Roots of Blues -- Bukka White „Parchman Farm Blues"

„Parchman Farm Blues"
(B. White)

Recorded: Chicago, March 7, 1940
Bukka White (vcl) (g), Washboard Sam (w)

Bukka White (November 12, 1909 -- February 26, 1977) was a delta blues guitarist and singer. "Bukka" was not a nickname, but a misspelling of White's Christian name by his second (1937) record label, (Vocalion).
Born Booker T. Washington White near Houston, Mississippi, he gave his cousin B. B. King, a Stella guitar, King's first guitar. White himself is remembered as a player of National Steel guitars. He also played, but was less adept at, the piano.
White started his career playing the fiddle at square dances. He claims to have met Charlie Patton early on, although some doubt has been cast upon this; regardless, Patton was a large influence on White. White typically played slide guitar, in an open tuning. He was one of the few, along with Skip James, to use a crossnote tuning in E minor, which he may have learned, as James did, from Henry Stuckey.

He first recorded for the Victor Records label in 1930. His recordings for Victor, like those of many other bluesmen, fluctuated between country blues and gospel numbers. His gospel songs were done in the style of Blind Willie Johnson, with a female singer accentuating the last phrase of each line.
Nine years later, while serving time, he recorded for folklorist John Lomax. The few songs he recorded around this time became his most well-known: "Shake 'Em On Down," and "Po' Boy."
Bob Dylan covered his song "Fixin' to Die Blues", which aided a "rediscovery" of White in 1963 by guitarist John Fahey and ED Denson, which propelled him onto the folk revival scene of the 1960s. White had recorded the song simply because his other songs had not particularly impressed the Victor record producer. It was a studio composition of which White had thought little until it re-emerged thirty years later. White was at one time managed by experienced Blues manager, Arne Brogger. Fahey and Denson found White easily enough: Fahey wrote a letter to "Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi." Fahey had assumed, given White's song, "Aberdeen, Mississippi", that White still lived there, or nearby. The postcard was forwarded to Memphis, Tennessee, where White worked in tank factory. Fahey and Denson soon travelled to meet White, and White and Fahey remained friends throughout White's life.. He recorded a new album for Denson & Fahey's Takoma Records, whilst Denson became his manager.
White was, later in life, also friends with fellow musician, Furry Lewis. The two recorded, mostly in Lewis' Memphis apartment, an album together, Furry Lewis, Bukka White & Friends: Party! At Home.
One of his most famous songs, "Parchman Farm Blues", about the Mississippi's infamous Parchman Farm state prison, was to be released on Harry Smith's fourth, never realized, volume of the Anthology of American Folk Music. His 1937 version of the oft-recorded song, "Shake 'em on Down," is considered definitive, and became a hit while White was serving time in Parchman.
White was sampled by electronic artist Recoil for the track, "Electro Blues For Bukka White", on the 1992 album, Bloodline; the song was reworked and re-released on the 2000 EP "Jezebel".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Blues
• Roots_of_Blues
• History_of_music
• Vintage_Blues

[Pepperload]

One of the most greatest blues man of all time.

excellent musician.

great song

[revdolaf]

Congratulations - you have just won an award for this weeks most asinine comment on Youtube. Next you're going to try and convince me I'll die too.......

[deewilki]

@rfw45 bukka was bb's uncle 

[rfw45]

Bukka White. B.B. Kings cousin. lol

[udongo106]

...This is the real deal........ I can intimate but I can't feel....this soul so I will listen 1million times......just to scratch the surface....Wsir

[wick2107]

@lezgon you dont listen to the black keys, jack white, or john mayer's blues stuff do you? They are all phenominal lyricists.

[newmusicentrepreneur]

It's all good. At least 120,000 people are hearing the music as it is, no bs, no overproduction, just the music. Bless the Blues.

[Lookb4youflush]

James Earl Jones' father?

[jahja52]

If you fancy seeing some music inspired by Bukka White this March, Alabama 3 are performing acoustic and unplugged!

They are performing in this stripped down acoustic way to show the songs in a format reminiscent of the people that have been their inspiration, chiefly the old Delta Blues players like Fred MacDowell and Bukka White.

See alabama3.co.uk for more details

[paintress1365]

so beautiful

[flatlandpaul]

@Slowtubbi

...but I LEFT my wife and my home...