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I don't play by alphabet - Robert Belfour, in response to a PT05 question on what note he was playing

Author Topic: Shirley Griffith  (Read 5744 times)

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Offline btasoundsradio

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Shirley Griffith
« on: January 03, 2007, 10:12:11 PM »
I read he was mentored by Tommy Johnson, he plays Big Road Blues exactly like Tommy. Does anyone know anything else about this guy??
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline Johnm

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2007, 10:33:10 PM »
Hi powerlinehorizon,
Shirley was raised in central Mississippi, but lived most of his adult life in Indianapolis.  I don't believe he was ever a full-time musician, but he was a great player and singer.  In addition to playing a variety of Tommy Johnson songs, such as "Big Road Blues", "Maggie Campbell Blues", and "Bye Bye Blues", Shirley also did a great version of Ishmon Bracey's "Saturday Blues", some songs influenced by his Naptown neighbor, Scrapper Blackwell, and at least two sensational tunes that were all his own:  "River Line Blues" and "Shaggy Hound Blues".  I was fortunate to see him twice in performance, once at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and once at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival.  Shirley was missing the index finger on his left hand, after having had it chopped off by his older sister during an ill-conceived game played with a hatchet when they were both kids.  In performance he had a restraint that drew me in, but he was not what you would call an entertainer--rather a wonderful singer and player and musician.  He recorded solo albums for Prestige Bluesville ("Saturday Blues") and Blue Goose Records and a duo album with his friend J. T. Adams for Prestige Bluesville.  I sure wish he had recorded more, he was great.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2007, 11:48:33 PM »
Here's a report from Len Kunstadt in Record Research 91, July 1968 of a concert he gave with Yank Rachell.

YANK RACHEL and SHIRLEY GRIFFITH came from Indianapolis, thanks to blues aficionado, Artie Rosenbaum (the artist of the cover poster**), to play engagements for folk club-sponsored events in Washington, D C and Philadelphia - and here in New York City at the Washington Square Methodist Church on West 4th Street on May 13, 1968 with Iz Young of the Folk Lore Centre as the spearheading force. Their brand of string band blues echoing the era of the late 20s/early 30s high lighted by the facile Rachel mandolin is indeed unique in this miasma of amplified histrionic guitar groups who roam the earth at will in this day. At times there was a bit of musical conflict between Rachel's lead and Griffith's accompaniment but on the average they succeeded in presenting string band blues seldom heard in our sophisticated New York City locale. Yesterday they were commercial. Today they are art for folk sake.
 
Yank's sound comes from the period of Tampa Red Bumble Bee Slim, Bo Carter and the Mississippi Sheiks Memphis Jug Band and countless blues singers who once proliferated the musical scene, Yank's extrovert vocals, ragging mandolin, blues-guitar, and rural humor typify a fine brand of Negro vaudeville. Shirley Griffith on the other hand, is more introspective in his vocal approach. He does not heed to meter and bar structure religiously His prototype is Big Joe Williams, Tommy Johnson and Sleepy John Estes among others. He uses a walking bass figure on his guitar ably to protect his run on phrasing and drops thereby balancing into rural blues in its most simple presentation.

The evening was full, fascinating and historic as the Rachel-Griffith team carried through 28 selections of vocals and instrumentals. Griffith's repertoire was a showcase of Shirley Griffith with highlights of Tommy Johnson's derived "Big Road Blues" 'I Ain't goin' down this big road by myself' complete with yodel, being performed in both halves with accompanying Rachel ,on mandolin in the former and guitar in the latter; "Maggie Campbell Blues" introducing "C, C. Rider;" "Meet Me In The Bottom" with its classic Hey Lawdy Mama refrain; the many variation canine blues, "Please Throw A Poor Dog A Bone" also "Hard Pill To Swallow"; "River Line Blues" and "Bye, Bye Blues" among others. Yank Rachel, on the other hand, did less vocals than Griffith - but his was in a more carefree vein. Perhaps the efficacy of his spirited mandolin (when he played same) carried over into his lyrics making them jump and soar. Yank's esprit de blues was an extemporaneous "Blues" drawn from many quarters with closing lyrics of 'Baby quit me, she done thrown my clothes out doors - Poor Yank hasn't got change in drawers' which received many chuckles from the amused audience. Then Yank got himself a 'mule to ride' as he was 'Going to Chicago' in a real happy stomp-down blues pleaser as his mandolin sounded like a guitar string section with Shirley walking the bass and the audience providing the percussion. But those in attendance did not get off stock free as Yank changed his pace to country humorist with an aging wives tale. The closest that Yank got to somber blues was his crying vocal on 'How Long' but even this had a bubbling over quality.

Instrumentals were interspersed throughout with string band hoe downs, stomps, slow drags paying tribute to the strain of "Baby Please Don't Go" in some of the selections.

On a number of performances this elite blues two-some became wired for sound as they plugged their guitars into a capricious amplifier - however results were negligible as their strings overpowered their vocals. What a 'charge' it would have been if Yank could have plugged in his mandolin!

(** The cover of the magazine reproduces (poorly) the poster for the event - BH)

Offline Johnm

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2010, 11:40:56 PM »
Hi all,
I"ve been listening a lot to "Indiana Avenue Blues", the Prestige Bluesville album that Shirley made in the '60s with his pal J. T. Adams, courtesy of of Joe Wilkie (thanks, Joe), and I don't think I had fully appreciated before the extent to which Shirley compartmentalized his influences.  On this album, there's very little of his early life Mississippi blues, via Tommy Johnson, Ishmon Bracey, and others, and a great deal of Naptown blues, from Scrapper Blackwell, perhaps the mysterious Jesse Ellery, and others from Indianapolis.  Shirley's house had many rooms.
All best,
Johnm 

Offline doctorpep

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2010, 06:21:38 PM »
I'm unable to find that disc on Amazon. By any chance, is Mr. Wilkie a member of this board? Please excuse my being so forward.

More biographical information on Shirley is available at Sundayblues.org, I do believe. I think there's a picture or two, too.
"There ain't no Heaven, ain't no burning Hell. Where I go when I die, can't nobody tell."

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Offline Johnm

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2010, 08:46:34 PM »
Hi doctorpep,
Joe is a friend of mine.  The record is not available at Amazon because it's been out of print for years.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2010, 11:20:36 PM »
The record is not available at Amazon because it's been out of print for years.
All best,
Johnm
As would seem to be the case for nearly all of his recorded output see http://www.wirz.de/music/grifffrm.htm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2010, 11:04:59 AM »
Right you are, Bunker Hill.  I think the only stuff of Shirley's that is currently commercially available would be a few cuts on the Art Rosenbaum Dust-to-Digital recordings.
All best,
Johnm

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2010, 12:13:08 PM »
I don't know that it's still in print, but the Bluesville Vol 9: Down the Country Way compilation  is easy enough to find and also has two cuts from Shirley Griffith and J.T. Adams, Matchbox Blues and O Mama How I Love You.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2011, 05:20:19 PM »
Hi all,
I had occasion today to transcribe Shirley's version of "Maggie Campbell Blues" (from his Blue Goose album) for a lesson, and found out some really interesting things.  
   * I know it has been discussed in another thread, but on the original recording of "Maggie Campbell", Tommy Johnson and his seconding guitarist, Charlie McCoy, start out with some extreme rhythmic tension because Charlie McCoy is swinging his eighth notes as though Tommy Johnson were playing a shuffle, which he definitely was not--playing straight eighth notes all the way.  In addition, Charlie and Tommy had their sense of downbeat/upbeat reversed, not really getting in sync until they hit the IV chord.  The effect is somewhat exacerbated by Tommy going long in the opening I chord.  Tommy was also long on his I chord response to the IV chord.
   In any event, Shirley starts the song with an underlying triple feel, goes long on the opening I chord, as did Tommy, and ditches the broken triplet feel when he hits the IV chord, and from there on out through the remainder of his rendition.  He also matches Tommy by going long in his I chord response following the IV chord.  This is not the only instance of Shirley coming up with a solo version of a song that was originally recorded as a duet and managing to keep much of the contour and feel of the original rendition. He did a similarly stellar solo guitar rendition of Ishmon Bracey and Charlie McCoy's duet on "Saturday Blues".  It's such a shame that Fantasy was bought out by Concord  before Shirley's Prestige albums could be released on CD, or for that matter, that Shanachie is very unlikely to reissue Shirley's Blue Goose album on CD.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: April 20, 2011, 10:49:36 PM by Johnm »

Offline LD50

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2011, 08:26:36 PM »
Mention should also be made here of the liner notes of the Shirley Griffith Blue Goose LP, which were probably the most appalling liner notes that Nick Perls ever allowed, if not the most appalling liner notes on any country blues LP, period.  ::)

Offline Tom Rushen

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2011, 11:36:40 AM »
Mention should also be made here of the liner notes of the Shirley Griffith Blue Goose LP, which were probably the most appalling liner notes that Nick Perls ever allowed, if not the most appalling liner notes on any country blues LP, period.  ::)

I bought this album when it came out in the early 70s, but I don't think it survives in my collection. Refresh my memory of the liner notes...though I'll admit, knowing Perls' liner notes history, I'm almost afraid to ask...

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2011, 11:57:49 AM »
Courtesy of Stefan Wirz they can be read here http://www.wirz.de/music/grifffrm.htm along with a couple of other LP notes. Excellent photos too.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2011, 11:59:00 AM by Bunker Hill »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2011, 12:08:08 PM »
Hi all,
The liner notes were certainly sophomoric, and amounted to an in-joke which had nothing to do with Shirley and his music, depriving him of a much-deserved opportunity for some recognition and depriving his fans of a perfect opportunity to learn more about him.  I'm assuming that everyone who reads the notes understands that Shirley never made any of the comments attributed to him.  I don't know if I'd use the word "appalling" to describe the notes, that seems more suitable for war crimes or the Gulf oil spill and events of that ilk, but certainly the notes were immature and insensitive and never should have made it onto an album cover.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: April 21, 2011, 12:24:29 PM by Johnm »

Offline eagle rockin daddy

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Re: Shirley Griffith
« Reply #14 on: April 21, 2011, 12:10:45 PM »
wow.  those are some liner notes.  I would have loved to meet Mr. Griffith.

Mike

 


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