Happy Birthday Robert Johnson-When The Sun Goes Down- Blind Willie McTell

CD REVIEW

When The Sun Goes Down, Blind Willie McTell, BMG Music, 2003

Recently I have been doing a run of reviews on old time country blues players that have included the likes of Mississippi John Hurt and Son House. Here we are getting a little slice of what the acoustic blues looked like when it went to the Southern cities in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Hurt and House stayed on the farm, so to speak, but McTell, blind from birth I believe, went to the streets of the cities to sing his songs and make his daily bread. Along the way he worked with women singers and sometimes with the legendary Tommy Dorsey (no, not the bandleader from the forties). But mainly he worked the streets and joints alone.

A close listen immediately tells you that this artist is different from the country blues singers. The guitar work is more polished (check it out on Statesboro Blues, if you want a treat) but the whole presentation is also different. The lyrics are more polished and the presentation is clearly for an audience that can walk out the door if it does not like what it hears. Hell, there are seven other guys or gals down the street to listen to. This is really the first manifestation, in song, of the changeover in the blues from the chant like quality of the pace of the cotton field to the rhythms of urban life. It changes again latter when it goes north and gets electrified but here McTell and a little later Big Bill Broozey (and as always Robert Johnson) are pushing the work in new directions

*A Mixed Bag Musical Potpourri-Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Rock And Rockabilly-David Bromberg

Click On Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of David Bromberg's Cover Of Blind Willie McTell's Classic "Statesboro Blues".

He Ain’t No Wallflower

David Bromberg, The Player: A Retrospective, David Bromberg, Sony Music, 1998

The last time that I had mentioned the name of the artist under review, the well-regarded highly-skilled guitarist David Bromberg, was in a review of Rosalie Sorrels "The Last Go Round" album. That work was a recording of her last concert at Harvard in 2002. Originally the late Dave Van Ronk was to be on the program but he passed away a few weeks before the concert. David Bromberg was brought in as a replacement on short notice and wowed the house. I am sorry that I do not remember his play list and his work was not produced on the Sorrels CD. Not to worry though you can be sure that it included some of the tracks on this CD that represent some of his best work over a long career going back to the 1960's.

Virtually everyone I know has commented on Bromberg's extraordinary command of the guitar, his knowledge of what is called the American songbook and his, let's face it, at times thin and reedy voice. Forget that last part of the comment though because what you get in return are very innovative Bromberg presentations of well-known material. Obviously, Bromberg, having played with legendary cowboy Jerry Jeff Walker, needs to give us his version of "Mr. Bojangles". But how about a talking "Statesboro Blues", the Blind Willie McTell classic that most cover artists try to go up tempo on. The he goes 1950's on us with "Mr. Blue". And then gets down and dirty honky-tonk with "Wallflower". See what I mean, the guy knows his stuff. Get this thing and find out for yourself.


Song Lyrics: Statesboro Blues
Written by Blind Willie McTell
Recorded in (1928)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Have you got the nerve to drive papa McTell from your door

My mother died and left me reckless, my daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
Mother died and left me reckless, daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
No, I'm not good lookin', I'm some sweet woman's angel child

You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
Going to leave this town, pretty mama, going away to stay

I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
Treat me like I was a king and she was a doggone queen

Sister, tell your Brother, Brother tell your Auntie, Auntie, tell your Uncle,
Uncle tell my Cousin, Cousin tell my friend
Goin' up the country, Mama, don't you want to go?
May take me a fair brown, may take me one or two more

Big Eighty left Savannah, Lord, and did not stop
You ought to saw that colored fireman when he got that boiler hot
Reach over in the corner, hand me my travelin' shoes
You know by that, I got them Statesboro blues

Sister got 'em, daddy got 'em
Brother got 'em, mama got 'em
Woke up this morning, we had them Statesboro blues
I looked over in the corner,
Grandpa and grandma had 'em too.

When The Blues Was Dues- Blind Willie McTell’s “Rollin’ Mama Blues”

…They called her Magnolia May(although he later found out, after he had gone to hell and back with her, had done every hellish thing to and with her, and had gone to heaven with her too he wanted everybody to know, her real name was Anna Sue Barkin), the highest yella gal in Ma Stover’s negro whorehouse over on Blanchard Street (although Ma kept a few off-hand just off farm white girls, all corn-fed and dewy, dope-heads by the time Ma got them , just to mix things up but you had to know Ma, or special request those girls, and Ma kept them on a separate floor, a separate floor from the high yella girls that Ma was known far and wide for), the girl every guy, especially those foolish college boys from over at State University craved when their monthly daddy checks came in. And Jackson Barr, Junior was no different, no different once one of his frat brothers clued him in to Ma’s, to high yella girls, and to the best way to spent that daddy check walking daddy right over to Ma’s. Right over to Ma’s after stopping at Mr. Henry’s in town for some fine old whiskey, scotch and rye, store bought, and some, uh, cocaine, not store bought, although legal, not store bought since other drugstore establishments insisted on a genuine prescription from a genuine doctor. Mr. Henry had no such scruples.

And so Jackson Barr headed (with other frat brothers but they don’t count in this story so we will move on) over to Ma’s one hot Saturday night in early June just before the semester was over at State, entered her establishment, took out some walking daddy money, all green and pure, handed his liquors to the man servant and declared to Ma, declared calmly but forthrightly, that he wanted the highest yella girl in her fine establishment. Hence Magnolia May.

And hence seven kinds of hell and heaven once they had gone up to her room for the very first thing she did was to drop down her dress to show off her high yella fine wares, all curves and cuddles in the right places, and boldly, not whore boldly although that was her professional, but hey daddy you are in for a treat boldly, asked Jackson Barr, Junior just exactly how did he want his rolling done (what kind of sex, no rough stuff to mar her body, did he want for the clueless). After a finger of scotch and two fingers of coke which he invited her to share with him they jumped on her big fluffy bed and she gave him some head, spitting his jimson into her handkerchief after he exploded in her mouth.

Two weeks and five hundred miles later Jackson Barr, Senior, Ma Stover, seventeen officials from State, the Texas Rangers, and who knows what else, found Jackson Barr, Junior and Magnolia May in the Imperial Hotel in Austin, Texas after about a million odd-ball incidents, a million liquor drinks, many bindles of dope, and after about twenty pages from the Karma Sutra the ways that Jackson Barr, Junior wanted his rolling done. They hushed it all up by agreement, and gave Magnolia May a one- way ticket to Chicago, or else. But always after, even with his wife, all curves and cuddles, all white curves and cuddles, sleeping right beside and willing to do some rolling of her own, he kept thinking of that June time, and about maybe heading to Chicago on business some time.

Blind Willie McTell Rollin' Mama Blues Lyrics

Translation in progress. Please wait...

Now tell me baby
How do you want your rollin' done?
Now tell me baby
How do you want your rollin' done?

I want you to start in the mornin' baby
And roll me with the settin' of the sun

Oh, roll me on my belly baby
Feed me with your chocolate drop
Oh, roll me on my belly baby
Feed me with your chocolate drop

I want you to keep it all for your daddy
And don't give nobody none

Want you to roll me baby
Like the baker rolls his dough
Want you to roll me baby
Like the baker rolls his dough

And if you get some of my lovin'
You won't want your rider no more

Oh, reel and rock me baby
Honey, if it's all night long
Oh, reel and rock me baby
Honey, if it's all night long

You don't have to worry about your lovin'
I'm a deep sea diver and I don't go wrong

Won't you come back baby?
You got me all confused
Won't you come back baby?
You got me all confused

That's why I'm singin'
These barrel house woman blues

*A Mixed Bag Musical Potpourri-Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Rock And Rockabilly-Legends Of The Blues

Click On Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of Roosevelt Sykes Doing "Gulfport Boogie".

Legends Of The Blues, Indeed

Legends Of The Blues: Volume Two, various artists, Sony Music, 1991

I recently noted in reviewing a CD containing the work of legendary early acoustic blues guitarists in this same series that sometimes a review, especially a review of old time blues artists, is a very easy chore. That is certainly the case here with this CD, another Columbia Legacy series production, highlighting most of the known names from the early days of the genre. I have spilled some ink here previously discussing the impact of the early acoustic blues artists on the post-World War II explosion of electric blues, most notably the Chicago blues sound. Well, here they are all together in one place guitarists, vocalists, harmonica players and pianists for the beginner and for the aficionado.

A role call of honor here tells the tale. The “Honeydripper” Roosevelt Sykes on the salacious “Henry Ford Blues” (if you can believe that). Guitarist extraordinaire Tampa Red on “Turpentine Blues”. Brownie McGhee on “Goodbye Now”. Harmonica man “Jazz” Gillum on “Is That A Monkey You Got?”. Lucille Bogan on “Bo-Easy Blues”. I think I have made my point. Right?

Tampa Red - Turpentine Blues lyrics

Turpentine's all right, provided that wages are good
Turpentine's all right, provided that wages are good
But I can make more money now, by somewhere choppin' hardwood

Turpentine business ain't like it used to be
Turpentine business ain't like it used to be
I can't make enough money now, to even get on a spree

I ain't gonna work no more, I tell you the reason why
I ain't gonna work no more, tell you the reason why
Because everybody wants to sell, and nobody wants to buy

You can work in the field, you can work at the sawmill too
You can work in the field, you can work at the sawmill too
But you can't make no money, at nothin' you try to do

So Lordy please tell me what we turpentine people are gonna do
Lordy please tell me what we turpentine people gonna do
We may work one week, but we got to lay off a month or two

Turpentine is like dice, to shoot you up on the loose
Turpentine is just like dice, to shoot you up on the loose
That's the reason why, I've got those turpentine blues

Blues In The Night

DVD REVIEWS

The First Time I Met The Blues, various artists, When The Sun Goes Down Series, RCA Victor Records, 2002

As one can tell by the title of this series "When The Sun Goes Down", a series that has also included the work of Blind Willie McTell an artist that I have reviewed in this space previously, this is going to be a bedrock example of a thoughtful way to preserve our blues history. As in the McTell case it does not fail us here. What the folks who have produced this series and this particular CD have done is gone to the old RCA Victor vaults and selected some very nice and very representative songs (and a few obscure one, as well) from the early 1920’s on. For those not aware of this history RCA and other record companies in the 1920’s sent out agents throughout this country scouring the streets and byways for new sound- the foothills of Appalachia, the cotton field of the South, the honky-tonks of the Texas Panhandle. Wherever. Here they have gotten hold of some golden blues material. Listen up.

I will merely summarize this who’s who of early, basically, country blues. Even the barrel house blues of the cities and juke joints has that country flavor during this period. It is not until later when the blues moved north to Memphis and Chicago with the black migration away from the farms and, more importantly got electrified, that we get a bit of a different sound. The tunes here depend on piano, harmonica and acoustic guitar for the most part. Here is what you need to hear- Victoria Spivey (an extremely important figure in the blues business in her own who deserves an entry of her own) on "Telephoning The Blues"; of course, Blind Willie McTell on the classic, no, super classic "Statesboro Blues"; Memphis Jug Band of "Cocaine Habit Blues" (before it was illegal); Sippy Wallace- "The Texas Nightingale"-on "I’m A Mighty Tight Woman"; Jimmie Rodgers on "Blue Yodel#9" (hard to do by the way on a blues number); Little Brother Montgomery on the title cut; and, Blind Willie Reynolds on "Married Woman Blues". You can find your own favorites out of the 25 that you have to choose from here. Nice, just very nice.

A Tribute To The Blues Blinds- Johnson, Jefferson, McTell, Blake

CD REVIEWS

The Complete Collection of Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson, Sony 1993

Blind Willie Johnson

A tradition developed early, and I am not sure how, but it was very early in the 1900’s of blind black men with musical ability (and probably some with none) going to the small town Southern street and singing for their dinner, so to speak. I, for one, am glad that they did because an inordinate part of early blues music would be missing without their collective contributions. Here we start our tribute with Blind Willie Johnson; this is Reverend Blind Willie Johnson, by the way. What makes Reverend Johnson a shade bit different from other blues singers of the period, with the partial exception of Skip James, is that the vast bulk of his music is religious in orientation unlike the more traditional moaning and groaning about work, women and whiskey.

For those who saw part of Martin Scorcese’s PBS Blues Project a few years back you might remember that Blind Willie (along with Skip James) was highlighted in Wim Wender’s section. You might also know then that Johnson’s Soul of A Man is traveling the universe as a selection of one of humankind’s musical expressions. Take that and You Have Friend In Jesus with female accompaniment and you are at the height of Blind Willie’s talent. As for the rest you will have to listen for yourself.

Blind Blake-Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Finger Picker, Blind Blake, Yahoo, 1989

Before the blues began to dominate the black Southern country music scene there was a transition period where the previously dominant ragtime commingled with the emerging blues picking sound. That is where Blind Blake comes into view. This CD shows off his masterly picking style but also shows that he gets the new blues country beat. This CD has liner notes that are very informative (as are most Yahoo liner notes) about these evolutionary moves and Blake's innovations. As to the music highlights here are Southern Rag, Hard Pushing Papa, Sweet Papa Low Down and a classic rendition of Rope Stretching Blues (about the thoughts of a black prisoner just before his scheduled hanging- legal this time- with the great line 'in a couple of days I will not be singing this song'. Reason enough, right there to get rid of the death penalty.). Get this if you need a nice clean country blues pick.


CD REVIEW

When The Sun Goes Down, Blind Willie McTell, BMG Music, 2003

Recently I have been doing a run of reviews on old time country blues players that have included the likes of Mississippi John Hurt and Son House. Here we are getting a little slice of what the acoustic blues looked like when it went to the Southern cities in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Hurt and House stayed on the farm, so to speak, but McTell, blind from birth I believe, went to the streets of the cities to sing his songs and make his daily bread. Along the way he worked with women singers and sometimes with the legendary Tommy Dorsey (no, not the bandleader from the forties). But mainly he worked the streets and joints alone.

A close listen immediately tells you that this artist is different from the country blues singers. The guitar work is more polished (check it out on Statesboro Blues, if you want a treat) but the whole presentation is also different. The lyrics are more polished and the presentation is clearly for an audience that can walk out the door if it does not like what it hears. Hell, there are seven other guys or gals down the street to listen to. This is really the first manifestation, in song, of the changeover in the blues from the chant like quality of the pace of the cotton field to the rhythms of urban life. It changes again latter when it goes north and gets electrified but here McTell and a little later Big Bill Broozey (and, as always, Robert Johnson) are pushing the work in new directions.

The Best of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Yahoo, 1990

Yes, I know it is hard to keep the names of all these male blind blues singers straight. Blind Willie, Blind Lemon, Blind Blake, etc. but there are differences in their styles from Willie Johnson's more gospel -oriented work to McTell's barrel house renditions. It is interesting that so many of these blind black singers, probably otherwise unemployable at the time due to their impairments, gave the blues (and sometimes their root music, gospel, also) a tryout on the streets and seemingly thrived on this market niche. The just mentioned gospel roots of many of these performers shows the tension between the godly church music of their youth and the `devil's' music of their maturity and I believe added to the authenticity of the music. It is the backdrop of Blind Lemon's works, as well.

This compilation, although technically not the best due more to problems with the old time recording material than anything else, highlights Blind Lemon's most enduring songs. The classic Easy Rider and Black Snake Moan are included here. Also included here and a must listen for anybody interested in this music is another Jefferson classic See That My Grave is Kept Clean that has been covered by many, many artists, including Bob Dylan.