(Blues) Skip James - Skip's Piano Blues
- Type:
- Audio > Music
- Files:
- 14
- Size:
- 91.53 MB
- Tag(s):
- piano blues
- Quality:
- +0 / -0 (0)
- Uploaded:
- May 25, 2011
- By:
- nightissuchproximity
Album: Skip's Piano Blues Genre: Blues Styles: Acoustic blues, Delta blues, Piano blues Released: 1996 Label: Genes File: mp3 320kbps 1. All Night Long [2:57] 2. Rock Island Blues [3:01] 3. Little Boy How Old Are You [2:11] 4. Four O'clock Blues [3:41] 5. Black Gal [3:38] 6. Little Cow and Calf [3:09] 7. How Long Blues [4:23] 8. Vicksburg Blues [3:26] 9. Lazy Bones [3:51] 10. Walking The Sea [2:30] 11. 22-20 Blues [3:41] 12. Special Rider Blues [3:25] Skip James displays his four tool skills on piano, organ, guitar, and vocals on 12 traditional Delta Blues numbers, and employs his whining, age weakened falsetto on every cut. There's nothing fancy -- just James accompanying himself and emoting his heart out on a myriad of earthy tales like "Black Gal," "Lazy Bones," "Vicksburg Blues," and "Special Rider Blues." The release is a true reflection of the leading purveyor of the Bentonia Blues style named after James' birthplace, Bentonia Mississippi.
Born in Mississippi in 1902, Nehemiah “Skip†James was a blues musician, share cropper, bootlegger and preacher. Recording songs in the late 20’s and into the 30’s, James disappeared from the blues/music scene and drifted in and out of music until he was discovered in a hospital by a group of blues enthusiasts that included Henry Vestine of Canned Heat in 1964.
James would pick where he left off in the 30’s, recording for the Vanguard label. The blues revival of the 60’s was good for sales and James found a new generation of fans, including Eric Clapton, Dion & Deep Purple amongst others. The song, “Devil Got My Woman†was featured prominently in the 2000 film Ghost World.
Among the earliest and most influential Delta bluesmen to record, Skip James was the best known proponent of the so-called Bentonia school of blues players, a genre strain invested with as much fanciful scholarly "research" as any. Coupling an oddball guitar tuning set against eerie, falsetto vocals, James's early recordings could make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Even more surprising was when blues scholars rediscovered him in the '60s and found his singing and playing skills intact. Influencing everyone from a young Robert Johnson (James' "Devil Got My Woman" became the basis of Johnson's "Hellhound on My Trail") to Eric Clapton (who recorded James's "I'm So Glad" on the first Cream album), Skip James's music, while from a commonly shared regional tradition, remains infused with his own unique personal spirit.
James would pick where he left off in the 30’s, recording for the Vanguard label. The blues revival of the 60’s was good for sales and James found a new generation of fans, including Eric Clapton, Dion & Deep Purple amongst others. The song, “Devil Got My Woman†was featured prominently in the 2000 film Ghost World.
Among the earliest and most influential Delta bluesmen to record, Skip James was the best known proponent of the so-called Bentonia school of blues players, a genre strain invested with as much fanciful scholarly "research" as any. Coupling an oddball guitar tuning set against eerie, falsetto vocals, James's early recordings could make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Even more surprising was when blues scholars rediscovered him in the '60s and found his singing and playing skills intact. Influencing everyone from a young Robert Johnson (James' "Devil Got My Woman" became the basis of Johnson's "Hellhound on My Trail") to Eric Clapton (who recorded James's "I'm So Glad" on the first Cream album), Skip James's music, while from a commonly shared regional tradition, remains infused with his own unique personal spirit.
Thanks Bro
yeah gracias - some great skip james on this CD
i love your uploads. thanks a lot man :)
Good comments daba_1.
Just to give some interesting info.
In 1964, James lived for a year in Washington D.C. in a small room given to him by a friend of mine at the time, Ed Morris. James lived there with his "wife", and he played in a small club "The Open Way" that also hosted many living legends (John Hurt, Son House, Willie McGee etc.) During this time I spent hours with him learning some of his eclectic playing style, especially "Special Rider Blues", a piece that took a bit to learn. At this time, Mike Seeger and Ralph Rinzler and Elizabeth Cotton were in and out. It is ironic that most of these "discoveries" were accomplished by young urban white guys interested in old blues. Most of these old guys were living obscure, long forgotten lives until they were found, and then ushered into big venues like the Newport Folk Festival and others. Some started touring overseas. For James, it was overwhelming. He was very intelligent and interesting to listen to. His tales of his upbringing playing the piano and several instruments was more formal than most. He hit the Southern road with Johnson and others playing at dances in small Southern towns. The 30s recordings paid very little (about $5.00 a session) and didn't extend beyond the early 30s). What I observed in him and others were people from another planet who kind of liked the "fame" but were not well handled by promoters and enthusiasts. Several, including James, began to drink heavily, probably straining under the demands put on them (remember they had lived quiet out of the way lives), and in James case, became sick with testicular cancer, which was treated in the most radical way. In the album he made in Washington (I probably have one of the few copies) you can hear "Washington D.C. Hospital Blues", James' way of dealing with his illness. If anyone can find Morris, they will also find about 100+ hours on tape of James playing and singing. I believe he died in 1967. I also "found" Flora Moulton, a blind street singer, and John Jackson, a Virginia gravedigger, who could play any style by James and the others. This was a strange, lost period that is gone forever. Eric Clapton has done much to save Johnson's legacy, but the others have slipped away from the current generation's consciousness. A true American heritage largely invisible during its great creative time.
Just to give some interesting info.
In 1964, James lived for a year in Washington D.C. in a small room given to him by a friend of mine at the time, Ed Morris. James lived there with his "wife", and he played in a small club "The Open Way" that also hosted many living legends (John Hurt, Son House, Willie McGee etc.) During this time I spent hours with him learning some of his eclectic playing style, especially "Special Rider Blues", a piece that took a bit to learn. At this time, Mike Seeger and Ralph Rinzler and Elizabeth Cotton were in and out. It is ironic that most of these "discoveries" were accomplished by young urban white guys interested in old blues. Most of these old guys were living obscure, long forgotten lives until they were found, and then ushered into big venues like the Newport Folk Festival and others. Some started touring overseas. For James, it was overwhelming. He was very intelligent and interesting to listen to. His tales of his upbringing playing the piano and several instruments was more formal than most. He hit the Southern road with Johnson and others playing at dances in small Southern towns. The 30s recordings paid very little (about $5.00 a session) and didn't extend beyond the early 30s). What I observed in him and others were people from another planet who kind of liked the "fame" but were not well handled by promoters and enthusiasts. Several, including James, began to drink heavily, probably straining under the demands put on them (remember they had lived quiet out of the way lives), and in James case, became sick with testicular cancer, which was treated in the most radical way. In the album he made in Washington (I probably have one of the few copies) you can hear "Washington D.C. Hospital Blues", James' way of dealing with his illness. If anyone can find Morris, they will also find about 100+ hours on tape of James playing and singing. I believe he died in 1967. I also "found" Flora Moulton, a blind street singer, and John Jackson, a Virginia gravedigger, who could play any style by James and the others. This was a strange, lost period that is gone forever. Eric Clapton has done much to save Johnson's legacy, but the others have slipped away from the current generation's consciousness. A true American heritage largely invisible during its great creative time.
Great torrent, good audio, cheers
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