Author Topic: Big Bill Broonzy (Read 5592 times)

Rosalyn · « **on:** September 15, 2004, 03:23:40 PM »

During the end credits of the movie 'Intolerable Cruelty' there is a recording of Big Bill Broonzy singing 'The Glory of Love'. It is so wonderful. Anybody know of a cd of his that includes that recording... Anyone have the music?

Slack · « **Reply #1 on:** September 15, 2004, 04:23:23 PM »

Hi Ros,

Looks like it appears on several Broonzy CD's (including "....Folk Songs" and 'London Sessions").?Look through at Amazon and you'll see quite a list of Broonzy CD's.

Cheers,

uncle bud · « **Reply #2 on:** September 15, 2004, 06:45:51 PM »

Great playing on that. Best part of the movie!

acousticjam · « **Reply #3 on:** April 17, 2005, 07:13:42 AM »

For some reason I have not collected any of Big Bill Broonzy's material over the years. With the quantity of recordings available it's tough to know where to start. Any suggestions?

Slack · « **Reply #4 on:** April 17, 2005, 08:21:11 AM »

AJ, start with his early stuff - I don't see how you can go wrong with the JSP 5 CD box set for $29

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DF5U4/qid=1113751228/sr=8-3/ref=pd_csp_3/104-2973151-1287931?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

Cheers,

lebordo · « **Reply #5 on:** April 17, 2005, 12:19:21 PM »

Quote from: Slack on April 17, 2005, 08:21:11 AM

AJ, start with his early stuff - I don't see how you can go wrong with the JSP 5 CD box set for $29

Even better, if you take amazon's "new and used from" link to Amazon Marketplace vendors, you can usually pick up most of the JSP sets for $19 to $20, occasionally cheaper. Recently, I picked up the Patton set for $16 new (the same day someone paid $39 -- well over list -- for the same set used on ebay).

Which reminds me, Slack, does WC get a cut from the Amazon Marketplace sales, or just the sales from Amazon itself?

Slack · « **Reply #6 on:** April 17, 2005, 01:40:56 PM »

Quote

Which reminds me, Slack, does WC get a cut from the Amazon Marketplace sales, or just the sales from Amazon itself?

Hi Paul, yes - WC actually gets a little bigger % off the Marketplace sales! (One of these days I'll find time to read the Amazon stuff and see how all this works. )

So yes, if you are going to buy _anything_ from Amazon - please start by clicking on the Amazon banner on the Juke page - and WC will make a few nickles.

Cheers,
slack

reuellis · « **Reply #7 on:** May 30, 2008, 08:00:19 AM »

old topic but thought i would put the tabledit file up. not my work, found it somewhere out there!

Mr.OMuck · « **Reply #8 on:** May 30, 2008, 09:53:02 AM »

Quote from: acousticjam on April 17, 2005, 07:13:42 AM

For some reason I have not collected any of Big Bill Broonzy's material over the years. With the quantity of recordings available it's tough to know where to start. Any suggestions?

For one disc options I would recommend "The Young Big Bill Broonzy" on Yazoo for his early work, and "Big Bill Broonzy: Absolutely the Best " released on various brand x labels one of which is on iTunes, for his late stuff. It has been on LP on Everest's Archive of Folk Music label. It contains three of his greatest instrumentals imho.

JRO · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2014, 07:59:23 AM »

Hi, I've been going through Big Bill's works lately and it rouse up a question of his electric guitar playing. I've got Washboard Sam's lp I'm not the lad (Swingtown an European company form Denmark). In the coverinfo of the lp says 15. May 1939 recorded: I'm not the lad, Flying crow blues, Levee camp blues, I'm feeling lowdown. The sessionmen are mentionded possibly Joshua Altheimer p, Big Bill Broonzy g, Ransom Kowling b and Washboard Sam vcl/Wbd. Dixon & Godrich Blues & Gospel Records 1902-43 (1982 edition) doesn't know the session. There is electric guitar solos in all of the sides. So is Bill playing electric guitar this early? If so, does somebody know what else pre war sides he's playing electric guitar? If Bill didn't play electric guitar on those sides, who was the player? Is the session info right at all? Please, can you help me with this question?

dj · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2014, 08:30:57 AM »

The info I transcribed from the Document disks when I was ripping them to iTunes has the session on June 26 1941, with Broonzy, Memphis Slim on piano, and William Mitchell on bass. The session info is basically taken from B&GR's third edition with some emendations by Johnny Parth. I can check the 4th edition when I get home.

JRO · « **Reply #11 on:** June 16, 2014, 09:39:29 AM »

Thanks, The Dixon & Godrich also places the session June 26 1941 - it's on the next page from 1939 sessions. I must be blind or tired not to notice it. The question Big Bill's earliest electric guitar playing is still in my mind, when it was and on what sides?

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #12 on:** June 16, 2014, 11:28:47 AM »

Hi JRO - the earliest electric guitar playing on Big Bill's records turns out to have been played by young white kid called George Barnes. For his fascinating story go here:
http://bluesunlimited.podomatic.com/entry/2013-11-11T08_04_03-08_00

JRO · « **Reply #13 on:** June 16, 2014, 12:21:54 PM »

Thanks Prof Scrachy, I've have read of George Barnes playing with Big Bill, Jazz Gillum and Washboard Sam but the story in Blues Unlimited is instructive. I'm grateful. But when Bill recorded electric guitar himself?

JRO · « **Reply #14 on:** June 17, 2014, 01:07:00 AM »

It's said that George Barnes went on 1939 and didn't play on Big Bills records. At least in 14 september session there is electric guitar but is the player Big Bill? Dixon & Godrich is not sure about the matter. The guitarastyle suits to Big Bill's style.

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #15 on:** June 17, 2014, 07:20:35 AM »

According to the very knowledgeable folk at RBF (Stefan Wirz/ Paul Garon/ and Chris Smith, BBB first played electric guitar on tracks with Lil Green from 1940 on. Check out Stefan's Lil Green discography here:
http://www.wirz.de/music/grlilfrm.htm
You can find some of these Lil Green tracks posted on you tube.

JRO · « **Reply #16 on:** June 17, 2014, 08:15:25 AM »

Hi, and thanks again Prof Scratchy. I know the connection between Lil Green and Bill and I checked Stefan Wirz's www-site. I hoped there would have been Big Bill discography. Pity there isn't one there. Wirz and others do such a great work there. I hope more certain light will come to matter of Bills earlier electric guitar recordings.

Bunker Hill · « **Reply #17 on:** June 17, 2014, 08:34:09 AM »

Quote from: JRO on June 17, 2014, 08:15:25 AM

Hi, and thanks again Prof Scratchy. I know the connection between Lil Green and Bill and I checked Stefan Wirz's www-site. I hoped there would have been Big Bill discography. Pity there isn't one there. Wirz and others do such a great work there. I hope more certain light will come to matter of Bills earlier electric guitar recordings.

There used to be a discography and superb it was too - 100 pages of it. Compiled by Chris Smith. He also funded its publication out of his own pocket.

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2327.msg27022;topicseen#msg27022

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #18 on:** June 17, 2014, 08:42:02 AM »

Thanks again to Stefan Wirz for pointing to the July 1939 session recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson, with Bill on electric guitar. Here's one example, but there are more on youtube:

JRO · « **Reply #19 on:** June 17, 2014, 09:20:45 PM »

Thanks Bunker Hill. I send a message to Blues & Rhythm Magazine asking if they got the discography available in some format. Let's see what comes out.

Thanks Prof Scrachy for the Sonny Boy Williamson clip. I check my Sonny Boy records and youtube.

Bunker Hill · « **Reply #20 on:** June 18, 2014, 02:45:11 AM »

Quote from: Bunker Hill on June 17, 2014, 08:34:09 AM

He also funded its publication out of his own pocket.

He didn't. My "little grey cells" ain't what they were. I was thinking of Chris's 180 page That's The Stuff: The Recordings of Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, Stick McGhee and J.C.Burris. An astounding labour of love.

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #21 on:** June 18, 2014, 09:05:59 AM »

Well JRO _ I've trawled through the you tube offerings, and the earliest self-accompaniment on electric guitar may well be this one (though I do stand to be corrected):

JRO · « **Reply #22 on:** June 18, 2014, 11:29:35 AM »

Well, well, great. Thanks again Prof Scratchy.

I e-mailed to Chris Smith via Blues & Rhythm and Chris still has got few BBB discographies left. There's one coming to me. Thanks again for info to Bunker Hill.

JRO · « **Reply #23 on:** August 05, 2014, 08:32:44 AM »

Does somebody know who took this photo of Big Bill and when it was taken? I'm also interested of Big Bills guitar in the photo? What model and when it was made?

I guess the photo was taken in late 1940's as Bill has the same guitar in many photos that Yannick and Margo Bruynoghe took at that time.

Lastfirstface · « **Reply #24 on:** August 05, 2014, 02:30:18 PM »

I don't know about the origin of the photo, but the guitar looks to be a '40s Blonde Gibson L-4 with a mounted DeArmond pickup (possibly an FHC or Rhythm Chief).

Edit: I was just reading back through this thread and took a look at the Wirz Sonny Boy Williamson discography only to find a picture of him with the same guitar in the heading. Pickup definitely looks like a DeArmond FHC on the Gibson L-4.

JRO · « **Reply #25 on:** August 07, 2014, 01:00:39 AM »

Thank you Lastfirstface for fast answer. The guitar is Gibson L-4 but is it the finishin blonde or natural?

The time picture was taken is still open as well as the question who took it?

Lastfirstface · « **Reply #26 on:** August 07, 2014, 07:51:53 AM »

In regards to blonde vs natural: in this case they're the same thing. A lot of the '40s Gibson archtops could be ordered in sunburst or natural (which is often referred to as blonde.)

Here's one similar to Bill's on Archtop.com:

http://www.archtop.com/ac_42L4N.html

JRO · « **Reply #27 on:** August 07, 2014, 08:50:40 AM »

Thanks again Lastfirstface, outstanding page with lots of info and great photos.

Lastfirstface · « **Reply #28 on:** August 07, 2014, 11:39:46 AM »

Here's a pic from the Document Records Facebook page where he's holding the same guitar. Their description places it "around 1940".

https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t1.0-9/10357457_649695298433539_6826874801052463085_n.jpg

JRO · « **Reply #29 on:** August 07, 2014, 12:05:42 PM »

^Thanks again. If the estimated year of the picture is right in Document records fb site, BBB's Gibson is pretty early one and he used it at least almost a decade as this photo has been taken by Bruynoghes late 1940s in Chicago. Their first photos were taken 1947 when they visited New York. Riesman's biography of BBB says that the picture with BBB with Lester Melrose and fellow musicans was taken c. 1940s.

Lastfirstface · « **Reply #30 on:** August 07, 2014, 12:28:31 PM »

In that Bruynoghes photo, he appears to be plugged into a '30s Gibson eh-150 amp, as seen in the 1937 Gibson catalog.

JRO · « **Reply #31 on:** August 10, 2014, 12:21:50 AM »

^Thanks for info, you seem to know the old guitar gear.

Rivers · « **Reply #32 on:** August 11, 2014, 05:53:32 PM »

For great material from Bill's later career, early '50s, I recommend the recordings he made for the French label Vogue. Those, and other good releases are mentioned here: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=1530.msg11279#msg11279

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Author Topic: Big Bill Broonzy (Read 5592 times)

Rosalyn

acousticjam

lebordo