Topic: Richard "Rabbit" Brown & Alec Johnson

[doctorpep]

Am I insane for thinking that these two men have very similar, phrasing, accents, and vocals ranges? Was Johnson from New Orleans?

[Alexei McDonald]

Sam Chatmon is on record as saying that Alec Johnson was his eldest brother, Ferdinand.

[uncle bud]

Hi Alexei - do you know where Sam Chatmon is on record saying this? Would love to know, as I haven't been able to trace the source. Jeff Harris mentioned a letter in Living Blues from someone that refers to it, though says Ferdinand was a half-brother. 

[Johnm]

Hi doctorpep,
Rabbit Brown does have a similar vocal range to Alec Johnson's, but sounds much more "country" to me.  Alec Johnson has a kind of elocutionary sound, sounds like he could have been an insurance salesman, or funeral home director or vaudeville entertainer.
All best,
Johnm 

[Alexei McDonald]

Hi Alexei - do you know where Sam Chatmon is on record saying this? Would love to know, as I haven't been able to trace the source. Jeff Harris mentioned a letter in Living Blues from someone that refers to it, though says Ferdinand was a half-brother. 

No, I know no more than you about the ultimate source of the quote.   I don't take Living Blues, so I've only ever heard this at second hand (and I take everything that Sam Chatmon said in interviews with a big pinch of salt, in any case).   If Ferdinand Johnson was the oldest of Henderson Chatmon's sons (and if Sam Chatmon is right that his father was married and had children in 'slavery days'), he must have been quite an old-stager by 1928.

[TonyGilroy]

I would never have connected Rabbit Brown with Alec Johnson who certainly sounds to me like an elderly trained performer. Unlike any other recorded "blues" singer that I can think of.

The notion that Blind Willie Harris was Rabbit Brown makes sense to me as they sound very similar.

[uncle bud]

Hi Alexei - do you know where Sam Chatmon is on record saying this? Would love to know, as I haven't been able to trace the source. Jeff Harris mentioned a letter in Living Blues from someone that refers to it, though says Ferdinand was a half-brother. 

No, I know no more than you about the ultimate source of the quote.   I don't take Living Blues, so I've only ever heard this at second hand (and I take everything that Sam Chatmon said in interviews with a big pinch of salt, in any case).   If Ferdinand Johnson was the oldest of Henderson Chatmon's sons (and if Sam Chatmon is right that his father was married and had children in 'slavery days'), he must have been quite an old-stager by 1928.

I agree, Sam seems to have been rather inventive at times when it comes to facts. According to Bob Eagle's research, Ferdinand Chatmon was born April 1875 (with half brothers Lonnie, June 1888; Bo (Armenter), January 1894; and Sam (Vivian), 1900, among many others). That would put him in his 50s by the time Alec Johnson was recording, which could certainly account for the theatrical delivery in the Johnson material - clearly coming from a different generation and era. Still not evidence, obviously.

For the Sam Chatmon interview, here are a list of possibilities in Robert Ford's Blues Bibliography: http://books.google.com/books?id=wKloyHafnsYC&pg=PA249&lpg=PA249&dq=sam+chatmon+robert+ford+bibliography&source=bl&ots=czZoHOIyIB&sig=KyUvkeFrE2Y751z6aMQX0le3LHc&hl=en&ei=E2Q4TZrQHIH6lwfalPXlBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false 

Though it's not clear to me yet whether the claim made in the interview has even been published. In those that have been, there is at least one in which Sam mentions Ferdinand as someone from whom he first heard blues, but no reference to him being Alec Johnson. Stefan Wirz has that up on his discography site: http://www.wirz.de/music/chatmon/grafik/adviceb4.jpg

[Rivers]

sounds like he could have been an insurance salesman, or funeral home director or vaudeville entertainer.

That made me laugh out loud for some reason.

[Johnm]

No kidding, Rivers, listen to "Sundown Blues", I really meant it!
All best,
Johnm

[Rivers]

Darn, I don't have that. Must remedy.

[frankie]

there something oddly (and I DO mean "oddly") compelling about the vocal, I must say...  the guitar accompaniment is lovely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdP0M_wZ_b4

[Rivers]

Excellent, enjoyed that a lot, thanks. Man he killed it stone dead at the end, you can almost see the red light come on. Very unusual all round, I agree.

[frankie]

The guitarist is Joe McCoy, if memory serves...

[Rivers]

Your memory serves you well. I looked up the session, Friday 2nd November 1928, Atlanta;

Alec Johnson, v; acc: unknown, p-1; Bo Chatman, vn-1; Charlie McCoy, md-1; Joe McCoy, g.

Miss Meal Cramp Blues -1
Sister Maud Mule -1
Sundown Blues
Next Week Sometime
Mysterious Coon -1
Toodle Doo -1

No other sessions, neither as primary artist or accompanist.

[Stumblin]

Great song, thanks.