F.U.Shakespeare:
Thank you for mentioning Memphis Minnie, Loopydude – she was a real pioneer, one of a handful of guitarists who started figuring out that single-string leads were the way to go. (FWIW, her use of a metal-bodied resophonic guitar (a National Tricone) provided the added volume for her to play single notes over a strumming guitarist before electricity and still be heard. Other pioneers of lead guitar (Tampa Red, Scrapper Blackwell, etc.) also played these instruments).
Her 1941 song “Me and My Chauffeur” is incredibly modern-sounding – my band plays it every week. (We also play the masterpiece you quote, “Bumble Bee”, the duoble-entendre of which still slips under the radar). I would love to play “Black Rat Swing”, but I think that one is still a little too much for today’s audiences – maybe another sixty years from now?
Checking out some Memphis Minnie on YouTube right now.
Glad you did and happy it got resurrected. Just listened to When The Leevee Breaks on YouTube. Good choice.
WordMan
October 3, 2016, 10:17am
43
I will check this out! Yeah, as a rock guitarist I vote for Sister Rosetta.
River_Hippie:
Sister Rosetta Tharp was a gospel singer/guitarist in the 40s and 50s. She borrowed heavily from the blues and played an electric hollow body guitar with a gritty amplified tone. If you watched Scorcese’s PBS series about the blues you may remember the clip of her. Definitely rockin’ IMHO!
Check out her entry here:Sister Rosetta Tharpe Songs, Albums, Reviews, ... | AllMusic
I’m too lazy too look them up right now, but there are some fantastic videos on Youtube of Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing her Gibson SG in front of a TV audience.
Here’s her doing a Feen-a-mint commercial, followed by The Blind Boys of Alabama, then her version of “Down by the Riverside”.
Yep, the only way she could be any cooler would be if she had an eye patch.