Topic: Country blues legends that you just don't like

[waxwing]

Well, if we're going to start talking about RGD's attitude and not just his singing and playing, he seems to me to be the most proud, vain, competitive braggart on the whole scene. Worse than Skip James, who probably had more reason to be bitter. Aside from the oft quoted statement that Blake had a "sporting right thumb," I've never heard of him ever having a kind word for any other musician. Certainly doesn't seem very "Christian" to me.

Granted, I never met the man, and his many "disciples" seem to treat him with a reverence which one would think would come from his kindness and concern, but I have never heard any stories to that end.

I can see why many of the players today, who emphasize the guitar over singing, in the Stefan Grossman mold, would glorify Davis, a man who was filmed smoking a cigar while singing. And I seem to remember a story about him putting down a blues performer he was taken to hear by saying something like, "couldn't we go see a guitar player?"

I guess I believe that just because you have a bunch of boys at your feet telling you that you're the best doesn't mean that you can "lord" it over every other performer.

But I try not to hold his obvious disdain for his fellow performers against him when I listen to his performances and when I get a chance I will listen to the recordings mentioned above. Thanks.

All for now.
John C.

[tommersl]

Rev. Gary Davis the best Blues guitarist? I really don't think he was, even not one of the best, below the pre-war average recorded blues guitarist. Not close to Lemon, who recorded several great Blues songs, Booger Rooger, Rabbit Foot, Long Lonesome, Dry Southern, Broke And Hungry, Black Snake, Got The Blues, etc. Never in his life Rev. Davis ever came close to those. He actually wasn't a Blues guitarists, though he was influenced by those like Blind Lemon whom Gary Davis copied from on his early recordings.

[Bunker Hill]

I love Lightnin' too (though in the sixties I used to think that he and John Lee Hooker and T Bone Walker were all over-recorded)!

Ah yes so did I, but it didn't stop my buying the LPs when I had the chance. I still have 'em too.

I suppose the reason that they (along with Big Bill, Josh White, Bessie etc) may have seemed "over recorded" to us Brits is that prior to the the advent of Blues Unlimited, who brought many "obscurities" to our attention, those cited artists were given great coverage in jazz or popular music press and the records stocked by retailers in greater numbers.

Dunno. Just a view from this particular bunker...

[outfidel]

Well, if we're going to start talking about RGD's attitude and not just his singing and playing, he seems to me to be the most proud, vain, competitive braggart on the whole scene. Worse than Skip James, who probably had more reason to be bitter. Aside from the oft quoted statement that Blake had a "sporting right thumb," I've never heard of him ever having a kind word for any other musician. Certainly doesn't seem very "Christian" to me.

John --

Van Ronk also said of RGD: "He rather liked Lonnie Johnson too it seemed". I've also read that RGD spoke in reverance of Willie Walker's ability (from whom Davis learned Make Believe Stunt & Cincinnati Flow Rag).

But I've also heard RGD say unkind (& untrue, imho) things about the playing of Blind Boy Fuller & John Jackson.

btw to my ears, RGD's voice was nearly as soulful as Ray Charles, and he could play as fast & complex as Blind Blake or Merle Travis. Plus his broad repertoire included blues, gospel, ragtime, marches, and tin pan alley hits.  That's why he's a giant among giants in the traditional acoustic guitar world.

[JimNJBlues]

  Saying this tends to get me in trouble, but I really find Gary Davis to just be unlistenable.  I just had the Weenie Juke on, they went for a three-fer of Gary Davis, I had to turn it off.

[Rivers]

Interesting comments on the Rev. That raking thumb, cool moves, in your face tone, I can't see how anyone could fail to be at least slightly interested in what he's doing.

A lot of the less than stellar vocals are on front room recordings where he's pretty much giving it away for the benefit of some cheap-ass tape recorder. Wish we could have got to hear Lemon in the same context, eh?

I maintain to this day the only person (I've heard) who gets close to understanding Gary's guitar technique is Frankie.

And when have the personality traits of a musician been of any relevance to their technical and creative force? Add your own list of imperfect human beings, particularly in 'folk' music, who also happened to be musical geniuses. Or was the original question to do with not liking people personally, based on hearsay?

I suspect a lot of the negativity is to do with the Rev's over-exposure over the last 40 or so years. The guy was a flat-out genius! 

[mississippijohnhurt1928]

I really do like just about every Country Blues musician that ever recorded pre-war, anything 12-bar blues appeals to me.

But I guess if I had to pick a least favorite it would be Mississippi John Hurt

And I do realize I named my user name after him, but, that's because it just sounded good.


I love his guitar playing, but his voice doesn't do much for me.

[Norfolk Slim]

Lonnie Johnson.

Its not really a case of "just not liking" for me...  I like a lot of his stuff.

But that Lonnie Johnson signature riff drives me nuts.

[waxwing]

Your right, Riv. Altho' the "Rev" was dissing dead guys himself.-G- I was outa line, even if I was trying to be humorous, following up Michael's post with my little pet rant about RGD's bad attitude. It's not about his personality, and as I said, I put that aside when I listen to the music. Perhaps it's more that it really is religious music, all glory in the sight of Jesus, whether he's playing a march, a rag or a tin pan alley number, and if you're looking for the emotive qualities of a blues singer your not really in the right place, in spite of the similarities of the guitar style. But I will listen with more open ears when I find those recordings.

All for now.
John C.

[JimNJBlues]

  I don't know that my problem with RGD is because he does religious music -- that's never bothered me with Blind Willie Johnson.
  I wouldn't try to diminish him as a guitar player, because he really is very good.. I guess my problem is that he's too much of a "technician" for my tastes...

[Coyote Slim]

Lonnie Johnson.

Its not really a case of "just not liking" for me...  I like a lot of his stuff.

But that Lonnie Johnson signature riff drives me nuts.

Which one?

[Chezztone]

This may sound very strange coming from someone whose main man is Bo Carter. But I have to confess -- I do not like the Mississippi Sheiks. I respect them as songwriters (and have performed several of their numbers). And I'm interested in their history, recording details etc because of their familial and business connections to Bo. And I do own their recordings and try to listen to them once in awhile! The ones that include Bo of course interest me a lot. But the two main sounds of the Sheiks both displease me: Sam's violin and Walter's voice.
Cheers, Chezz
www.stevecheseborough.com

[Parlor Picker]

Must confess I find the Mississippi Sheiks a bit grating as well.

The Beale Street Sheiks on the other hand I enjoy listening to (and those latter-day boys, the Kennet Sheiks from Reading, England).

[Norfolk Slim]

coyote... Im thinking of the one in D which starts with a varying downwards run and ends with a slide from 2nd to 4th fret on the fourth string and then the D at third fret 2nd string.

[Rivers]

Chez, Chez, Chez...

Tsk tsk.

You're a real good interpreter of those tunes (I know this from you entertaining me with that giveaway National at Port T outside the balloon hanger before the Sat concert in 199-something) and are very able to sit down and rework them into something excellent that also works for you. Sometimes the truth is veiled from our eyes until we excavate.