Roots of Jazz and Blues with King Henry - Episode 6 - Country Blues

[MUSIC] Welcome to episode six of The Roots of Jazz and Blues with King Henry, here on W-A-Y-O-L-P Rochester, broadcasting at 104.3 FM and streaming at wayofm.org. So far in our blues journey, we've listened to Delta blues and female blues singers.

Today, we'll hear country blues. This is a general label for blues that grew up outside of big cities. Now, Delta blues might be considered to be a kind of country blues, but it holds a special place as the bedrock of all blues. Today, we'll look at three styles of country blues, jug band music, Piedmont blues, and folk blues.

Jug bands originated in medicine shows. These were shows that traveled to rural towns and provided free music to gather crowds so that the owners could hawk miracle cures. These elixirs were mostly strong alcohol and some were further poisoned with morphine or cocaine. While traveling medicine shows died out in the early 1900s, the music persisted throughout the 1930s. Jug bands mixed traditional instruments with homemade instruments, foremost blowing on jugs to provide rhythm, much like beatboxing. They also made bass fiddles out of washtubs and broomsticks. And used washboards for rhythm. Many even incorporated kazoos.

Clifford Hayes led the first recorded jug band. In 1923, he teamed with country singer Jimmy Rogers in Clifford Hayes Old Southern Jug Band with My Good Girls Gone Blues 1923.

[MUSIC] My good girl's gone, don't know why she went away. Yes, my mama's gone, I don't know why she went away. All I know is she's gone, she didn't have a word to say. [MUSIC] Play it, boy, play it. [MUSIC] Oh, now, mussies. [MUSIC] Blow it, brother, blow it. [MUSIC] When she left me, oh, I sit down and cry. When she left me, I just sit down and cry. Thought I felt so blue, I thought I might commit suicide. Oh, jeelee, I eat old jeelee. [MUSIC] Go ahead and go crazy, boy. [MUSIC] Take it, boy. [MUSIC] I want a new mama, a good girl that won't leave. Yes, I want a new mama, a good woman that won't leave. We'll do some high grade loving, just like old Adam and Eve. Oh, jeelee, I eat old jeelee.

Clifford Hayes played in many drug bands, including the original Louisville Drug Band, the Dixieland Jugblowers, and Clifford's Louisville Jug Band. Next, let's listen to the Dixieland Jugblowers, "Please Don't Holler Mama" from 1927.

[MUSIC] You're a tittering brown, you sure do make me smile. You are a tittering brown, you sure do make me smile. I'm so crazy about your movements, I could lay down and die. Do you know the reason I try to treat you kind? Do you know the reason I try to treat you kind? Because you know darn well just how to right my blinds. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Please don't holler mama while I'm squeezing you. Please don't holler mama while I'm squeezing you. When I hear you holler, it makes me feel so blue.

The Memphis Jug Band formed in 1926 around Will Shade. It was known for its unique sound, with a kazoo as a lead instrument played like a trumpet. Sun Brimmer was the nickname of Will Shade, and their first recorded song is Sun Brimmer's Blues.

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The style of the Memphis Jug Band changed over time, as members of the band came in and out. Charles Burse played tenor banjo, and when he joined the band, he added quite a bit of complexity and some jazz influences. Let's hear him in Insane Crazy Blues.

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Another important Jug Band leader was Gus Cannon. He was born on a plantation in 1883. He was the home of W.C. Handy, who as you'll recall, was the key figure in the origins of jazz. Gus taught himself music on a homemade banjo, and later taught himself fiddle. He began playing with Jug Bands in medicine shows, but was unable to break into the music business for many years. He supported himself sharecropping and ditch digging. He formed Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1928, when he had his first hit with Mingle Wood Blues.

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Cannon's Jug Stompers remained popular through the 1930s. One of their songs, Walk Right In, became a hit for Dr. Hook in 1970. But let's hear the original 1930 version of Walk Right In.

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One of my favorite groups is the Mississippi Sheiks. The core of this group were the brothers Carter, Lonnie, and Sam Chapman. The Sheiks are highly collectible today. In fact, the most valuable record in my collection is Crackin' Them Things by the Sheiks, even though it is almost worn through. Let's listen to just a few seconds of my scratchy copy. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Pretty bad, you have to admit, but it's still worth over $100. Let's hear a good copy now. 1930, the Mississippi Sheiks, Crackin' Them Things.

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The Mississippi Sheiks biggest hit has been covered by dozens of groups from Frank Sinatra to the Grateful Dead. Here we go with Sitting on Top of the World from 1930.

Daddy Stovepipe often performed with his wife who went by the name Mississippi Sarah. Their performances were notable for the humorous banter between the two. Let's listen to their performance from 1935, The Spasm.

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Little is known of the life of our next singer. Some say he was born in Florida. Others say the Sea Islands of Georgia. Blind Blake showed up at Paramount Records in 1926 and recorded 80 sides in just three years. Perhaps because of the mystery of his life, these records are highly sought after. Let's hear his first record, Early Morning Blues.

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In 1930, Blind Blake took part in an all-star blues record called the Hometown Skiffle. This was a true blues supergroup. It included Blind Lemon Jefferson, Will Ezell, Charlie Spand, the Hokum Boys, Papa Charlie Jackson, and of course Blind Blake. Let's listen now to both sides.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [music] Well, well, Will, you play too tight. Women about to break down the door. Now, Blake, come on over here and whip up one of those old low-down blues. Make it low. [music] Don't go away, folks. There's more to come. [music] Don't leave nobody. I'm gonna play it again. Now, folks, you can get to this is. [music] That'll get it. Now we've got the Hocum boys here. Come on, Hill, let's whip this doula. Let's give them a selling that stuff. What kind of liquor is this? Tiger Swift. [music] And Jane gave a dance and she had a crowd. She sold more liquor than the Lord thought. She was selling that stuff. Old Aunt Jane, she was selling that stuff. Just the same, she could really break the record when it came to selling that stuff. They took Aunt Jane to the county jail. She didn't need nothing to go up below. She's selling that stuff. Old Aunt Jane, she sold that stuff. Just the same, she could really break the record when it came to selling that stuff. Hey, ain't that... Now, now, you're the man trying to get away with something. Come on, Charlie Spans. Play one of those old blues, boys. Play soon this morning. [music] This is Charlie Spans and myself, Detroit. [music] Soon this morning, about to break a day. Lay my head on the pillow where my mama used to lay. Go soon this morning, about to break a day. [music] Don't play like that. Get us rated. Hey, stop, Charlie. Don't play another note. Don't play another note, because here's Papa Charlie here bubbling over. He's a composer. Shake that thing. Play it, Papa Charlie. [music] [singing] Yeah, that's taking that swing. [singing] Who is that? Police officer. Open the store for us to take it down. Uh-oh, uh-oh. Cloud, cloud. It must be Johnny Nab. We could hook up the hometown skiffle. See you in jail.

We now come to my personal favorite Piedmont blues player, Blind Boy Fuller. He was also very popular with the public during his lifetime. As a teenager, he was working as a laborer when he went blind. The cause was untreated neonatal conjunctivitis. This is a bacterial infection of the eyes that occurs during birth of an infant and is why today infants are always given eye drops when they're born. By 1928, he was completely blind. He decided to support himself as a musician. He studied records by Blind Blake and others. Now let's listen to both sides of a wonderful record from my own collection. 1940 Blind Boy Fuller, Little Woman, You're So Sweet, followed by Step It Up and Go.

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Barbecue Bob played six and twelve string guitar. For most of his life he had to support himself doing odd jobs. And he was in fact working at Tidwell's Barbecue in Atlanta when he met a talent scout from Columbia Records. In just over four years he recorded 68 songs. The first from 1927 was Barbecue Blues.

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Bob died young at age 29 of tuberculosis. But before then he recorded his most remarkable song, an expression of black pride he titled "Chocolate to the Bone" from 1928.

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But first let me remind you this is W A Y O L P Rochester and you're listening to the roots of jazz and blues with King Henry.

Folk blues combine traditional folk music from the Appalachian Mountains with blues. One of the great folk blue musicians was Memphis Minnie. She grew up just south of Memphis, Tennessee. At age 13 she ran away from her farm family to play on street corners of Memphis. At age 16 she toured with the Ringling Brothers Circus. By 20 she was back in Memphis singing in nightclubs. Her first records were made with her first husband, Kansas Joe. Let's listen to Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe "I Want That" from 1929.

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As with many of the artists on today's show, Howard had to put his musical career on hold in the 1940s and the 1950s when the public lost interest in folk music and blues. He was then rediscovered in the folk music revival of the 1960s and then went on to record and tour throughout the 90s. Let's hear his 1985 version of that same State Street Rag.

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He hailed from Centerville, Texas and fell in love with the blues as a child. He had a formative meeting at age 8 at a church picnic where he met that most famous of blues musicians, Blind Lemon Jefferson. Hopkins played non-professionally for friends and church groups but was unable to break into the music world until 1946 when he was scouted by Aladdin Records. The record company teamed him with Wilson Smith who had the nickname Thunder so the record company gave Sam the nickname Lightning Hopkins. So let's listen now to their first recording, 1946 Lightning Hopkins and Wilson Thunder Smith, "Katy May".

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Hopkins went on to have a long and successful career through the 1980s. In fact he was even named by the city of Houston, Texas as their poet in residence. We'll close out today's show with a track from his first 33 LP record. The record was named Lightning Hopkins and the track is "Bad Luck and Trouble" from 1959.

[music] So long, so long. [music] Better friends, they got a part. [music] So long, so long. [music] Better friends, they got a part. [music] You know some may be your lover, some may be the one. Oh yeah, they may be the one breaking your heart. [music] You know I cried all night late night. [music] Tell my pillow guy's soaking wet. [music] Oh, Lord have mercy. Tell my pillow guy's soaking wet. [music] Yeah, you know I was looking for my little woman. [music] Oh child, she made it home, yeah. [music] Oh, you know bad luck and trouble. [music] Oh, follow me all the time. [music] Oh. [music] Follow poor Lightning all the time. [music] I'm just hoping someday I'll be tough. [music] Yes, and get trouble over my mind. [music] Don't want to do it, but I might have to. [music] I come home in the evening. I lay down to take my rest. I feel something heavy. Laying in my breath, it feels like my baby. Just imagine they shouldn't come to me. [music] Thinking about all the time that she had somewhere. [music] Oh, Lord, I wonder what in the world can my baby be? [music]