Odetta - Jim Crow Blues

"Jim Crow Blues"
Performed by Odetta Holmes (2003)
originally performed by Lead Belly (1930)
From the movie: Lightning In a Bottle: A One Night History of the Blues
concert: New York's Radio City Music Hall (February 2003)
Director : Antoine Fuqua
Executive Producer: Martin Scorsese
Music Director: Steve Jordan
Producer: Alex Gibney & Margaret Bodde

Lyrics: Lead Belly version


Bunk Johnson told me too, This old Jim Crowism dead bad luck for me and you
I been traveling, i been traveling from shore to shore
Everywhere I have been I find some old Jim Crow

One thing, people, I want everybody to know
You're gonna find some Jim Crow, every place you go

Down in Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia's a mighty good place to go
And get together, break up this old Jim Crow

I told everybody over the radio
Make up their mind and get together, break up this old Jim Crow

I want to tell you people something that you don't know
It's a lotta Jim Crow in a moving picture show

I'm gonna sing this verse, I ain't gonna sing no more
Please get together, break up this old Jim Crow

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  Music

[aussiechickdiana]

What a beautiful looking woman. Still handsome, powerful and singing when most of us @ that age, are thinking of retirement, or playing golf!

"Go, Odetta", wherever you are in The Celestial Realms...I know you will NOT rest in peace, 'till we all are...

diana <3

[Muziekgenot]

How great a woman

[Liliana Morselli]

grandioso.!

[Екатерина Крылова]

WOW,Odetta!!! Bravo!

[Peepininmywindow]

I have to wonder m Kim's harmonica solo was planned or not. Odetta points to him to get his ass on the main mic (in which he looks a bit surprised), watches him just completely murder the moment then just looks at the band and laugh as if to say "SOB, he just went IN". The level of musicianship goes up a notch after that and everyone is just basking in the moment.

Type of stuff that makes you smile and gives you goosebumps...

[jnburch]

love lead belly, so to she did it well would just be an understatement

[Robert Sampson]

I can't hit the like button enough on this one! I've got the video of the entire concert on my iPad, and I have to say Odetta's rendition of this song puts me on Cloud 9 every time I hear it.

[bluesx26]

A wonderful performance by a truly great lady and artist - one of the many highlights from this concert. Many thanks for the posting.

[michael64543]

Heard her perform live many times in the 60s. Always WOW!

[asaturley]

Isn't the great Odetta's performance of Jim Crow Blues just stunning? I saw this on TV -a longer version. I wish I could hear the longer one. Anyone got any ideas? It goes like:

Muddy Waters said it, I got that old Jim Crow, Otis Redding said it, I got that old Jim Crow

and so on....