Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Jake walkin' papa

A third round from John P. Morgans JAKE LEG BLUES:

"The Jake Leg Blues" - The Mississippi Sheiks: Bo Carter, Lonnie Chatmon, and perhaps Sam Chatmon made up one of the many versions of the Sheiks on these recordings in 1930. This Jake Leg Blues is likely based on a popular tune (Teasin'?). This version, like all found black Jake recordings, focuses on impotence (the limber leg) as a problem of the illness. Although little mentioned in 1930, modern evidence confirms that this occurs with TOCP poisoning. The only documentors of this fact in 1930 were the blues musicians heard here.

"The Jake Leg Rag" - Narmour & Smith: These white Mississippi artists recorded this instrumental in a San Antonio studio in June of 1930. In the same studio a few days earlier, also for OKeh Records, the black string band The Mississippi Sheiks recorded "The Jake Leg Blues".

"Jake Leg Blues" and "Jake Walk Blues" - Maynard Britton: These recordingsof this Kentucky musician were made by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax for the Library of Congress in 1937. Britton was recorded comercially as well, but didn't record these. They are obviously based on Byrd Moore's and the Allen Brother's recordings. The Lomaxes were not aware that these originated from commercial recordings and thought that Britton had composed them. Britton was a Jake Leg sufferer.

"Jake Leg Wobble" - The Ray Brothers: The Ray Brothers were from Winona Mississippi and recorded two Jake-related songs. This fiddle-guitar piece may have attempted an impresionistic portrayal of the affected gait.

One day left!

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