My nice new Blues Calendar

[johncorrigan]

Well he's worth another track I reckon. Especially as it is (another) of my favourites; I never knew who wrote it. Shouldn't be surprised to find out that it was the hugely uncredited Rev. Robert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouM8xRzeBdU

And here is a beautifully played version by Stefan Grossman (2m 30s in) as a tribute. I hope the Rev. Robert would approve. I certainly hope some royalties have headed his relatives way too, after the Stones, Clapton et al interpreted his work...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYnfj6NukSs

I'm pretty sure it was Rev Robert who wrote it, but he certainly gospelised it to 'Prodigal Son', GT. The version of 'Prodigal Son' from Newport in '64 is one of my all time favourites...about 9 minutes long and worth every second invested. Loved the Stefan Grossman version too.

While we're enjoying the Reverend Wilkins birthday weekend, here he is with a glorious bit of talking blues. 'Streamline 'Frisco Limited'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cTUjJvJ9Ps

[johncorrigan]

The Calendar tells me it's street evangelist and star traveller, Willie Johnson's birthday today, born 22nd January, 1897 in Independence, in East Texas. Johnson recorded four sessions for Columbia in the late 20s totalling thirty sides. Blinded at seven years of age, he spent most of his playing days travelling the towns of East Texas playing street corners for coin and saving souls.

I liked this description of Johnson by blues historian Robert Palmer who likened Willie to West African maskers: “The masker was often believed to be possessed by a god or spirit, so his voice had to change along with his appearance. Some masks had mirliton membranes mounted in their mouthpieces, and the maskers sang through them, producing a buzzing timber, not unlike that of a kazoo.

“Other masked singers mastered deep chest growls, false bass tones produced in the back of the throat, strangulated shrieks and other deliberate bizarre effects. Since such extreme voice modifications had a primarily religious or ritual associations in West Africa, it’s interesting to note that it figured more prominently in black American sacred singing than in secular music. One encounters it particularly frequently in the early recordings of guitar playing evangelists such as the Texan Blind Willie Johnson.”

Most of Johnson's songs are old spirituals, traditional hymns and songs learned from other street singers. Here's 'If I had My Way, I'd Tear the Building Down', the story of Samson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS4a-DOuU9g

[Globaltruth]

The Calendar tells me it's street evangelist and star traveller, Willie Johnson's birthday today, born 22nd January, 1897 in Independence, in East Texas. Johnson recorded four sessions for Columbia in the late 20s totalling thirty sides. Blinded at seven years of age, he spent most of his playing days travelling the towns of East Texas playing street corners for coin and saving souls.

I liked this description of Johnson by blues historian Robert Palmer who likened Willie to West African maskers: “The masker was often believed to be possessed by a god or spirit, so his voice had to change along with his appearance. Some masks had mirliton membranes mounted in their mouthpieces, and the maskers sang through them, producing a buzzing timber, not unlike that of a kazoo.

“Other masked singers mastered deep chest growls, false bass tones produced in the back of the throat, strangulated shrieks and other deliberate bizarre effects. Since such extreme voice modifications had a primarily religious or ritual associations in West Africa, it’s interesting to note that it figured more prominently in black American sacred singing than in secular music. One encounters it particularly frequently in the early recordings of guitar playing evangelists such as the Texan Blind Willie Johnson.”

Most of Johnson's songs are old spirituals, traditional hymns and songs learned from other street singers. Here's 'If I had My Way, I'd Tear the Building Down', the story of Samson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS4a-DOuU9g

Brilliant post. Here's my contribution:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hucTDV1Fvo

The contrast between his voice and the female voice providing the response is deeply striking. There is no doubt that the female is Willie B. Harris but some confusion as to whether she was his wife or not.
Not that it matters. recorded in 1930, has been described as one of the most powerful pre-war acoustic songs.

[johncorrigan]

By my calculations it's Lead Belly's 133rd birthday today, born Huddie William Ledbetter on 23rd Jan, 1888 in Mooringsport, Louisiana. John and Alan Lomax recorded him singing the prison work song'Black Betty' in the 30s, which has become a bit of a rock classic. According to Huddie, 'Black Betty' was a whip used by the warders on the chain gangs, and in the song you can here the sound of the axe chopping logs. Wonder if Ram Jam knew that?*

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

* I just looked and Ram Jam's version on youtube has 190 million hits.

[cloughie]

By my calculations it's Lead Belly's 133rd birthday today, born Huddie William Ledbetter on 23rd Jan, 1888 in Mooringsport, Louisiana. John and Alan Lomax recorded him singing the prison work song'Black Betty' in the 30s, which has become a bit of a rock classic. According to Huddie, 'Black Betty' was a whip used by the warders on the chain gangs, and in the song you can here the sound of the axe chopping logs. Wonder if Ram Jam knew that?*

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

* I just looked and Ram Jam's version on youtube has 190 million hits.

Probably they didn’t but I love their version of it!

[johncorrigan]

Probably they didn’t but I love their version of it!

[johncorrigan]

In the view of a number of blues historians, the less than well-known Eugene 'Buddy' Moss, born this day, 1913 in Jewell, Georgia, deserves to be considered the most influential blues musician of the Atlanta scene in the 30s. He was just sixteen when he played harp with Barbecue Bob and Curley Weaver, performing as the Georgia Cotton Pickers; then Buddy went on to learn guitar and recorded a number of sides, but just as his career was about to take off, in 1936 he was convicted of murder and spent time inside till 1941. Despite making a few great tracks on release, the War intervened and all recording stopped. He was re-discovered in the 60s and played a few of the folk festivals but he never revived his musical career. Here's 'Undertaker Blues' from 1934, perhaps accompanied by Josh White.

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

[johncorrigan]

A mix of navy service, ill health meant that Elmore James did not achieve the fame he deserved till he was almost 40. Born Elmore Brooks in Richland, Mississippi, on 27th January, 1918, the King of the Slide Guitar influenced many, but most notably some of the white rock guitarists of the 60s, notably Brian Jones, Robbie Robertson, and Duane Almann. Here's Jeremy Spencer in 1968 in Paris doing his tribute to Elmore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUxI90HAKfQ

As Frank Zappa was quoted saying : "Elmore kept playing the same lick over and over but I get the feeling he meant it.'

[Globaltruth]

As Frank Zappa was quoted saying : "Elmore kept playing the same lick over and over but I get the feeling he meant it.'

Love that quote. I think we deserve some actual Elmore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laHeSP7-jTU

quite a good stills collage.

[johncorrigan]

Love that quote. I think we deserve some actual Elmore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laHeSP7-jTU

quite a good stills collage.

Brilliant, Global...I'm surprised that I could find no sign of live footage of Elmore.

[johncorrigan]

Walter Vinson's best known as a member of the Mississippi Sheiks, and for co-writing their big hit 'Sitting on Top of the World'. Walter was born 2nd February, 1901 in Bolton, Mississippi and as well as his work with the Sheiks and Memphis Minnie he made some fine songs of his own - I love his voice - here's 'Rats Been on my Cheese'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsYLf3d8TC0

[johncorrigan]

Here's the Memphis Jug Band with 'I Packed My Suitcase, Started for The Train' featuring Memphis Minnie, I think, and the Jug Band's founder Will Shade who was born 5th February 1898 in Memphis Tennessee. Happy Birthday Will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC0ZCaUfr3o

[johncorrigan]

As Brownie McGhee said about Lonnie Johnson: "His musical works may and should be the first book of the blues Bible." Difficult to pin it down but Alonzo Johnson was born 8th February (perhaps), in 1894 (maybe), in New Orleans (possibly), Louisiana (almost definitely) , and his guitar style influenced and was admired by among others T-Bone Walker, Robert Johnson, Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Buddy Holly...even Django Reinhardt, as the following article suggests.

https://blues.org/blues_hof_inductee/lonnie-johnson/

Here's Lonnie on 'I'm Just Dumb' on one of his favourite topics, getting a hard time from women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwhJ5O3v85M

[johncorrigan]

One of the great exponents of Piedmont Blues was North Carolina's Blind Boy Fuller who died this day in 1941 in Durham, NC. You can hear that ragtime influence in his playing. Here's 'Get your Yas Yas Out', a title which the Stones adapted for their live LP, 'Get yer Ya Yas Out'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FShhBW-NBPQ

Blind Boy died of kidney failure, but he was so popular that after he died his protégé, Brownie McGee, was persuaded to perform briefly as Blind Boy Fuller No2 so that the record company could make some money out of the dead musician's legacy.

Here's Brownie's song, 'The Death of Blind Boy Fuller'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FUV5a3hW84

[johncorrigan]

Not on the blues calendar, but the mighty Irma Thomas is 80 today, born New Orleans 18th February, 1941. Here she is back in the sixties with 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5PUa4CuO8A

Happy Birthday, Irma.