOjIk

[johncorrigan]

Joseph Allen McCoy aka Kansas Joe McCoy was born 11th May, 1905 in Raymond, Mississippi. Probably best remembered for accompanying his wife, Memphis Minnie, this fine guitarist was much in demand as a session musician on the early Chicago Blues scene. He played with Minnie on classics like 'When the Levee Breaks'. But he had his own band, The Harlem Hamfats, who produced this cracker - 'Weed Smoker's Dream'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyjW8FTGxbI

Joe re-wrote the lyrics of the song as 'Why don't you do right?', which became a big hit for Peggy Lee. Here's Peggy with the Dave Barbour Quartet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uTcw_A80Bo

[johncorrigan]

Burl C. 'Jaybird' Coleman was born in Gainesville, Alabama into a sharecropping family on 20th May, 1896. When he was little he learned to play harp and took the instrument when he was drafted to WW1. Seems he entertained the troops and when he returned he travelled Alabama playing the streets for coin. Like most at the time, he played in the style of the jug bands of the time. Here he is in 1927 doing a rather scratchy version of 'Ah`m Sick And Tired Of Tellin`You'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG3hY5tYdpM

[Globaltruth]

Robert Johnson's birthday today, Global, born 8th May, 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Say no more...'Terraplane Blues'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It-tJ8DOjIk

just going back to the 8th... There's a new book out, written by his sister, in conversation with a journalist Preston Lauterbach.

" he would never have sold his soul to the Devil, he was a Baptist"

phew - finally cleared that up...

[johncorrigan]

'Papa' Charlie McCoy was born this day in 1909 in Jackson, Mississippi some four years after his brother Joe. He's a fine singer who played mandolin and guitar who played jug band before heading north after Joe and Memphis Minnieand headed to Chicago. It's supposed that he got the name 'Papa' because he played in the old delta style - here he is on 'Baltimore Blues', a version of the 'Kokomo Blues' from the sound of it, and 'Sweet Home Chicago', too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33IOfe8JI64

[johncorrigan]

That calendar on the wall tells me that this day in 1910 saw the birth of Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker, a pioneer of the electric sound of the Blues. Here he is in the early 60s with Memphis Slim, Jump Jackson and Willie Dixon on 'Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong', which makes me think Peter Green was influenced by him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1xvx0UHa0A

[johncorrigan]

Had she lived the wondrous Lizzie Douglas, better known as Memphis Minnie, would have been 123 today; born 3rd June, 1897 in Algiers, Louisiana. Beware the STD...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH8_WH5aRqo

[johncorrigan]

Nehemiah Curtis 'Skip' James was born 9th June 1902 in Bentonia, Mississippi. He played piano and guitar and has that distinctive falsetto voice which always gives his songs a bleak feel. He cut 26 sides but had a very short recording career, saying in later life that he was disappointed that he only ever earned $40 from his recordings. He became a preacher in the early 30s and then, like many delta veterans, he was rediscovered in the 60s. Cream recorded his 'I'm So Glad' and he received $6000 in royalties. Here he is in Germany on his 'Hard Time Killing Floor Blues'!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYALBzfY5QY

[johncorrigan]

Let's celebrate the fact that 110 years today, the mighty Chester Arthur Burnett entered this world in West Point, Mississippi. Apparently, he says he tried to copy the yodel of Jimmy Rodgers but couldn't manage it, so he did a wolf howl instead...his Grannie gave him the name Wolf, by the way...something to do with strangling chickens. Here he is in playful mood on 'How Many More Years', from the mid-60s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpKB6OZ_B4c