BLUESMEN Part One
greg L
] Of course the whole story of the crossroads is bullshit but many in the old days truly believed it.
ROBERT JOHNSON
The blues began way back and its origins are obscured in the mists of time but we do know that once the 1920's roll around we get our first blues recordings. Mamie Smith was the first known recording of the blues and it began the era of 'classic blues' which was always a female shouter backed by an early jazz band. Out of this era came two of the all-time TITANS of music. The greatest woman singer of them all was the great Bessie Smith.
There never has been anything like Bessie ever since, no female vocalist can make the hairs stand up on my neck like hers.
The other genius of the classic blues era needs no introduction, he was maybe the single greatest genius in the history of music, known as a jazz man now, back in the 20's Louis Armstrong's contribution to blues phrasing, the cornet, the trumpet, and vocals is simply something so big it cannot be measured, Armstrong simply invented modern music, he is the inventor of swing time itself, he is the greatest jazz musician ever and no one ever played better blues on a cornet since. speaking of smart guys and guitars, here is one great and enlightening photo.
NO I will not give a prize to the first person to name that 'obscure' bloke
It was not until the mid 20's however before we saw THE REAL blues sung by a single guitar player or a small group or duo appear on records, the first being Sylvester Weaver in early 1925. He was followed by a plethora of wonderful bluesmen the big names being Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, Charlie Patton and the stunningly brilliant, Blind Blake. Blake in my mind may be the single best virtuoso in the history of the guitar, certainly as a blues guitarist, he has no peer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf6OjxYPzoo
The most famous bluesman in the 1920's was Blind Lemon Jefferson, he was another great guitarist and THE most original guitarist ever, here is Ari Eisinger performing Lemon's masterpiece, "Matchbox Blues" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxmvMeM3GNs I can assure you all that Ari is playing note for note Lemon, I seriously doubt if there is a greater fingerpicker on earth today to match Eisinger but I digress, we are yet to leave the 20's as it was a hell of an era for all music.
A big photo for a big man.
This was also a tragic era, we saw many greats in the music world die young and in dreadful circumstances. Bessie Smith got extremely ill, her driver drove to Clarkesdale hospital in MISSISSIPPI in a hurry. The white hospital staff told them that 'n********' are not welcome. Bessie should not have died from that illness, it was easily curable. Her death was horrible, here was this very famous woman who sang like a bird ( but think GIANT bird )and yet she was classed in the end as a 4th class citizen.
Blind Lemon Jefferson made so much money he bought a silver ghost Rolls Royce and hired a driver. He died because the car got stuck in a blizzard and his driver simply got out and left a blind man to die, frozen to death. Blind Blake simply disappears from history in 1933, fate "unknown"
It wasnt just the blues that suffered, the Great Father of Country Music, Jimmy 'the breakman' Rodgers died from TB as a young man as well.
I must sign off on Part One now, on this newspaper I will put some youtube links to some great blues clips. I found this one a while back and love this performance by Snooks Eaglin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAjLyDqmwdk
heres another photo or two, till next time blokes and shielas, take care and HAIL NaN !!!!
Little Walter..... to be featured soon.
Comments
LOL @ "the crossroads and selling your soul to the devil is bullshit"....
good luck with all that then, try looking up a number of well known musicains who have done just that.
btw
no ry cooder, no vote
what ????.. how the hell is Ry Cooder a 1920's blues artist ?,, he looks a very very young 120 year old
Of course it is a myth, just cos Johnson wrote a song doesn't mean he did that. I also do not believe in any devil, to me religions are built on myths.
pffft muddy waters invented electricity...
and no devil eh?? sell me your soul then 🙂
lol
the article was about starting at the beginning mate, the 1920's, it may take a month to get to muddy waters, if you have suggestions for future inclusion let me know, and I still don't believe in the devil.
so... thats a yes to selling me your soul then??
depends on how much cash you got, lol, I need money for a very good guitar and selling would infer money.. lol : )
I do believe that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil, there really is a Crossroads ya know? Love the article and can't wait for part 2.
Thanks, which crossroads is debatable from what I have read. The blues had a cousin, which some called gospel and there was many a battle between gospel and the devils music. I don't believe its got anything to do with a devil but it is beyond dispute that most people believed in a devil and in god. It cant be devils music because it is simply great music. If it is between god and the devil I would bet money that it is gods music, but I am not a believer in all that iron age stuff.
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For anyone interested here is the best Blues Radio available on the internet for early blues, Weenie Campbell Radio.... http://loudcity.com/stations/weenie-juke-radio#