Booker T. Washington White (aka Bukka White) was born on a farm near Houston, Mississippi on November 12,1909. When he was 9, his father John White bought him a guitar. His father was a railroad man and many of Bukka's best tunes emulate the driving rhythm of trains and their mournful whistles. After hearing Charley Patton, Young Booker decided that he too would be a "great man like Charley Patton". Bukka's first recordings were14 songs done in Memphis in May 1930. One of those songs, The Panama Limited was a featured part of Bukka's repetoire until his death and is is probably one of the best "train" songs ever recorded. His driving alternating bass evokes the engines and his slide creates the sound of airbrakes and trainwhistle. I want to try to embed this video of Tom Rush doing the same song because he nails this performance.
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Tonight's obviously "Train Saturday"
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This could get interesting!
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Interesting contrast, I think I like the old version the best but both are very cool. I dont hear so many youngsters playing the Old style blues, I hope its not gunna die. Its fair to say its a acquired taste. Thanks for the post
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I also wanted to say how much I liked your post last week aboutMog, etc. I see it's on the Front Door of Mog. Good onya, mate!
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One learns something new every day. Today I learned how to make the perfect Rusty Nail. Oh, by the way, luv me some Bukka White. I think I'm gonna post some acoustic blues this eve.
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I'm gonna have to go into training for this new Saturday style. Nice one.
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Okay... I know I'm gonna be sorry but...OK...How do you make a Rusty Nail????( man, I'm leavin' myself wide open here...)
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I feel bad now. I'm LMAO here. It wasn't a set up this time Madeline. A rusty Nail: Drambuie & Scotch.
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Whew! That was a close one. and Here's to clarity in your vision! Skol!
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Now blues, that was supposed to be my subject of inquiry, but K seem to keep taking detours. Yous are a beautiful lot. And there's nothin like a train. But I[m sticking to Bukka White.
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Madeline, you're the first Mogger to post something about the great Bukka White. "Panama Limited" is a classic. I thought Tom Rush did a great job in this video. He sang and talked without a fake black accent, unlike someone like John Hammond. He made it seem genuine, and shaped a story expertly, and played beautifully. It survived being transported from 1930's northern Mississippi to some ritzy yacht harbor with palm trees (Hawaii?), played by an ex-Harvard student with a Hawaiian shirt. The fact that Mississippi bluesmen originally got the idea to play bottleneck guitar from Hawaiian records figures into this tangentially. Great post.
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Thanks Madeline and I was born and raised about 30-40 miles from where Bukka was. Born in rural Missippy in 1932 I grew up hearing the people sing that made Delta Blues famous. In 1955 I saw an Elvis concert at the cattle sale barn in Houston, MS and the admission price was 25 cents; those were the days. Also in 1957 I lived in the same small town as John Hurt and didn't even know it; what a shame that I could have visited him. But back to Bukka, NO ONE comes close to the singing and humming Bukka does or the great guitar work. Thanks again.