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It's almost like people are walkin' around... with this unreal ego. 'Oh, listened to a Gary Davis tune. Let me figure that out... I mean I know he was great but why can't I figure that out in one hour?' Or one week? Or one year? - Jerry Ricks, Port Townsend 97

Author Topic: Little Hat Jones Recordings  (Read 5297 times)

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Offline Rockdale

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #15 on: March 25, 2013, 09:41:43 PM »
Unbelievable. That just made my whole day.

Offline CF

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #16 on: March 26, 2013, 05:08:24 AM »
There is more!

Dave Moore at the RBF shared about three of these babies.
The other two are untitled I believe.
There's about 9 in total.

http://picosong.com/nAUc/

http://picosong.com/nNBn/
« Last Edit: March 26, 2013, 07:01:15 AM by cheapfeet »
Stand By If You Wanna Hear It Again . . .

Offline Johnm

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2013, 03:25:50 PM »
Hi all,
Thanks very much for posting the links to those other two Little Hat tunes, Mike.  The first one is a D tune unlike any of Little Hat's early recordings that I've heard.  The second one offers his unique take on a raggy 16-bar blues.  Here's his progression, in C where he played it, with his changes shown, and where the most common changes differ from his changes, the common changes shown in parentheses.  One interesting thing about Little Hat's substitutions is that the progression as it is more commonly played would fit fine with the melody he sang, but his personal harmonic touches give the whole thing a certain zing that it would not have, had he played those standard changes.

   |    C    |    Adim7 (A7)  |  F (D7) Fm (G7) |   C    |

   |    C    |   Adim7 (A7)   |  G     (D7)          |   G (G7) |

   |    C    |    C7               |     F                   |    Fm      |

   |    C    |   Adim7 (A7)   |  F  (D7) Fm  (G7)  |    C    |

The E tune that Alex posted earlier is closer to Little Hat's early pieces in E like "Corpus Blues", though he really has a chance to stretch out on it, which is a treat to hear.  At one point he plays five or six consecutive solo passes (shades of some Mance Lipscomb recordings).  Hearing these later recordings of Little Hat Jones provide yet another reminder of what a luxury it is to be able to hear the renditions of some of these great musicians who recorded after the 78 era, and whose performances weren't shortened by the limitations of what would fit on one side of a 78.

It's an amazing thing to be able to hear performances like these from a stellar player who lived into the '60s and obviously could still really play, but whom almost no-one, apart from those who found him, got to hear.  It makes one feel really hopeful and grateful that surprises like these can still appear from time to time.

All best,
Johnm

   
« Last Edit: March 27, 2013, 09:40:44 AM by Johnm »

Offline GhostRider

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2013, 09:05:27 AM »
Howdy:

Thanks for the rundown, John. If that's not the coolest 16-bar blues pattern of all time (Tampa Red excluded).

Alex

Offline frankie

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #19 on: March 27, 2013, 10:40:54 AM »
it is definitely interesting to hear that D tune....  there's a weird sounding couple of chords he uses - a D7 to a Ddim:

D7 - x (0) 0 5 3 5
Ddim - x (0) 0 4 3 4

I suppose you could think of Doc Watson's accompaniment to Deep River Blues as having the same basic move, but it's more hollow here, and eerie as a result. In retrospect, I think Pete Franklin may have used a nearly identical move...  a good excuse to go back and listen!

Offline Johnm

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #20 on: March 27, 2013, 12:53:47 PM »
Yes, it is a really unusual open or hollow sound, isn't it, Frank?  Pete Franklin does get a sound very much akin to it on his tune with the high G string on his guitar.  I never can remember the name of that tune, but it's terrific.
EDITED TO ADD:  I checked Pete Franklin's high-strung tune, it's called "Guitar Pete's Blues", and I figured out that in playing in E position with the octave G string on, when he fingers 4-3-0 to 3-2-0 on his first three strings (going from third to first string, left to right) he ended up with the same sonority as Little Hat Jones had in his D tune, going from 5-3-5 to 4-3-4.  In both instances, you end up with the seventh as the lowest pitched voice (third string for Little Hat, second string for Guitar Pete), the root as the next higher pitched voice (second string for Little Hat, first string for Guitar Pete), and the fifth as the highest voice (first string for Little Hat, third string for Guitar Pete).  I believe this discovery entitles you to some kind of prize for timbre recognition and memory, Frank!
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: March 27, 2013, 01:46:45 PM by Johnm »

Offline CF

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #21 on: March 28, 2013, 09:25:25 AM »
 . . . & they keep coming!

Dave Moore has linked to Little Hat's version of 'St. Louis Blues'

http://picosong.com/ntbd/
Stand By If You Wanna Hear It Again . . .

Offline CF

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #22 on: March 29, 2013, 10:19:52 AM »
 . . . and here's Little Hat struggling through Jimmie Rodgers' 'Waiting For A train'

http://picosong.com/nDL8/
Stand By If You Wanna Hear It Again . . .

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #23 on: March 30, 2013, 05:39:13 PM »
Interesting. That makes Furry Lewis, John Hurt, John Jackson, and Little Hat covering this song, off the top of my head. Others?

Offline Blind Arthur

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Re: Little Hat Jones Recordings
« Reply #24 on: September 08, 2013, 01:10:01 PM »
Thank you so much for posting this! Fascinating material I have never known of until tonight!
You canīt trust your baby when the ice man comes hanging around :D

 


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