Category: History

Let’s Explore The Blues – Mississippi Sheiks

Let’s Explore The Blues – Lonnie Johnson

Lonnie Johnson playing in Chicago, 1941. Origi...

Lonnie Johnson was another of the great 20’s and 30’s blues-men.  The difference in this case is that there is video of him performing his craft.  To get us in the mood for his story, here is Lonnie playing “Another Night To Cry“.

Another Night To Cry

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Lonnie’s story begins in Louisiana, where he was born in 1899.  Like most families of that era, tragedy struck early and often.  While on tour in England in 1917, he returned to his home in 1919 only to find that his entire family, except one brother, James, had died in the 1918 influenza epidemic.  They moved to St. Louis, where he honed his craft, eventually winning a blues contest in 1925.  The prize, luckily for us, was a recording contract with Okeh Records.  His career took off at this point, appearing on recordings of such greats as Louis Armstrong, Victoria Spivey and Bessie Smith.

She’s Only A Woman

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His guitar style is a jazz-blues mix.  His playing was so different from the standards of the day that he has been widely credited with creating the “guitar solo”.  He also mainstreamed the jazz guitar, showing along the way that is was a practical and important innovation to the blues scene of the day.  A true pioneer.

There is a story that says that Robert Johnson saw Lonnie as his idol.  Some say that a lot of Robert’s songs were merely updated versions of Lonnie’s tunes.  It is also said that Robert used say he was Lonnie’s brother even though they were not related.

He eventually left Okeh Records to begin recording with Decca Records.  He continued to play and tour with the best.  He morphed to the R&B side of things once WW2 ended.  One of his major hits of the time was a song that was later recorded by Elvis early in his recording life.

Tomorrow Night

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The Elvis version.

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Lonnie ended up in Toronto, Canada where he set up a blues club.  Unfortunately it failed.  In 1969, he was hit by a car.  He never fully recovered, and died in June of 1970.  Prior to his death, he sang a few songs at a benefit concert in his honour.  Players that paid their respects were people like Buddy Guy, Hagood Hardy and John Lee Hooker.

Too Late To Cry

Remembering Michael Davis

Michael Davis (bassist)

Michael Davis, bass player for the MC5, Blood Orange and Destroy All Monsters, passed away from liver failure.  He was 68.  He was an original member of MC5, playing with them until 1972.  He played on their first three albums, including their classic “Kick Out The Jams“.

Cover of "Kick Out the Jams"
Cover of Kick Out the Jams

Kick Out The Jams

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Crazy wild stuff that took the world by storm.

Michael moved on in 1972 to play bass with Destroy All Monsters.  This is a live version of Nov 22nd.  This video includes Stooges guitarist, Ron Asheton.  The famous punk sound of all these early creators is here in all its glory.

Nov 22nd

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A great bass player, highly respected and part of rock and roll history, RIP Michael Davis.

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Let’s Explore The Blues – Georgia Cotton Pickers

In my last post we looked at Barbeque Bob (Robert Hicks).  In addition to his solo career, he was also a member of the world’s first supergroup.  He, along with Curley Weaver and Buddy Moss, formed this group in 1930 and recorded a few tunes.  Unfortunately, these were the last songs that Bob ever recorded.

This is their version of Blind Blake‘s “Diddie Wa Diddie”

“Diddle-Da-Diddle”

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Here is Ry Cooder‘s version.

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This is a take by Leon Redbone.

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The next song to listen is a standard called “She Looks So Good”.  You will recognize many songs woven into the fabric of this one.

She Looks So Good

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One final tune.

“She’s Coming Back Some Cold Rainy”

This is a version by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.  This version is, in a word, sweet.  I want to listen this song on repeat for about a week.

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Let’s Explore The Blues – Barbeque Bob

Barbeque Bob

Tonight we will explore the career and music of a rather uniquely named player, Barbeque Bob.  Born in Georgia 1902, as Robert Hicks, Bob only lived for 29 years, dying of tuberculosis and pneumonia, brought on by influenza,  in 1931 at the age of 29.  He got his nickname, not surprisingly, as he was a cook in a barbeque restaurant.

Although his life was short, his recording was prolific.  He recorded 68 sides from 1927 until his death.  His first record, “Barbeque Blues” sold 15,000 copies and was Columbia Records biggest selling record up to that time.

Barbeque Blues

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The following song is what brought to the top of the pack.  This song “Mississippi Heavy Water Blues” was recorded in New York a few months after Barbeque Blues.

Mississippi Heavy Water Blues

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I was not able to find to many of his tunes covered by others.  I did find this though, a great version by Eric Clapton.

Motherless Child

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Bob also recorded a few songs with The Georgia Cotton Pickers.  These were to be the last songs recorded by him prior to his death.  I will be doing a post on this group next week, so I will pick up the story then.

 

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Let’s Explore The Blues – Roosevelt Sykes

Forty Four Blues - Roosevelt Sykes, Blue light...
Forty Four Blues - Roosevelt Sykes, Blue lights bare Christmas tree Seattle Washington USA 1453 (Photo credit: Wonderlane)

Roosevelt Sykes, The Honeydripper, was born in Arkansas in 1906.  He began playing serious piano at age 15, ending up in St.Louis where he played with  Jimmy Oden. He spent the time prior to St Louis playing up and down the Mississippi , playing anywhere that would let him.  In 1929, he was discovered by Okeh records, which sent him to New York City to record.  It was here he recorded his most significant song “44 Blues”.  This is a version done by Philip Lafontaine,  Perfect in every way possible.

44 Blues

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His career moved quickly from this point.  He began recording for multiple labels under different names ( ‘Easy Papa Johnson’, ‘Dobby Bragg’ and ‘Willie Kelly’) .  In 1934, he and Jimmy Oden moved to Chicago,  He continued with various labels, eventually recording with the Honeydrippers.  The song below is his classic “Night Time is the Right Time”

Night Time is the Right Time

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This tune has been covered by many artists, like Ray Charles, The Sonics and the Rolling Stones.  This version though, is my favourite, done by CCR.

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His legacy is considerable.  Aside from the songs noted above, he is also responsible for other classics.  Here is one by the late great Etta James.

Driving Wheel  Etta James

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As a last note, here are two more by the man himself.  The first is unusual in the he is playing guitar, when he is known as piano guy.  The second is Roosevelt at home on his piano

Guitar Blues

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Tall Heavy Mama

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He recorded well into the 1960’s after moving to New Orléans in the 50’s.  He died in 1983.

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Let’s Explore The Blues – Blind Willie Johnson

The blues musician Blind Willie Johnson

Blind Willie Johnson was born in 1892, passing away in 1945.  His music was inspired by his spirituality.  He had a deep gravely voice, often imitated, never bettered.  As were many of his peers, he was born in Texas.  Willie was not born blind, and no one knows what happened to create his blindness, although it has been rumoured that he caught a face full of lye, thrown at him by his step-mother, who had just been beaten by his father for carousing with other men.  Times were a bit different back then.  To start the music, we have one his most famous tunes.

Motherless Children Have A Hard Time

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Here is Eric Clapton‘s version.

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In his short recording career, he cut 30 songs, all between 1927 and 1930.  Again, the impact of those 30 songs has been staggering.  Check out this amazing live footage of Jack White performing Blind Willie’s “John The Revelator”  Not quite the way that Willie would have done it, I’m sure.

John The Revelator

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Blind Willie died in 1945.  He lived in poverty his whole life.  The story goes that his house burned down.  Having nowhere else to go, he lived in the ruins, eventually catching malarial fever.  His death certificate reads, malarial fever, syphilis and blindness as the causes of death.  His legacy is now potentially universal.  His song “Dark Was The Night” was covered by many artists and included on the discs placed on the Voyager I and II spacecrafts.

Dark Was The Night

There are many covers of his tunes.  Here are some that you may or may not of heard at one time or another.

Grateful Dead,  Led Zeppelin, and Beck.  Very diverse groups, very diverse times.  Another man who is greatly responsible for what we listen to today.

Let’s Explore The Blues – Mississippi John Hurt

English: A crop of a photo showing John Hurt g...
Mississippi John Hurt

Mississippi John Hurt is a very interesting story.  Born in 1893 (maybe 1892) , he self-taught on the guitar and began recording in 1928.  What he recorded ended up as a commercial failure and he faded from history, becoming a farmer.  The story could have easily ended here, except for one man, Tom Hoskins, who discovered a copy of Avalon Blues and made it his business to find him and talk him into playing again.  He was successful and thus began a new career for John Hurt.  He began recording and playing again in 1964 and performed until his death in 1966.  He was instrumental in the rediscovery of many lost artists and their works.  This is the song that prompted the search for him.

Avalon Blues – Mississippi John Hurt

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He only recorded 13 songs back in 1928, but his influence is far beyond these songs.  Another of his songs out of these sessions is attached below.  You can note that the style of playing he preferred was a fast, no pick method that he picked up while teaching himself to play.

Frankie – Mississippi John Hurt

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His songs have been redone by a wide slate of modern players including Bob Dylan, Maria Muldaur, Jerry Garcia, Beck, Doc Watson, Taj Mahal and Bruce Cockburn.  Hit the links to see their versions.

As a finale, a live tv interview circa 1965 which includes a great version of Spike Driver Blues.  No, make that phenomenal, what a guitar player.

Spike Driver Blues

Remembering Robbie France

 

Python Lee Jackson
Python Lee Jackson

Drummer Robbie France passed away on January 14, 2012 at the age of 53.  Born in England, he moved to Australia in 1970, where he was a fixture in the music scene.  He returned to England in 1982.  A superb drummer, one only needs to read his list of groups and accomplishments to get a flavor on just how good he was.

1. Python Lee Jackson, with whom he recorded “In A Broken Dream” with Rod Stewart as a guest vocalist

2. Diamond Head

3. Ivan Chandler’s All-Star Quarter – with Andy Hamilton od Duran Duran and Wham fame

4. UFO from 1985

5. One Nation

6. Wishbone Ash

7. EBH (Ellis, Beggs and Howard)

8. Jean Touissant

There are some amazing cuts below.  Robbie France was a driving force behind many groups (as the rhythm section usually is) and influenced a great many of today’s drummers.

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With Diamond Head

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Ellis Beggs and Howard – Big Bubbles No Troubles

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In A Broken Dream – Python Lee Jackson

 

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Let’s Explore The Blues – Blind Lemon Jefferson

Photograph of Blind Lemon Jefferson

 

Tonight, I début a new series.  “Let’s Explore The Blues” will tell the stories of some of the most interesting music ever created.  I am going to try to apply some chronology to this series and will start with the pre-war era, the 1920’s and 30’s.

The links will take you to a version of the song covered by that artist.

The first artist will be Blind Lemon Jefferson.  Born blind in 1893, Blind Lemon was a Texas blues guitarist.  He passed away in 1929, leaving behind a reputation as the father of the Texas blues.  This early master influenced future greats such as BB King, Robert Johnson and even Canned Heat.  He even taught T-Bone Walker how to play the guitar.

His early career consisted of playing anywhere and everywhere, and only started recording in 1926.  In the span to 1929, he recorded 100 tracks and 43 records.  Here is one of his major hit songs:

“See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”.

 

The following song is listed by the Rock And Roll hall Of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.

“Matchbox Blues”

 

His death in 1929 is surrounded by rumours.  A sampling of these include, a lover had poisoned his coffee, froze to death after becoming disoriented in a snowstorm, and a heart attack after being chased by a dog.  In any case he died to young.  His influence in current culture is widespread.  Many of his songs have been covered by current artists, with See That My Grave Is Kept Clean redone by such diverse talent as Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.  Matchbox Blues was covered by the Beatles. Hit the link to view.   The group “Blind Melon” may even be named after him.  One last song before we sign off.

“Black Snake Moan”

 

 

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