Author Topic: The Guitar Stylists--G Position, standard tuning (Read 2260 times)

Johnm · « **on:** March 07, 2021, 04:39:46 PM »

Hi all,
You know the drill:
* Sam Chatmon
* Robert Petway

All best,
Johnm

waxwing · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2021, 05:44:52 PM »

I think Blind Boy Fuller was pretty accomplished in G standard, as he was in several different positions.

Wax

waxwing · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2021, 05:50:19 PM »

I would also put William Brown on this list. Even though he really recorded only 2 songs for Lomax and Work, Ragged a Dirty shows a strong musicianship in G position and I often point out that he manages to incorporate the entire chromatic scale, save the flat II note, in his arrangement. I imagine Mississippi Blues will get him on the A standard position list, too.

Wax

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 08, 2021, 07:33:34 AM »

Tommy Maclennan
Little Hat Jones

GhostRider · « **Reply #4 on:** March 09, 2021, 04:41:38 PM »

Memphis Minnie, especially during her "inter-marriage" period.

Alex

eric · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2021, 01:24:35 PM »

I'd nominate Jesse Thomas for Blue Goose Blues.

Old Man Ned · « **Reply #6 on:** March 18, 2021, 02:31:36 PM »

Rev Gary Davis
Blind Blake

Forgetful Jones · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2021, 12:43:48 PM »

Mississippi John Hurt has a few gems in G, especially the two songs played on Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest show.

rein · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2021, 05:20:09 AM »

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Johnm · « **Reply #9 on:** April 30, 2021, 05:50:17 AM »

Hi all,
Yank Rachell did some sensational playing in G position in standard tuning. It was probably the playing position he excelled in the most.
All best,
Johnm

rein · « **Reply #10 on:** January 20, 2022, 02:24:49 AM »

Ishman Bracey on Brown Mama Blues and a similar arrangement is used by Charlie mc Coy backing Rosie May Moore on guitar, according to David Evans it is similar to Rubin Lacy s lost Long Lonesome Blues. Of course that is an unissued record but probably he heard it from Lacy himself. So I dont know if we can call Rube Lacy a stylist in G when all we know of him was recorded in E or cross note, but we can name Ishmon Bracy and Charlie mc Coy.

Johnm · « **Reply #11 on:** January 20, 2022, 11:20:13 AM »

Hi rein,
I agree about Ishmon Bracey and Charlie McCoy. Rubin Lacy's two releases were both played in E position, standard tuning, for what it's worth.
All best,
John

daddystovepipe · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2022, 02:36:41 PM »

Smokey Hogg, a lot in G (maybe everything).

rein · « **Reply #13 on:** January 21, 2022, 12:23:21 PM »

I did not mean the two surviving records by Rube Lacey which are in E position indeed (although Evans transcribes Mississippi Jailhouse Groan in cross note inthe Big Road Blues book, it might work either way, but it feels weird for me to make a definite claim in your presence, as I am very much in awe of your skill in decifering and playing this material) but I was referring to an intriguing quote in David Evans book on Tommy Johnson where he said that the guitar arrangements of Charlie mc Coy had licks from Lacey s Long Lonesome Blues. This song is on a record that has nt been found or may not even have been released from Lacey s first sesson, so I wondered if it was Rube Lacey himself who was the source of this information, since Lacey was one of Evans' sources for this book. Of course if I really wanted to know I should ask David Evans himself, all. Off course I left the little book on my desk somewhere just a short while ago but off course cant find it it right now to find where this quote was.
All best and thanks so much for this great site !
Rein

rein · « **Reply #14 on:** January 21, 2022, 04:03:48 PM »

''His playing reveals a large debt to Rubin Lacy, whose Long Lonesome blues used most of the guitar figures which McCoy plays in all four accompaniments'' -David Evans-Tommy Johnson ,1971 p.47.

Johnm · « **Reply #15 on:** January 22, 2022, 06:30:31 AM »

Hi rein,
It's a little difficult to accord someone status as a stylist in a playing position that none of us have every heard that person play in, nor ever will. I suppose we could take David Evans' word for it, but it's possible our own assessments would differ from his if we were ever to hear Rube Lacy play anything in G position in standard tuning. Even if Charlie McCoy played licks also played by Lacy, there's no proof that McCoy learned those licks from Lacy--there could have been a completely different unknown source, or McCoy could have arrived at the same ideas on his own. I don't think Lacy belongs in this category, since we can't hear anything that he played in G position in standard tuning.
All best,
Johnm

Old Man Ned · « **Reply #16 on:** January 22, 2022, 01:18:20 PM »

Richard 'Hacksaw' Harney, I'm particularly thinking of his playing of Ragtime Blues from the 'Sweet Man' album.

Forgetful Jones · « **Reply #17 on:** January 24, 2022, 04:54:53 PM »

I just listened to Mance Lipscomb playing Ain't You Sorry out of G position. He's got some other gems in G too, but this one alone would qualify him for this list, in my opinion. What a player!

Johnm · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2023, 05:50:33 PM »

Reese Crenshaw, on the basis of one tune recorded "Trouble"--WOW!

Lignite · « **Reply #19 on:** July 03, 2023, 06:59:24 AM »

Wow's right! I had to check up on Reese Crenshaw. He was recorded by the Library of Congress at the State Prison Farm in Milledgeville, Georgia, in 1934. On the song Trouble ,according to Discogs, Reese Crenshaw plays guitar while the vocals are handled by one "Cool Breeze."

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Author Topic: The Guitar Stylists--G Position, standard tuning (Read 2260 times)