In the late 50s, the folks revival was in full swing (Scrapper Blackwell thread)

[The Polack MSgt]

Last edited Wed Jul 26, 2023, 07:16 AM - Edit history (4)

Kids across the country were listening to the Lomax field recordings and all the Race Record 78s they could find. They found a bunch of songs from the duo of Carr and Blackwell.

These 2 men had sold the most blues records in the nation from 1928 to 1934 and wrote classic hits later covered by everyone - such as "Mean Mistreater Blues" and "Blues Before Sunrise".

Unfortunately, LeRoy Carr the vocalist and piano player had passed away in the 30s, but the guitarist Francis Blackwell was still kicking.

Scrapper Blackwell was decades into his retirement from performing and had been a boottlegger, a store worker and a club manager. It had been so long since he performed that that few people around Indianapolis even knew he had once been half of the best-selling blues combos in the 20s and 30s.

Or that as a solo act he had written and performed "Kokomo Blues" - and in case you never heard, Robert Johnson reworked that song and released it as "Sweet Home Chicago"

Anyway, folk music fans tracked him down in 1958 and convinced him to record several songs, some of his own and some standards.

It was pretty bad. Scrapper hadn't played more than a birthday party in over 20 years and his playing was sloppy and rigid. There are songs on the web from that session, I will not any post here.

I don't know if he was embarrassed by his effort or was simply intrigued by the idea of performimg and recording again and this time keeping the receipts, but he got back to work and in 1960 recorded an album's worth of tunes released as Scrapper Blackwell's Blues before Sunrise and it was better, but not a big hit. He was getting back in the groove and kept at it

The next year he was back in the studio recording and while he was doing that he was shot and killed in a robbery

Unfortunately, we lost a chance for a legend to re-establish himself and we will never see this genius have a second act to his career. I have to say that he was rounding back into shape, and I would love to have heard what was left un-played.

[Docreed2003]

1. Incredible story and great music...thanks my man!!

[Docreed2003]

2. Also, were Carr and Blackwell featured in "Anthology of American Folk Music"

It's been a while since I've sat down and listed to Lomax's recordings thoroughly but I don't remember these guys being featured on that set.

[The Polack MSgt]

3. They were in that anthology. A whole boat load of others as well

https://www.discogs.com/artist/307321-Scrapper-Blackwell

[Docreed2003]

4. Sweet! Thanks!

Love finding new "old recordings" to binge on!

[The Polack MSgt]

5. I know tha feeling Doc. I do indeed understand that feeling

[The Polack MSgt]

6. Turns out Scrapper Blackwell wrote and performed a goodbye song for his partner LeRoy Carr

Before he retired from performing.

My Heart was breaking as they lowered him down
He's done singing he's done playing -you'll never hear his voice no more
He's done singing he's done playing -you'll never hear his voice no more
He was a real good fella and I will miss him every where I go

[The Polack MSgt]

7. I want to stop, yet I cannot

Are there any guitarists willing to explain how hard the guitar part is in this song?