Oh yeah, Abner Jay definitely deserves respect. And well done on posting tht song, "I'm So Depressed", as it is one of the most impressive vocal blues performances I've ever heard. Stunning! And he also has a great sense of humor and a knack for for keeping things stupid and light and fun as well as and sometimes at the same time as depressing and sad and bluesy.
If you like his stuff, Mecca, I wanted to mention the Detroit 1 man band blues man Docter Ross. Very reminiscent of Abner in style. Also they're both relatively modern 1 man band primal blues types.
Very cool opening post. Would definitely like to mention Scrapper Blackwell, as he is the artist who pops into my head immediately when I think of a halfway point between blues and country.
Yeah those are both totally classic early blues men. The scrapper deserves more credit as being one of the most technically skilled of the early piedmont/east coast guitarists. _________________ -Ryan
Great thread Mercury, thanks for sharing. I think it could help me a lot. I also loved the examples you gave to repo, I think they fit in for what you explained about guitar style. (and I really loved them, too)
Keep it going!
The next regional sound that is actually just as fertile and beautiful as the Mississppi style is what is often called "Piedmont Style" or by the more general name "East Coast Style". Piedmont refers geographically to the Piedmont plateau region, on the East Coast of the United States from about Richmond, Virginia to Atlanta, Georgia. Piedmont blues musicians come from this area, as well as most other south eastern states and Appalachian regions as well. And a bit later in its development through time, the style and the musicians that played it started popping up more and more in the northeastern areas of Boston, New Jersey and New York.
The style is mostly a reference to the guitar style. The Piedmont finger style is a particular picking method which I won't claim to know much of, as I am not a musician. But the guitar sound is a beautiful, strident, and lively. Stylistically the sound of much of the blues from this region pre WWII is based in Ragtime, early jazz, as well as earlier banjo-based music, and string bands. This was the main music in the region of the time (early to mid 20s) and was thus taken on by the bluesmen from the area and adapted and integrated into a very unique and vibrant style of blues music.
Clearly, again and just like earlier in the Mississippi Delta, the whole of the blues scene in the east didn't have the same sound. But the main distinguishing factors of the blues from this area was/is a definite rich background in jazz traditions, ragtime guitar techniques, etc.
As for the vocals and other aspects of this style, there's no denying that the sheer, painful intensity you can find in Delta Blues and, generally, Texas Blues as well is not generally a feature of the music from this area. In its place is a certain subtle, and relatable feeling of everyday blues. With most of these players the pain and ache are presented by less intense and scorching means. But at the same time, this style in my mind is more diverse and musically rich even than that of the delta. The guitar sings and floats and bounces in more elaborate and beautiful ways. The style as a whole conveys more hope and happiness into the world of its protagonists than the Delta style.
But really to compare the 2 sounds is silly. For one, they have so much crossover its crazy. Many Delta greats were directly channeling the sounds of the east, and many east coast style players were integrating aspects of the delta slide guitar techniques and delta rhythms into their music. The sounds are generally distinct but also they influence and feed off each other and are the definition of symbiotic. The same goes for the Texas players once I get around to them.
Much like the music of the Delta, this style of blues fell out of favor after World War II. But whereas Delta Blues found an almost instant vessel for a sort of resurrection into Chicago Blues just after WWII, the Piedmont scene and style as a viable and profitable scene fell sharply off and didn't have such a clear influence on the next wave of blues music in the big cities.
What did happen was a revival. The massive upsurge of interest in Country Blues in the late 50s and early 60s meant that dozens and dozens of seemingly forgotten greats in this genre began being searched out, recorded and given gigs all over. This effected all areas of the country blues. Delta blues men such as Son House and Mississippi Fred McDowell and John Hurt and many others were suddenly thrust forward into popularity again. But this perhaps was even more so with the Piedmont players. By the late 50s artists like Josh White, Rev. Gary Davis, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Blind Willie McTell and many others were experiencing similar resurgences in interest in their art form.
The Piedmont style of blues was also a huge influence on the guitar techniques of several of my (and your) favorite modern folk musicians such as The Tallest Man On Earth, and even Nick Drake. Also heavily influenced other musicians such as Bob Dylan and The White Stripes and countless others.
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EAST COAST/PIEDMONT STYLE ALBUM RECS
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Steppin' On The Blues by Lonnie Johnson
Okay, so please get this straight: Lonnie Johnson is in many ways on a whole other level than basically every other person I've mentioned so far on this thread in terms of influence, originality, skill, diversity and in terms of the lasting print he left on music, all music. Melodically he was so advanced and brilliant and so far outstretched most anyone in the pre-war blues (or even jazz) scene it's insane. He is featured here because although the blues was but a part of his legacy, it was through the blues he got his start and it was through the blues that he created some of his most aesthetically rich and godly music. He was idolized by Robert Johnson, he was heavily influential on later jazz guitar geniuses such as Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, and he is said to have been the first person to introduce the guitar solo on record (yes, you heard me right.) on the song "6/88 Glide". But putting all these influence talks aside, he was truly one of the most engaging and inventive and fun to listen to guitarist to ever grace this world. I could go on and in about him, but I will end by saying please check this man's music out. He is very important to me.
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The Classic Years 1927-1940 by Blind Willie McTell
Blind Willie McTell is blues royalty. While being undoubtedly one of the greatest guitarist in its history, he was also one of his most emotive and beautiful vocalists ever. And as a musician, with his signature 12 String guitar, he melded blues with ragtime in ways few could pull off. And he was so nimble in his guitar prowess he sounded like 2 guitarist at once at times. Another thing not to be missed is his superb songwriting skills lyrically and his profound sense of rhythm in his playing. The dude was just a straight stud. Oh and his songs with Ruth Mary Willis are absolutely to die for.
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East Coast Piedmont Style by Blind Boy Fuller
Blind Boy Fuller was one of the most recorded artists of his time and the most popular and one of the most influential Piedmont blues players of all time. Fuller could play so many styles from slide to ragtime to pop to straight blues. And he made all styles his own with his gorgeous National steel guitar sound. Fuller was a fine, expressive vocalist and a masterful guitarist. He was capable of delivering deep, emotional material as well as upbeat ragtime classics. Highly recommended as one of your first stops if you wanna hear some great old blues - of any kind.
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Meet You At The Station: The Vintage Re...Gary Davis
On many songs Davis really does get the guitar to sound like an orchestra, boldly running through beautiful melodic turns and harmonic flourishes with what sound like ease. He was such an advanced and integrated musician that his style baffled people from the 20s all the way up through the 50s and 60s when he was rediscovered and newly adored by a new generation of blues and rock musicians. In his guitar you can hear all kinds of influences from Gospel, to Ragtime, to swing to fun minstrel ditties, and he takes all these amazing styles and molds them into his absolutely lovely style. And on top of that he has one of the most enjoyable, for me, rough, and earnest blues voices ever.
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Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker by Blind Blake
Blind Blake was a fascinating man. A mystery to this day as to who he was, where he was from, what his true name is, etc. But it's amazing also how important he was to the development of Blues and Ragtime. Along with being one of the most skilled guitarists in blues history, he was perhaps the primary developer of "finger-style" ragtime on the guitar, Blake was a TOTAL master of this technique, unsurpassed in the 85+ years since. This compilation possesses an energy and warmth that is simply stunning. He was a total giant.
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Virtuoso Guitar 1925-1934 by Scrapper Blackwell
Scrapper and blues pianist Leroy Carr are usual associated. It was with Carr that Scrapper recorded much of his most notable sides. But also as a solo guitarist (featured here quite a bit) he was fabulous. He was a truly spectacular guitarist technically. Very jazz based, improvised and beautiful. And his single string soloing technique is pristine. You can't help but love this man and his music.
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Complete Brownie McGhee by Brownie McGhee
Brownie McGhee is another damn fine, and downright essential Piedmont blues guitarist. His recordings, and especially his recordings with his friend and Harpist Sonny Terry, are warm and rich and endearing as hell. He was an accomplished guitarist in the blues style and he was always able to breathe life and interest in to some of the greatest and most familiar folk songs.
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Blues Singer 1932-1936 by Josh White
Josh White's career is interesting. He was a major member of the crowd that pushed forward the folk revival. And he became his most polished and popular in the 50s and early 60s in such a way. But earlier he was actually a major figure in this here piedmont style blues thing in the 30s. This dude was an apprentice of sorts to legends such as Blind Blake and even the legendary Blind Lemon Jefferson (aka the King of the Country Blues). He was absolutely a fine guitarist with a nice, emotive and sweet voice.
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Chocolate To The Bone by Barbecue Bob
Robert Hicks (Barbecue Bob) is a very notable and impressive early Atlanta blues figure. He was important in establishing and popularizing for the first time the blues in Atlanta. His skills as a slide and 12 string guitarist is on nice display throughout these beautiful (and pretty roughly recorded and worn) recordings.
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Georgia Guitar Wizard 1928-1935 by Curley Weaver
Curley has been and was mostly overshadowed by his peers whom he played along side such as Blind Willie McTell, Barbecue Bob and Buddy Moss, and that is unfair. Because he was an extremely gifted piedmont style guitarist. Nicely jumping from straight blues, to ragtime-style numbers as well as being a good singer to boot.
Good Gawd, Mercury! I honestly didn't think it was possible, but your write up for "2nd installment" subjectively seems even better to me. Your passion percolates through pretty much every line written here. If the Texas installment is even better, I need to know what performance enhancing aids you've employed. LOL.
Now excuse me while I step on out with your boy Lonnie...
edit: Haha! Just heard No More Trouble by Lonnie Johnson with its subject matter of having "three woman". I assume this is the blues song that I heard Jack White is paying homage to on Lazaretto's Three Women.
ps: Yeah. Lonnie's easily my favorite so far out of Tommy, Charley and Lonnie.
This is a brilliant post. I think it's great for beginners and hardened listeners alike, going through blues legends and more obscure players.
You certainly hit the nail on the head with Tommy McCleannan too. Vastly under appreciated, Bottle It Up And Go is one of my favourite pre war blues songs.
Thanks, Max! Totally agree Tommy mcClennan was a beast.
As I see you edited it out, but yeah as you may have seen (and this removed the question about Blind Willie Johnson) but Blind Willie Johnson will be covered in some detail when I get to the Texas Country Blues. He's truly one of my personal top 5 fave country blues artists. _________________ -Ryan
After noticing the lack of Blind Willie Johnson, I looked back and noticed no Blind Lemon or Lightin' Hopkins. I thought "He can't have missed those three, what do they have in common that separates them from the rest? Hmm.... Oh Yeah.... "
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