Topic: The Guitar Stylists--Spanish Tuning

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here is a place to list players who specialized and were notably accomplished and original in their approach to playing in Spanish tuning, whether conventionally fretting or using a slide. Once again, I'll start with two such players, and if you limit yourself to two players per post, more people can contribute:

Here are some guitar stylists in Spanish tuning:
   * Blind Roosevelt Graves
   * Peg Leg Howell

Any more out there?

All best,
Johnm

[Old Man Ned]

I'll chip in with just the one. One of my favourite players,

Buddy Boy Hawkins

[joe paul]

Absolutely Buddy Boy Hawkins, I agree, wonderful player, as is Clifford Gibson.

[Prof Scratchy]

Barbecue Bob

[David Kaatz]

Furry Lewis

[Johnm]

Two kind of major ones here:
   * Charlie Patton
   * Big Joe Williams
All best,
Johnm

[Forgetful Jones]

Son House
RL Burnside

[Johnm]

Rev. Edward Clayborn

[Lignite]

Kokomo Arnold

[Johnm]

Memphis Minnie, a major stylist in Spanish tuning

[Rivers]

You beat me to it, it Johnm. One tuning with so much differentiation between the songs.

[GhostRider]

Robert Johnson of course.

Alex

[Johnm]

Hi all,
A couple more:
   * Marshall Owens, only two titles released but both in Spanish and  both terrific
   * Barefoot Bill, a slew of titles

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Elizabeth Cotten, who used Spanish primarily for playing hymns. Also John Lee Hooker.

[banjochris]

Have to add Skip James here – only one song as far as I know, but what a song! And that last chord...

[Johnm]

I know what you mean about the ending, Chris--not that many of these songs end on a II7 chord!

[rein]

Tommy Johnson. he recorded only one song in spanish (but he recorded it twice) but maggie campbell featutred in the repertoires of many admirers. Or Willie Brown

[ZigZagWanderer]

I know what you mean about the ending, Chris--not that many of these songs end on a II7 chord!

Does anyone think this could have been a mistake?  Like maybe the red light came on unexpectedly and he just ended abruptly?  Although I don't have everything Skip recorded in the '60s, I don't think I have ever heard him end Special Rider this way in later years. 

[Johnm]

No, I'm sure it was intentional, both because all of his '30s recordings on guitar were set pieces, but also because the song doesn't go to that chord anywhere else, and if he was intending to start the form again and got the "end it" sign from the engineer/a&r person, he would have had no reason to be there at that time.

[banjochris]

Also, he does absolutely end the version of Special Rider on Skip James Today! on that chord, he just plays it as an arpeggio.

[Steve W]

I am always impressed by Bo Weavil Jackson's 'You can't keep no brown' - the slide guitar song on the Yazoo record Country Blues Bottleneck Guitar Classics 1926-1937.  My vinyl player is not currently working, so I don't know if he does other songs in Open G.