Delta blues guitarist and singer Skip James (1902-1969) was born Nehemiah Curtis James in a segregated hospital near Betonia, Mississippi. "Coupling an oddball guitar tuning set against eerie, falsetto vocals, James' early recordings could make your hair stand up on the back of your neck." And his guitar playing was phenominal.
Give a listen:
"Devil Got My Woman"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ypnm_Wcls
"Crow Jane"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVww5r4Nk0
"Hard Time Killing Floor Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cyGmLF8FpE
"I'm So Glad"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mANtSMLy8
"Special Rider Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kwLG0F6EeU
"Cypress Grove Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6vEDxP45CQ
"Look Down the Road"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUTdkRSWVkY
"My Black Mama, Part 1"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiinYF1xWZc
"Sick Bed Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02IkbJkazLs
And here's a great clip of Bukka White, Skip James, and Son House at the Nrewport Folk Festival;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWSSxCAizWI
"Mountain Jack"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-XOO6XeM8Q
"Catfish Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlvaHEXP7NU
"Illinois Blues" (lines from this song were quoted three times in August Wilson's play The Piano Lesson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spqfdTddYbo
So I'm sharing a Birthday with Skip James!
ReplyDeleteNot to mention Cole Porter, Fred Waring, Les Paul, Jackie Wilson, and early R&B star (and Darwin Award recipient) Johnny Ace, as well as Keith Laumer, Gregory Maguire, Charles Webb, and Patricia Cornwell. Music and literature are strong among Geminis, who are noted for "a natural affinity for communication, learning, and intellectual pursuits." Go, you!
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