Topic: Electric Guitar in Country Blues

[SpikeDriver]

While going through some older books I spotted a photo of Sleep John Estes playing a sexy Stratocaster. My thought was, no matter what instrument he plays, it would still be country blues, same goes for Lightin' Hopkins, and Mississippi Fred. Are there CDs and performers where this electric approach works well, or fails? Are Muddy Waters and Elmore James, and R.L. Burnside country bluesmen? Compare and contrast...hand your papers forward at the end of the class.

[Pan]

Many prewar artists used electric guitars later on in their careers. What exactly is CB maybe is open for debate. But the instruments used have usually been whatever is available.

I was lucky enough to see Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry in Finland when I was young. Brownie played an electric  hollowbody Gibson jazz guitar, and they had a young white drummer with them too, but I would still describe the music as being CB.
Does R. L. Burnside cease to be CB if he plays an electric guitar? What about Big Joe Williams?

By the way, do you know of prewar CB recordings where the electric guitar has been used, or do the "jazzmen" get the credit for this one?

Pan

[Rivers]

Hubert Sumlin's tasteful work with Howlin' Wolf is the first one that springs to my mind.

[banjochris]

By the way, do you know of prewar CB recordings where the electric guitar has been used, or do the "jazzmen" get the credit for this one?

I think there are some Big Bill sides that have electric guitar on them, not played by Big Bill, from the late '30s, and some of Lonnie Johnson's Bluebird sides have very restrained electric guitar on them. Not exactly country blues, maybe, but close, at least for Big Bill.
Chris

[Rambler]

John Lee Hooker. 

[Nicolas Dussart]

I think there are some Big Bill sides that have electric guitar on them, not played by Big Bill, from the late '30s, and some of Lonnie Johnson's Bluebird sides have very restrained electric guitar on them. Not exactly country blues, maybe, but close, at least for Big Bill.
Chris

Yes on "House Rent Stomp" a CD from the "blues encore" label (??), there are 4 tracks with electric guitar (see CD cover here)

• Jacqueline
• Lonesome
• Little City Woman
• Romance Without Finance

It was recorded  in Chicago, 1953, with BB Broonzy, Lee Cooper (!!) on electric guitar, Ernest Big Crawford on bass and Washboard Sam on ...washboard

On this video, Robert Belfour plays electric guitar :
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xHn7Ur8CEwI

[Bunker Hill]

By the way, do you know of prewar CB recordings where the electric guitar has been used, or do the "jazzmen" get the credit for this one?

I think there are some Big Bill sides that have electric guitar on them, not played by Big Bill, from the late '30s, and some of Lonnie Johnson's Bluebird sides have very restrained electric guitar on them. Not exactly country blues, maybe, but close, at least for Big Bill.
Chris

If memory serves correct in this regard somewhere there's a discussion of George Barnes and, maybe, Willie Lacey and their electric guitar accomps to folk like Big Bill or Dr Clayton.

[mississippijohnhurt1928]

Sticks McGhee recorded a song in the early '50s that is electric, but very much country blues.

"No More Revele"**


** (Reuvele?, Revelie?, ?)

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I think there is a ton of great Country Blues played on electric guitar.  Some that haven't previously been mentioned that come to mind:
   * Jimmy Lee Williams' recordings for George Mitchell, released on Fat Possum as "Hoot Your Belly" (see Reviews)
   * Herman E. Johnson's recordings on Arhoolie, paired up with Smoky Babe on a CD that I think is called "Louisiana Blues"
   * A lot of Arthur Crudup's early recordings were played on electric, like "Mean Old Frisco".
I agree with Spike Driver's original observation that what these musicians were playing was Country Blues, whether played on electric or acoustic guitar, and in some instances, as with Jimmy Lee Williams and Robert Belfour, the music is particularly enhanced by being played on an electric guitar.
All best,
Johnm

[Bob B]

I remember an old Appalachian recording of Etta Baker playing Railroad Bill and Bully of the Town on electric guitar.  This might be a bit of a stretch for country blues but seems to fit in the same genre.

Bob

[Johnm]

Hi Bob B,
Though the early photo that surfaced of Etta Baker that appeared in Happy Traum's old "Fingerpicking Guitar" showed her playing an electric guitar, the earliest recordings of her that came out on "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians" on the Tradition label featured her playing acoustic guitar only.  She played some electic guitar on her more recent recordings, and in performance.
All best,
Johnm

[Slack]

Every time I hear Rollin' and Tumblin' Part 1 by Baby Face Leroy Trio - I wanna get my amp out turn it up to 13 and blow down the doors. 

[Rivers]

Your amp goes up to 13 Slack? Respect.

Are Scrapper and Lonnie urban or country? That blues categorization thing is a huge topic Spike. Johnm kicked off a discussion on this a while back, here's what we came up with:

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=114&topic=418.0

Feel free to revive the topic, we were making some progress but it went dormant, I believe we just decided we had to live with the ambiguities.

[Alexei McDonald]

Both Memphis Minnie and Blind Willie McTell played electric guitar post-war, though I don't think the latter made any recordings with it.

[GhostRider]

Every time I hear Rollin' and Tumblin' Part 1 by Baby Face Leroy Trio - I wanna get my amp out turn it up to 13 and blow down the doors. 

I guess you're really beyond help.

Alex