Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: Son House by Son House
- Songs Recorded: 1930s – 1960s
- Album Release Date: September 9, 2003
- Genres: Blues
- Label: Columbia/Legacy
Eddie James “Son” House, Jr (March 21, 1902 – October 19, 1988). The mark he left on the world of blues could have easily gone uncredited, his music lost and forgotten, but thanks to his rediscovery during the 1960s blues revival, his influence now extends far and wide.
House recorded nine songs in 1930, releasing eight, for Paramount Records. The releases failed commercially, leaving House with no recourse but to find other means of making a living. Having traveled to Wisconsin to record for Paramount, House returned to Mississippi and worked various jobs, while continuing to play with other blues pioneers Charlie Patton and Willie Brown. House was recorded for the Library of Congress in the early 1940s, and then packed up and moved to New York, his music having faded into obscurity.
In the 1960s, the blues began to experience a revival. A whole new generation of fans and collectors had begun to listen to the blues, tracking down some of their favorite artists in the process. One of those artists was Son House, who was found in New York in 1964 by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman, and Phil Spiro. House, out of practice after having given up the guitar when the last of his guitar-playing friends had died, found it difficult to get back into the “groove.” With a little practice, a fair amount of alcohol, and a few how-to-play-like-Son-House guitar lessons, he was quickly able to regain his playing prowess. Soon, House was in high demand, with multiple labels competing for him. House would tour and record for the next decade, retiring (again) in 1974.
Son House with his guitar. (source)
For a more complete picture of Son House’s life and career, read the excellent article Son House’s Deep Mississippi Delta Blues from the Jas Obrecht Music Archive. It makes for a very fascinating read.
Regarding House’s style, via Wikipedia, Bob Groom wrote in Blues World magazine:
It is difficult to describe the transformation that took place as this smiling, friendly man hunched over his guitar and launched himself, bodily it seemed, into his music. The blues possessed him like a ‘lowdown shaking chill’ and the spellbound audience saw the very incarnation of the blues as, head thrown back, he hollered and groaned the disturbing lyrics and flailed the guitar, snapping the strings back against the fingerboard to accentuate the agonized rhythm. Son’s music is the centre of the blues experience and when he performs it is a corporeal thing, audience and singer become as one.
Two other blues legends cited House as a major influence: Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. As Waters stated in an interview with Jim O'Neal, published in Living Blues:
I consider myself to be what you might call a mixture of all three – I had part of my own, part of Son House, and a little part of Robert Johnson. Really, though, it was Son House who influenced me to play. I was really behind Son House all the way.
House’s influence didn’t end with his early contemporaries. Much of his style can be heard in modern rock and blues. The White Stripes even went so far as to dedicate their first album to House, and Jack White has cited House’s “Grinnin’ in Your Face” as his favorite song.
Credited to Giuseppe Pino, 1970. (source)
This album does a good job of spanning the entire arc of House’s career. From his humble beginnings, to his landmark Library of Congress recordings, to his years of resurgence during the blues revival. There’s enough material here to satisfy most casual listeners, with additional material still available from other albums (for those inclined to seek it out). Some of the early music can be challenging to listen to, often due to the low quality of the recordings, but finding your way past the hisses and pops is worth it. While the music sounds prehistoric compared to the finely polished songs of today, one can hear the beginnings of the generations of music that followed, all of which was built upon the foundation laid in early blues.
While House’s music may be historic, it isn’t always the best choice for listening to. I find that I need to be in a certain mood to listen to the blues, perhaps because of my limited blues experience. This isn’t music you can bob your head to; there are few catchy hooks; beats and intonations can sometimes be erratic. There is feeling and soul in this music, though. It was written from the heart, not manufactured, and there’s something compelling and powerful about that.
I apologize in advance for the video-heavy nature of the rest of this post. Watching House perform brings whole new meaning to his music. I recommend watching at least a few of the performances below.
Selected Song Notes
— “My Black Mama, Pt. 1” —
Well, I’m going to the race track to see my pony run
He ain’t the best in the world, but he’s a runnin’ son-of-a-gun
Horseracing seems to be a common motif throughout early blues. This is one of my favorite lines, pony-related or not.
— “Special Rider Blues” —
Listen for the crowing rooster in the last seconds of the song.
— “Death Letter Blues” —
Son House’s most recognized song. This story of a man receiving a letter stating that his lover has died, and subsequently finding her lying on a “cooling board” is an absolute classic. Other bluesmen of the era expanded upon, or tied into, the story told in “Death Letter Blues.” Modern artists continue to cover the song at a frequent pace, with my favorite being The White Stripes’s version.
Ya know, I didn’t know that I loved her
Until they began to let her down
Son House performs “Death Letter Blues” in 1967.
Watch for House’s trademark guitar style. The blistering pace at which his hands slap, strum, and slide is amazing.
The White Stripes’s excellent rendition of “Death Letter Blues.” Even before I knew who Son House was, I was a huge fan of this song. One of House’s best, and, many years later, one of Jack White’s best.
— “Pearline” —
Wonderful guitar work in this simple expression of love.
— “John the Revelator” —
House gives a great rendition of this traditional gospel song. Make sure to listen to the video below for a truly amazing performance. One can only imagine what it must have been like to bear witness as House would hook an entire crowd.
Listen as House gets the whole crowd going as he performs “John the Revelator.”
— “Preachin’ Blues” —
I grabbed up a suitcase
And I took off down the road
That great line gets a fair amount of use throughout House’s songs.
House’s introduction, alone, makes this video worth watching.
— “Levee Camp Moan” —
Classic line (which also makes an appearance in “Death Letter Blues”):
Oh, it’s so hard, to love someone that don’t love you
It’s very interesting how they interspersed slavery-related pictures in with House’s performance. I wonder what the full story was there. Note that this video is labeled as “Levee Camp Blues”, but it seems to be a portion of “Levee Camp Moan,” at least when compared to the music on this album. House rarely performed a song the same way twice, often intermixing parts of different songs, so it may be a mix of multiple pieces.
— “Grinnin’ in Your Face” —
Great a capella performance from House. One of his classics, despite the lack of guitar work. Perfect end to the album.
Jack White plays his favorite song for the documentary It Might Get Loud.
Full Track List
- My Black Mama, Pt. 1 – 3:07
- Preachin’ Blues, Pt. 1 – 3:04
- Dry Spell Blues, Pt. 1 – 3:11
- Levee Camp Blues – 3:48
- Walking Blues – 6:41
- Special Rider Blues – 3:07
- Pony Blues – 4:14
- Death Letter Blues – 4:22
- Pearline – 4:33
- John the Revelator – 2:31
- Preachin’ Blues – 5:45
- Empire State Express – 3:41
- Levee Camp Moan – 9:29
- Grinnin’ in Your Face – 2:09
Links
Son House’s Deep Mississippi Delta Blues from the Jas Obrecht Music Archive
A Brief History of the Blues from www.jessedeanefreeman.com
Wikipedia
AllMusic
1000 Recordings
Why Did We Use a PBS-Affiliated Compilation for Son House? from 1000recordings.com
Amazon
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