As discussed elsewhere - from Blues & Rhythm 135, Xmas 1998 p. 4-8 less illustrations)
LONG GONE AND GOT AWAY LUCKY
By Robert Tilling
The singer and guitar player Little Hat Jones made recordings during 1929 and 1930 with Texas Alexander and on his own. There has been virtually nothing known about his life and times but here Robert Tilling sheds some light on this mysterious figure after unearthing some valuable material.
My first real interest in Little Hat Jones started during the late 1960s when I heard the bluesman Roy Book Binder performing perhaps Jones' most well known song, 'Bye Bye Baby Blues' (which was recorded by Book Binder during 1971, 'Travellin' Man', Adelphi Records 1972). This song also appeared in the excellent guitar tutor book, 'Six Early Blues Guitarists' (Oak Publications 1972) by Woody Mann. Both Book Binder and Mann are great admirers of Jones' music, but each thought, back in 1971, that he had passed away, as at that time very little was known about the life and times of this enigmatic, Texas based, acoustic blues guitarist and singer.
Although many books, album sleeve notes and periodicals mention Jones, there is virtually no biographical material available and many writers and researchers in recent times assumed him to be dead, at least by the late 1960s. His recording career started in San Antonio, Texas, for the Okeh Records label, during June 1929, with two solo sides and eight with vocalist Texas Alexander. Four further solo sides were recorded the following week and another four in June 1930. Much excellent research on Jones' music was undertaken by Samuel Charters and published in his fascinating book, 'The Bluesmen' (Oak Publications 1967 and Da Capo Press 1991), but here again little can be found about the man himself. A number of his songs appeared on various albums, particularly on the Yazoo Records label during the late 1960s, though little information on his life or whereabouts ever appeared. While this was very frustrating in many ways, it made Jones a more romantic and mysterious figure, even his song lyrics gave little information, apart from the fact that he was almost certainly living in the San Antonio, Texas area. In his song 'Kentucky Blues', recorded June 14th 1930, he mentions both 'San Antone', and the nearby town of Seguin, as well as mentioning 'San Antone' again in 'Cherry Street Blues', recorded on the same day. This suggests that Jones had strong associations with the San Antonio, Texas area, but these are the only snippets of information gleaned from his lyrics that give any insight into his personal life. All of this mystery has intrigued me for over twenty five years, but material recently came to light that gives just a little more insight into the life and times of 'Little Hat 'Jones.
It was through Roy Book Binder that I was given a taped interview with Jones, made in 1964 by Morris G. Craig and Thomas M. Young, as well as a contemporary newspaper photograph taken by Craig (published in 1962) and a college essay on Jones written in 1964 by Young, based on the interview with the artist. I am greatly indebted to Craig and Young for generously allowing me to quote freely from their unique and fascinating material.
It was during 1962, when Craig was working as a young reporter for the weekly Naples, Texas, newspaper 'The Monitor', that he discovered that Jones was a guitar player and singer. At this time Jones was working around the town as a labourer and handyman and would often visit Craig's employer, Mr. Lee Narramore at his office. During one of these visits Jones heard that Craig was a musician playing drums in a local band, Jones stating that when he was a young man and a musician he had made records for the Okeh Record label. When Jones was asked if he could still play, he answered: "yes, but my box don't got no strings" - so Narramore said that he would buy him strings if he would play again.
A little later Jones turned up with his guitar, slide (sadly there are no examples of his slide playing on the interview tape) and home made finger picks. In recent correspondence Craig informed me how interesting it was to watch Jones pick the strings and to 'slap' the top of the guitar to keep rhythm. When he became better acquainted with Jones, the Dixieland jazz group that Craig played with asked Jones to attend some of their parties, where he would happily perform for them. As the young musicians had very little money at that time they could not pay Jones properly, but he was happy to play and sing if they would buy his drinks, which they willingly did for the popular and engaging performer. It was soon after this meeting with Jones that Craig was to write an article (written during 1962, but sadly no longer in existence) for 'The Monitor' and it was this article that was to inspire Young to undertake his own research for his college essay, written in December 1964.
Early Life
At the time Jones was interviewed in 1964, the farm where he was born, in Bowie County, East Texas, was abandoned but still standing. It was the farm where his grandfather (first name is not known) had settled during 1870, but Jones remembered little about his grandfather's life, although he believed he was brought to Jefferson, Texas, as a slave in 1855. The grandfather left Jefferson around 1868 and settled in Bowie County, East Texas around 1870. Although Jones remembers little of his grandfather, he did recall the stories told of his days in slavery and of the large steamboats that docked in Jefferson, Texas. There was no mention of whether his grandparents were musicians or interested in music.
Jones' father, Felix, born on the farm in 1877, was an only child and the family mostly depended on an annual hill land cotton crop for a living. Like his father, Jones was an only child and was born October 5, 1899, on the same farm as his father: "Don't have no brothers and sisters, no brothers and sisters. I was just alone." During the interview, Jones mentions that he was 'sixty five last birthday' and as I understand the tape was made not long after his October birthday, this confirms the year of birth on his funeral service sheet as 1899. Perhaps one of the most interesting facts that came from the research by Young and Craig is that Jones' first name was George and not Dennis as previously thought. In all published material his name has been given as Dennis and it appeared on his recording data for Okeh Records in 1929 and 1930.
There is little mention of Jones' parents, but it is apparent that although times as a child were hard he had many good memories. He recalls how his grandfather would take him fishing on the Sulphur River. Sadly his grandfather died when Jones was in the fourth grade at school and that was one of his most sorrowful moments, for he had lost a much loved playmate and storyteller: "I members when Grandpa would take me down to that secret fishin' hole of his on the Sulphur River ..... Iisten here, he done knowed how to catch them big uns!"
He also remembered how in his early days the family were doing quite well, they owned their own farm, had livestock and their house had six rooms. They ate well, with the meals consisting mostly of sowbelly bacon, cornbread, garden vegetables, raw cow's milk and store bought canned foods. Around the age of thirteen Jones decided that it was time to leave school and help his father full time working on the farm, but his father opposed the idea. It is likely that he made the decision not only because his father was ill, but the cotton crop had not done well, and a number of their livestock had been killed by a disease: "This sickness done took down our best milk cow, and then evens our plowin' mules come down with it. Pa got the County man over to our place, but he don't never help them poor animals none."
Young George was determined to quit school, he felt he was old enough to leave and to work full time: "Going to school, I done pretty good and got up to sixth grade and my father began to get ill, and I said, well I better stop it and go help him, you know, and so of course, he begged me to go head on. He said 'Now listen son, you missing out on a good opportunity, someday or another up the road you'll wish for this here. I got a chance to put you on through'. Pop I'm goin' to stop and help you."
It appears that Jones worked on the farm until he was about seventeen, by that age he was a good musician and felt that he could earn more money playing music than working on the farm. It is possible by that time, circa 1916, that the family farm was in better shape, and that they could work without his help: "Me and Pa, we's done got the farm back in shape, and I is done nearing seventeen, and man let's me tell you something, l is done decided right here and now that I could pick that guitar better 'n any cotton crop."
Early Musical Life - "I just picked it up myself"
Although it is not known if any of Jones' grandparents or parents played any musical instruments, it was his mother who encouraged him to take an interest in music. At the age of five he started to play the piano in the local church and then at seven he moved on to the guitar: "My Mammy knowed I stayed at the Union Hill Church picking around on that there piano. So's to keep me round the house she done gone and found some old guitar for me to pick. Piano music is mighty pretty, but I believe I'm goin' to take the guitar, and every year looks like me had this to coming up to get better and better, better and better, and got to where it is."
There is a little confusion between the tape and the essay as to when Jones really started to play an instrument. On the taped interview he says that he was seventeen when he started on the piano: "Well, about seventeen, just about seventeen." He then goes on to say when he started on the guitar: "I started on guitar, about I would say twelve years old ... just about twelve years old and I believe that just about did it."
Also during the interview Jones tells of how when he first played the guitar he would sit in a cane chair and that his feet would hardly touch the floor - which implies that perhaps he was only seven years old. "You knowed I had to be a young' un now 'cause my feet wouldn't touch the floor when I sat in Grandpa's cane bottom chair. Listen here, they just barely reached the first rung." He tells of how he would play hard, often breaking the strings and that his mother would ask a local friend to go to town, buy new strings and re- string his guitar: "I even broke the big ones. You know a fella in Naples called Shep Moore? Well, Shep Moore when he come by the house, my mother get him to put me on some more every time I break one."
It is obvious from the recording made in 1929 that Jones is using a number of fingers to pick the strings and even as a young boy he used a number of fingers to strum and pick: "I started out to playing a whole lot of fingers. I used to look at them you know and scratch up the box, and run down there and everything. I learned picking this way. I use these three here. Sometimes I get in the spirit and play with all of them, put all of them to work .... I use three fingers and one thumb, you know, all of um' accept the little one."
At the time when Craig first met Jones he had not played his twelve year old guitar for some while and had no picks which he liked to wear on his thumb and all but the little finger, commenting that he must get some new picks: "Got to get me some shoe horns and make me some new picks." After a number of photographs had been taken of Jones he proudly commented: "When folks see them pictures, they gonna know that was Little Hat, because of the way he picks with all his fingers."
1915-1929 "Everybody know Little Hat, white and coloured"
There are virtually no references on any available material of exactly what happened to Jones during these years, but it is likely that he worked at various manual jobs while also playing music. By his own words, by the age of seventeen he was a good player and able to earn some money from music. It was during this period he picked up the nickname 'Little Hat', and by the time of his first recording session he was already called this and actually recorded under that name. He gained the nickname while working on a construction job in Garland, Texas. He was always known on the construction site, and in particular by the foreman, under this name, and even on his pay checks they wrote 'Little Hat Jones'! He wore a hat from the very first day on his new job, but the hat was old and worn out, as Jones himself said: "... about half of it, about cut off' - so it was actually the parts missing that made it a little hat!, and anyone looking for Jones and asking for 'George Jones', no one knew who they meant!
During the latter half of the 1920s Texas had a strong blues scene, well documented, with one of the greatest of all players, Blind Lemon Jefferson, perhaps being the most central and commercially successful figure. This outstanding itinerant singer and guitar player travelled throughout the state, and often played in Dallas and the surrounding area. It is very likely that Jones saw him perform, and surely must have heard Jefferson's many recordings, although he does not mention him on the tape. The recordings by Jones show some influence from Jefferson's guitar playing, particularly in the strong use of the bass notes. There are also influences from Lonnie Johnson, another outstanding musician who often visited Dallas and recorded with Texas Alexander, with whom Jones himself was later to record.
It appears unlikely that Jones lived outside of Texas during this period, but probably worked on the land and in manual work, much as he did in later life. Whatever happened to Jones during this period may remain a mystery, but what was certain is that by the time he reached the Okeh Records recording studio in 1929, he was a strong singer and a guitar player with a distinctive style of his own.
LONG GONE AND GOT AWAY LUCKY
By Robert Tilling
The singer and guitar player Little Hat Jones made recordings during 1929 and 1930 with Texas Alexander and on his own. There has been virtually nothing known about his life and times but here Robert Tilling sheds some light on this mysterious figure after unearthing some valuable material.
My first real interest in Little Hat Jones started during the late 1960s when I heard the bluesman Roy Book Binder performing perhaps Jones' most well known song, 'Bye Bye Baby Blues' (which was recorded by Book Binder during 1971, 'Travellin' Man', Adelphi Records 1972). This song also appeared in the excellent guitar tutor book, 'Six Early Blues Guitarists' (Oak Publications 1972) by Woody Mann. Both Book Binder and Mann are great admirers of Jones' music, but each thought, back in 1971, that he had passed away, as at that time very little was known about the life and times of this enigmatic, Texas based, acoustic blues guitarist and singer.
Although many books, album sleeve notes and periodicals mention Jones, there is virtually no biographical material available and many writers and researchers in recent times assumed him to be dead, at least by the late 1960s. His recording career started in San Antonio, Texas, for the Okeh Records label, during June 1929, with two solo sides and eight with vocalist Texas Alexander. Four further solo sides were recorded the following week and another four in June 1930. Much excellent research on Jones' music was undertaken by Samuel Charters and published in his fascinating book, 'The Bluesmen' (Oak Publications 1967 and Da Capo Press 1991), but here again little can be found about the man himself. A number of his songs appeared on various albums, particularly on the Yazoo Records label during the late 1960s, though little information on his life or whereabouts ever appeared. While this was very frustrating in many ways, it made Jones a more romantic and mysterious figure, even his song lyrics gave little information, apart from the fact that he was almost certainly living in the San Antonio, Texas area. In his song 'Kentucky Blues', recorded June 14th 1930, he mentions both 'San Antone', and the nearby town of Seguin, as well as mentioning 'San Antone' again in 'Cherry Street Blues', recorded on the same day. This suggests that Jones had strong associations with the San Antonio, Texas area, but these are the only snippets of information gleaned from his lyrics that give any insight into his personal life. All of this mystery has intrigued me for over twenty five years, but material recently came to light that gives just a little more insight into the life and times of 'Little Hat 'Jones.
It was through Roy Book Binder that I was given a taped interview with Jones, made in 1964 by Morris G. Craig and Thomas M. Young, as well as a contemporary newspaper photograph taken by Craig (published in 1962) and a college essay on Jones written in 1964 by Young, based on the interview with the artist. I am greatly indebted to Craig and Young for generously allowing me to quote freely from their unique and fascinating material.
It was during 1962, when Craig was working as a young reporter for the weekly Naples, Texas, newspaper 'The Monitor', that he discovered that Jones was a guitar player and singer. At this time Jones was working around the town as a labourer and handyman and would often visit Craig's employer, Mr. Lee Narramore at his office. During one of these visits Jones heard that Craig was a musician playing drums in a local band, Jones stating that when he was a young man and a musician he had made records for the Okeh Record label. When Jones was asked if he could still play, he answered: "yes, but my box don't got no strings" - so Narramore said that he would buy him strings if he would play again.
A little later Jones turned up with his guitar, slide (sadly there are no examples of his slide playing on the interview tape) and home made finger picks. In recent correspondence Craig informed me how interesting it was to watch Jones pick the strings and to 'slap' the top of the guitar to keep rhythm. When he became better acquainted with Jones, the Dixieland jazz group that Craig played with asked Jones to attend some of their parties, where he would happily perform for them. As the young musicians had very little money at that time they could not pay Jones properly, but he was happy to play and sing if they would buy his drinks, which they willingly did for the popular and engaging performer. It was soon after this meeting with Jones that Craig was to write an article (written during 1962, but sadly no longer in existence) for 'The Monitor' and it was this article that was to inspire Young to undertake his own research for his college essay, written in December 1964.
Early Life
At the time Jones was interviewed in 1964, the farm where he was born, in Bowie County, East Texas, was abandoned but still standing. It was the farm where his grandfather (first name is not known) had settled during 1870, but Jones remembered little about his grandfather's life, although he believed he was brought to Jefferson, Texas, as a slave in 1855. The grandfather left Jefferson around 1868 and settled in Bowie County, East Texas around 1870. Although Jones remembers little of his grandfather, he did recall the stories told of his days in slavery and of the large steamboats that docked in Jefferson, Texas. There was no mention of whether his grandparents were musicians or interested in music.
Jones' father, Felix, born on the farm in 1877, was an only child and the family mostly depended on an annual hill land cotton crop for a living. Like his father, Jones was an only child and was born October 5, 1899, on the same farm as his father: "Don't have no brothers and sisters, no brothers and sisters. I was just alone." During the interview, Jones mentions that he was 'sixty five last birthday' and as I understand the tape was made not long after his October birthday, this confirms the year of birth on his funeral service sheet as 1899. Perhaps one of the most interesting facts that came from the research by Young and Craig is that Jones' first name was George and not Dennis as previously thought. In all published material his name has been given as Dennis and it appeared on his recording data for Okeh Records in 1929 and 1930.
There is little mention of Jones' parents, but it is apparent that although times as a child were hard he had many good memories. He recalls how his grandfather would take him fishing on the Sulphur River. Sadly his grandfather died when Jones was in the fourth grade at school and that was one of his most sorrowful moments, for he had lost a much loved playmate and storyteller: "I members when Grandpa would take me down to that secret fishin' hole of his on the Sulphur River ..... Iisten here, he done knowed how to catch them big uns!"
He also remembered how in his early days the family were doing quite well, they owned their own farm, had livestock and their house had six rooms. They ate well, with the meals consisting mostly of sowbelly bacon, cornbread, garden vegetables, raw cow's milk and store bought canned foods. Around the age of thirteen Jones decided that it was time to leave school and help his father full time working on the farm, but his father opposed the idea. It is likely that he made the decision not only because his father was ill, but the cotton crop had not done well, and a number of their livestock had been killed by a disease: "This sickness done took down our best milk cow, and then evens our plowin' mules come down with it. Pa got the County man over to our place, but he don't never help them poor animals none."
Young George was determined to quit school, he felt he was old enough to leave and to work full time: "Going to school, I done pretty good and got up to sixth grade and my father began to get ill, and I said, well I better stop it and go help him, you know, and so of course, he begged me to go head on. He said 'Now listen son, you missing out on a good opportunity, someday or another up the road you'll wish for this here. I got a chance to put you on through'. Pop I'm goin' to stop and help you."
It appears that Jones worked on the farm until he was about seventeen, by that age he was a good musician and felt that he could earn more money playing music than working on the farm. It is possible by that time, circa 1916, that the family farm was in better shape, and that they could work without his help: "Me and Pa, we's done got the farm back in shape, and I is done nearing seventeen, and man let's me tell you something, l is done decided right here and now that I could pick that guitar better 'n any cotton crop."
Early Musical Life - "I just picked it up myself"
Although it is not known if any of Jones' grandparents or parents played any musical instruments, it was his mother who encouraged him to take an interest in music. At the age of five he started to play the piano in the local church and then at seven he moved on to the guitar: "My Mammy knowed I stayed at the Union Hill Church picking around on that there piano. So's to keep me round the house she done gone and found some old guitar for me to pick. Piano music is mighty pretty, but I believe I'm goin' to take the guitar, and every year looks like me had this to coming up to get better and better, better and better, and got to where it is."
There is a little confusion between the tape and the essay as to when Jones really started to play an instrument. On the taped interview he says that he was seventeen when he started on the piano: "Well, about seventeen, just about seventeen." He then goes on to say when he started on the guitar: "I started on guitar, about I would say twelve years old ... just about twelve years old and I believe that just about did it."
Also during the interview Jones tells of how when he first played the guitar he would sit in a cane chair and that his feet would hardly touch the floor - which implies that perhaps he was only seven years old. "You knowed I had to be a young' un now 'cause my feet wouldn't touch the floor when I sat in Grandpa's cane bottom chair. Listen here, they just barely reached the first rung." He tells of how he would play hard, often breaking the strings and that his mother would ask a local friend to go to town, buy new strings and re- string his guitar: "I even broke the big ones. You know a fella in Naples called Shep Moore? Well, Shep Moore when he come by the house, my mother get him to put me on some more every time I break one."
It is obvious from the recording made in 1929 that Jones is using a number of fingers to pick the strings and even as a young boy he used a number of fingers to strum and pick: "I started out to playing a whole lot of fingers. I used to look at them you know and scratch up the box, and run down there and everything. I learned picking this way. I use these three here. Sometimes I get in the spirit and play with all of them, put all of them to work .... I use three fingers and one thumb, you know, all of um' accept the little one."
At the time when Craig first met Jones he had not played his twelve year old guitar for some while and had no picks which he liked to wear on his thumb and all but the little finger, commenting that he must get some new picks: "Got to get me some shoe horns and make me some new picks." After a number of photographs had been taken of Jones he proudly commented: "When folks see them pictures, they gonna know that was Little Hat, because of the way he picks with all his fingers."
1915-1929 "Everybody know Little Hat, white and coloured"
There are virtually no references on any available material of exactly what happened to Jones during these years, but it is likely that he worked at various manual jobs while also playing music. By his own words, by the age of seventeen he was a good player and able to earn some money from music. It was during this period he picked up the nickname 'Little Hat', and by the time of his first recording session he was already called this and actually recorded under that name. He gained the nickname while working on a construction job in Garland, Texas. He was always known on the construction site, and in particular by the foreman, under this name, and even on his pay checks they wrote 'Little Hat Jones'! He wore a hat from the very first day on his new job, but the hat was old and worn out, as Jones himself said: "... about half of it, about cut off' - so it was actually the parts missing that made it a little hat!, and anyone looking for Jones and asking for 'George Jones', no one knew who they meant!
During the latter half of the 1920s Texas had a strong blues scene, well documented, with one of the greatest of all players, Blind Lemon Jefferson, perhaps being the most central and commercially successful figure. This outstanding itinerant singer and guitar player travelled throughout the state, and often played in Dallas and the surrounding area. It is very likely that Jones saw him perform, and surely must have heard Jefferson's many recordings, although he does not mention him on the tape. The recordings by Jones show some influence from Jefferson's guitar playing, particularly in the strong use of the bass notes. There are also influences from Lonnie Johnson, another outstanding musician who often visited Dallas and recorded with Texas Alexander, with whom Jones himself was later to record.
It appears unlikely that Jones lived outside of Texas during this period, but probably worked on the land and in manual work, much as he did in later life. Whatever happened to Jones during this period may remain a mystery, but what was certain is that by the time he reached the Okeh Records recording studio in 1929, he was a strong singer and a guitar player with a distinctive style of his own.