Jas Obrecht - Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar

F IRST AND FOREMOST , I would like to express my appreciation for the original artists profiled in these pages, as well as for the 78 collectors and record companies who have made their recordings available. How lucky we are to live in an era when the complete recorded works of nearly all of the prewar blues musicians are easily accessible. Special thanks to Johnny Parth of Document Records for sending me his CD catalog of prewar blues recordings and to Roger Misiewicz and Helge Thygesen for providing the books 78 label artwork.

I owe a great debt of gratitude to the first wave of blues researchers and writers for their groundbreaking work, as well as for their contributions to this book. Primary among these are Samuel Charters and Paul Oliver, whose writings have inspired generations of blues writers. Mr. Charters graciously permitted me to quote his pioneering research into the lives of Papa Charlie Jackson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson, and Lonnie Johnson. Paul Oliver gave me audio copies of his original interviews with Lonnie Johnson, which I carefully retranscribed for this book. Chris Albertson, who managed Lonnie Johnsons career in the 1960s, added significant new insights. David Evans, the leading authority on Blind Willie McTell, offered access to his extensive interview materials related to McTell and fact-checked that chapter. Stefan Grossman, who has done much to keep 1920s guitar blues in the public eye, added shrewd observations to many parts of the book. Paramount Records expert Gayle Dean Wardlow shared his research and insight. Alan Balfour extended support and served as a liaison to the community of British blues scholars. Dick Waterman shared his memories and photographs of Mississippi John Hurt and other country bluesmen. Jim ONeal, whose work as the founding editor of Living Blues magazine inspired me to become a music journalist, provided valuable assistance on many fronts.

The insights of many other writers, researchers, and collectors informed these pages: Mary Katherine Aldin, Dean Alger, Moses Asch, Scott Baretta, Bruce Bastin, Derrick Stewart Baxter, Jonathan Black, Matt Blackett, Pen Bogert, Brett Bonner, Toby Byron, Steve Calt, Larry Cohn, Michael Corcoran, Alan Di Perna, Bob Eagle, Anne Evans, Jim Ferguson, Bill Ferris, Richard Flohill, Dan Forte, David Fulmer, Paul Garon, John Goddard, Alan Govenar, Tim Gracyk, Michael Gray, Peter Guralnick, Steve Hoffman, Tom Hoskins, Paul Hostetter, Mark Humphrey, Edward Komara, Peter Lee, David Leishman, Alan Lomax, Thom Carlyle Loubet, Woody Mann, Mike Newton, Robert Palmer, Nick Perls, David Ritz, Mike Rowe, Tony Russell, James Sallis, John Sebastian, Robert Shelton, Victoria Spivey, Dick Spottswood, John Tefteller, Cheryl Thurber, Jeff Todd Titon, Steven C. Tracy, George Van Eps, Guido van Rijn, Dave Van Ronk, Amy van Singel, Hans Vergeer, Max Vreede, Dick Waterman, Pete Whelan, Valerie Wilmer, Bob Yelin, and the staffs of 78 Quarterly, Blues & Rhythm, Blues Access, Blues Unlimited, Guitar Player, Living Blues, Record Research, Sing Out!, and Victrola & 78 Journal. I thank you alland sincere apologies to anyone I missed.

Hats off to the performing artists who agreed to be interviewed for this book: Norman Blake, Rory Block, Ry Cooder, Blind John Davis, Stefan Grossman, John Hammond, John Lee Hooker, Steve James, Jorma Kaukonen, B.B. King, Dan Lambert, Nick Lucas, Country Joe McDonald, Johnny Shines, Pops Staples, and Johnny Winter. Special thanks to Billy Gibbons for making that pilgrimage to Indianapolis all those years ago to interview B.B. King with me.

Acting on Jim ONeals suggestion, I asked expert researcher and cutting-edge discographer Alex van der Tuuk to skim a few of the sections related to Paramount Records. Alex voluntarily went far deeper into the manuscript, updating session dates, personnel, song titles, locations, and, in many cases, biographical information. Thanks to Robert M. W. Dixon, John Godrich, and Howard Rye for their monumental reference book Blues & Gospel Records, 18901943; to Mike Leadbitter, Leslie Fancourt, Paul Pelletier, and Neil Slaven for Blues Records, 19431970; and to Guido van Rijn and Alex van der Tuuk for their New York Recording Laboratories Matrix Series, volumes 14. These books, completed as labors of love, are must-haves for researchers of prewar blues music.

I am indebted to Erik Anderson of the University of Minnesota Press for recruiting and encouraging me to write this book.

Finally, a very special thanks to my friends and family for their support and encouragement during the three decades that this book has been in progress: Jim Crockett, Ira Fried, Joe Gore, Steve Hilla, Don Menn, Tom Mulhern, Arthur Obrecht, John Obrecht, Tom and Kathy Obrecht, James Rotondi, Jon Sievert, George and Marie Staley, Rosedell Thomas, Sheridan and Betsey Warrick, and Tom Wheeler. Most of all, blessings on my wife and daughter, Michelle and Ava, for being my heart, soul, and inspiration.