Topic: Question: Blind Blake as session musician

[SportinFingers]

I'm not too familiar with Arthur Pettis. I'm listening to him now and hear the similarities now

[Johnm]

Hi SportinFingers,
Try his "Good Boy Blues" and "That Won't Do", especially.  They work the same territory.
All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

As I recall from a previous discussion we had about Big Bill and Arthur Pettis, Johnm, we decided that Broonzy played a double hammer-on to the G bass at the beginning of each verse, but Pettis played a triple hammer-on. However, this recording is so beat, and my ears are losing acuity, and I can't hear it one way or the other, can you? Throughout there are phrases that I think sound more like Broonzy and others that sound more like Pettis. Perhaps they were trading verses on the guitar as well?

Wax

[Johnm]

Hi Wax,
The two guitarists are playing right on top of each other, both working out of C position in standard tuning, and occasionally sound as though they are duplicating each other in some of the bass runs.  The piece doesn't have the sort of lead guitar and boom-changing back-up division of labor that many or most of Broonzy's duets had.  It sounds like they may have just said, "Let's play this song together in C.", and were getting a kick out of how much they played like each other.  They could be taking turns, but they're both playing so busily that there's no obvious differentiation between a lead and a seconding player.
All best,
Johnm