legends of country blues guitar vol.i

8/7/2019 Legends of Country Blues Guitar Vol.I

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/legends-of-country-blues-guitar-voli 1/12

Lege n d s o f

Co u n t r y

Blu esGu it a rVo lu m e On e

f e a t u r in g

So n Ho u se

J o s h W h it e

R e v . G a r y D a v i s

Big Bi l l Br o on zy

Ma n ce Lip s co m b

H en r y To w n s en dBr o w n ie McG h ee

Mis s is s ip p i J o h n H u r t

R ob er t P e t e W i l l i a m s

Bo n u s : J o h n J e r e m y ’s

a w a r d w in n i n g f i lm :

Blu es L ik e S h ow er s Of R ain

f e a t u r in g

So n Ho u se

J o s h W h it e

R e v . G a r y D a v i s

Big Bi l l Br o on zy

Ma n ce Lip s co m b

H en r y To w n s en dBr o w n ie McG h ee

Mis s is s ip p i J o h n H u r t

R ob er t P e t e W i l l i a m s

Bo n u s : J o h n J e r e m y ’s

a w a r d w in n in g f il m :

Blu es L ik e S h ow er s Of R ain

Lege n d s o f

Co u n t r y

Blu esGu it a rVo lu m e On e



2

As a genre, blues music was developed at the beginning of the twentieth century by rural black musicians. They shaped it with brilliant inspiration from disparate elements of black song.Blues seemed to have risen with the popularity and adoption of the guitar as the standard in- strument for entertain- ment at this time. By World War I, blues had began to assume a stan-

dard form, a ided by vaudeville shows, traveling musicians and even Tin Pan Alley. By the early ‘20’s, recorded urban per- formers sol idi f ied the standard three-verse, 12 bar meter structure that has identified most blues.Fortunately, during that same period, there were

recorded musicians who grew up with the blues and whose guitar-styles were more fluid and improvisational. They played with a personal adaptation of their regional style, shaping blues and related material to their own needs and those of their audience.

The music they played was alien to formula, possessing such skill and robustness as to be captivating. Their fame was local, tied intimately to their time and place, and only the providence of a chance encounter with a ta lent scout or record company preserved their art. Even then, it seemed fated that they would remain flamboyant names on exotic record labels.

The blues revival of the early ‘60’s brought many of these survivors to the forefront of traditional music. The technique of a Rev. Davis, the power of a Son House, the charm of a Mississippi John Hurt suddenly leaped into sight, becoming more tangible, more awesome and more human. The rare footage presented in this video from that period, is a treasure beyond imagining, drawn from a myriad of souces, depicting some of the greatest blues musicians who ever lived.

Rev. Gary Davis

Photo courtesy Fo

lklore Productions



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REV. GARY DAVIS wasone of the greatest andmost accomplished gui-tarists of the twentiethcentury. His impas-

sioned singing and play-ing of re l ig ious andsecular music was of vir-tuoso quality. Born in1896 in Laurens Co.,South Carolina, he suf-fered from partial (andlater total) blindness asan infant. Davis beganpl ayin g m usic at an

early age, mastering har-monica, banjo and gui-tar by the time he was ayoung man. AroundWorld War I, he began playing in a local string band andbecame associated with legendary guitarist Willie Walker, ofGreenville, S.C. Moving to Durham, North Carolina, in thelate ‘20’s, he became acquainted with Sonny Terry andthrough him, Blind Boy Fuller (to whom Davis gave somepointers). His religious fervor caused him to disdain secular

music, although he recorded two blues out of twelve selec-tions during his ini tial recording session in 1935. Disagree-ment about money and his treatment from the talent scoutcurtailed Davis’ recording career for a decade. He moved toNew York around l941 to join his wi fe and played on thestreets of Harlem. An album recorded in the late 1950’sbrought him some recognit ion and fur ther recordings whicheventually led to his appearing at the Newport Folk Festivalin l964. He became an inspiration and teacher to a legion ofyoung guitarists in the New York area before his death inl972. His technical prowess was nearly unmatched amongrural bluesmen of his generation and the speed and accu-racy of his playing remains awesome.

Blues and Ragtime (Shanachie CD 97024)Complete Early Recordings (Yazoo CD 2011)

Pure Religion and Bad Company (Folkways CD 40035)Say No to the Devil (Original Blues Classics CD 519)

Gospel, Blues and Street Songs (Original Blues Classics CD 524)

P h ot o b y S t ef an Gr o

s s man



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P h ot o b y R on E d war d s

HENRY TOWNSEND is oneof St. Louis’ foremost bluesmusicians. He moved fromhis birthplace in Shelby, Ms.(1909) as an infant, to

Cairo, Illinois. In the latel920’s, before he was out ofhis teens, he moved to St.Louis and quickly learnedguitar and piano from localluminaries such as HenrySpaulding and Lonnie John-son. He played with St.Louis pianist, Walter Davis,that lasted until the latter’s

death, and recorded withRoosevelt Sykes, Big JoeWilliams and others in the1930’s. Townsend played ina number of styles, from rather free-form compositions inopen tuning (vestapol: D A D F# A D) to sharply snappedsingle-string runs in normal tuning. The latter reflecting histutelage and long association with Henry Spaulding, whoseCairo Blues he faithfully renders on this video. The middle1950's found the St. Louis blues scene moribund and he

worked as an insurance salesman. Rediscovered by SamCharters in the late 1950’s, he gradually resumed perform-ing, occasionally recording. He is still active today and hasfinally received recognition for his singular style.

St. Louis Town (Yazoo CD1003)St. Louis Country Blues 1929-1937 (Document 5147)

MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT's warm and appealing singing andplaying is atypical of the hard blues generally associated withhis native state. His music reflected a style that exemplifiesblack music before World War I. He was born on the edge of

the delta in Teoc, Mississippi in 1892, Hurt learned his craftin the early 1900’s, absorbing the area’s dance tunes, bal-lads, tradi tional songs and prototype- blues. A farmer all ofhis li fe, he played local part ies and occasional square dances.Until his rediscovery, he rarely left his community and hisstyle remained unaffected by change. In l928, a white coun-try fiddler (W.R. Narmour) recommended Hurt to a talent



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Photo by Tom Hoskins

scout for Okeh re-cords, who arrangedsessions for him inMemphis and NewYork. He recorded

tw elve songs thatsold moderately well ,including a songabout Avalon, hishome town, whichenabled researchersto find him 35 yearslater. While Hurt re-mained unknownoutside of his com-

munity, his reputa-tion was made whentwo of h is songswere included in the

Harry Smith's collection on Folkways Records - Treasury ofFolk Music. Hurt’s rediscovery and appearance at the New-port Folk Festival in 1963 was one of the high points of theblues revival. His tight and roll ing finger-picking style influ-enced many young folk guitarists and the charm and dignityof the man is readily apparent in his music. He recorded and

played extensively until his death in 1966.Mississipp i John Hurt, l928 (Yazoo CD 1065)Avalon Blues (Rounder CD 1081)Worried Blues (Rounder CD 1082)

The Best of Mississippi John Hurt (Vanguard CD 19/ 20)Mississippi John Hurt Today! (Vanguard CD 79220)

The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt Vanguard CD 79248)Last Sessions (Vanguard CD 79327)

BROWNIE McGHEE was a stalwart ambassador of the bluesfor over half a century. Walter “Brownie” McGhee was born

in Knoxville, Tennessee, in l915. Afflicted with polio at theage of four, he learned guitar from his father at an early age.Moving to Maryville, Tennessee, he attended high school,dropping out in the late ‘20’s to hobo and work in carnivals,minstrel shows and dances. He returned in the early ‘30’s tocomplete school , join a gospel quartet and play guitar in thestreets. In the middle ‘30’s, he resumed traveling, attempt-ing to make a living through his music. He encountered Sonny



6

Photo by

David Gahr

Terry in North Carolina c.l939 which led to a re-cording date the nextyear. His style was some-what gentler and less

raggy than North Carolinaguitarists, and an attemptto market him as “BlindBoy Fuller No. 2” after thelatter’s death was notparticularly successful al-though his records soldwell. In l940 he moved toNew York and continuedhis associat ion with

Sonny Terry that was tolast decades. Sonny andBrownie worked w i thvarious musicians in New

York such as Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie, and becoming amainstay for Folkways records. For over twenty years, Browniehad a duel career as a folk singer for a white audience whileperforming and recording solo and with groups for a blackaudience. He has appeared on Broadway, TV and the mov-ies. A more versatile and practised musician than often cred-

ited, he recorded innumerable records in a variety of styles.The Folkway Years l945-49 (Folkways CD 40034)Brownie’s Blues (Original Blues Classics CD 505)

Brownie McGhee 1944-1945 (Travelin' Man CD 04)

ROBERT PETE WILLIAMS didnot start to play guitar untilhe was almost twenty. Hedeveloped a unique, “streamof consciousness” style ofsinging and playing. Unlike

most blues musicians, herarely bothered to rhyme hiswords or have a recogniz-able bar structure, seeminglyintent on communicating hisexperience in the most di-rect, idiosyncratic manner.Born in Zachary, Louisiana, in

P h ot o b y T om C opi



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Photo by David Gahr

l914, his family moved to Scotlandville, Louisiana, while hewas in his teens. A local musician, Lacey Collins, inf luencedhim and he supplemented his income as a farm worker byplaying local dances and country suppers. An altercation ledhim to spend four years in Angola Prison for murder. While

in prison, he re-corded for Folk-Lyric records which aidedhim in gaining parole. He appeared at the Newport Folk Fes-tival in l963 and toured extensively as well as recording. Hedied in 1980.

The Legacy Of The Blues Vol.9 (Sonet CD649)

JOSH WHITE embarkedupon his career in mu-sic at a very early age. Hewas born in Greenville,

South Carolina, in l915.His father was a preach-er for the Church of Godin Christ and the youngJosh sang in the choir.Before he was ten, hewas working as a guidefor blind street singerssuch as Willie Walkerand John Henry Arnold,from whom he learnedguitar. He left school atthe age of fourteen totravel as a guide and ac-companist to Blind JoeTaggart and made hisfirst records with thatartist in l928. By l932 he

had become an accomplished musician and was recordingas a solo musician. Due to the extremely religious nature ofhis family, he generally recorded spirituals under his ownname and blues as “Pinewood Tom”. By l936, he had gravi-tated to New York, became involved in Cafe Society andadopted a more polished and commercial approach to hissinger and playing. He became active in what were then radi-cal causes, and entertained President Franklin D. Rooseveltat White House concerts. He was one of the first rural musi-cians to purposely market himself as a folk musician and



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P h ot o b y J ean D el i r e

became well-known as such in the early ‘50’s. He touredand recorded extensively throughout his career and althoughhis material changed, his guitar playing never lost it s supple-ness. He died in l969.

Mama Let Me Lay It On You (Yazoo CD 1040)

BIG BILL BROONZYis among the mostfamous figures incountry blues. Hemaintained a ster-ling career for over30 years. Born circal898 in Scott, Missis-sippi, he was raided

in Pine Bluff, Arkan-sas. The re helearned to play vio-l in from an uncleand worked as acountry f iddler atlocal parties. Movingto Chicago in l920,he began to playguitar and made his first recordings for Paramount in l927.By the early 1930’s he had become an accomplished playerof blues and rags, and one of the most famous blues musi-cians in Chicago. Broonzy had the ability to adapt with thetimes and as the rural sound began to lose favor he becamemore urban-sounding, recording with piano and bass , smallcombos and brass. Few musicians of the era were more popu-lar not only wi th their audience, but also w ith peers; Broonzywas noted to be helpful to fellow musicians who were set-tling in Chicago throughout the thirties and forties. In l938,he appeared at Carnegie Hall for the “Spiri tual to Swing” con-cert and was introduced (and portrayed himself) as a share-cropper. In the early ‘50’s, he gained new popularity in En-gland and Europe as a folk artist, working club dates andconcerts. Lung cancer cut short his career and he died inl958.

The Young Bil l Broonzy 1926-1935 (Yazoo CD 1011)Do That Guitar Rag (Yazoo CD 1035)

Sings Folk Songs (Folkways CD 40023)The Complete Recordings (Document 5050/ 5051/ 5052...)



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P h ot o c our t es y Y az o

o R ec or d s

SON HOUSE: Legendary isscarcely apt to describeEddie “Son“ House, theprime influence on RobertJohnson and Muddy Wa-

ters, themselves archetypalf igures of Mississippiblues. His rich and power-ful singing and bottleneckplaying are benchmarks ofDelta blues. Born in Lyon,Mississippi around l902,he grew up in a religioushousehold and had ambi-tions to be a preacher. He

was contemptuous ofblues until the bott leneckplaying of Delta musiciansWillie Wilson and RubeLacy captivated him, andled him to take up guitar. Three years later, in l930, he ranup upon the fabled Charlie Patton, who invited him to recordat what was later felt to be one of the pinnacle sessions ofcountry blues for Paramount Records. Afterwards, he main-tained a friendship with Patton disciple, Willie Brown, for

over twenty years, vacillating between a religious life and ablues career. He made a number of recordings for the Li-brary of Congress, which added luster to his reputation be-fore he was rediscovered. Unconcerned with music for overa decade, he was located by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman andBill Barth, and persuaded to return to playing. His subse-quent performances such as I Had A Woman in Hughes (withJerry Ricks on second guitar recorded for Camera Three thatwas aired on commercial television), fully captured the in-tense, driving spirit that House commanded on his earlierrecordings. With his death in l988, a profound chapter inMississippi blues was closed.

Delta Blues/ The Original Library Of Congress Session 1941-1942 (Biograph CD 118)

Father Of The Delta Blues/ The Complete 1965 Sessions (Columbia/ Legacy 48867)

Masters Of The Delta Blues (Yazoo CD 2002)Son House & Bukka White (Yazoo Video 500)



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RECORDING INFORMATION:MANCE LIPSCOMB: Silver City & Angel Child (KLRU-TV, 1972)MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT: Spike Driver Blues & You're Going To

Walk That Lonesome Valley (Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest, 1966)HENRY TOWNSEND: Cairo Blues (Legacy Productions, circa 1986)

SON HOUSE: Death Letter Blues (Camera Three circa 1965),I Had A Woman in Hughes (BBC, 1972)

REVEREND GARY DAVIS: Children of Zion (Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest,1966), Death Don’t Have No Mercy (Lionel Rogosin's Black Roots, 1970)

BIG BILL BROONZY: Worried Man Blues, Barrelhouse Rag, How YouWant It Done, John Henry, Blues in E (circa 1950s)

ROBERT PETE WILLIAMS: Mamie(Univ. Of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives, 1968)

BROWNIE MCGHEE: Don’t Kid Me (Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest, 1966)JOSH WHITE: Jelly Jelly (1965)

Photo by Tom Copi

MANCE LIPSCOMB's play-ing featured nearly everyfacet of early black musicas played in Texas. Hewas one of the bench-

marks of the early ‘60’sblues revival. Born inNavasota, Texas, in 1895,Mance began to accom-pany his father, a localmusician, from the age ofeleven. His father de-serted the home whenMance was sixteen, leav-ing him the sole support

of his family. For close to50 years he regularlyplayed Saturday nightdances in his community,supplementing his in-

come as a farmer, and honing his skil ls as a guitarist. Bylearning from a number of musicians who passed throughNavasota, Mance became a virtual repository of Texas blues,ballads, rags and dance tunes from the early years of thiscentury. With his broad range of black musical styles and

effortless playing in the Texas style, he was a great favoriteon the folk and blues circuit until his death in l976.Texas Songster (Arhoolie CD 306)

You Got To Reap What You Sow (Arhoolie CD 398)

Notes by Don Kent



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Brownie & Sticks McGhee(Photo courtesy of Stefan Grossman)



As a genre, blues music was developedat the beginning of the twentieth cen-tury by rural black musicians. Theyshaped it wit h brilli ant inspiration fromdisparate elements of black song. Bythe early 1920’s, recorded urban per-formers solidified the standard three-

verse, 12 bar meter structure that hasident ified m ost blues. Fortunately, dur-ing that same period, there were re-corded mu sicians who grew up with theblues and whose guitar-styles were morefluid and improvisational. They playedwith a personal adaptation of their re-gional style, shaping b lues and relatedmaterial to their ow n needs and tho seof their audience.

The music they played was aliento form ula, possessing such skill androbustness as to be captivati ng. Theirfame was local, tied intimately to their

tim e and place, and only the providenceof a chance encounter with a talentscout or record company preserved theirart. Even then, it seemed fated t hat theywould remain flamboyant names onexotic record labels.

The blues revival of the early1960’s brought many of these survivorsto t he forefront of traditional music. Thetechnique of a Rev. Davis, the power ofa Son House, the charm o f a MississippiJohn Hurt suddenly leaps into sight,becoming more tangible, more awe-some and more human. The rare foot-

age presented in this DVD is a treasurebeyond imaginin g, drawn from a myriadof sources, depicting some of the great-est blues musicians who ever lived.

MANCE LIPSCOMB

1. Silver CityMISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT

2. Spike DriverHENRY TOWNSEND

3. Cairo BluesSON HOUSE

4. Death Letter BluesREVEREND GARY DAVIS

5. Children of ZionBIG BILL BROONZY

6. Worried Man Blues7. Hey, Hey8. How You Want It Done9. John Henry10. Blues in E

ROBERT PETE WILLIAM S

11. MamieBROWNIE McGHEE

12. Don’t Kid MeJOSH WHITE

13. Jelly JellySON HOUSE

14. I Had A Woman in HughesMANCE LIPSCOMB

15, Angel ChildMISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT

16. You're Going To Walk ThatLonesome Valley Blues

REV. GARY DAVIS

17. Death Don’t Have No Mercy

BONUS: JOHN JEREMY’S FILM

18. Blues Like Show ers of Rain

Front Photo of Big Bill Broonzy © 1956 Jean Delire

Back Photo of Miss. John Hurt by George PickowBack Photo of Son House by Nick Perls

Running Time: 88 minu tes • Color and B&WNationally distributed by Rounder Records,

One Camp Street, Cambridge, MA 02140Representation to Music Stores by Mel Bay Publications

® 2001 Vestapol Productions

A division of Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop Inc.

Ves t ap o l 130 03

ISBN: 1-57940-912-1

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