Topic: Favorite singers

[Gerry Clarke]

So many truly great singers.  I think my list would be:

Tommy Johnson
Memphis Minnie
William Harris
Walter Roland - what a cool singer!
Scrapper Blackwell
Joe Pullum

Gerry

[Bunker Hill]

Walter Roland - what a cool singer!
Gerry

If you go to TAGS and click Walter Roland then choose the "gutbicket piano" thread this contains observations about Roland from his daughter.

[Prof Scratchy]

Talking of gutbucket piano and brilliant voices, my vote is for Jesse James.

[Gerry Clarke]

Many thanks for that link, Bunker Hill.  I had thought nothing was known of Walter up to now.  And what a tasty guitar player he was too!

Gerry

[blueshome]

Hit the spot Allan, those J.James recordings are sensational.

 Are you back at the ivories?

[dj]

I've mentioned individual singers in this thread before, but with its revival recently I've gotten to thinking about people whose voices are just special to me.  They're, for the most part, people who were pretty popular in their day.  Pretty much it's a list of people whose voices make my ears perk up when they come up on the iPod or the Weenie Juke.  In more or less order of the distance my ears perk, they're:

Leroy Carr
Son House
Johnny Temple
Big Maceo Merriweather
Peetie Wheatstraw
Walter Roland
Big Bill Broonzy

[Michael Cardenas]

people whose voices are just special to me.  They're, for the most part, people who were pretty popular in their day.  Pretty much it's a list of people whose voices make my ears perk up

Peetie Wheatstraw

I do admire all the mentions of the High Sheriff, he's one of my faves for sure. I've often thought about how Peetie in his own way took the Country Blues out of it's rural trappings almost desensitizing those aspects and proved a pathway for broader consumption; the same could be said of Papa Charlie Jackson.

What I haven't ran across is much critical analysis of Wheatstraw in respect to Robert Johnson, the obligatory dialogue usually surrounds "influence", but I would be interested in a comparitive of cultural impact within and beyond the music as to the window of time the two were performing within. I get the feeling that someone like Peetie Wheatstraw had in mind a sort of mission to bring the Blues to the people or at best grow it. My ears hear this sense of specific ambition in his respect, whereas Johnson seems more like a benchmark for "presentation".

[Bunker Hill]

What I haven't ran across is much critical analysis of Wheatstraw in respect to Robert Johnson, the obligatory dialogue usually surrounds "influence", but I would be interested in a comparitive of cultural impact within and beyond the music as to the window of time the two were performing within.

I agree and even Paul Garon's 2003 "revised and expanded" edition of his Peetie Wheatstraw book the discussion still centered on the influence on RJ.

[Stumblin]

people whose voices are just special to me.  They're, for the most part, people who were pretty popular in their day.  Pretty much it's a list of people whose voices make my ears perk up

Peetie Wheatstraw

I do admire all the mentions of the High Sheriff, he's one of my faves for sure. I've often thought about how Peetie in his own way took the Country Blues out of it's rural trappings almost desensitizing those aspects and proved a pathway for broader consumption; the same could be said of Papa Charlie Jackson.

What I haven't ran across is much critical analysis of Wheatstraw in respect to Robert Johnson, the obligatory dialogue usually surrounds "influence", but I would be interested in a comparitive of cultural impact within and beyond the music as to the window of time the two were performing within. I get the feeling that someone like Peetie Wheatstraw had in mind a sort of mission to bring the Blues to the people or at best grow it. My ears hear this sense of specific ambition in his respect, whereas Johnson seems more like a benchmark for "presentation".

Interesting. I tend to subscribe to the school which suggests that Robert Johnson represented a more consciously technologically savvy generation of musicians than some of his older peers; deliberately structuring and timing his songs to fit into the allotted three minutes.
Anyhoo...
Favourite singers?
That could be a long old list, so I'll just mention Blind Boy Fuller. I am a huge fan, his voice is simultaneously warm and gritty, and the hipness of his lyrics & scat singing make his recordings some of the most fascinating historical documents - this in addition to the many hours of listening pleasure he has given me. And finger twisting, brain stretching guitar exercise.

[Mister Steve]

It's this kind of thread, just one more example of what makes this site dedicated to Country Blues so special...it's not about the gear or even guitar heroes in some abstract sense...it's all about MUSIC!!! God bless Slack, John Miller and everyone at WeenieCampbell!!!

Frank Stokes, Memphis Miinie, Sleepy John Estes...Blind Lemon Jefferson.

[JohnLeePimp]

Right now I'm listening to Luke Jordan... when I saw that photo of him on wiki I was surprised he didn't have fukin wings and a halo

...I made a list on the blindman's forum of my fav singers, the only person I think nobody's mentioned is Bo Carter:

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I've been listening a lot to Harry Smith's "Anthology of American Folk Music", and one singer who really has caught my ear is Coley Jones.  On his "Drunkard's Special", he really has a nice voice, warm, with a lot of humor, and every time he sings the line, "where my _______ used to be", the combination of the melody, the chords and his vocal tone can't be beat.
All best,
Johnm

[Cleoma]

Every time I hear Bessie Smith I fall in love with the blues all over again.
Suzy

[Johnm]

Hi all,
He's not the kind of singer who just knocks you over the head with his incredible vocal instrument, like Bessie Smith or Sleepy John Estes or Lemon Jefferson, but I've been noticing lately that I am crazy about the singing of Jim Baxter, of the Andrew and Jim Baxter uncle/nephew fiddle/guitar duo.  Jim had a really pretty tone and a kind of sweet, plaintive sort of delivery that really wears well.  He's kind of been knocking me out lately.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
He was mentioned once before, way back in this thread, but I think Arthur Crudup deserves another mention.  What a voice, and he knew what to do with it!
All best,
Johnm