Yeah! I've heard a lot about him, can't say I've ever really dug into him. Those 2 songs you posted are beautiful. I will have to start checking out more of his stuff. _________________ -Ryan
The next, and probably last, specific regional form of Country Blues I wanted to write a few words on is Texas Blues. Blues in Texas was a thing for just about as long as blues was a thing. At the turn of the 20th century early blues music began to appear in the region.
In many ways the story of Texas style acoustic blues is quite similar to that of the Delta Blues in the Mississippi area. The blues existed there, became a part of the African-american's musical heritage and was finally popularized and established around basically one absolutely influential musician. For the Delta that man is regarded as Charley Patton. For Texas blues that man was Blind Lemon Jefferson. In the mid 1920s, Blind Lemon Jefferson was very innovative and to a great degree set the scene and underlying sound of the blues in Texas. Specifically he developed a great jazz-like improvising guitar style and a beautiful (and very unique and groundbreaking) single stringed lead guitar style that sort of followed and melded with the vocals. His guitar style as well as the similarly complex playing of Ramblin' Thomas and Funny Paper Smith, helped create the bedrock of of the early Texas blues sound, and greatly influenced the musicians who followed such as Lightnin' Hopkins, Lil Son Jackson and even the next generation's electric bluesmen like T-Bone Walker.
For me, although Texas Country Blues does have a distinct sound, it does not hold as strong to a musical and stylistic identity as the earlier 2 features. The early Texas blues scene was not nearly as fruitful of hit makers and legendary characters and influential musicians as either the East Coast piedmont Style or the Delta. What it does hold, for me anyway, is a definite vein of struggle in the sound of the guitar and vocals. There's a weather-worn streak of humanity in some of this music that feels pretty unique to me. And, seemingly in direct contrast to that feature, there's a dark, fearful twist to the early blues of Texas. From Blind Lemon Jefferson in songs like "Black Snake Moan", to Blind Willie Johnson in songs like "Mother's Children Have A Hard Time" to the moans and cries in the great recordings of Texas Alexander, there is definitely something somewhat dark and spooky and fearful about these Texas blues.
Another characteristic that generally defines Texas Blues, or Texas Country Blues, or Acoustic Texas Blues is a certain sort of swinging quality to the songs. Also what separated this style from other blues was a definite tendency for the guitar to be used as an extension of the vocals, melding and ornamenting and working with the vocal lines in various and varying ways. Some prime examples of this are contained in the classic records of Blind Lemon Jefferson, and, perhaps most stunningly (and I mean literally jaw-dropping, perhaps the greatest and most emotional piece of music to come out of the blues, period.), in the song "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" by Blind Willie Johnson.
Of course just like with the blues in all areas of America the genre changed radically when the music became city and when the music became electric. Perhaps the first thing most people think of when "Texas Blues" is mentioned is not these early greats but the ones that came later. The ones with stratocasters, and loud amplifiers, and scorching and biting guitar leads. I mean the wealth of talent that emerged from Texas AFTER WWII is impressive in the extreme. Albert Collins, Freddie King, Johnny Winters, T-Bone Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons, Gary Clark Jr, Big Mama Thornton - all these guitarists and musicians and singers emerged from this scene or style. It's a beautiful thought to think all that talent was made possible by the work and influence of Blind Lemon Jefferson some 90 years ago.
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TEXAS BLUES RECS
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King Of The Country Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Lemon Jefferson is indisputably one of the most important figures in the history of blues. He was, in many regards, in a league of his own in terms of influence in the blues community. He was one of the founders of Texas blues (along with Texas Alexander), one of the most influential country bluesmen of all time, one of the most popular bluesmen of the 1920s, and the first truly commercially successful male blues performer. Before Lemon's success the only commercially successful blues musicians were female singers such as Mamie and Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, but with Jefferson came a blues artist who was solo, self-accompanied, and performing a great deal of original material in addition to the more familiar repertoire of folk standards. And as a guitarist he developed an amazing jazz influenced guitar style heavy on single stringed picked solos and guitar interplay with his very passionate and moaning vocals. This man's music and songs are just haunting and some of the most memorable and powerful of all time. See "Black Snake Moan" and "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" as just a couple example of his holiness.
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The Complete Blind Willie Johnson by Bl...ie Johnson
Blind Willie Johnson is, in my mind, the single most intense and wild and scorching performer in the history of Country Blues. He mixed the devout belief and sincerity and soulfulness of Gospel with the sounds of the blues, He mixed the sound of Delta blues (in it's most beautiful and white-hot form) with the sound of Texas guitar harmonizing. He had the most inspired vocals ever, his beautiful humming and moaning and his gravelly barking delivery holding equal power from both polarities. His subject matters are almost wholly religious. Very pious. But the energy of his performances is enough to make almost anyone pay attention. He is also one of the greatest and most impressive slide guitarists you'll ever hear. He's on my personal "mount rushmore" of favorite Country blues musicians, easily.
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98 Degrees Blues by Texas Alexander
Texas Alexander was a blues singer. And he was one of the very earliest recorded Texas Blues men (right about the same time as Blind Lemon - just a bit later). One of the striking things about his singing is its mournful quality. His voice was rich and volatile and filled with emotion. Although he wasn't a guitarist or pianist himself and relied only on his voice as his instrument, he uses it to stunning effect as shown on this collection. And he was able to snag some of the absolute greatest early blues and jazz musicians to accompany him on record such as Eddie Lang, King Oliver and the great Lonnie Johnson. This man set the table for really all the great blues singers to come out of Texas after him.
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The Complete Aladdin Recordings by Lightnin' Hopkins
Lightnin' was probably the last truly great and absolutely essential country blues artists to emerge. He was so hard, so emotive and yet at times it felt like he was just about the coolest mo ever to play the blues. His guitar style was downright filthy! It had this beautiful, incessant, stinging quality that makes his records always feel immediate and vigorous. No matter what he played, even the intricate guitar parts, it sounded like it was easy. Hopkins is just such a dynamic and unique character in the history of the blues. This collection is just about as raw and stripped down as you will find him. This is just about the highest quality sounding classic country blues you'll have the pleasure of hearing.
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Texas Worried Blues: Complete Recorded ...nry Thomas
Mr. Henry Thomas is something of a folk legend. He's so old that when he recorded his only records in the late 20s he was already in his early 50s! He is regarded as a Songster, so the songs and styles he sang covered many grounds - from spirituals, to ballads, to dance songs and of course the songs on this record here that would be called Blues. No matter the music he was playing, he had a very interesting style all his own. His guitar technique seems very simple, much more interested in making his music danceable than making it complex. And he also often played a very peculiar instrument called a Quill or a Panpipe. It is a simple instrument, indigenous to a few parts of the southern US and almost never used in blues records.
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Texas Sharecropper And Songster by Mance Lipscomb
Mance was actively making music since the 20s but apparently never recorded until the folk revival in the very early 60s. He is a musician, much like Leadbelly and John Hurt and Henry Thomas, who could not be designated as strictly blues. He was a beautiful interpreter of song. All kinds and types of songs were in his repertory. His voice is weather-worn and sincere. And he was also a very good acoustic guitar player. The thing I love about listening to his music is it is sort of like a picture into some bygone time and place. The culture and feel of the good old days live on in these beautiful songs and melodies.
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Complete Recorded Works 1928-1932 In Ch...es Singers
Ramblin Thomas was a mysterious and talented country blues artist almost forgotten in time. he was known for living up to his name, traveling all over the country and never settling down. In this collection of recordings you'll hear that when he did stop rambling long enough to record, it was worth it. The songs here sound like they'd been very poorly preserved, hissing and warping and garbled all over. But through all the bullshit, the truth and the beauty of the real old time blues rings out. On this set are some fantastic lyrics and some really unique rhythmically substantial guitar picking. This man was really a great acoustic guitarist, all over the place, switching the rhythm of his picking at the drop of a dime and at his whim.
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The Original Howling Wolf 1930-1931 by ...aper Smith
J.T. "Funny Paper" Smith, along with Blind Lemon Jefferson, probably did more to define and influence the early Texas blues guitar sound than anyone else. He developed a signature sound distinguished by complex, fluid melodic lines and cool, repetitive bass riffs. He was also a very good early blues songwriter. he was known by some as Howling Wolf a full 20 years before the much more well Known Howlin' Wolf (aka Chester Burnett) claimed the name in the 40s. His career suddenly came to a close in the mid 30s when he was imprisoned for killing a man. He died in his cell some years later. Still, murderer or not, it's highly recommended you hear this man play.
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Blues Come To Texas by Melvin "Lil...t; Jackson
After WWII country blues began to die out, and newer electric blues began to take over. A few throwbacks still emerged and forged their own careers while sticking to the old model. Melvin "Lil Son" Jackson was one of those great throwbacks. His music, much like Lightnin' Hopkins' (and if you love Lightnin' you'll probably love Lil Son) was earthy and natural and traditional while still feeling uniquely his own. His guitar playing was pretty straight country blues, but his singing was a cool and nonchalant thing. And as a songwriter he had a ability to veer away from classic blues cliche while using the same basic blues form. He made his words distinctly his own. Highly recommended Texas blues album and artist here.
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And this is the part where you all contribute your thoughts, favorites, recs, etc to this thread. _________________ -Ryan
Sorry for the delay, but yeah Koko and Lowell are both really excellent blues and blues/R&B artists. That song you posted is fabulous. Koko was cool and more of a later day Chicago blues singer in the tradition of some of the earlier city greats like Ma Rainey. But i wouldn't classify her as Country/Deep Blues particularly. But genre classifications are more a nuisance than anything else sometimes. And Lowell definitely mixed some great deep blues feels in his stuff while being one of the early Rhythm and Blues performers. He's excellent as well. Thanks for the post! _________________ -Ryan
Sorry for the delay, but yeah Koko and Lowell are both really excellent blues and blues/R&B artists. That song you posted is fabulous. Koko was cool and more of a later day Chicago blues singer in the tradition of some of the earlier city greats like Ma Rainey. But i wouldn't classify her as Country/Deep Blues particularly. But genre classifications are more a nuisance than anything else sometimes. And Lowell definitely mixed some great deep blues feels in his stuff while being one of the early Rhythm and Blues performers. He's excellent as well. Thanks for the post!
thanks for your explanations Mercury and I'm glad to have a lot of records to discovery now!
So here I was listening to the Ghost World soundtrack, and thinking how I should really get into some country blues, and that I should ask BEA for recs. Don't know how I managed to totally miss this thread, thanks Mercury (and others) for giving me so much material to check out, very much looking forward to it
Props Cymro for mentioning Wilkins, That's No Way to Get Along is gorgeous, maybe the best track on the Ghost World soundtrack.
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