Topic: Sam Charters R.I.P.

[Stuart]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/arts/music/samuel-charters-foundational-scholar-of-the-blues-dies-at-85.html

[Mr.OMuck]

A great Loss. his compilation records on RBF and his books were a big part of what opened up this world to me.

[Parlor Picker]

Several years ago, Sam Charters was a guest on Charlie Gillett's programme to promote his book "The day is so long and the wages so small". I won a copy in a phone-in competition and Mr. Charters incribed it to me personally, which I was not expecting and thought was a nice touch.

Sorry to hear of the passing of this pioneering researcher and scholar.

[Prof Scratchy]

Purchased in the early 60s, The Country Blues was my introduction to this music.

[Bunker Hill]

Here's something I scanned 17 years ago (originally in old fashioned Word) for one of the now defunct blues discussion groups. Now "saved as" PDF.

[Mr.OMuck]

?For me, the writing about black music was my way of fighting racism,? Mr. Charters said in his interview with Mr. Ismail. ?That?s why my work is not academic, that is why it is absolutely nothing but popularization: I wanted people to hear black music.?
Sam Charters

[Johnm]

Sam Charters made you want to hear the music of the musicians he wrote about, and that's an important quality for any writer on music to have.  Thanks for what he contributed.

[eric]

Like O'Muck and others said, the LP that RBF put out to accompany the book was one of the ones that drew me into the music. I'm going to pull that book off the shelf and reread it.

[dj]

Like O'Muck and others said, the LP that RBF put out to accompany the book was one of the ones that drew me into the music. I'm going to pull that book off the shelf and reread it.

Ditto.  And let's not forget his work as a record producer.  Those Vanguard Chicago/The Blues/Today LPs were constantly on my turntable in my high school days back in the late 60s. 

[Blind Arthur]

Very sad news
Like Prof. Scratchy said, like an introduction to, a guideline through this music. I found it as a student in the Nineties and it opened a world of exploring, understanding, collecting and playing for me.
RIP

[Rivers]

The piece ended with one of the slide solos that only he could play - sure and skilled, sensitive and moving. If there wasn't to be more of Blind Willie Johnson's guitar and his voice, it would be difficult to think of a more fitting way for his music to fall silent - Blind Willie Johnson, last recording described by Sam Charters

[Stuart]

On NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/20/394277831/fresh-air-remembers-blues-and-jazz-historian-samuel-charters

[Bunker Hill]

As a tribute Michael Gray has posted this on his blog.

http://handmemytravelinshoes.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/sam-charters-man-who-invented-phrase.html

[uncle bud]

Sad news indeed. Thanks for getting so many started on the music, Mr. Charters.

[Mr.OMuck]

Stuart thanks so much for that fresh air interview. Its revelatory.
The scene with Langston Hughs is incredible!
Many incredible bits of info in this recording.
And so the point does not get lost, if it weren't for the Left, white northerners would never have known this music existed!

[Bunker Hill]

Taken in 1975 when Sam was in London. I think the venue was the now defunct Village Bookshop in Regent Street, the photographer was Sylvia Pitcher. (May have to click image to zoom)

[oddenda]

THE COUNTRY BLUES quietly started a landslide of interest in the rural forms of the music beyond the realm of the jazz addicts, guitar players, or the close-to-the-vest record collectors. As George Mitchell or Roger Brown... or me. Vale, Sam, and thank you.

Peter B.

[Stuart]

In looking through the ARSC videos on YT, I saw Elijah's tribute which may be of interest to some:

[MarkC]

Thanks Stuart. I had no idea of the range of Charters’ work.