Always love an excuse to play some Charley Patton. Charley helped define not only the musical style of the delta blues, but also the image and lifestyle of the rambling bluesman. He died, aged 43, of Mitral valve disorder on this day in 1934, in Indianapolis, Mississippi. Here's 'Banty Rooster Blues' .
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Otis Rush's birthday today, born 29th April, 1935 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, one of the truly great electric guitarists and a most unheralded blues player. Here he is in '59 on 'All Your Love (I Miss Loving)'.
Last edited by johncorrigan; 29-04-21, 08:58.Comment
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Listening to that recording makes me realise that back in his Bluesbreaker days Eric Clapton was a good blues guitarist but also a good copyist - Otis’ licks sound very close to what Eric did!Originally posted by johncorrigan View Post
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Good to hear that one again, cloughie. Eric often quoted Otis as one of the greats...I think you can hear Peter Green in there too. Otis never received the credit that he deserved. 'I can't quit you baby, but I gotta put you down for a while.'Originally posted by cloughie View Post
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'I can tell you one thing, Nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell' sang Dylan in his song celebrating the great Piedmont Bluesman. William Samuel McTier was born 5th May, 1901 in Thomson, Georgia. Willie was born blind in one eye, losing the sight in the other by late childhood. He played the life of the itinerant bluesman, never achieving fame though he recorded often from 1927 till the mid-fifties, at one point being recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. And although he did not achieve fame in his lifetime, he influenced many from Taj Mahal to the Allman Brothers to Jack White, as well as Bob. Here's Willie in 1949 on 'Little Delia'which Dylan did a great version of on 'World Gone Wrong'.
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In Sainsbury’s today I spent the vast sum of £3 on a 5cd set in the 100 HITS series ‘The Blues’ - looks all good stuff - with 100 songs there sung by a vast variety of blues singers - all originals none of your White Boy blues there should be a few new to me.
Last edited by cloughie; 08-05-21, 10:58.Comment
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Robert Leroy Johnson's 110th birthday today according to the middle-aged calendar on the kitchen wall, born 8th May 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Thought I'd celebrate my kitchen wall with 'Come on in My Kitchen', which I always recall appearing on the first Crosby, Stills and Nash record when David Crosby did a short take on it. Think I'll stick with Robert for now.
Thank you, kitchen.
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Early on in his career, Aaron Thibeaux Walker's middle name was corrupted to T-Bone to give him his working name. T-Bone was born 28th May 1910 in Linden, Texas. He started his career leading the great Blind Lemon Jefferson through the city streets and began playing in his teens, first recording at nineteen. Around this time he became friendly with jazz guitarist, Charlie Christian, and T-Bone came to be acknowledged as the original solo electric guitar bluesman. He recorded prolifically throughout his life and won a Grammy in 1969. Here he is holding his own with a wonderful jazz outfit in London in '66.
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My wee blues calendar informs me that today is the death day of John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson, who was robbed and murdered on the way home from a gig in Chicago, Illinois on June 1st 1948. That night Sonny Boy probably played this track, 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl', though not with the original band which composed Robert Lee McCoy (aka Robert Nighthawk) with the great Joe Williams.
Shortly after his death, Rice Miller adopted the name Sonny Boy Williamson, and the person who presented the video of this on youtube got them mixed up, as you may notice. I first heard this song by Ten Years After, but it's been covered by many.Comment
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It's the mighty Lizzie Douglas' birthday today, born 3rd May, 1897 in Algiers, Louisiana. The oldest of 13, she picked up the banjo at 7, and then started playing guitar going on to play the streets of Memphis and adopting the name Memphis Minnie. Minnie is one of the pivotal figures of the move to electric blues in Chicago having moved there with her husband Joe McCoy in the 30s. Here she is before her electric days on the wonderful 'Chickasaw Train Blues'.
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Thanks for the memory jogger JC - sadly neglected. Is this the track to add to the Neverending? I think so....Originally posted by johncorrigan View Post
(PS immortalised by R. Crumb as one of the Heroes of the Blues:
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Skip James was born 9th June in Bentonia, Mississippi - here he is aged '65 in Cologne - the announcer Herr will tell you all you need to know for now.
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"no one could match Howlin' Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits." That paragon of the B lues, Chester Arthur Burnett was born this day in 1910 in West Point, Mississippi. Among other things, I found out recently that he was one of the last of the 'Buffalo Soldiers' when he served in the military in the 40s in the Cavalry division. Here's his first recording from 1951, with Ike Turner producing and playing the piano, and some fine guitar from Willie Johnson...'How many More Years'.
T-Bone Burnett said: “In some ways ‘How Many More Years’ by Wolf would be the first rock ’n’ roll song because that has the guitar lick that became the central guitar lick in rock ‘n’ roll, and that’s the first time we heard that played on a distorted guitar.”
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Thanks JC - made my day so far reading this short piece and listening to the Wolf.Originally posted by johncorrigan View Post
Finally realised that he must have been the inspiration for the voice of legendary DJ Wolfman Jack
(at some point I'm sure someone will point out that neither of these actually sounds like a wolf...)Comment
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Thanks, GT. The Wolfman always makes me think of 'American Graffiti'. Howlin' Wolf grew up on the Young and Morrow Cotton Plantation near Ruleville. His Grandfather used to tell him stories of the wolves that lived in the area. One night the young Chester was frightened by something outside and he ran howling upstairs. This prompted his family to dub him the Howlin’ Wolf. What a pet name to have!Originally posted by Globaltruth View PostThanks JC - made my day so far reading this short piece and listening to the Wolf.
Finally realised that he must have been the inspiration for the voice of legendary DJ Wolfman Jack
(at some point I'm sure someone will point out that neither of these actually sounds like a wolf...)
The calendar informs me that it's also Hattie McDaniel's birthday today born 1895 in Witchita, Kansas. She is, of course, best known for being the first African American to win an Oscar but she could hold a tune too, sort of...here she is with Paul Robeson doing one of my favourite show tunes.
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