Topic: Players of slide, Spanish only, on recordings

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here is a place to list players who, in their recordings of slide pieces, confined themselves to Spanish tuning.  Once again, if you add to the list at the rate of only one or two new names per post, more people can participate.  I'll get the ball rolling:

I believe the following two players played slide only in Spanish tuning on their recordings:
   * Rev. Edward Clayborn
   * Fred McMullen
Can you think of any others?
All best,
Johnm

[dj]

Lewis Black.  His four recorded sides (on DOCD 5169 - Country Blues Collector's Items) are all slide pieces and all, I believe, in Spanish.

[blueshome]

Blind Lemon - Jack O' Diamonds.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
All of Big Joe Williams' slide playing was in Spanish, too, I believe.

Edited, to pick up correction from banjochris, 10/2

all best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Actually, John, MJH did record one slide piece in Vestapol called "I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down." It's on an old Document LP called "Country Blues Live" with one side of Hurt (recorded shortly after his rediscovery at someone's home) and the other side has Robert Pete Williams and John Jackson.

The tune is reminiscent of Bayless Rose's "Frisco Blues" and Furry's "Falling Down." I remember listening to it recently sort of in the background and being surprised by it being in Vestapol.
Chris

[Johnm]

Good catch, Chris.  I will edit and recategorize John Hurt as playing both Spanish and Vestapol.
All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

Happened to listen to all six of Hambone Willie Newbern's sides and realized that Roll and Tumble Blues was his only slide number, qualifying him for this list.

Boy, for someone who is thought of as the originator of one of the quintessential 'Delta' tunes, the rest of his material is filled with motifs that are much more what I would think of as Piedmont stylings: circle of fifths, stop time  I|I7|IV|IV7, and such. I guess these motifs do show up in a lot of Memphis material, especially with some of the jug bands and string bands. Goes to show how useless these labels can be sometimes, tho' they do come in handy at other times.

It might be worth a thread to look at the various structures that Willie Newbern used.

All for now.
John C.

[uncle bud]

Happened to listen to all six of Hambone Willie Newbern's sides and realized that Roll and Tumble Blues was his only slide number, qualifying him for this list.

Boy, for someone who is thought of as the originator of one of the quintessential 'Delta' tunes, the rest of his material is filled with motifs that are much more what I would think of as Piedmont stylings: circle of fifths, stop time  I|I7|IV|IV7, and such. I guess these motifs do show up in a lot of Memphis material, especially with some of the jug bands and string bands. Goes to show how useless these labels can be sometimes, tho' they do come in handy at other times.

It might be worth a thread to look at the various structures that Willie Newbern used.

I was quite surprised by the rest of Newbern's material. Roll and Tumble is an anamoly, not at all the norm. Hard to tell from 6 sides of course, but it seems different enough from his other material that I wonder where it really comes from.  Although he certainly is no slouch with the slide.

Did Sleepy John Estes, who knew Newbern, ever talk about his repertoire? Did Yank Rachell, who learned from him, ever talk about Newbern's repertoire or anything else about him?

Too bad Hambone Willie didn't record more. All six sides are great.