Music In The Air
A discussion of American music and culture,
Music In The Air
Episode 2 : The Blues Part 1
The Beginning of the story of the Blues!
How you doing? This is Joe McDonald coming to you from San Diego. It's my hometown, it's a funky town. Welcome back to Music in the Air, my podcast about American music and culture. How music has climbed over walls, crossed borders, and built bridges. We've derived at the blues. So let's start with a blues rift. What are the blues, you ask? Well you might. How about this then? The blues ain't nothing more than a good man or woman having a bad day. Or if a chili dog costs a dollar fifty and you only got a dollar forty eight, do you get the chili dog blues? And can animals get the blues? Well my dog Rory has issues with trash trucks and fireworks. Hence, my dog Rory gets the blues. And why the color blue for a bad day? Why not green or brown? In his book, How the Blues Evolved, author Paul Mary shares the idea that blues was used to describe an English frame of mind. It derives from what people call the blue devils supposed evil demons or spirits blamed for giving us feelings of regretful depression. Ah, a spiritual connection, perhaps. Maybe. You know, I get several of those blue demon beasties myself from time to time. So the blues is everywhere, I guess. We've just had to learn to deal with them. So what gives you the blues? For me, lying ass people, dumbass people, crazy ass people, feeling left out, left behind, ignored, feeling low down, sometimes feeling like I left my brain at home when I'm out on the town. So then, it would seem, the blues crossed the ocean and took root in America. The blues came out most noticeably in our music, and if the blues brings on regretful depression, it would most likely appear in folks whose lives were not so easy or happy. The poor, oppressed people, like African Americans, who were freed from slavery only to get a bad deal from the very same folks who enslaved them. They sang field hollers out picking cotton or imprisoned chain gangs. They probably did it to help pass the day. A communal singing with roots in the African past mix in with spiritual sounds of the church. There is evidence that other people get the blues too. So why does the music of poor African Americans continue to resonate so strongly with the overall American psyche? WC Handy said that the blues is an earth born music. That makes sense since we are all earthborn too. Hmm The blues is organic and it's still growing from the earth. My friend Drew says the blues is an uncomfortable feeling. Alison is tired of being sick. This gives her the blues. Renee said you got stuff going on and you're kinda down. All of these feelings add up to the need to express your sorrow. You do this by writing a blues song and singing about it. Maybe with a band or simply a guitar. And now my brother John January will be playing a basic blues guitar for your listening pleasure.
SPEAKER_05:Hello there. In old-time blues, three chords were usually used for a song. So we're going to use the key of A. Right? And A would be the one chord. The next chord would usually be the four chord, which would be D. And the five chord would be E. One, four, and five. A lot of American Roots music is based on this model. So if we were to use my song, What Do You Want From Me, it might sound like this. What do you want from me? I did everything I could. And then when they go from the one chord to the four, they usually sing the same thing. What do you want from me? I did everything I could. Then they go to the five chord, where they usually have some kind of a commentary on what they've already said. In this case, you better stop all this accusing. Somebody ain't no good. In most cases, there's a turnaround in the blues. A turnaround can be downward. And it's called the turnaround because it goes back to the five chord one more time before starting a new verse, right? You can also have an upward turnaround. Let's hand it back to Joe.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you, Brother John. That was very informative and groovy. In 1901, Charles Peabody came to Coahoma County in Mississippi in order to dig up Indian mounds to look for lost artifacts from past civilizations. He couldn't help but take notice of the singing of his black workers and was strongly affected by what he heard. He wrote in a book, Notes on Negro Music, the following But willy nilly our ears were beset with an abundance of ethnological material and song, words and music. He then noted, they're in sharp contrast to the lack of music among the white dwellers of the district. Hmm, no blues for these folks? Or perhaps it simply wasn't noticed yet. At this time though, the music was yet to be called the blues. The blues is an American original art form. However, there really is no concrete evidence as to where and when the blues was born. There are different styles of blues generally influenced by geographic region. The most famous blues are the Delta Blues from the Mississippi Delta. There are also the Piedmont Blues, which is a region between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mid-Atlantic coastal states. There are also the East Texas Blues, the West Texas Blues, and later styles such as the Kansas City Blues, the Chicago Blues, the Detroit Blues, and even the California Blues. These styles were the results of migrations from the Mississippi Delta and other areas of the South. The Delta Blues are generally the most famous style, some will argue the original style. These grew out of the rough life that existed for the poor, freed but trapped African Americans, whose lives were held in check by an economic system which bound them to work on plantations in exchange for small tracts of land to build their homes. This meant long, hard work, often in brutal heat, picking cotton and other agricultural products for little pay. What they did earn was usually not enough to pay for their supplies. These supplies came from a plantation company-owned store which overcharged and overinflated prices. This also kept them in constant debt. They were treated as second-class citizens and victims of horrific systemic racism. The Delta Blues were partly shaped from field haulers, a type of call and response that originated in many African cultures. This was used to help pass the day while working in the fields. Musical instruments of African origin, like the banjo, guitar, and fiddle, were accessible to use as accompaniments. Oh, yeah, the devil was also a presence. Through the often forced integration of the church into their lives, and warnings against the demon alcohol and bad lovers. You gotta be faithful to God and family, you know. The church offered a promise of a better life if they were true worshipers, a controller, yet a connection to their older and deeper spiritual beliefs. This tugged at their souls. It was a battle that often existed between God and the devil, and the devil used temptations to pry them away from righteousness. The church folks blamed the blues, the devil's music, they said. Quite a few blue singers alternated between preaching the word of God and singing the blues. Their souls had two sides, which were at constant war with each other. This is Bluesman's sonhouse singing John the Revelator.
SPEAKER_02:Tell me who's that writing, John the Revelator, tell me who's that writing? John the Revelator, tell me who's that writing? John the Revelator wrote the book of the Seven Seeds. Who's that writing? John the Revelator, tell me who's that writing, John the Revelator. Well who's that writing? John the Revelator wrote the book of the Seven Sea. You know, God walked down in the cool of the day called Adam by his name. And he refused to answer because he's naked and ashamed. Who's that writing? John Revellana. Who's that writing? John Revellana. Who's that writing? John Revellana wrote the book under seven sea. You know Christ and twelve apostle and three land away say, watch with me when I walk. Tell my go young and pray. Tell me who's that running. John Revelator. Tell me who's a writing. John Revelator. Who's that right here? John and Revelator. Well the book of the seven sea. Who's that writing? John and Revelator. Tell me who's done writing. John a revelator. Who's a writer? John Revelator. Well the book of the seven sea. Christ came on easter morning. May and Martha was down to sea. Go tell my decision to meet me in John Lee. Tell me who's writing, John the Revelator. Tell me who's writing, John the Revelator. Tell me who's done writing. John the Revelator wrote a book of the seven seals. Who's I writing? John Revelator. Who's done writing? John the Revelator. Tell me who's a running. John Revelator wrote a book of the seven seals.
SPEAKER_00:This is Joe McDonald. You're listening to music in the air. The most well-known early Delta Blues singer was Charlie Patton. Born around 1891, died 1934. He is often called the father of the Delta Blues. He was born in Hines County, Mississippi, and lived most of his life in the Mississippi Delta. There is some dispute as to his racial makeup. He is described as light-skinned and possibly with some Caucasian features. However, there's also a possibility of a mix of black and Native American blood. Several of his early songs mention going to The Nation and the Territoe, which refer to the Cherokee part of what is known as the Indian Territory in modern-day Oklahoma. His father is believed to have had several Delta Blue singers among his children, including members of the famous Mississippi Sheiks. As a child, Charlie's family moved to the Dockery Plantation, a cotton farm in Sawmill near Roolville, Mississippi. He learned his musical style here. He was influenced by a man named Henry Sloan, who played an early form of the blues. He began to perform at Dockery and the surrounding countryside. He played with other bluesmen such as Tommy Johnson, Willie Brown, Fiddlin Joe Martin, Sunhouse, and a young Robert Johnson. He served as a mentor to the younger musicians. Patton played all kinds of music like deep blues, hillbilly blues, popular ballads and songs, something called Hokum blues, and of course, dance music. He played what the people wanted to hear. He was known as the showman who entertained by playing his guitar behind his head or behind his back. Charlie was a short man who nevertheless had a deep, gravelly voice. His recording showcased his voice and guitar. He performed across the South, Chicago, and even in New York. Charlie Patton died in 1934 of a reported mitral valve disorder. Charlie's famous songs include Down the Dirt Road Blues, A Spoonful Blues, Mississippi Bow Weevil Blues, High Water Everywhere Part 2, Rattlesnake Blues, and Banty Rooster Blues.
SPEAKER_03:Don't make me mad, eh?
SPEAKER_00:Tommy Johnson, born 1896, died 1956. He was born in Terry, Mississippi. In 1910, his family moved to Crystal Springs, where he spent most of his life. He learned to play the guitar and use it to supplement his income by playing at local parties. He had a very distinctive high falsetto singing voice. In 1916, he married a woman and moved to a plantation near the Dockery Plantation. It was here that he met and played with other blues musicians like Charlie Patton and Woolie Brown. By 1920, he traveled around the South as an itinerant musician. He started recording his songs in 1928, accompanied by Papa Charlie McCoy. One of the songs he wrote and recorded was called Canned Heat Blues, which praised the drinking of Sterno. Sterno is made from methanol and used as cooking fuel. Not good for you. And yeah, the blues rock group Canned Heat was named for this song. Yeah, Tommy had a drinking problem, which caused some legal problems with the rights to his music. People like to borrow or steal his music without paying him royalties. Sadly, a common issue with many Delta Blue singers, who might be illiterate or easily swayed by alcohol and small amounts of money. Like Charlie Patton, Tommy was an accomplished person. Showman, often playing his guitar between his legs and throwing it into the air. He was an influence on later singers like Helen Wolfe, Robert Nighthawk, and even country singer Hank Williams. He remained a popular singer for many years because he liked to perform with others and teach his style of singing and playing. He created an evil persona in several of his songs, which made him even more famous. His brother Liddell, also a performing blues singer, told people that Tommy sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for making him a better guitar player. This, of course, is also a claim allegedly made by Robert Johnson. Who really knows? It makes a cool story, and the title of a movie starring Ralph Macchio, this young man who comes to the Delta in search of the crossroads. More on this later. Tommy Johnson was a popular performer in the South throughout the 1930s and 40s. Tommy Johnson died in 1956 of a heart attack after playing at a party in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. Tommy Johnson's songs include Canned Heat Blues, Big Road Blues, Cool Drink of Water Blues, and Maggie Campbell Blues. Edward James Sun House, born in 1902, died 1988. He was born in Lyon, Mississippi. He was most commonly called and known by Sun. Son's father, Edward Sr., who played the tuba in a band, was a churchgoer who left for a while because he had a drinking problem. This would show up with Son, too. He would return to the church after giving up drinking and become a preacher. This was not lost on Young's son. The constant tug-of-war between the church and the blues remained an issue for most of his life. His parents separated, and for a while he lived in New Orleans with his mother. During this time he was intensely religious and hated the evil blues. After a failed marriage, Sun became an itinerant worker all over the South. Like his father, he turned to the church and became a preacher for a while. Until, like his father, he developed a drinking problem. He was also known as a womanizer, which got him into trouble constantly. In 1927, he underwent a conversion from the church to the blues. I liked it. He heard some drinking buddies playing bottleneck guitar. He bought a guitar and soon began to write songs. In a very short time, he became a distinctive bottleneck player playing the blues. In either 1927 or 1928, he was playing at a juke joint near Clarksville, Mississippi, when a man began to shoot the place up. Well, son shot him dead. For this, he received a 15-year sentence at the infamous Parchment Farm Penitentiary. He served two years and was granted an early release. He was strongly urged to leave the area. He traveled around and met up with Charlie Patton and his partner Willie Brown. When a talent scout from Paramount Records came looking for Patton to record some music, House was able to record some of his own music. He also recorded for Library of Congress, accompanied by Willie Brown and others. Sunhouse disappeared from public view for 20 years. He was rediscovered living in Rochester, New York, and performed with the blues revival movement, taking place in the late 1950s and the early 1960s throughout the United States and Europe. His music was re-recorded and released on different record labels. Sunhouse passed away in Detroit in 1988 from cancer of the larynx. His songs include John the Revelator, Death Letter Blues, The Pony Blues, Preaching the Blues Part One, Forever on My Mind, and Grinning in Your Face. Willie Brown, born 1899 or 1900, died in 1952. He was born in either Shelby or Clarksdale, Mississippi. The details of his early life seem to be cloudy. But what is known is that he learned to play guitar as a teenager. Soon he played with other bluesmen like Charlie Patton, Sunhouse, and Robert Johnson. He preferred to be the accompanying musician instead of the main performer. His life is also jumbled up because apparently there were several men with this name living in the area. It has also been difficult to separate the man from the myth. Robert Johnson considered him a close friend. In Crossroad Blues, he is referred to as my friend Willie Brown. Brown often accompanied Patton in the house as they traveled around the South. Brown's life is the subject of a 1980-stick historical fantasy film called Crossroads, starring Ralph Macchio. Macchio plays a young guitar student who becomes fascinated by the blues. He hears stories about Willie Brown still being alive and locked up in jail for murder. The two meet, and after breaking Brown out of jail, they go looking for the crossroads. Not a great movie and chock full of stereotypes, but nevertheless kind of fun to watch. In real life, Willie Brown would pass away, this is for sure, of heart disease in Tunica, Mississippi in 1952. His songs allegedly include Emin O Blues, Future Blues, and Make Me a Pallad on the Floor, of which recordings exist. And Grandma Blues, Sorry Blues, Window Blues, and Kick It In My Sleep Blues, of which, sadly, no known copies exist. And now, Robert Johnson, born, allegedly, in 1911 and died in 1938. The often mythologized and most famous of all the Delta Bluesmen. His life story has been studied and written about by quite a few blues historians. As far as history can tell, Robert was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. His early life was challenging as family members seemed to come and go, all the while passing Robert around among them. He grew up in Memphis for a while, where he received a decent education, and where he first heard the blues. Robert and his mother returned to Mississippi, where he would meet up with Sunhouse and Willie Brown. They described him as a good harmonica player, but, and this is important, an embarrassingly bad guitar player. Robert then disappeared for a while, traveling around the South. When the two veteran bluesmen next saw Robert, he had become a masterful guitar player who had written some powerful blues and developed a distinctive singing voice. This was when the crossroads myth began as an attempt to explain how Robert became so good so quickly. The story goes that Robert went to a certain crossroads at midnight where he sold his soul to the devil. In exchange, he got the ability to play the guitar like a master. The crossroad blues from Robert Johnson. I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees. I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees. Asked the Lord above, have mercy, save poor Bob if you please. Standing at the crossroads, trying to flag a ride. Standing at the crossroad, I trying to flag a ride. Nobody seemed to know me, everybody passed me by. The sun going down, boy. Dart gonna catch me there. Boy Dart gonna catch me there. I got no sweet woman that love and feel my care. You can't run, you can run. Tell my old friend Willie Brown. You can run, you can run. Tell my old friend Willie Brown. Lord that I'm standing at the crossroads, I believe I'm sinking down. Robert developed a following on street corners, juke joints, and Saturday night dances around the Mississippi Delta. He gained a reputation as a great performer who drank a lot of whiskey and was a notorious womanizer. These two factors are generally believed to have led to his death at the age of twenty seven. The story goes that he was fooling around with a bar owner's girlfriend. So the bar owner poisoned a bottle of whiskey and gave it to Robert. Robert drank the whiskey and died two days later. Any actual facts that could verify this story are lost to the past. Robert passed away on August 13, 1938. He would record 29 songs during his short life in two recording sessions in 1936 and 1937. Robert's songs include Crossroad Blues, Terraplane Blues, Traveling Riverside Blues, 3220 Blues, Come in My Kitchen, Rambling on My Mind, Hellhound on My Trail, and If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day. Robert's music, an early death, became an obsessive focus for research by blues historians. There is still a lot of debate as to where and when he died and was buried. Modern blues artists like Eric Clapton have recorded entire albums of Robert Johnson's songs. It is very ironic that his legacy has far outlasted his far too short life. This is Joe McDonald. You're listening to music in the air. Nehemiah Curtis Skip James, born 1902, died 1969. Skip James was born in Pentonia, Mississippi. He learned to play the guitar by watching and taking lessons from local musicians Henry Stuckey and Charlie and Jesse Sims. Skip's mom bought him a cheap guitar. He also learned to play the organ. He worked on road construction crews around the South and wrote a song called Illinois Blues about his experience as a laborer. Later, he worked at illegal jobs like bootlegging, gambling, and pimping in different places like Dallas. These pastimes led to a reputation as him being a tough guy. Skipp began playing music around Bentonia, where he developed a type of guitar playing known as cross-note tuning that other musicians attempted to copy. He sang in a falsetto voice that was distinctive and much copied. James would even open a music school in Jackson, Mississippi, that taught musicians how to play the blues. James would not just play the blues, but also playing and recording spiritual's popular songs and covers of other musicians' songs. During the Great Depression, the market for blues records dried up. So James turned to the church where he became an ordained minister. It took about 33 years for Skip James music to be rediscovered. He was discovered by young blues historians in 1964. The rediscovery of both Skip James and Sun House during the 1960s led to renewed interest in the blues. Skip James would appear at various blues festivals and record more music until his death in 1967 from cancer. His songs include Cherry Ball Blues, Devil Got My Woman, I'm So Glad, Hard Time Killing Four Blues, Special Rider Blues, and Four O'Clock Blues. In the next episode of Music in the Air, I will be sharing stories of more bluesmen, and follow its progression as it migrates northward, westward, and eastward all over the place. In the meantime, go out and listen to some blues. Sing the blues. Maybe even play the blues. You can do it.