tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post4473953470208687810..comments2023-06-24T11:06:45.498-07:00Comments on I Went Down to St. James Infirmary: Blind Willie McTell and the authorship of Dyin' Crapshooter's BluesRobert W. Harwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12039288617402114039noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-4189432519703489302016-01-21T17:53:35.066-08:002016-01-21T17:53:35.066-08:00Thanks, Blue Collar! I believe this version comes ...Thanks, Blue Collar! I believe this version comes from Document Records' "Martha Copeland: Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order - Volume 1 1923 to 1927." On that recording you'll also find "Black Snake Blues," "The Black Snake Moan," "Hard Headed Mama," "Mr. Brakes-Man (Let Me Ride Your Train," and so on. Good to hear it again!Robert W. Harwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12039288617402114039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-92117799048128744282016-01-21T09:20:55.701-08:002016-01-21T09:20:55.701-08:00I just wanted to pass along another site I found w...I just wanted to pass along another site I found where you can hear the early version of Martha Copeland singing "Dying Crap Shooter's Blues" - if you go underneath the second paragraph it says "Martha Copeland - The Dying Crap Shooter's Blues (1927)" - click on that and there is a nice recording. Take care! <br />http://prewarblues.org/2007/03/the-dying-crap-shooters-blues/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00984856328542803849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-28731271496799302312015-08-21T11:58:24.947-07:002015-08-21T11:58:24.947-07:00Thank you, Chris! Those are refreshing observation...Thank you, Chris! Those are refreshing observations.<br /><br />For anybody else reading this comment, here's a link to Chris' blog, in which he discuees the song further: http://dreamersrise.blogspot.ca/<br /><br />And I have to admit that the Alphonso Trent rendition is among my favourites.Robert W. Harwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12039288617402114039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-64590207270358751422015-08-21T08:52:28.083-07:002015-08-21T08:52:28.083-07:00There's at least one important element in &quo...There's at least one important element in "Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues" that doesn't seem to have come from Porter Grainger, and that's the gambler's cause of death. At least one of McTell's versions includes something like this: "What broke Jesse's heart while he was blue and all alone / Sweet Lorena packed up and gone / Police walked up and shot my friend Jesse down." Of course if they if they did shoot him he must have still had enough breath left in him to recite his list of last requests!Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06485410374923842372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-26257651830639728272011-11-06T08:37:01.958-08:002011-11-06T08:37:01.958-08:00You know, Alan, I was looking for that publication...You know, Alan, I was looking for that publication for a long long time, could never find a copy. I did reference Lloyd's essay, though, having found it archived elsewhere. From a "St. James Infirmary" perspective that one essay is probably - well, more than probably - the one that defined our opinion about the origins of the song, and people as astute as Bob Dylan accept Lloyd's words as definitive. I also felt that way when I wrote a small book title "A Rake's Progress," - but later events and research convinced me otherwise. I think Lloyd got it wrong.<br />I'd love to see a digital copy of that original publication, Alan.<br /><br />As to why you've only now heard about my book; that's probably because it's published by Harland Press, and Harland Press is a very small affair centered here in southern Saskatchewan where myself, Harwood, and my wife, Woodland, live (ie, therefore the name Harland). It does have a pretty good presence on the web - although one probably has to type in "St. James Infirmary" in order to stumble across the blog or the web site (www.stjamesinfirmary.ca).Robert W. Harwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12039288617402114039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-10243728000167004522011-11-06T07:35:36.953-08:002011-11-06T07:35:36.953-08:00In about 1966 I borrowed from my local lending lib...In about 1966 I borrowed from my local lending library in South London several issues of the periodical Keynote: The Music Magazine. One of these, January 1947, contained a five page essay entitled Background To St. James' Infirmary Blues researched and written by A. L. Lloyd. Having been a blues fan since 1962, and greatly interested in the lineage of songs such as Dyin' Crapshooter, I copied it for posterity!<br /><br />The question I'm now asking myself is why only now have I got to hear of your book!Alan Balfournoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-77960174008746664262010-10-27T07:43:51.283-07:002010-10-27T07:43:51.283-07:00Well, in the book I do muse over where Porter Grai...Well, in the book I do muse over where Porter Grainger found the song, how he came up with it. There's a good chance that "St. James Infirmary" was among his inspirations.Robert W. Harwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12039288617402114039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-65640010819620336012010-10-27T02:44:17.388-07:002010-10-27T02:44:17.388-07:00Hmm, certainly I've heard Lomax recordings whe...Hmm, certainly I've heard Lomax recordings where blues men claimed their song was stolen by publishers or that they wouldn't play certain songs with other musicians in the room because they felt sure it would be stolen. <br /><br />I say this only as another caution in assuming that we know anything for definite from this period.<br /><br />please don't take my comment to be that I actually think Porter Grainger stole any tunes, I'd hate to be slandering an amazing musician and songwriter who wrote some of my favourite songs!Wanielyohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11101902074657568742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-9122047741424785442009-11-06T18:10:29.436-08:002009-11-06T18:10:29.436-08:00Thanks, Andrew. Very interesting stuff indeed - an...Thanks, Andrew. Very interesting stuff indeed - and by all means keep me updated!<br />Porter Grainger was an active fellow in his time. Alas, much of his most creative period preceded the entry of blacks into the recording studios. I am convinced he's been generally underrated - both as a performer and as a composer; and probably as an influence on popular music of the 1920s, too.<br />I might put up a small post about Grainger in the near future.<br />You've tickled my curiosity about Everett Robbins.Robert W. Harwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12039288617402114039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-81625523504388616322009-11-06T01:59:37.717-08:002009-11-06T01:59:37.717-08:00You might be interested to know that "Dyin...You might be interested to know that "Dyin' Crap-shooters" made it onto a few piano rolls as well. I'm trying to find out more about them (I haven't heard one yet).<br /><br />Man, I love Porter Grainger's tunes. A few years ago, I got a whole stack of photocopies of his rare original sheet music from the Library of Congress. (not including the sheet to "crapshooters", but several other tunes anyway) <br /><br />Actually, I didn't even know who he was at the time, but a lady who goes to the jazz festivals, Audrey Van Dyke, has connections to the LoC and she loves to just run off tons of photocopies of neat rare stuff and then just give it to musicians she likes. Now that I know who this fellow is, I'm glad I have the music and I hope to complete my collection of his music eventually (photcopies of course, unless I can find/afford originals).<br /><br />Man, if you think Porter Grainger is obscure, try his friends Robert W. Ricketts (bandleader, pianist(?), led "Ricketts' Stars" accompanying many blues singers) and Everett Robbins (a FANTASTIC blues pianist and singer).<br /><br />I don't know much about either one, but I am particularly interested in Everett Robbins after hearing one of his 15 or so piano rolls ("Hard Luck Blues") on a recording. In my opinion, it is the FUNKIEST piano roll ever made and struts like all get-out. I would give my left nut to play like this. I have been collecting his rolls now and have one original, plus a friend of mine has another he might loan to me to have recut so I can have a copy too. I also have MIDIs of two more of his rolls. <br /><br />Last year, I was in touch with Mr. Mike Montgomery about a ragtime composer. This year I am trying to get back in touch with him regarding Everett Robbins, since he has done a lot of research on this man. I hope to find out more about this guy. Looks like he was closely associated with Mamie Smith and even gets a piano solo on one of her band records. I'll fill you in once I learn more, if you're not bored by now!<br /><br />RAGards and keep up the good work,<br />Andrew BarrettAndrew Barretthttp://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/EliteSyncopationsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-20306939897059786892009-07-18T21:56:29.727-07:002009-07-18T21:56:29.727-07:00Thanks for your note, Mats
Document records has C...Thanks for your note, Mats<br /><br />Document records has CDs of the collected works of Viola McCoy and Martha Copeland, and Classsic Blues published The Essential Rosa Henderson - the three women who recorded "Dyin' Crapshoopter's Blues" in 1927. The composer, Porter Grainger, plays piano on the Copeland version. I think you can hear Copeleand and Henderson by typing "dyin' crapshooter" in the search engine at www.redhotjazz.com.<br /><br />I agree with you about the jukeboxes. It's too bad they weren't allowed to record a large part of their repertory - it would have been neat to hear the blues singers performing tin pan alley standards, and the like.Robert W. Harwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12039288617402114039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234078430535123877.post-57432969413800602242009-07-18T00:27:56.392-07:002009-07-18T00:27:56.392-07:00Very interesting story. I'm a great McTell fan...Very interesting story. I'm a great McTell fan, and I am quite surprised, because he indeed takes the credit for the song. I'm hoping to lay my hand on those Porter Grainger recordings, so I can hear for myself.<br /><br />There's this other song McTell plays in Last Session; That will never happen no more, and if I remember correct, he states that he wrote it. As far as I know that's a song by Blind Blake... But who knows.<br /><br />Anyway, I do believe that a lot of the blues players back then were sort of living jukeboxes. Played songs from anyone and gave them a twist.<br /><br />On the overall subject; the roots of blues songs fascinate me over and over again. Think I'm gonna get your book, cause it seems mandatory reading.Matshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13828697805967203502noreply@blogger.com