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This week, I chose someone I knew only a little about a couple months ago, stumbling on this one amazing fragment of a song under a minute long sent me on a search for more—the song that so knocked me out was Napolean Strickland’s “Baby Please Don’t Go”; since then, I’ve been checking out his music. So far, none matched what I found in that first one, but I’ve learned he’s a monster multi-instrumentalist and guitar isn’t even his first instrument.
Thanks for checking this out. The next Blues Roots will appear on Thursday, December 21 (but may be a day before or after).
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Robert “Bilbo” Walker Jr. (February 19, 1937–November 29, 2017)
“Just a Country Boy” and “Hold That Train, Conductor,” 1997
“Cut You a Loose,” from Rompin’ & Stompin’, Robert “Bilbo” Walker (vocals, guitar), Sal Navarro (guitar), Jeff Henry (bass), Chris Millar (drums), 1998
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Napolean Strickland (also sometimes spelled Napolian), was mostly known as the leader of the Como Fife and Drum Band (which included Otha Turner), but he played all kinds of instruments as you will hear and see. These aren’t chronological, many are from Alan Lomax’s filming on the same August day in 1978, but grouped by instrument.………………………………………v…o…c…a…l………a…n…d………g…u…i…t…a…r………………………………………
“Baby Please Don’t Go,” vocal and guitar, shot by Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long at Strickland’s home in Como, Mississippi, August 29, 1978. This is the one, he starts playing just after a minute in. That’s the blues.
“Louise,” same as above.
“Woke Up This Morning,” same as above.
“Key to the Bushes Blues,” vocal and guitar, recorded by Pete Welding, date unknown, released on Bottleneck Blues, 1995.
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“The Boogie,” vocal and harmonica, date unknown.
“Rock Me All Night Long” (“Rock Me, Baby”), vocal and harmonica, shot by Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long at Strickland’s home in Como, Mississippi, August 29, 1978.
“Sitting On Top of the World,” same as above.
“Glory Glory Hallelujah,” vocal and harmonica, date unknown.
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How to make and play a diddley-bow, same as above except instrument.
“Lord Have Mercy,” vocal and diddley-bow, date unknown.
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“Soft Black Jersey Cow,” Napoleon Strickland (vocals, fife), Jimmie Buford (snare drum), R.L. Boyce (bass drum, see feature below), recorded in 1970, released in 1978 on Afro-American Folk Music From Tate And Panola Counties, Mississippi.
Napolean Strickland (fife and harmonica) and the Como Drum Corps at a picnic outside Como, Mississippi. Shot by Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long, August 25, 1978. This is part 3 of 11, so if you’re interested, there are another 10 videos with about 2 more hours of footage. I’m still going through it. This is an intense view into a private gathering.
“Como Breakdown,” Napoleon Strickland (vocals, fife) and the Como Fife and Drum Band, featuring John Tytus (snare drum), Othar Turner (bass drum), Como, Mississippi, recorded by George Mitchell between 1967 and 1968.
“Oh Baby,” same as above.
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With Hammie Nixon (guy in pink suit interviewing Hammie is Willie Dixon), 1979.
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Here’s where I put most all the country blues that catch my ear, but I’ve created a separate list for Tommy Johnson (the full T.J. playlist is private at the moment, under reconstruction, but the one from April’s Blues Roots is below), who was the forerunner of a kind of blues and song that I particularly favor. Nevertheless, his “Big Fat Mama Blues” from is first on this list, a song that made its way through the repertoires of many a bluesman. I don’t have the words for how or why his music stands apart but it does. This is where you’ll find songs by Charley Patton, Fred McDowell, Son House, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Willie Brown, Barbecue Bob, Kokomo Arnold, Lead Belly, Booker White, Blind Blake, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Sleepy John Estes, Pink Anderson, Floyd Council, Bo Carter, Will Shade, oh my, there are a lot more people (some are included in other playlists, some of them dedicated entirely to them). I’ve also included people whose music is for me a transition between country blues and urban blues, Lonnie Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, Leroy Carr, Scrapper Blackwell, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Frankie Lee Sims. The artists who, to a person, you’ll find on Ragtime Dorian Henry’s YouTube channel .
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“Rollin’ and Tumblin’” Later…with Jools Holland, October 17, 2017.
I’m hoping we’ll all be hearing more about R.L. Boyce soon.
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John Arthur Lee’s “Baby Blues” (1951)
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“Lucy Mae Blues,” Frankie Lee Sims (vocals, guitar), unknown (bass), Herbert Washington (drums), Dallas, TX, March 5, 1953. One of the comments at the video said, “In Texas before Rock n Roll, electric blues was called ‘Cat Music’.” Not sure if it’s true, or even what it means, but it sounds right.
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The search function on this website will lead you to many bluesmen with roots in Mississippi.Don D.
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Thank you, Kevin and John, as someone said about Frankie Lee Sims, if that was the only song he did, he earned a spot in the history, and of course, he did quite a bit more. I’m glad you liked it, really sticks with you. I think it’s his song (not sure, but a lot of the things he does sound like it).
You remind me the holidays are just about here. If we don’t touch base between now and then, Wishing You All the Best Wishes of the Season! It’s supposed to snow in New York tomorrow. The South got it first today.
CORRECTION: Not quite sure where I was going with the sentence in the OLD-TIME COUNTRY BLUES section, but it had an extra word inferring I was going to tell you where “Big Fat Mama Blues” originated. I haven’t found out. That sentence should read: “Nevertheless, his ‘Big Fat Mama Blues’ is first on this list, a song that made its way through the repertoires of many a bluesman.”
Don D.
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