BackAlleyBlues

Blind" Lemon Jefferson (September 1893–December 1929) was an influential blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s.

Jefferson is believed to have been born in Couchman, Texas, near Wortham, Texas. It was long believed by most that he was born in 1897 (although some accounts varied the date by up to ten years) but research a century later revealed a census record that listed his birth record as September 1893. He was blind or nearly blind from a young age, possibly from birth; the cause is unknown, as is the reason for the name or nickname "Lemon".

Where, how, and from whom he learned to play guitar and learned his songs is unknown. Around 1912, he began performing at picnics and parties. He also became a street musician, playing in East Texas towns. According to his cousin, Alec Jefferson, quoted in the notes for Blind Lemon Jefferson, Classic Sides:

They was rough. Men was hustling women and selling bootleg and Lemon was singing for them all night... he'd start singing about eight and go on until four in the morning... mostly it would be just him sitting there and playing and singing all night.

By 1917, Lemon had moved to Dallas, where he is reputed to have met and played with Leadbelly, as well as gotten married.

[edit]

The beginning of the recording career

Unlike many artists who were "discovered" and recorded in their normal venues, in December 1925 or January 1926, he was taken to Chicago, Illinois, to record his first tracks. Uncharacteristically, Jefferson's first two recordings from this session were gospel songs ("I Want to be like Jesus in my Heart", and "All I Want is that Pure Religion"), released under the name Deacon L. J. Bates. This led to a second recording session in March 1926. His first release under his own name, "Booster Blues" and "Dry Southern Blues", was a hit; this led to the release of the other two songs from that session, "Got the Blues" and "Long Lonesome Blues", which became a runaway success, with sales in the six figures. He recorded about 100 tracks between 1926 and 1929; 43 records were issued, all but one for Paramount Records. Unfortunately, Paramount Records' studio techniques and quality were infamously bad, and the resulting recordings sound no better than if they had been recorded in a hotel room. In fact, in May 1926, Paramount had Jefferson re-record his hit "Got the Blues" and "Long Lonesome Blues" in the superior facilities at Marsh Laboratories and subsequent releases used that version. Both versions appear on compilation albums and may be compared.

Barbeque Bob is a seasoned veteran harmonica virtuoso and vocalist from the Boston, MA with nearly 30 years of experience in the business and has worked and toured wth many different blues legends, including Jimmy Rogers, Louisiana Red, Sunnyland Slim, and Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson. After nearly three years of being forced to take things very slow due to being on kidney dialysis, Bob recieved a kidney transplant on May 1, 2003, and he is now back on the scene with a vengeance. Former Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton harp legend Jerry Portnoys says,"Barbeque Bob is not just one of the best around the Boston area, but one of the very best anywhere, period!" The late, great West Coast blues harmonica giant and Alligator recording artist William Clarke called his playing "powerful and well focused."

Bob has appeared with:

"Fried Green Tomatoes" soundtrack CD on MCA 1991 (on the tune, "Rooster Blues," with Peter Wolf and Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters)

"Right Here And Now" Two Bones & A Pick, 1996

"Butter Up 'N' Go" Two Bones & A Pick, 1998

"Get On 'Board" Blues Express, 1998

Look for his upcoming release on the Wham label "Live At The Waterfront Festival." You can visit his website for the notice or get on the email mailing list at [email protected]. You can also contact Ron Martinez at [email protected] for further information regarding this release.

bbq bob

"St. Louis Blues" is a piece of American music composed by William Christopher Handy in the blues style. It remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians' repertoire. It was also one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song; it has been performed by numerous musicians of all styles from Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith to Glenn Miller and the Boston Pops Orchestra. It has been called "the jazzman's Hamlet". Published in September of 1914 by Handy's own company, it later gained such popularity that it inspired the dance step the "Foxtrot".

Though the name of the song may imply that it is about events in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, it instead refers to a sophisticated woman from that city who has stolen the affection of the singer's lover. The form is unusual in that the verses are the familiar standard twelve bar blues in common time with three lines of lyrics, the first two lines repeated, but it also has a 16-bar bridge written in the habanera rhythm.

The opening line, "I hate to see that evenin' sun go down" may be one of the more recognizable lyrics in pop music, and set the tone for many subsequent blues songs.

Handy said in writing "St. Louis Blues" his objective was "to combine ragtime syncopation with a real melody in the spiritual tradition." He had been inspired by a chance meeting with a black woman on the streets of New Orleans distraught over her husband's absence, who lamented: "Ma man's got a heart like a rock cast in de sea," a key line of the song.[1] Details of the story vary but agree on the meeting and the phrase.

[edit]

Chester Burnett was born to Leon “Dock” Burnett and Gertrude Jones on June 10, 1910, in White Station, Mississippi, a tiny railroad stop between Aberdeen and West Point in the Mississippi hill country, many miles away from the Delta. Fascinated by music as a boy, he would often beat on pans with a stick and imitate the whistle of the railroad trains that ran nearby. He also sang in the choir at the White Station Baptist church, where Will Young, his stern, unforgiving great-uncle preached. When his parents separated, his father moved to the Delta, and his mother left Chester with his uncle Will, who treated him harshly. One childhood friend said Will Young was “the meanest man between here and hell. Wolf’s relationship with his mother was also troubled. Gertrude spent much of her adult life as a street singer, eking out a living by selling hand-written gospel songs for pennies to passersby. She disowned her son Chester, claiming he played “the Devil’s music.” Wolf’s wariness can be traced to his bleak childhood.

http://www.howlinwolf.com/

Blue Fox is a well-traveled bluesman from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Steve Blood of Three Mountain Lodge says, "He takes time with the kids, gets the place rockin'. EVERYONE likes his music." Pamela Polston of Seven Days Newspaper said. "Blue Fox's vocals are deep-lazy-growly-sexy, and his guitar playing is ultra-strength."

Art Edelstein of the Times Argus Newspaper says” One of the few authentic blues musicians in Vermont - well worth the listen.”

Blue is currently booking his spring/summer tour. Due to a big interest in his solo steel guitar/harmonic shows, it will be focusing on that style, as well as doing local shows with his band, Blue Fox & the Rockin’ Daddys.

In the 1980's, Blue played almost everyplace that had street musicians (Boston, New York, New Orleans, Austin, San Francisco, etc.) and quite a few that did not. "Blue Fox has been a fixture on the blues scene since he arrived in Vermont in 1990... Charlie Frazier, Good Citizen Magazine.

Blue's first CD, The Way Things Go, was with a trio. His second CD, Shades of Blue, is a mix of solo and his band. Both got good reviews and sold well. Songs from these CDs are featured on all four of the Best of the Green Mountain Blues CDs. His third CD, Solo Blue, features Blue as a solo artist in a mix of studio and live performances.

Two different persons were so inspired by a Blue Fox performance, they put on their own music festivals. (Bill Eustis - Brookfield Blues & Funk Festival & Sandy Bazzano - Pondstock)

He is well-known locally as a player of relentless energy, passion and showmanship." Charlie Frazier, Good Citizen Magazine.

BlueFox and the Rockin Daddys

Born James Arnold in Lovejoy's Station, Georgia, Arnold received his nickname in 1934 after releasing Old Original Kokomo Blues for the Decca label; it was a cover of the Scrapper Blackwell blues song about the "Kokomo" brand of coffee. A left-handed slide-guitarist, his intense slide style of playing and rapid-fire vocal style set him apart from his contemporaries.

Having learned the basics of the guitar from his cousin John Wiggs, Arnold began playing in the early 1920s as a sideline while he worked as a farmhand in Buffalo, New York, and as a steelworker in Pittsburgh. In 1929 he moved to Chicago and set up a bootlegging business, an activity he continued throughout Prohibition. In 1930 Arnold moved south briefly, and made his first recordings, Rainy Night Blues and Paddlin' Blues, under the name Gitfiddle Jim for the Victor label in Memphis, Tennessee. He soon moved back to the bootlegging center of Chicago, though he was forced to make as living as a musician after the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution ending Prohibition in 193

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

RandomClam is a couple of ordinary guys trying to produce original music fusing the essense of blues, jazz and rock into something we hope you find unique.

Mike : Songwriter (Vocals, Guitar),

Dan : Lead Guitar (Bass)

Random Clam

n 1998 a(singer/entertainer, songwriter, producer, guitar player,keyboards and studio engineer) met an powerful singer/entertainer and together they brought to life "The Mitchell Blues Band". This Palma Mallorca (Spain) based band is originally from New York City and Oklahoma USA!! Tim Mitchell Richardson (the founder of The Mitchell Blues Band) has taken his music from America and all over the world. The unique style that Tim has brought with him from Oklahoma is a down home Blues with just a touch of funk and rock! Tim started playing the guitar from the tender age of 4 years old. He was actually thought by his mother ( his mom was also an incredible guitar/keyboard/ player herself) Matter of fact, Tim was blessed to be able to play any musical instrument that he decided to pick up. With the knowledge of music he played with different bands in bars and venues all over Oklahoma for many years. After being seasoned by the best he branched off to bigger and better opportunities. He started playing for well known artists : The Stylistics and James Brown. Also performing with Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes just to name a few. With these classic groups he started to travel to Europe

Podcast Tribute to the classic Blues and the modern day heros of music. Lets step into time and relive the the era that set the nation and time to what it is today. Join me as we bring the past to the present.

Willie King has loved and played the blues ever since he was 7 years old, as Willie says it, "I am the Blues." Living in one of the poorest regions, of one of the poorest states in America, could give anyone a case of blues but Willie is constantly struggling against the odds to gain control. He's one of the true Alabama bluesmen who's lived the blues everyday of his life. It's no fad with him. When you hear Willie playing the blues you're hearing the truth and you can feel it. He's presently working with the Alabama Blues Project helping with blues education programs throughout the state and has recently completed his first solo CD called, "I am the Blues." It was self-produced by Willie. His newest CDs, "Freedom Creek" and "Living In A New World" on Rooster Blues are available in most record stores.

Alabama Blues