17. Blind Lemon Jefferson: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
One of the originators of the Texas school of blues, Blind Lemon Jefferson's country blues was one of the most popular in the country in the 1920's, and his influence has been profound. He played a mix of originals and unearthed traditional songs, and deserves credit for being the very first successful male blues performer. Prior to his acendency, blues of the 1910's was primarily sung by women, Bessie Smith being the most noteworthy name. In 1912, he had a fortuitous meeting with Leadbelly, which helped inform his playing and song selection. His recording career began in earnest in 1925, when a talent scout caught him playing in Dallas. The stark and sad "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" is one of his best originals, covered by Bob Dylan on his debut album; Mike Bloomfield, Dream Syndicate, and others have also covered it. His star was only just taking off when he died in a snowstorm in 1929.
18. Odetta: Another Man Done Gone
Odetta (Odetta Gordon), from Alabama, has been a fixture on the folk-blues circuit since the early 1950's. A classically trained vocalist, she originally got her start in a Los Angeles production of Finnian's Rainbow in 1949, at the age of 19. Her debut album, The Tin Angel, was released in 1954. Her heyday was in the 1960's when she recorded sixteen albums and appeared at many folk festivals; she was still recording into the 00's. President Clinton awarded her the National Endowment for the Arts' Medal of the Arts in 1999. The 1952 single, "Another Man Done Gone", a classic execution song by Alabama blueswoman Vera Hall, is now included on her debut as a bonus cut and remains a chilling recording. Her rich voice is unaccompanied save for a handclap. It has been covered by Johnny Cash, Jorma Kaukonen, and Savoy Brown, among others.
19. Johnny Otis: Willie And The Hand Jive
Unlike many bluesmen, who lived their lives in relative obscurity after their careers dried up, Johnny Otis managed to have enough careers going at any one time that he always made his rent. Aside from leading his own bands, he also worked as a record producer, talent scout, TV host, disc jockey, writer, nightclub manager, and record label owner. Born in California to Greek parents as John Veliotes, he changed his name to the black-sounding "Otis" as his interest in blues developed in the 1940's. His peak era as a musician came when he signed with Savoy records of Newark, NJ; from 1949-1955 he regularly placed records in the upper reaches of the charts. He even dabbled in rock 'n' roll himself; his "Willie and the Hand Jive" was a big rock 'n' roll and r&b hit in 1958. Since his heyday he has kept busy with a variety of endeavors, most recently adding a health-food emporium to his portfolio. He was also instrumental in launching the career of his son, Shuggie Otis in the 1960's. Covering "Willie And The Hand Jive" have been Eric Clapton, Sandy Denny, The Crickets, New Riders of the Purple Sage, George Thorogood, and many others.
Article comments
1 - Jones Violet
Perfect for a Sunday morning. Great stuff here, uao.
2 - uao
Thank you Jones Violet. I put a lot of effort into this one; I appreciate the kind word. :-)
3 - Phillip Winn
Wow, there's so much here it is hard to know where to even begin!
Blind Lemon Jefferson is worshipped around these parts, with a historical marker in downtown Dallas and a club (Blind Lemon) named after him.
Leadbelly is another amazing artist. I didn't know about his personal history, but I love his "King of the 12-string" album.
It's also nice to see Big Mama Thornton given some recognition here; she deserved more acclaim than she ever got.
You've got a couple of albums on here I don't think I've ever heard. Thanks for the recommendations; I'm going to spend a lot of time going through this.
4 - Taloran
An excellent read. You've covered some daunting ground here, and as you said, have barely scratched the surface. I look forward to future installments.
5 - hayduke
howlin wolf was named chester burnett, not arthur.... wasn't arthur the prez? Shoot wolf should of been president...
also willie dixon wrote songs for wolf and muddy. i thinks he gave them to the first one interested, not necessarily for one person in particular. He was an astute man who made alot of money in publishing, and holding a track for one person in particular, seems unlikely.
great records all that you cite. well done....
6 - uao
Thanks much guys. You're right hayduke, Chester Arthur was a president; my mind sometimes confuses names like that; good catch.
Now that you mention it, Dixon probably didn't write that tune "specifically" for Waters; like you said, it's more likely it was in his bagforthe first comer.
I do think that Dixon may have written stuff specifically for Koko Taylor, whose career he shepherded, but I may be wrong.
Thanks everyone for the thoughts and comments. I had a lot of fun writing this one, and even more fun listening to it along the way.
7 - TJ
Great article!
One question, though: I thought Mose Alison wrote "Parchman Farm?" Is this a different song entirely, or did Mose just "borrow" it?
8 - uao
Hmmm. Good question, TJ. I double checked it; "Parchman Farm Blues" is credited to Bukka White, although Mose Allison is listed as composer for "Parchman Farm" I haven't heard Allison's version, so I'm not sure if it is the same song. White's version would have predated Allison's by at least a decade, so White seems to indeed have written his version.
On Howlin' Wolf's name; turns out, I wasn't completely off. His full name was Chester Arthur Burnett, and he was named after Chester Arthur, the President.
9 - Joanie
Excellent dip into rock's historic link to the blues.
I'd love to see a part two!