WeenieCampbell.com
Country Blues => Weenie Campbell Main Forum => Books and Articles => Topic started by: Bunker Hill on March 07, 2012, 09:31:44 PM
-
This has been brought to my attention
http://onemanbandbook.blogspot.com/ (http://onemanbandbook.blogspot.com/)
-
I seem to remember this topic turned up a year or two ago - more than likely here on the Weenie. I tipped Dave Harris off about Ray Stubbs, but he was already aware of him.
-
I seem to remember this topic turned up a year or two ago - more than likely here on the Weenie.
Me too but was unable to find it on a search and a repeat attempt now failed. I'm obviously missing something with my search parameters! :(
-
I tagged his one man band posts, if you look for the "one man bands" tag, you'll find them.
-
Thanks, I've now accordingly tagged this topic.
-
I've now accordingly tagged this topic.
I wish I'd thought of that! :o
-
Thanks for posting this Bunker Hill!
Yes, the book is finally out. I want to thank those here who helped with new names or info.
The book is a full size (8 1/2 x 11 inch pages), hard cover, full color, quality paper book. 416 pages covering over 900 OMBs from the earliest references I could find right up to early this year. While largely blues oriented, it does cover all styles of music as played by manual OMBs, hence the Ray Stubbs inspired title - Head, Hands & Feet - A Book of One Man Bands. Over 1000 photos/images are included, including many unpublished.
A full chapter is devoted to Jesse Fuller, enriched by a fabulous collection of photos, courtesy of Mary Katherine Aldin. Many contributed reminiscences of Fuller including: Jesse Cahn, Blackie Farrell, Robert "One Man" Johnson and Ian Bennetts. Other key blues artists covered include: Daddy Stovepipe, Joe Hill Louis, Dr Ross, Drifting Slim, Juke Boy Bonner, Jessie Mae Hemphill (including a piece by David Evans), Papa Lightfoot, J.D Short, Wilbert Harrison, Blind Joe Hill, Duster Bennett, Ray Stubbs, Philippe Menard, Richard Johnston and many more.
I believe this book fills a niche so far unfilled in the literary world. My hope is that it will end up in libraries and other writers hands as a part of their musical reference library. But I also believe even the casual fan can enjoy it (I've had several people comment that the photos are outstanding).
It's only been out for a few weeks so I don't have any substantial reviews yet but I'll post some as I have them. Mary Katherine Aldin wrote this on the mudcat forum -
"I sent a copy to Jesse Fuller's daughter, Alice, who said it was the best article about her father's life and work that she had ever seen. And she immediately asked me for Dave's email address so she could write and thank him!
It's a tremendous work, beautifully produced. Yes, Becky, your coffee table will be very happy with this on it; the publisher did a wonderful job with the graphics and design. Congratulations, Dave, I know it was a labor of love, and the results are well worth the struggle."
Alice sent me a wonderful email thanking me. It was very heart warming for me.
-
Cool! Looking forward to seeing it.
-
Big call out to all that are either performing as a OMB, or are fans of the form. Dave Harris from Canada has produced the first book totally devoted to OMB's. www.myspace.com/daveharrisonemanband (http://www.myspace.com/daveharrisonemanband)
-
Not being one who parts with his money willingly I took an expensive, sight unseen, risk on the grounds that I couldn?t see anybody else tackling the subject in my lifetime. This has just arrived after a six week journey from Victoria, BC, Canada. No expense has been spared in the choice of packaging which has ensured no damage whatsoever to the edges or spine whilst bumping around in a container in the hold of a ship.
Firstly the artefact. Hardback, full colour cover, laminated boards, well bound (head-banded spine top and bottom) and gloss art paper which really does the numerous colour/black &white photos/illustrations proud. Here follows the first 19 chapters from the table of contents, as a taster:
1. Overview 6
2. Glossary 12
3. Early History (mostly USA) Pipe & labor/Early Europeans 16
Early Americans 18
Harp Rack & Players including Gwin Foster & Frank Floyd 19
Innovation incl. London Fiddle & Bells, Fate Norris & Albert Nelson 21
Daddy Stovepipe, other blues & country 25
4. Jesse Fuller 32
5. Early Blues: Memphis Area incl. Joe Hill Louis, Dr. Ross & Drifting Slim 52
6. Other Blues:'50s1'60s incl. Juke Boy Bonner, Blind Joe Hill
& Wilbert Harrison 72
Early Washboard players including Washboard Willie 86
7. Outsider including Hasil Adkins & Abner Jay 88
8. Early Country: North America incl. Joe Barrick, Boyd Skuldt & Greeley Robertson 98
9. Early UK including Don Partridge, Chucklefoot & Vie Ellis 106
10. Folk, Blues & Beyond: USA/Canada/UK '70s including Robert "One Man"
Johnson, Ray Stubbs, Mike Whellans, Elmore Nixon & Winko Ljizz 126
11. Early Northern Europe 140
French including Albert Bergerault & Remy Bricka 140
Feel Free Norway and related, incl. Des Bader & Lawrence Glaister 142
Germany including Slippery Mike, Buskin' Chris & Alan Moorhouse 147
12. World Travelers including Jimmy Jimmy & Gee Gee Kettel 158
13. UK Part 2 including Buddy OMB & Bang On Boogie Band 176
British Blues including Eddie Martin 189
14. Italians (by Mark Di Guiseppe) including Otto & Bamelli, The Straniero,
AMI BUS, Michele Roscica & Giorgio OMB 192
15. USA Blues'80s/'90s including Jessie Mae Hemphill (article by David Evans),
Richard Johnston, Ben Prestage and Satan & Adam 202
16. More Blues USA incl. W.C. Spencer, Adolphus Bell & Homer Henderson 220
Songs Inside the Box OMBs cigar box guitar players 232
17. USA Bent Blues & Rock incl. Bob Log Ill, Scott H. Biram & John Lowe 240
More Rock Oriented incl. Molly Gene & Becky Lee & Drunkfoot 251
18. European Blues & Others (incl. articles by NikolajAndersen) Nikolaj Andersen,
Benjamin Tehoval, Philippe Menard, Paolo Sgallini & Dr. Albert Flipout's One
Can Band 260
Other Newer European OMBs incl. PitPete, George vd Muziek, Mr. Orkester,
Ivan Holinka & Cigo Man Band 276
19. Other USA OMBs Gospel incl. Flora Molton & Gypsy AZAL Cams 286
More Recent Country including Royer's OMB & Bo Baseman 287
Peripheral Old Time & Country incl. David Holt & Hal Walker 291
Children's Entertainer incl. Professor Paddywhack & Mahsa Matin 293
Piano OMBs including Patrick Hazell & The Professor 294
Off the Beaten Path incl. Leonard Solomon & Lonesome Organist 297
I really don?t know how to describe the layout and design of the interior ? every page of text has a border festooned with illustrations pertinent to the subject(s) under discussion. Ideally what is needed is for Dave to post on his blog a sample page or two.
For the "litmus test" I singled out some of my favourite OMBs ? Jesse Fuller, Dr. Ross, Joe Hill Louis, Duster Bennett and Don Partridge ? and all seem to have been thoroughly researched and well illustrated, many new to me. I?ll be the first to admit that I?ve never heard of three quarters of those listed in this massive work. I?m astonished that there are in excess of 40 OMBs currently plying their trade in the UK ? and have been doing so for a mighty long time.
This book may have set me back a significant amount of money but I think that such a brave enterprise as this deserves support.
-
Review of the book here. http://www.thecountryblues.com/op-ed/book-review/ (http://www.thecountryblues.com/op-ed/book-review/)