Post subject: Genre Extravaganza: COUNTRY BLUES/DEEP BLUES
INTRODUCTION
So This is the Genre Extravaganza thread dedicated to Country Blues. I won't claim to know all about this genre, but it is undoubtedly one of my absolute favorite veins of music. And one of the things I will try to do is just briefly mention some aspects of the style(s), as well as highlight a few of the key artists and albums/compilations for the genre. I will naturally be pretty subjective in some of my choices for "essential listening" based off what I personally feel fits that bill. And I would love it if some of you contribute your favorites to the thread and also contribute whatever insights or opinions you have on it.
I will not be doing this in one large post, but breaking it down in to a few. And yeah they'll probably all be long and rambly. In each post I will try to cover one broad aspect of this musical landscape called by several names and here called "Country Blues".
Okay, lets get started.
COUNTRY BLUES - OVERVIEW
Country Blues is one name for this style, and this style is really a whole set of styles of blues. Mostly this is pre-WWII, southern-based blues music. The primary and most classic presentation is a person with an acoustic guitar. But it"s not like country blues stopped existing after some arbitrary time in music history. Mostly what occurred between the mid 20s to about the mid 40s is Blues of the country variety began being recorded for the first time. This style took many forms, existed in many parts of the US and spread all throughout, primarily, the southern US. Then this music was brought into the big cities. In Memphis and St. Louis and Chicago and New York and Detroit this blues music began to grow and morph and change in to a modern and generally more electric form of the blues. This non-country blues existed on record as early as the early 20s , with some of the first successful blues musicians being female singers with big, jazzy bands backing them such as Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. It also happens that many of the greatest bluesmen from throughout the 30s worked out of places like New York City and Memphis. While guys such as Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, Tampa Red, Sonny Boy Williams, Memphis Minnie and many others became generally regarded as city-types making their music in metropolitan areas it should be noted that almost all of them came from the south and thus brought their country blues music with them. It was only then that their style perhaps softened, changed and "city-fied" away from the straight stuff.
Finally the simple story of what happened is that there was a HUGE migration of African-Americans away from the south and into the northern cities in the early 40s. And, of course, the music went with the people. And so uncountable amounts of great delta blues and Texas blues and Georgia blues (etc) musicians went in and found their country style blues wasn't quite what the people wanted in the city streets and clubs. So the blues became louder, more amplified, faster and just became what is now regarded as Modern Blues. Out of this massive revolution in blues music came the most notable and classic recordings of greats like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, etc.
But this city music isn't the subject of this thing. This is about the country blues, This is about the great music that had its height from about '28 to '44.
The main "scenes" or regional styles that I love or know a good deal about (and thus will try to talk about) are Delta Blues, Piedmont or East Coast style Blues, and Texas Blues. Lets start by discussing the Delta blues. Later entries on here will cover the Piedmont style, the Texas style. Then maybe we can go over some of the good comps that exist for Country blues that can give a good introduction of overview over a 1 disc or several disc set.
DELTA BLUES
Delta Blues brought us undoubtedly the greatest batch of musical legends that are still spoken of with hushed voices today. From Charley Patton to Son House to Skip James and Robert Johnson to Muddy Waters. And much of that initial explosion of Chicago blues and urban blues in general came from the musicians of the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas moving up into major cities. Hell, the Chicago Blues sound was practically invented by Muddy waters and Howlin' Wolf - 2 Delta Blues men who simply took the same basic blues of the delta and made it LOUD.
Those early Mississippi style blues were most notably very dark, very intense. Of course their were also other aspects to the music, the soulful howl of Skip James is hardly the same sound as the finger picked (very east-coast styled) tenderness of Mississippi John Hurt. And the purring, whirring, ghostly guitar sounds of Mississppi Fred McDowell can hardly be said to be the same as the pounding, uber propulsive techniques of Charley Patton. And none of those cats sounded exactly like Tommy Johnson or Robert Johnson or Tommy McClennan, etc.
There is a definite earthiness and grit that I associate with the music of the delta. There is truly an intangible quality to it. The music features such a rich variety of characters and concerns and stories while holding a unifying air of struggle and reality. I absolutely love the way these old records feel. To me the greatest delta blues really transports me. The greatest records make me feel I am in that time and place with the very emotional person I am listening to. No matter how horrible the recording is by todays standards. A lot of my favorite old blues records feature static and crackles and strange fluctuations, but they still preserve an almost ghostly presence that is endearing, mysterious and mesmerizing.
The slide guitar wails and the heavy country accents are predominant in this style of Delta Blues. The music was rooted in a thoroughly rhythmic and driving base. In the book "Deep Blues" by Robert Palmer (a highly recommended read and one of my all time favorites) Palmer points to the rhythmic roots in African music as the basis of this propulsive sound. Although there was almost never drums in the Delta blues, the guitar styles featured (in the main) a slapping, insistent quality. This quality can especially be heard in legendary performances by Son House and Charley Patton and Robert Johnson too (although RJ was all over the stylistic map by those days' standards - one of the reasons he may be considered "The King").
DELTA BLUES ALBUM RECS
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Founder Of The Delta Blues by Charley Patton
I suppose the name says it all. Mr. Patton is regarded as the first. I mean, Jesus, this dude practically created the genre - think about how much far reaching influence these recordings have had? Yeah. But all that aside, Patton had this great, very deep and booming bark when he sang. He had just an amazing rhythmic guitar sound. He was a musical force of nature.
High Water Everywhere, Part 1 by Charley Patton
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The Complete Library Of Congress Sessio... Son House
Son House was like a preacher. When he was on (which he is on all these recordings) he was pure fire. He was pure passion. And his slap style guitar managed to be just as, if not more, amazing than his hero, Charley Patton's
Complete Recorded Works In Chronologica...my Johnson
These recordings are very rough sounding, sometimes the static is nearly unlistenable. But for most of 'em and even many of the super rough sounding ones, it feels like you are right there in the room with this man as he plays. His singing is HAUNTING. The vibrato in his wails feels so dark and ominous. His vocal style was very influential on Howlin' Wolf (who was very influential upon Cap'n Beefheart... Who influenced Waits' vocals, etc ) This man was definitely one of the all time great bluesmen. These recordings are essential listening.
Cool Drink of Water Blues by Tommy Johnson
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King of the Delta Blues Singers by Robert Johnson
The greatest blues man of all time. Also the most influential blues man of all time. Also one of the greatest songwriters in American music history. Also one of the greatest songbooks ever by one man. Here is square one for anyone interested in getting into the deep deep deep blues. You can here a lot of where a lot of the greats came from in this album, Bob Dylan, The Stones, Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin, Chuck Berry, etc. Here is the root of so much greatness.
Come On In My Kitchen by Robert Johnson
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The Complete 1931 Session by Skip James
Skip was a veritable early blues genius. One of the towering figures to emerge from the scene, really. He was not only a beautiful and unique acoustic blues guitarist, but a formidable pianist with a fabulous ear for the darkness that consumes his music. And his vocals... I think he is only rivaled vocally by Tommy Johnson in the haunting, spooky, bone-deep emotion of his voice. It kinda reminds me of Roy Orbison in a way with the way it sort of soars completely outside of worldly substance and becomes something totally different and totally detached. He seemed to be some kind of tormented medium between this place here and...some place sad.
The Complete Bukka White by Bukka White
Bukka lived an interesting life. The man was Charley Patton's direct pupil, he played some Negro League basketball and he was even an aspiring boxer for a bit. He shot a man, went to prison, etc. and he was also a magnificently direct songwriter that could cut deep to the heart of emotional issues with ease. "Fixin' To Die Blues" and "Parchman Farm Blues" being prime examples.
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Complete Recorded Works In Chronologica...ley Taylor
This album is a concise collection that captures the magic and engaging power of Delta Blues as good as any. Everything from the passion of the vocals to the sliding guitar, it's an organic experience. This should be required listening for anyone wanting to get deeper into Delta blues.
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Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Re... John Hurt
Hurt was a musician more akin to his nimble-fingered east coast brethren than his intense slide guitar-occupied Mississippi peers. His dexterous guitar picking style, warm and beautifully welcoming vocal style (one of my fave vocalists - it feels like I'm hearing an old friend every time i hear him sing) and nearly unmatched repertoire of songs made him not only one of the best blues men of the Delta, but one of the absolute best songsters and folk musicians in American history.
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The Legendary Modern Recordings 1948-19...Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker's sound is so sexy and primal and ominous. The deep boom of his voice and the stirring guitar accompaniment is so intense. Yeah, Hooker had an intensity to him and his music that was legendary. It sounded downright elemental. Love this collection. And although these recordings are a bit later than the others you'd be hard pressed to find better deep blues than this.
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Bluebird Recordings 1939-1942 by Tommy McClennan
Tommy was a can't-miss gravel-throated growler. He had passion and fire and fury in spades and a propulsive guitar attack. This whole collection is a pretty down and dirty, no frills affair that will probably win you over completely. Absolutely, no doubt, he is one of the most criminally underrated of the whole delta blues bunch.
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Honey Babe, Let The Deal Go Down: The B...ppi Sheiks
The Mississippi Sheiks were a string band blues act who's most legendary song "Sittin' On Top Of The World" has been covered by about a million acts. They also had a beautiful, rich sound and style that took their Mississippi delta blues style and stretched it into other forms of country blues and ballads. This collection is a perfect 1 disc representation of their at times joyous and always warm sound.
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Peetie Wheatstraw 1930-1941 by Peetie Wheatstraw
This dude was wild. Years before RJ did it, he claimed he sold his soul to the devil for his musical prowess. Note the album cover even says a common rumor spread about him - "Devil's Son In Law". And his song topics did nothing to temper that perception of him as a baaaaad man with subjects such as suicide, murder, alcohol and drug use, etc. he was like the original blues rebel. And his music is a dark thing, filled with the usual intense Delta fare. And although the one extant picture of him shows him with a guitar, he was actually a pianist. And a damn fine one at that. I definitely recommend this to y'all.
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King Of The 12-String Guitar by Leadbelly
I wasn't sure where to put this man. He so thoroughly stretches outside blues. He is an American legend, a myth, a man who helped to preserve the very best of American folk music, not just blues. Much like Lonnie Johnson, his genius and influence go far beyond blues. But truly the Delta blues he does on this is raw and real. He was just someone who could interpret any form and grant it it's most beautiful rendition.
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Furry's Blues: The Complete Vintage Rec...urry Lewis
Furry was similar in some ways to John Hurt in his beautiful and soft finger picked guitar style and soft vocal style. He was also a fabulous story teller and interpreter of folk music. This is a musician that I think all you Mississppi John Hurt and Leadbelly lovers will find much pleasure in.
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EAST COAST/PIEDMONT STYLE BLUES
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.
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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.
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Texas Blues
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 ALBUM 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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See my chart I made a few months back for some more recs if you want to. It's not a very organized affair and it isn't very clear which artists sound like what, but there's a lot of great albums on there you can dig into.
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And now this is the part where I turn it over to you fine people to discuss, recommend, comment, ask questions etc on this subject as you wish.
Fucking-A, Professor Mercury!!! This is so amazing I feel like I'm back in college with recommended readings and the like. This will definitely be my syllabus moving forward.
I think the following point is critical...
Mercury wrote:
Palmer points to the rhythmic roots in African music as the basis of this propulsive sound. Although there was almost never drums in the Delta blues, the guitar styles featured (in the main) a slapping, insistent quality. This quality can especially be heard in legendary performances by Son House and Charley Patton and Robert Johnson too
... and was wondering if you could post some youtube samples that are particularly good examples of it.
^^^that is the classic Robert Johnson track "Stones In My Passway". While that rack and Robert Johnson in general is far less up and down rhythmicly, I can still hear this pushing, insistent quality to the rhythm guitar. Again, nothing compared to that Death Letter stuff by comparison.
^^^ and this is quite simply one of the most exhilarating things a person can experience. Mississippi Fred McDowell performing "Shake Em On Down". That sounds like punk to me. It rips into me like a knife. And that rhythm, despite being just a guitar, when it is cooking I feel like head banging in time to it.
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I hope that is what you wanted. _________________ -Ryan
^^^ and this is quite simply one of the most exhilarating things a person can experience. Mississippi Fred McDowell performing "Shake Em On Down". That sounds like punk to me. It rips into me like a knife. And that rhythm, despite being just a guitar, when it is cooking I feel like head banging in time to it.
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I hope that is what you wanted.
Oh, yeah!! That's perfect, Mercury! And, I'd say Mississippi Fred McDowell's playing is far too technically accomplished to be considered punk. LOL. Just kidding. I know what you mean. The energy is positively sizzling!
edit: Just listened to it again. And on the rhythm sections, I know exactly what you mean. Pretty cool stuff, Merc!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
I've read a fair amount about the blues, and always got the impression from what I read that Charley Patton was influential but not really worth a listen. That perhaps his stuff was dated and paled in comparison to that of his followers Son House and Robert Johnson. Or that the sound quality was too subpar due to such comments as this from AllMusic...
No one will never know what Patton's Paramount masters really sounded like. When the company went out of business, the metal masters were sold off as scrap, some of it used to line chicken coops. All that's left are the original 78s -- rumored to have been made out of inferior pressing material commonly used to make bowling balls -- and all of them are scratched and heavily played, making all attempts at sound retrieval by current noise-reduction processing a tall order indeed. - Allmusic
Well I'm clearly an idiot because the comp that Mercury mentions (Founder of the Delta Blues) is incredible. And I honestly don't think the subpar recordings take away from these performances in the least. In fact, I think it just adds to the legend as so many backstories do.
Robert Crumb did know his country blues men. I want some of them.
As for Charley Patton, yeah, once you get into his sound, well, you're into it. Duh. I don't know what I wanted to say. Except Charley Patton is far less accessible than RJ, Son House and Skip James and these other peeps. It may be the production quality, but also it may be just his style is so peculiar and basic. _________________ -Ryan
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) This man was definitely one of the all time great bluesmen. These recordings are essential listening.
