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Country Blues => Weenie Campbell Main Forum => Topic started by: Thomas8 on July 10, 2018, 08:58:10 AM

Title: Henry Townsend 1937 sessions
Post by: Thomas8 on July 10, 2018, 08:58:10 AM
Hi all,

Just received the wolf records LP with Henry Spaulding and Henry Townsend and am enjoying it immensely.
Firstly can I say what a TRAGEDY it is to all of us that Henry Spaulding didn't record more than two sides. What a lovely voice he had!
Anyway, the main reason I'm posting is on the LP (which I figure is pretty old) there's notes from Paul Oliver who states on Townsend's 1937 session with Sonny Boy, the piano player is unknown. I recall reading somewhere on here of a similar discussion and was not sure if anyone ever came to a conclusion.
I personally have always thought it was plainly obvious, Townsend was on piano and Robert Lee McCoy on the guitar. I might be wrong though. It's just that the playing is definitely NOT from Walter Davis and doesn't really sound accomplished enough to be from any noted piano player, such as Roosevelt Sykes or Wesley Wallace etc.
For comparison here's him playing in A and in G. He was always very heavy on the keys and quite messy from time to time, his timing is pretty hard to follow as well but boy does it sound good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWg3RjsJ7oA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mbRlO4_kEA&index=27&list=PLPekzfBmxUveboahRXZaAUelHXGcqRvsO


Title: Re: Henry Townsend 1937 sessions
Post by: Johnm on July 12, 2018, 01:17:14 PM
Hi Thomas,
What you propose is certainly plausible.  Could you post a youtube of one or two of Henry Townsend's cuts from the 1937 session that you were discussing in your opening comments?  Then we could A-B them with the later cuts you posted of Henry playing the piano.  Incidentally, Henry said he taught Walter Davis to play the piano.
All best,
Johnm
Title: Re: Henry Townsend 1937 sessions
Post by: Thomas8 on July 12, 2018, 01:51:47 PM
I've read that as well, here are the tracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC3fRYN2DE8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX6TZDlmP0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGU7CtQfNug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5vXpHRwqzc
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