Willie the Lion Smith

 

Willie the Lion Smith

William Henry Joseph Berthol Bonaparte Bertholoff AKA Willie the Lion Smith...
A founding father of Harlem Stride piano who combined elements of ragtime, barrelhouse, and classical concert piano technique and had some influence on future jazz pianists including Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Thelonious Monk.
Had some sessions with Mamie Smith and worked as a sideman with Sydney Bechet, Johnny Hodges  or Benny Carter.
That picture left me a funny feeling, the man at the piano in an empty barroom...just playing for himself or is the audience gone?
Looking at it the song Echoes of Spring sounds a bit nostalgic... isn't it?

 

Listen to: Echoes of Spring

Stavin' Chain

 

.. Obscure folk blues but a few pictures full of soul... Wilson Jones aka Stavin' Chain... don't know much about him... some recordings for the Library of Congress but really low quality... Only for curious cats...
Scratch your ears !!!

Sonny Boy Williamson II

Aleck Ford Miller aka Rice Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II (he "stole" this name from Sonny Boy Williamson I who was one of the best known harmonica players at the time... sounds kinda crazy but maybe he was!!!)

Charismatic showman with great humour and one of the primary influences on modern blues harmonica...
Great figure of the King Biscuit radio show, he played with many blues artists and toured in Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival and English bands like the Yardbirds.
Some think of him as one of the most original and colorful poets of the blues and as one of the greatest harmonica players.
He wasn't the real bad guy but with serious booze problems... a dangerous man carrying weapons, with explosive temper and who could be nice and tender then burst into anger without warning...
Not someone you could really trust but "At least he didn't kill anybody!"(Nor I guess...)

Muddy Waters

Father of Chicago Blues, McKinley Morganfield aka Muddy Waters was a main influence for blues musicians and rockers as well.
His electrified delta blues bursted through the Chicago scene in the early 50's and hit everyone with powerful sound, massive slide attack, soulful voice and killer macho songs.
Paradoxically my favorite album is an acoustic one: Folksinger recorded in 1964... huge primitive sound, basic playing and tremendous voice. And my favorite song Good Morning Little Schoolgirl:
 

BoomBoom

 

Mister Boogie Chillun

Crawlin' King Snake

 

John Lee Hooker

 Detroit guitarist.

Hooker rarely played on a standard beat and could change tempo and chords in such an anarchic way, making it so hard for eventual backing musicians.
He recorded many songs alone playing guitar and foot-stomping on a wooden pallet. His style influenced many rock musicians from The Animals to the MC5 or ZZ Top.
Songs such as Boom Boom or Boogie Chillen became huge hits and were covered so many times.

Besides, I really like his socks.

Blues is the roots

.. "Blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits" said Willy Dixon...such a wise man I guess... and a good synthetis of
today's american music.

Handyman for Chess records in the 50's, he acted as well as session musician, songwriter or producer and wrote many blues standards such as Little Red Rooster, My Babe or Ain't Supertitious.
He worked with the greatest from Muddy Waters to Howling Wolf and left such an imprint on modern blues.

Bedroom Blues

.. Mance Lipscomb I guess... but who was he playing for ?
Supercool blues: here's a song called "Take Me Back" (I first heard a Corey Harris's cover of this one) ...
Real soothing blues, sounds a bit like Mississippi John Hurt stuff...