Tampa Red's Jug Band, Jenny Pope vocal - Whiskey Drinking Blues (1929)

Tampa Red (Jan.8,1904 - March 19,1981)

He came by his nick-name because he was raised in Tampa, Florida by his grandmother Whittaker's family, and because of his red hair. Tampa Red created several "Jug" bands including 'Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band' (which incidentally featured a young Frankie Jaxon), and 'The Tub Jug Washboard Band' which did a lot of recording with blues singer Ma Rainey. He also recorded alone, and cut a number of exquisite guitar solos. By the time of his 1928 recording debut for Vocalion, he had developed the clear, precise bottleneck blues guitar style that earned him his billing, The Guitar Wizard'. His "Bottleneck Guitar" and single-string solo style, inspired a number of other early Chicago Blues guitarists, namely, Big Bill Broonzy and Robert Nighthawk.

What is truly amazing is that while he was was one of Chicago's earliest blues stars, he is very little remembered today. Still, considering the importance of the Blues to all forms of Jazz and Pop, he certainly should be placed among the most important Pop music musicians of the twentieth century. Even more interesting, Tampa Red was also one of the most prolific Blues composers, writing such Blues standards. He was perhaps the most influential of all the early 20th century Blues guitarists.

He arrived in Chicago sometime in the mid-1920s, and played street corners, and clubs, for spare change But it was his playing with pianist Georgia Tom, in 1928, that would bring him some measure of fame. They formed 'The Hokum Boys', and recorded extensively.

For the next couple of years, the duo performed and recorded extensively in Chicago and in Memphis In 1932, Georgia Tom turned to the righteous path and become the Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey, -one of the founders of modern "gospel music". Tampa Red was not able to resist the temptations and continued to chronicle the hard-drinking, hard-loving, after-hours world of the Black working-class.

With Georgia Tom gone, Tampa Red teamed up with Big Maceo Merriweather and continued performing, often along with Bill Broonzy, and Jazz Gillum. He also recorded, mostly for producer Lester Melrose and the Bluebird label.

By 1934, he had ceased live work outside Chicago and he had signed with the RCA Victor company, remaining with them for the next 20 years. During the 1930s, RCA released many Pop songs with his 'Chicago Five', which often featured Tampa's kazoo playing. While he usually appeared "live" as a solo act, on recording he was teamed with various piano players, even though he was an accomplished pianist in his own right with a style that deeply affected Big Maceo, who, in 1941, became his regular recording partner. In the late 1940s, Tampa was quite active and led a recording band whose rhythmic force foreshadowed the post-war Chicago sound. Frances, Tampa Red's wife and business manager, ran their home as both a lodging house and a rehearsal centre for blues singers. Her demise in the mid-1950s had a devastating effect on Tampa, leading to his excessive drinking followed by a mental collapse.

It has been said that Tampa Red was more a chronicler of his times, rather than a character in the tune.


Tampa Red's Jug Band, Jenny Pope vocal - Whiskey Drinking Blues (1929)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tampa
• Red
• Jenny
• Pope
• 1929
• 20s
• 30s

[arjhendrix]

thank you bro.

grt info.thx for sharing.

"dont tampa with the blues"

[betokkikke]

This is sweet blues as I longed so much to hear, indeed!

[westbankal]

Looks like this is the source for Elmore James' "Stranger Blues".

[JSLLH]

tampa red was one of those guys that you could recognize right from his first or second note . thanks for the great blues !

[Bumblebee38]

Wrong line up .......Sorry... Georgia Tom piano and Tampa red on guitar........no jug band there !

[HarborGuy]

OMG - Sounds like real "Road House" blues - real grat for that late in the '20's....