Just to endorse Chris's mention of Walter Roland. He was not just one of the greatest piano players and singers to make records, but he also played and recorded beautifully sensitive guitar. One of my all time all around musical idols. I'm pretty sure some or all the guitar recordings are out on Document. Gerry
His daughter was still alive five or six years ago see Walter Roland tag entitled "Gutbucket Piano".
I wish you could show that article to Allmusic guide biographer Jason Ankeny who wrote "After 1935, however, Roland seems to have dropped off the face of the earth -- his subsequent activities and ultimate fate remain unknown".
Yeah, back in the 60's and 70s so many researchers were falling all over themselves trying to stake out every little detail of Robert Johnson's life that piano players and musicians who weren't from Mississippi were often terribly neglected.
But it's good to see from reading that article that they finally interviewed Roland's surviving children, at least.
so if you`re interested, here is a small list of great pianoplayers, who lived in the 6o`s and 7o`s without getting noticed by notorious guitar-buffs: charley segar: lived in 1972 in chicago will ezell: died in chicago around 1963, just a few block away from the delmark record-office monkey joe coleman : recorded in 1968, lived up till the nid 7o`s blind clyde church: died around 1975 in memphis. bernice edwards: died in houston 1968 wilson thunder smith: murdered in 1963 ernest "44" johnson: died in the mid 6o`s in mississippi
Well there's Guitar Pete Franklin, superb on both Rev. Davis occasionally tickled the ivories Rossevelt Sykes was recorded on guitar at least once that I know about Peetie Wheatstraw of course Skip James, natch
Who else?
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My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music. Vladimir Nabokov (1899 - 1977)
Singles from Oct 1941 backing Buddy Moss: "Joy Rag", "Little Angel Blues", "Poor Child Blues"(u), "Gamblin' Woman Blues"(u) - OKeh (Columbia). I'm too damn lazy to dig through the post-war discography, but I'm sure there are a few sides "non-folk" with his piano.