My nice new Blues Calendar

[johncorrigan]

Got a Classic Blues Calendar from Santa and thought I might celebrate the birthdays and death days of some of the greats. January features Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe as the fine piece of artwork, but here's the cover:

https://i0.wp.com/sundayblues.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/21551750_1495616270477463_2985987215165521164_o.jpg

Anyway, I notice that today marks the birthday of the great Mississippi Fred McDowell in Rossville, Tennessee in 1904, so that seems like a fine place to start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TyzAAwJnIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64T6ugyWXAA

[Serial_Apologist]

Got a Classic Blues Calendar from Santa and thought I might celebrate the birthdays and death days of some of the greats.

Very useful for having a flat on the third, and the seventh. Or even on the fifth, more recently.

[johncorrigan]

My Blues Calendar for 2018 tells me that tomorrow would have marked the 122th birthday in Hernando, Mississippi, of Robert Wilkins, and therefore good reason to revisit this piece of genius from Newport in 1964 so influential on the Stones. Worth every moment, in my opinion. Mick and Keith certainly seem to have thought so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUjN6ZN00MI

[Lat-Literal]

Got a Classic Blues Calendar from Santa and thought I might celebrate the birthdays and death days of some of the greats. January features Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe as the fine piece of artwork, but here's the cover:

https://i0.wp.com/sundayblues.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/21551750_1495616270477463_2985987215165521164_o.jpg

Anyway, I notice that today marks the birthday of the great Mississippi Fred McDowell in Rossville, Tennessee in 1904, so that seems like a fine place to start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TyzAAwJnIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64T6ugyWXAA

This represents a problem for me as I have to have three calendars annually - paintings done by people with disability, plus RSPCA animals and RSPCA dogs.

Now I am going to be wanting a fourth one and I really don't have enough rooms.

[johncorrigan]

This represents a problem for me as I have to have three calendars annually - paintings done by people with disability, plus RSPCA animals and RSPCA dogs.

Now I am going to be wanting a fourth one and I really don't have enough rooms.

Lat, my wee calendar tells me that Leadbelly was born this very day in 1889 in Mooringsport, Louisiana. Here's Gallows Pole...powerful guitar playing, walkin' and talkin'!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye2N_2ce3QE

[cloughie]

Lat, my wee calendar tells me that Leadbelly was born this very day in 1889 in Mooringsport, Louisiana. Here's Gallows Pole...powerful guitar playing, walkin' and talkin'!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye2N_2ce3QE

jc, I hope we will get regular gems from the Calendar.

[johncorrigan]

jc, I hope we will get regular gems from the Calendar.

Certainly intend to, cloughie. A big week for anniversaries this week...and lesser names too. But where better than to start with Blind Willie Johnson whose voice is Voyaging beyond the outer reaches of our solar system and who was born the 23rd Jan in 1897 in Independence, Texas. Here he is singing of the old Titanic - 'God Moves on the Water'. Epic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MylKZba4wa4

...and a great R Crumb drawing to accompany it!

[Globaltruth]

Certainly intend to, cloughie. A big week for anniversaries this week...and lesser names too. But where better than to start with Blind Willie Johnson whose voice is Voyaging beyond the outer reaches of our solar system and who was born the 23rd Jan in 1897 in Independence, Texas. Here he is singing of the old Titanic - 'God Moves on the Water'. Epic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MylKZba4wa4

...and a great R Crumb drawing to accompany it!

One of the intriguing aspects of his songs is the identity of the woman vocalist. The harmonising of his gravelly moan and her sweet singing is one of the aspects I enjoy; the other being the exquisite slide playing, enhanced by his choice of subject (he was arrested for singing 'If I Had My Way I’d Tear The Building Down' outside a courthouse).

Back to the female singer - I've read various theories: she was his first wife, his second wife, or some other woman never mentioned in his biography.
The only certainty is that his first wife, Willie B. Harris, contributed the harmonies on some of his early recordings - but if you listen carefully, doesn't sound like her throughout.
Anyway, whoever it is, she/they also definitely deserve a

[Padraig]

Back to the female singer - I've read various theories: she was his first wife, his second wife, or some other woman never mentioned in his biography.
The only certainty is that his first wife, Willie B. Harris, contributed the harmonies on some of his early recordings - but if you listen carefully, doesn't sound like her throughout.
Anyway, whoever it is, she/they also definitely deserve a

Intriguing post G; I didn't know of Willie B Harris until I read it. Looking into it.

I always preferred the women Blues and Jazz singers when I was interested in 'that sort of thing'. So, I hope John will get round to including some of them in his survey - which could turn out to be quite extensive if everybody gets their druthers.

[johncorrigan]

Intriguing post G; I didn't know of Willie B Harris until I read it. Looking into it.

I always preferred the women Blues and Jazz singers when I was interested in 'that sort of thing'. So, I hope John will get round to including some of them in his survey - which could turn out to be quite extensive if everybody gets their druthers.

Interestingly, Padraig, I thought of posting of this last Saturday which is so unusual to me. It's supposed to be Leadbelly, but it's Mrs Leadbetter singing on this take on 'House of the Rising Sun' with Huddie on the guitar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5tOpyipNJs

[johncorrigan]

The Calendar informs me that today marks the death day of Bertha Henderson (not to be confused with 'Big' Bertha Henderson) who passed away on this day in 1935 in St Louis, Missouri. She performed with Blind Blake among others but here she is doing 'Black Bordered Letter'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKj0S2GAmao

[Padraig]

The Calendar informs me that today marks the death day of Bertha Henderson (not to be confused with 'Big' Bertha Henderson) who passed away on this day in 1935 in St Louis, Missouri. She performed with Blind Blake among others but here she is doing 'Black Bordered Letter'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKj0S2GAmao

Interesting discussion on the Boards thread, which I'm sure you're following, John, with mounting confusion!

So, I'm taking a big chance here by asserting that if Bertha is a Blues singer in Black Bordered Letter, 'Big' Bertha is of the Rhythm and Blues variety in Little Daddy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c1OUiybbQM

[johncorrigan]

Interesting discussion on the Boards thread, which I'm sure you're following, John, with mounting confusion!

So, I'm taking a big chance here by asserting that if Bertha is a Blues singer in Black Bordered Letter, 'Big' Bertha is of the Rhythm and Blues variety in Little Daddy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c1OUiybbQM

Sounds like there's some Rhythm and some Blues in there, Padraig, and very fine it was...who'd have guessed there'd be two Bertha Hendersons?

As we approach the 27th I should say that we celebrate the centenary of one of the most influential Bluesmen, Elmore James...particularly influential on a number of the British & U.S. rock/blues guitarists. Elmore, the king of the slide guitar, was born in Richard, Mississippi in 1918, and here he is on 'The Sky is Crying'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFn538A_yBA

Elmore died in Chicago in 1963.

[johncorrigan]

One of the interesting things looking through this month's hatches, matches and dispatches in the first month of the Blues Calendar is how many of the blues folks died in Chicago, Illinois. Like Kansas Joe McCoy who died this day in 1950, but is better known as the partner of Memphis Minnie. Here they are together on their first record for Columbia in June 1929.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsQow0YCCBI

[Lat-Literal]

One of the interesting things looking through this month's hatches, matches and dispatches in the first month of the Blues Calendar is how many of the blues folks died in Chicago, Illinois. Like Kansas Joe McCoy who died this day in 1950, but is better known as the partner of Memphis Minnie. Here they are together on their first record for Columbia in June 1929.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsQow0YCCBI

An excellent link, JC.

This ain't no calendar......it's a educashun.