|
Post by Matt Milton on Mar 2, 2020 14:23:42 GMT
Skip James is an interesting case in point cos I don't know what tradition he really comes from. I don't think his playing has much to do with locality or regional styles but I could be wrong. I used to think nobody sounded like him at all until I heard Elvie Thomas. In terms of guitar style I'm not sure who is similar other than the aforementioned Ms Thomas. Some of Lightnin Hopkins' stuff has his spareseness, as do some of the Hill County blues singers like Rosa Mae Hemphill who are also quite dissonant.
|
|
|
Post by PistolPete on Mar 2, 2020 15:13:58 GMT
Skip James is an interesting case in point cos I don't know what tradition he really comes from. I don't think his playing has much to do with locality or regional styles but I could be wrong. I used to think nobody sounded like him at all until I heard Elvie Thomas. In terms of guitar style I'm not sure who is similar other than the aforementioned Ms Thomas. Some of Lightnin Hopkins' stuff has his spareseness, as do some of the Hill County blues singers like Rosa Mae Hemphill who are also quite dissonant. Skip James is from the 'Bentonia School' along with about three or four other guitarists from the tiny town of Bentonia who all play in a similar style. This is Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes - he owns the Blue Front cafe in Bentonia & was taught guitar by Jack Owens.
|
|
|
Post by Matt Milton on Mar 2, 2020 16:14:19 GMT
I actually have a couple of Jimmy Duck Holmes albums, but I had never associated him with Skip James funnily enough! I guess so much of what I like about Skip James is in the vocal and that ultra-distinctive brittle kind of way he sounds the strings.
|
|
|
Post by PistolPete on Mar 2, 2020 18:44:07 GMT
I actually have a couple of Jimmy Duck Holmes albums, but I had never associated him with Skip James funnily enough! I guess so much of what I like about Skip James is in the vocal and that ultra-distinctive brittle kind of way he sounds the strings. There's a bit of a hill-country influence in Jimmy Duck Holmes style as well I think - but then even in Clarksdale everyone seems to be playing hill-country rather than delta these days.
|
|