There’s nothing subtle about Blind Lemon Jefferson’s music. He just brings it and lets the chips fall; nothing but straight ahead hard-driving gutbucket blues.
He came from Wortham, Texas, where he is buried. Jefferson played on street corners for change and managed to use that foundation to build a successful recording career. No less a personage than T-Bone Walker claims to have led Blind Lemon on the streets. Both Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters claim to have been taught by him.
He recorded for Paramount, where he felt he was cheated out of money and probably was. Contemporaries say he was weak for women and wine. The only extant picture of him may not even be him.
He died in Chicago in 1929. Some say he was poisoned by a jealous husband. Some say he froze to death. No one knows.
His music is echoed by Doc Watson, B. B. King, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Carl Perkins, the Beatles, and every kid who ever picked up a guitar and dreamed of playing the blues.
His grave was unmarked until 1967, until someone thought to put a Texas historical marker where his grave might have been. Today, he has a granite stone and a committee to see that his grave is kept clean in what is now named Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery.
His contribution to American music is immeasurable.
There’s nothing subtle about Blind Lemon Jefferson’s music. He just brings it and lets the chips fall; nothing but straight ahead hard-driving gutbucket blues.
He came from Wortham, Texas, where he is buried. Jefferson played on street corners for change and managed to use that foundation to build a successful recording career. No less a personage than T-Bone Walker claims to have led Blind Lemon on the streets. Both Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters claim to have been taught by him.
He recorded for Paramount, where he felt he was cheated out of money and probably was. Contemporaries say he was weak for women and wine. The only extant picture of him may not even be him.
He died in Chicago in 1929. Some say he was poisoned by a jealous husband. Some say he froze to death. No one knows.
His music is echoed by Doc Watson, B. B. King, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Carl Perkins, the Beatles, and every kid who ever picked up a guitar and dreamed of playing the blues.
His grave was unmarked until 1967, until someone thought to put a Texas historical marker where his grave might have been. Today, he has a granite stone and a committee to see that his grave is kept clean in what is now named Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery.
His contribution to American music is immeasurable.
Here’s Mr. Lightnin’ Hopkins performing Shining Moon and Ernie Hawkins breaking it down for you. Note: The guitar is tuned down one whole note, so the song winds up in the key of G using A chord formations.
Part 2 of the Shining Moon lesson with Ernie Hawkins
Deep River Blues was first done by the Delmore Brothers, though I suspect that the song may be even older. It’s a bright, jumpy blues that has a nice laid back, I don’t much give a damn feel.
It sounds harder than it is.
Here’s part 1 of a first class lesson by Brian Curran.
Everybody’s done this great old tune, but no one has done it better than Mississippi John Hurt. So listen to Mr. Hurt, download the tab, and make the song your own.
For the life of me, I cannot think of anything bad to say about the Intelli IMT500 Clip-on Chromatic Digital Tuner. It works on stage, allowing you to tune your guitar with the volume down. That’s invaluable if you play in different tunings and don’t have a gazillion guitars to use.
The tuner works by picking up the vibrations of your instrument. You just clip it on to your headstock, turn it on and let it rip. If you forget to turn it off, there a battery-saving mechanism that turns it off for you.
So, what’s not to like? It’s cheap. It works. It’s easy to use.
I’ve read some reviews that say it doesn’t pick up the low E string very well, but I’ve never had the problem. I’ve used it successfully on a Fender 12-string electric-acoustic, a beat-up Ibanez electric-acoustic, and my Fender tele.
No problems, and the first two aren’t exactly high-quality instruments. If your guitar isn’t live enough for the low E to vibrate through the instrument, throw it away.
There’s nothing subtle about Blind Lemon Jefferson’s music. He just brings it and lets the chips fall; nothing but straight ahead hard-driving gutbucket blues.
