Topic: GrandMa Blues Hoax or found!

[wreid75]

Listen without prejudice before ripping it to shreds 
And seriously does anyone have a name for Rusty Cropduster, an email, phone, courier pigeon, anything

[jpeters609]

Well, the song this gentleman is playing doesn't sound anything like Willie Brown's known recordings. Nor, for that matter, does it sound much like Delta blues. Indeed, it doesn't sound like a pre-war composition. (To put it another way, if this were in fact Willie Brown's lost recording, I would be greatly disappointed in Willie Brown.)

There was, of course, Tommy Johnson's test pressing of a waltz-like tune which certainly sounded nothing like his recorded repertoire, and one might argue that this is the same type of thing. But I am doubtful.

In my opinion, this is a fellow looking for attention. And he got it.

[GhostRider]

I would choose hoax. Whereas it is nicely played, in doesn't have the feel or technique of Brown's discovered works and the turnaround especially sounds too modern.

Alex

[Johnm]

I don't see this as anything to get particularly worked up about.  If the player in question had recorded himself in such a way as to make it sound like a scratchy 78 and posted a sound-only video, claiming the performance to be the missing Willie Brown recording of "Grandma Blues", that would be one thing.  No one who knows the music would take this rendition to be the song as played by Willie Brown.  This guy may just perceive the performance to be an homage.
All best,
Johnm

[wreid75]

agreed but he does claim to have access to the record (which he may have) and that he is performing to the best of his abilities the song 'grandma blues' his uncle has.  Could be legit, could be a hoax, could be an attention seeker (okay totally an attention seeker) but who knows.  John Tefteller is dying to talk to this cats uncle and I have found one contact for him (myspace) and hoping to find another some how. 

[Norfolk Slim]

Call me a cynic, but it would be a very odd way to announce having such an item- just recording a version casually, as if you had no idea.

[JohnLeePimp]

I got bored of this following this up when I found that he'd not contacted John Tefteller after so much encouragement.

But I dunno if it's fair to dismiss this guy's video as attention seeking - it was uploaded in july 2010 and had about 12 views when I saw it in may 2011 - musically it sounds close enough to recordings like "ragged and dirty"

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Also a quote from Mr Tefteller about the master:

"There is a whole lot of false information out there on the internet and that quote is NOT accurate.

I have a copy of the original list of Paramount metal masters that Decca sent to John Steiner in 1949. "Grandma Blues" is not on that list. Steiner never had it. I too, have heard this story about the master being buckled, but there is no direct evidence to support that, simply a wild rumor which appears to be false. There is also notation of that title existing in the Columbia archives in the mid-30's, but it is not there now. Nothing on that old file card from Columbia indicates that the master is buckled or damaged in any way. Not sure how that rumor got started, but it is false as far as I can tell."

[Norfolk Slim]

I've not really studied Willie Borwn's playing, but this guy seems to be using quite a few barres which I had understood to be pretty unusual in the original CB idiom, though I guess they could have been thumb wraps etc.

Taken at face value, its a nice song, nicely played.