Album Club, September 2015: Big Bill Broonzy - 'Remembering Big Bill Broonzy'

[Album Club]

Unfortunately folks, due to DanJennings letting us down, we have had to find an alternative choice for September. So thanks to Grant (struth) for stepping in at the eleventh hour, we have an absolute cracker for September's Album Club choice. Again, please listen to the album in its entirety before you vote. This month's choice ought to prove less of a ‘Marmite’ choice than last month's.



Remembering Big Bill Broonzy



Big Bill Broonzy was born William Lee Conley Broonzy in the tiny town of Scott, Mississippi, just across the river from Arkansas. During his childhood, Broonzy's family, itinerant sharecroppers and the descendants of ex-slaves, moved to Pine Bluff to work the fields there. Broonzy learned to play a cigar box fiddle from his uncle, and as a teenager, he played violin in local churches, at community dances, and in a country string band. During World War I, Broonzy enlisted in the U.S. Army, and in 1920 he moved to Chicago and worked in the factories for several years.

In 1924 he met Papa Charlie Jackson, a New Orleans native and pioneer blues recording artist for Paramount. Jackson took Broonzy under his wing, taught him guitar, and used him as an accompanist. Broonzy's entire first session at Paramount in 1926 was rejected, but he returned in November 1927 and succeeded in getting his first record, House Rent Stomp, onto Paramount wax. As one of his early records came out with the garbled moniker of Big Bill Broomsley, he decided to shorten his recording name to Big Bill, and this served as his handle on records until after the Second World War. Among aliases used for Big Bill on his early releases were Big Bill Johnson, Sammy Sampson, and Slim Hunter.

Broonzy was always about popularizing blues, and he was the main pioneer in the entrepreneurial spirit as it applies to the field. His songwriting, producing, and work as a go-between with Lester Melrose is exactly the sort of thing that Willie Dixon would do with Chess in the '50s. This was the part of his career that Broonzy himself valued most highly, and his latter-day fame and popularity were a just reward for a life spent working so hard on behalf of his given discipline and fellow musicians. It would be a short reward, though; just about the time the autobiography he had written with Yannick Bruynoghe, “Big Bill Blues”, appeared in 1955, he learned he had throat cancer. Big Bill Broonzy died at age 65 in August, 1958, and left a recorded legacy, which, in sheer size and depth, well exceeds that of any blues artist born on his side of the year 1900.


1 John Henry
2 Bily Bailey Won't You Please Come Home
3 Blue Tail Fly
4 Leroy Carr
5 Richard Jones' "Trouble In Mind Blues"
6 Stump Blues
7 Get Back
8 Willie Mae
9 Hey Hey
10 Tomorrow
11 Walkin' Down A Lonesome Road
















Bill is the superstar of folk blues and was a star. It’s a shame he is all but forgotten outside blues circles, but if this interests just one new person then it’s been worthwhile. Enjoy the master at work.

'All by Myself' with Washboard Sam: (not on album but an extra due to inability to find all tracks)

[Marco]

Unfortunately folks, due to DanJennings letting us down...

Danny boy, wotcha been up ter? That's unlike you!



On a more serious note, could all members who put their names down for reviewing an album please do their best to honour their commitment, and most importantly, if something crops up preventing that, to let the Album Club, or any of the mods, know about it ASAP.

'No shows', minus any explanation, unless completely unavoidable, are not cool.

Marco.

[spm]

Very good. I did used to listen to some of the old blues players in my youth e.g (Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson) drawn to them as they were often given as influences by the bands of the day but I don't recall listening to Big Bill Broonzy. He influenced one of my favourite guitar players, Rory Gallagher, who did a cover or two and the intro to John Henry reminds me of Rory. A couple of tracks I wasn't so keen on but generally really enjoyed it, particularly like John Henry, Hey Hey and Stump Blues.

Me and the wife are trying to stay off the booze in September which is a shame as this is great late night drink in hand music.

an 8/10 from me.

[high.spirits]

A good and interesting suggestion - thanks.

I cannot remember listening to him for years and years.
I had never heard him play with a big band as in the track "Tomorrow" and some of the blues folk tracks (John Henry & Blue Tail Fly) brought back memories from many many years ago.

I have just had a listen to Clapton on his Album Unplugged playing 'Hey Hey'. Audio reproduction has improved over the years ............

8/10

[struth]

Must be the lowest turnout yet ..lol. Ah well I obviously going to give it a high number... Say 9 so as not to be biased

[Barry]

11/10 from me!

It is hard to underestimate the infuence Big Bill Broonzy had on recent guitarists, especially folk guitarists. In my opinion there should be a Big Bill Broonzy record in every music lover's record collection.

Cracking choice Grant!

10/10.

[HackneyRF]

I don't often listen to this kind of thing. And not because I don't like it. Indirectly I do listen to it I guess as probably most 20th century guitar players would be influenced by this to some extent. Anyway thanks for the suggestion Grant. I really enjoyed it. A 7.5 from me.

Cheers

Loz

[lovejoy]

This is a completely new name to me. I've never been a big follower of blues but I have a fair few friends who are, and having enjoyed the likes of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Clapton, BB King, etc. I'm surprised I've never heard of this guy before.

I love it. There's so much energy in his playing and he has a voice that really fills the room. I couldn't find this album on Spotify so I had to play through the YouTube clips, but that makes me keen to explore more of his stuff. I think you've put me onto something new here. It's the sort of stuff you'd hear on Cerys Matthews's show on 6Music of a Sunday morning, which seems to be the perfect time to listen to it to me.

Gets a strong 8/10 from me.

[Tom-Brown]

Big Bill is a star!! One of the great pioneers of the blues easily in the same sphere of Leadbelly & Robert Johnson. 8/10 from me only because I prefer later stars such as T-Bone Walker, Lightn'in Hopkins and Sonny Boy Williamson

[Audio Al]

Sorry I don't know enough about this style of music to pass comment so I will not be voting