Crow Jane - Acoustic Blues - Carl Martin

Better audio version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_N3sJ9wIZc
Without a doubt the toughest song to play in my repertoire.
This blues was recorded/composed by the facile East Coast guitarist, Carl Martin (1906-1979) in 1935.
It is not done in the traditional 'Crow Jane' style of a 8-bar blues but it is a 12-bar piece in the key of E (position). Martin favored this arrangement greatly as he used it for other songs as well, eg 'Goodmorning Judge', not an uncommon practise in those days.

What makes this song so interesting from a guitarist point of view is the use of a tremolo brush. I play this with a straight middlefinger, brushing back and forth on the first four strings. Playing bass notes at the same time makes it extra difficult but the result is very unusual and attractive. Martin, Blind Blake and Willie Walker are the only guitarists I've heard do this trick.
Contemporary guitarists like Pat Donohue and Frank Fotusky also use this technique to great effect.
Listen to Frank's version of Carl Martin's 'Goodmorning Judge'
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=wxaiIe-D7FE

Carl Martin, who also played the violin and the mandolin, has two solo cd's of which I recommend the one on the Testament label TCD6006.

To give the song a bit more pep I chose to play it faster than Carl Martin; I also added some ideas of my own so I wouldn't call it a 'historical reproduction' of the original (something I never aim to do btw).
I'm playing my Gréven L-00v, a copy of a 1934 L-00 Gibson.

I recorded a slightly different version of this song on my cd 'Blues from the 78rpm era'
http://www.youtunerecords.com/daddystovepipe.html

TABLATURE AND FREE LESSONS ON THIS SONG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra1X5wq_h2Q.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• acoustic
• guitar
• country
• blues
• fingerstyle
• fingerpicking
• carl
• martin
• solo
• americana
• daddystovepipe

[daddystovepipe]

Thanks Keni, the tremolo bruch is a powerfule tool!

[RagtimeDorianHenry]

I know 4 songs by him : " Badly Mistreated Man ", " Old Time Blues ", " Farewell to you Baby " & " Crow Jane ". He recorded more ???

[daddystovepipe]

@RagtimeDorianHenry

sure, 13 songs (minus the 4 you list) between 1936-36 and he recorded in the 60-70ies with Louie Bluie (Armstrong) and Ted Bogan.

[KeniLeeBurgess]

A truely lovely arrangement. Those little quick finger flourishes are to die for. Kind of simulates a mandolin accompaniment. I stopped by while searching for inspiration videos for creating a rendition myself in vestapol tuning. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy.

[carlrandall06355]

Outrageously good!

[dacrowster]

Nice playing and singing, better then the most 12 bar blues songs on the Tube here :)

[slonopochron3000]

oh many i love what you're doing on the guitar, sounds like you're freestyling it even though i suspect it's planned out. at any rate really groovy stuff!

[katsmashing]

like your style hombre!