My nice new Blues Calendar

[johncorrigan]

That Blind Boy Paxton is mighty fine indeed, Global. Cerys' predecessor, Paul Jones, played him too.

But for today, born Mathis (or Matcher) James Reed in Leland, Mississippi on 6th September in 1925, Jimmy Reed moved north to work in the steel industry of Chicago after he left the Forces at the end of WW2. Reed enjoyed great success in the 50s and 60s on VJ records with his easy-going voice, and rasping harmonica and rhythmic guitar which he played together, apparently making a moothie holder out of a coat hanger. Jimmy's songs have been recorded by the likes of Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Tina Turner and The Rolling Stones - he wrote most of his songs with his wife, Mary. Jimmy was epileptic and an alcoholic and in the end died after suffering a grand mal. Reed may not be as well known as someone like Muddy Waters, but his songs are well worth exploration. Here he is on 'Baby What You Want Me to do'.

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

[johncorrigan]

Robert Hicks was born 11th September 1902 in Walnut Grove, Georgia, son of a sharecropping family. Through the mid-20s he performed with his brother and the Weaver Family in and around Atlanta, and in the late 20s Hicks became particularly popular while working in a barbecue restaurant, preparing, serving and entertaining the customers, and earning him the name Barbecue Bob, and the attention of Columbia Records. He was very popular and Columbia recorded over 60 sides by him, and he also recorded with outfits like the Georgia Cotton Pickers as well as recording with his brother, Laughing Charley. Sadly, by age 29 Bob had gone to that big barbecue in the sky, dead after a bout of pneumonia. He left behind some terrific tracks.
Here he is on 'Motherless Chile Blues'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLyvL2FQIBg

[johncorrigan]

Gus Cannon of the Cannon Jug Stompers was born in Red Banks in Mississippi on 12th September 1883 , though some place his year of birth as early as 1874 - it's reputed that he made his first banjo out of a frying pan covered in raccoon skin and that he could play the banjo and jug simultaneously, and he certainly comes from the earliest of the blues artists to be recorded, although he didn't record until the late 20s. Also it would appear that he recorded well into the 1950s and played till shortly before he died in 1979 which certainly puts him close to or even over 100 years. Here's the Stompers on one of their most famous songs...'Walk Right In'

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

[Globaltruth]

Gus Cannon of the Cannon Jug Stompers was born in Red Banks in Mississippi on 12th September 1883 , though some place his year of birth as early as 1874 - it's reputed that he made his first banjo out of a frying pan covered in raccoon skin and that he could play the banjo and jug simultaneously, and he certainly comes from the earliest of the blues artists to be recorded, although he didn't record until the late 20s. Also it would appear that he recorded well into the 1950s and played till shortly before he died in 1979 which certainly puts him close to or even over 100 years. Here's the Stompers on one of their most famous songs...'Walk Right In'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BEhtwEHSnM

After first frying the raccoon in said pan?

[johncorrigan]

After first frying the raccoon in said pan?

Yum! I'm sure Riley B King would enjoyed some in his time, Global. BB (The Beale Street Blues Boy), was born this day in 1925 in Itta Benna, Mississippi. After leaving a building because a fire had broken out, BB famously realised that he had left his guitar inside so he went back into the burning building to retrieve the $30 Gibson guitar. He later learned that the two men who started the fire had been fighting over a woman who worked at the hall and she was named Lucille, and that's why he called his guitar Lucille.

The King of the Blues first recorded in 1949 hitting the top of the R'n'B charts in 1951 with '3 o'clock Blues'. He had previously played with Bukka White who took him to Memphis. His most famous songs would be perhaps 'Thrill is Gone' and 'Everyday I get the Blues' , 'When Love Comes to Town'.

Here he is in 1973 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLAAzOBoBI

I've always been partial to this tune from later on in his career - 'Better Not Look Down'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAE9Le_Hiy8

[Globaltruth]

Courtesy of Dust-to-Digital let’s remember Blind James Campbell, born on this day in 1906 in Nashville, Tennessee. Here he is leading the Nashville Street Band in a performance of "John Henry" in 1963 https://youtu.be/3KdtyewpZ9M

[johncorrigan]

It's the start of the last quarter of that there ole Blues Calendar and opens with 'Ice Man' Albert Collins born Albert Gene Drewery on 1st October, 1932 in Leona, Texas.

Each month features a record which appears on the CD which came along with the Calendar. This month it's Mississippi-born Johnnie (Geechie) Temple who learned 'Devil Got My Woman' from his pal Skip James and in 1935 transforms it into 'The Evil Devil Blues'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_rVb6chK8o

[Globaltruth]

It's the start of the last quarter of that there ole Blues Calendar and opens with 'Ice Man' Albert Collins born Albert Gene Drewery on 1st October, 1932 in Leona, Texas.

Each month features a record which appears on the CD which came along with the Calendar. This month it's Mississippi-born Johnnie (Geechie) Temple who learned 'Devil Got My Woman' from his pal Skip James and in 1935 transforms it into 'The Evil Devil Blues'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_rVb6chK8o

Can you put it on your Xmas list for next yr please?

[johncorrigan]

Can you put it on your Xmas list for next yr please?

Yellow Card, Global, for early use of the X word.

However, because you're not everybody I thought I'd break a bit of calendar convention by saying that the old Calendar, now in the autumn of it's existence, also tells about deaths, and so it's an excuse, like we should need one, to let you know that today marks the death of the mighty Nehemiah Curtis 'Skip' James in 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Skip's pal, Johnnie (Geechie) Temple, who my calendar informed us a couple of days back transformed 'Devil Got My Woman' into the 'Evil Dead Blues' for his first recording put Skip's song 'Cypress Grove Blues' on his 'B' side, but here's Skip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6QjjLIZxyk

Genius!

Also for you Global today, since we don't get lots of women appearing in the Calendar, I should mention that Victoria Spivey died 3rd October 1976 in NY, NY.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jid4mF8zrfY

[johncorrigan]

George 'Little Hat' Jones (not to confused with Country music's great GJ) was born by the Sulphur River in Bowie County, Texas on 5th October 1899. He has a bit of a tendency to change the pace of his songs throughout, but he was a fine singer. His guitar playing was probably influenced by Blind Lemon Jefferson, who would have been playing the streets of San Antonio as George was starting out. He got his name from his song 'Little Hat Blues', but although he made a fair few recordings he disappeared during the Depression only to reappear briefly in the 60s as part of the folk/blues revival, after he was found still working the fields in Naples, Texas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPEqiOTmE-g

[johncorrigan]

Not that we need an excuse to play Sister Rosetta, but she headed up on high 45 years ago on 9 October 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here's the great woman rockin' her way through 'That's All' in 1960, a song I'm much more familiar from the great street preacher/musician, Washington Phillips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9bX5mzdihs

[johncorrigan]

My thanks to the esteemed Mr Globaltruth for sending me in the direction of Laura Rivers and her rendition of 'That's All Right'. Glorious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHVnpIrX3Iw

[johncorrigan]

I mentioned Victoria Spivey earlier in the month and notice she was born this very day in 1906 in Houston, Texas. Here she is in 1963 doing TB Blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FFIK9cINvM

[Globaltruth]

I mentioned Victoria Spivey earlier in the month and notice she was born this very day in 1906 in Houston, Texas. Here she is in 1963 doing TB Blues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FFIK9cINvM

Powerful performance JC. Here she is in much younger days WITH LONNIE JOHNSON

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSX-oidnLQE

Wow.

[johncorrigan]

Powerful performance JC. Here she is in much younger days WITH LONNIE JOHNSON

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSX-oidnLQE

Wow.

As well as the great Lonnie, she played with Louis Armstrong, King Oliver and Bob, Global. Anyway there's not lots of women recorded in the calendar so I thought I'd revisit Alberta Hunter as she died this day in 1984 in New York, New York age 89. Here she is on 'You Can't Tell the Difference After Dark'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9qIcBk4pMI