I agree with you that re-arranging would be the way to go with most of Jim Jackson's less bluesy material, uncle bud. Trying to cop his affect on that material would be too weird, and however accurately done, would cloy pretty quickly (instantaneously?). All best, Johnm
In the refrain, he sings "that OLD Grizzly Bear" each time, I believe.
The take transcribed above is the unissued take. Unissued probably because of the somewhat odd way he sings line 4 of the refrain, "But I would not tell you the reason why". In the other take available on Document Vol 1, which is virtually the same, he sings the more logical line "But SHE would not even tell ME the reason why" throughout the song.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2012, 08:17:01 AM by uncle bud »
Thanks for the catch, uncle bud. I transcribed "old" but didn't enter it--doh. I agree as to why the take wasn't issued in the first place. The first time he sings the line, especially, he barely sobs out the enunciation of it. All best, Johnm
Hi all, Jim Jackson accompanied himself, as was his wont for his more minstrel/medicine show-influenced material, out of G position in standard tuning for "Bye, Bye, Policeman". This is one of his strongest performances in this style. I'm missing some words from the first sung portion of the song, and would appreciate help with any of the bent bracketed words or passages.
SPOKEN: I'm going down to my girl's house to a big dance. After the dance, we gonna have a big crap game. Now listen, I'll tell you all about it.
Now, first thing, honey is the bomboushay Oh, turn a-right around and go the other way Ah, do the World's Fair, the Turkey Trot Oh, don't that girl think she's very hot? She puts her hand on her head and let her mind rove on Bends way back and look at the star She dances nicely and politely This am the pas a ma la
SPOKEN: Now people, we's down at the crap game.
Me and some old boys started a big crap game Right out in front of my door Along come a policeman to stop that game, there, "Boys, I'm gonna get you, sure." So we started a game the very next day Right in the same place Along come a policeman and run us away Lord, I was pickin' 'em up, layin' 'em down, Curvin' in and curvin' 'round, Bye-bye, Mr. Officer Yes, I was pickin' 'em up, layin' 'em down, Curvin' in and curvin' around Bye-bye, policeman
He said, "Stop there, boy! I'm the law, I command you!" I said, "I ain't thinkin' 'bout that law you're tryin' to hand me." Lord, I was pickin' 'em up, layin' 'em down Curvin' in and curvin' 'round Policeman, bye-bye Yes, I was pickin' 'em up, layin' 'em down Curvin' in and curvin' 'round Bye-bye, Mr. Officer Yes, I was pickin' 'em up, layin' 'em down Curvin' in and curvin' 'round Bye-bye, policeman
He said, "Stop there, boy! I'm the law, I'll shoot you, Bill!" I turned around and looked at him, said, "Reckon you will?" Lord, I was pickin' 'em up, layin' 'em down Curvin' in and curvin' 'round Bye-bye, Mr. Officer Yes, I was pickin' 'em up, layin' 'em down Curvin' in and curvin' 'round Policeman, bye-bye
Edited 8/22 to pick up corrections from banjochris
All best, Johnm ,
« Last Edit: July 10, 2020, 12:12:15 PM by Johnm »
1.1 bomboushay (dance, also referred to by Jelly Roll Morton in "Anamule Dance") 1.3 AH, DO the World's Fair (I think this is probably referring to a dance, perhaps belly dancing?) 1.6 look at THE STAR (based on the original lyrics of the song referred to in 1. 1.8 THIS AM THE PAS A MA LA (dance step, song "Pas Ma La" written by Ernest Hogan)
Thanks very much for the help, Chris. Hearing those fixes and re-listening to the song made me sure both that they're all right, and that I never would have gotten them on my own. Always good to hear from you. all best, Johnm
Hi all, Jim Jackson backed himself out of G position in standard tuning for "Going Around the Mountain", a song more commonly called "Charming Betsy", which is how Henry Thomas and Land Norris titled it. This is one of those songs that was sung by everybody. As jovially as Jim Jackson delivered his lyrics, they have a some bite to them--social commentary, if you will.
REFRAIN: Goin' 'round the mountain, charming Betsy Sayin' I'm goin' 'round the mountain, Perlee Now, if I never see you again Do, Lord, remember me
Well, it's somethin' 'bout these Memphis women I can't understand For these old ladies wear these short dresses around Tryin' to fool a working man
REFRAIN: Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, charming Betsy Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, Perlee Now, if I never see you again Do, Lord remember me
Well, yella girl got this long straight hair A brownskin girl got the same But a black gal buys her'n at the ten cent store But it's good hair, just the same
REFRAIN: Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, charming Betsy Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, Perlee Now, if I never see you again Do, Lord remember me
Well, a yella gal smells like sweet toilet soap Brownskin does the same But a black girl smell like a billy goat But she's smellin' just the same
REFRAIN: Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, charming Betsy Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, Perlee Now, if I never see you again Do, Lord remember me
Well, a white man give his wife a ten dollar bill He thinks that's nothing strange But a colored man give his wife a one dollar bill And beat her to death 'bout the ninety cents change
REFRAIN: Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, charming Betsy Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, Perlee Now, if I never see you again Do, Lord remember me
Well, a white man lives in a fine brick house He thinks that's nothing strange But a poor colored man lives in the county jail But it's a brick house, just the same
REFRAIN: Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, charming Betsy Sayin', I'm goin' 'round the mountain, Perlee Now, if I never see you again Do, Lord remember me
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: July 10, 2020, 12:12:55 PM by Johnm »
Hi all, Jim Jackson accompanied himself out of G position in standard tuning for his version of "St. Louis Blues", playing a very straight boom-chang accompaniment. His version does not go to the minor for the third verse as Trad Jazz versions of the song always do. It makes one wonder whether the song had some currency before W. C. Handy wrote it, or if Jackson's treatment just amounts to a simplification of the song on his part. There's probably no way of knowing for sure at this point.
Well, I hate to see that evening sun go down Well, I hate to see that evening sun go down 'Cause it make me think, "Am I on my last go-round?"
If I'm feeling tomorrow a-like I feel today If I feel tomorrow like I feel today I'm gonna pack my suitcase and make my long get-away
'Cause the St. Louis woman, she wears her diamond ring She leads her man around by her apron string If it wasn't for powder and this store-bought hair Oh, the girl I love wouldn't go nowhere, hair, hair
I got the St. Louis blues and just as blue as I can be My girl got a heart like a rock cast in the sea That's the reason why she goes so far from me
I love my girl like a schoolboy loves his pie A-like a Kentucky white man loves his rock-and-rye I love my girl 'til the day I die
A red-headed woman make a freight train jump the track A red-headed woman will make a freight train jump the track And a black-headed gal will make a preacher ball the jack
I got the St. Louis blues and just as blue as I can be My girl got a heart like a rock cast in the sea That's the reason why she goes so far from me
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: July 10, 2020, 12:13:33 PM by Johnm »
Hi all, Jim Jackson was joined for a pianist for his version of "I Ain't Gonna Turn Her Down". Jackson backed himself out of G position, as was most often the case when he wasn't playing a blues. Listening to the lyrics, I found myself wondering, since so many of Jim Jackson's make reference to gradations of skin color, at what point did such references fall out of fashion in blues lyrics? I do know that they're pretty much out of the picture in post-War blues, as far as I can remember, and I wonder if they stopped appearing in blues that weren't stylistic throwbacks even earlier than that. I wonder, in addition, what changes came about in Black popular culture that made such references a thing of the past in the music. I'm unable to hear the bent bracketed passage and would appreciate help with it.
You say you're goin' away, why didn't you say Just when you be back again While you gone, I hope you will stay 'Cause I got me another girlfriend
I'm really wild about her, I'm simply crazy about her And I ain't gonna turn her down She ain't no black gal, she ain't no high yella She's just a sweet little teasin' brown I met her one night, she let me take her home She did something, mama, that you never done She made me crazy 'bout her, just plumb fool about her And I ain't goin' to turn her down (Spoken: All right)
Say, I'm just as wild about her, I's simply crazy about her And I ain't gonna turn her down She ain't no black gal and she ain't no high yella She's just a little sweet teasin' brown I met her one night, she let me take her home Then she did something, mama, that you never done I'm crazy about her, just a plumb fool about her And I ain't goin' to turn her down
She looked so sweet, and she's just so neat I spoke to her, I asked her name She smiled and said, "Ida", and then she said, "I heard of your thing."
And I'm simply wild about her, simply crazy about her I ain't goin' to turn her down She ain't no black gal and she ain't no high yella She's a sweet little teasin' brown I met her one night, she let me take her home Then she done something, mama, that you never done She made me crazy about her, just a plumb fool about her I ain't goin' to turn her down
Edited 8/31 to pick up corrections from banjochris
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: July 10, 2020, 12:14:11 PM by Johnm »
Thanks for the help, Chris. The ones in the first verse are certainly right, and I think after re-listening, that "I heard of your thing." is right, too. That Ida was one smooth talker. I'll make the changes. All best, Johnm
Hi all, Of course, Jim Jackson had a huge hit with "Kansas City Blues". He accompanied himself out of E position in standard tuning for the song, and his playing is marvelously strong. His time is so heavy and he has the perfect amount of depth and follow-through on his backbeats. It is not flashy playing, but it is done to perfection, and if it were easy to do, you'd hear everybody doing it just that way. In fact, I've never heard the song covered with Jim Jackson's rhythmic feel captured. I don't know if "Kansas City Blues" was the first chorus blues, but I think it was one of the earliest, and it was enormously influential. To give Jim Jackson his due, he really hit a home run with this one.
SOLO
I was first on Main Street, started down Beale I lookin' for that woman they call Lucille REFRAIN: She done moved to Kansas City, she done moved to Kansas City She done moved, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you
The Mississippi River so long, deep and wide I can see my good girl standin' on the other side REFRAIN: She done moved to Kansas City, she done moved to Kansas City She done moved, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you
I left off of Beale Street, started down Vance I was lookin' for the woman they call Lizzie Mance REFRAIN: She done moved to Kansas City, she done moved to Kansas City She done moved, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you
If you don't like my peaches, don't shake my tree I ain't after your woman, man, she's after me REFRAIN: We gon' move to Kansas City, we gon' move to Kansas City We gon' move, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you
I got one girl in Texas and two in Tennessee But the womens here in this town, Lord, takes on over me REFRAIN: We gon' move to Kansas City, I'm gon' move to Kansas City We gon' move, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you
I'm gonna tell all you men what we musn't do Don't ever love one woman like she says she loves you She'll call you honey, she'll call you pie And she'll let things get a-loose, Lord, on the sly REFRAIN: Then she'll move to Kansas City, then she'll move to Kansas City Then she'll move, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you
Hi all, Jim Jackson accompanied himself out of G position in standard tuning for his version of "He's In the Jailhouse Now". He employs a "frailing" style of playing time that was unusual for him; rather than resorting to the "boom-chang" approach that was normal for him on his novelty material, he just whangs on full chords, four-to-the-bar, much as Willie Thomas did in his accompanying of the fiddler Butch Cage. Because of the relatively sedate tempo Jim Jackson chose, he was only able to work in two of the song's verses, as opposed to the three that are more characteristically sung. His reference to the card game euchre is the only one I can think of sung by a blues player.
I had a friend named Campbell, he used to steal and gamble He made his living cheating all the while He played a game called euchre, pinochle and poker He thought he was the smartest dude in town But I just found up Monday, he got locked up Sunday They've got him in that jailhouse down in town They got Campbell in the jail, no one to go his bail The judge won't even accept him a fine
REFRAIN: He's in the jailhouse now, he's in the jailhouse now I told Campbell once or twice, "Stop playing cards and shooting dice." (spoken: Yeah, they got 'im!) He's in the jailhouse now
I remember 'way last Friday, I met a girl named Lani I thought she was the purtiest girl in town She called me "Sonny", and I begin to spend my money We went into a swell cafe and sit down I thought that I was in it, I was spendin' every minute Buyin' wine and whiskey by the quart But when I went to pay that man, I found that lady's hand In my pocket where my money was
REFRAIN: She's in the graveyard now, she's in the graveyard now I told the judge right to his face, "That lady's hand was out of its place." (spoken: Yeah, they got her!) She's in the graveyard now
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: July 10, 2020, 12:15:53 PM by Johnm »