Message Board Archive: Thread Number 71

I'd seen the Last Kind Words Blues posts a while back on this board and
wondered about this song and Geechie Wiley. Well, in looking through my
CD's I found that Mississippi Blues vol.1 (1928-37) on Document DOCD
5157 includes Geechie Wiley's stuff. I'm not sure this CD was mentioned
in the previous posts. The CD also includes Uncle Bud Walker, Big Road
Webster Taylor, Mattie Delaney, Louise Johnson, Mississippi Bracy, The
Mississippi Moaner Isaiah Nettles, and Mose Andrews.

Some comments:

The Geechie and Elvie stuff is, what I consider, to be country blues at
its best; well played, well delivered and just chilling or facinating
content. Since Last Kind Words was recorded by Wiley, I would assume
that she either heard Blind Lemon's record, or had contact with him, or
maybe that phrase was just part of their cultural milieu.

Does anyone know what the heck is going on with "Pick Poor Robin Clean"?
Crazy lyrics, but the most interesting/revealing verses are
unintelligible to my ear. "Pick his body, pick his beak, would a picked
his body but it wasn't fit to eat." There's also some reference in the
song to "nigras" or "coloreds" and "hustlin' coon". Anyone have source
information on this one?

Mississippi Bracy sings Cherry Ball, recorded in 1930, and, man, if
you're not listening closely, you'd hear Skip James' falsetto and voice
tone. James recorded his Cherry Ball in'31. Did these two voices
accidently share the same tonal qualities, or was one actually trying to
sound like the other? (I'm thinking back to the series of posts about
trying to sound like the old guys and is it authentic or insulting) The
comparison of these two Miss. contemporaries kind of adds another facet
to that discussion.

Also, Miss. Bracy sings a song called "Stered Gal", again in a Skip
James-like falsetto voice. Anyone know what he's talking about? What's
stered?

The Mississippi Moaner shows his Blind Lemon savy in two of his
selections, Mississippi Moan and It's Cold in China, both recorded in
1935.

Just throwing these thoughts out for discussion/comments.

I'd consider this CD essential to anyone who loves country blues.

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 07:48:42 -0500 (EST)
From: Owner-HyperNews@ComCAT.COM (Alan Balfour)
Subject: Feedback: Pick Poor Robin Clean
Message Number: 71.1

Tom asked:

Does anyone know what the heck is going on with "Pick Poor Robin Clean"?
Crazy lyrics, but the most interesting/revealing verses are
unintelligible to my ear. "Pick his body, pick his beak, would a picked
his body but it wasn't fit to eat." There's also some reference in the
song to "nigras" or "coloreds" and "hustlin' coon". Anyone have source
information on this one?

If memory serves correct Paul Oliver in his 1984 work "Songsters and
Saints" (Cambridge UP) discusses this and other related minstrel songs
in some depth. Fairly accurate full lyric transciption can be found in
one of the Robert McLeod volumes discussed earlier on this board.

Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 14:57:45 -0500 (EST)
From: sdlevine@mailexcite.com (Steve)
Subject: More: Pick Poor Robin Clean
Message Number: 71.1.1

Larry Johnson does a nice version on his cd Fast And Funky.

-Steve

Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 00:13:35 -0500 (EST)
From: john.i@mediaone.net (John Irving)
Subject: Speaking of Larry Johnson
Message Number: 71.1.1.1

Hi folks. Samuel B. Charters wrote in his book 'The Country Blues' about
'Pick Poor Robin Clean': "Everybody knows some snappy version of this
roving song of the gambler." Hey Steve or anyone else, if you're
interested I put up a website for Larry Johnson having recently caught
two of his shows at the House of Blues in Cambridge, MA last month and
being completely blown away. He is quite amazing. Here's the URL:
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/john.i/Larrysite.html ---John

Date: Sat, 14 Mar 1998 09:47:35 -0500 (EST)
From: zeppa@earthlink.net (Frank Basile)
Subject: Feedback: Re: Pick Poor Robin Clean (was Geechie Wiley revisited)
Message Number: 71.2

I don't know anything particularly enlightening about the text of the
song except that there's a 1927 recording of it by Luke Jordan. On
DOCD-5045 - The Songster Tradition you'll find Luke Jordan's stuff
(incredible - check out Church Bells Blues. Rube Lacy lifted some verses
for his Ham Hound Crave) as well as stuff by Papa Harvey Hull & Long
Cleve Reed (esp. The France Blues - wahoo!) and Louie Lasky (very cool
bluesy vaudeville sounding flatpicking stuff - reminiscent of some of
Big Bill Broonzy's flatpicking ventures but better IMO).
I don't have the DOC Mississippi Blues vol. 1 (wish I did - I feel truly
culturally deprived not having access to Geechie Wiley's recordings in
particular) but I do have vol. 2. Check out Arthur Petti(e)s'
recordings. Jeez, what a knockout!
Frank

Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 16:43:33 -0500 (EST)
From: john.i@mediaone.net (John Irving)
Subject: More: re: Pick Poor Robin Clean
Message Number: 71.3

Hi folks. I sent this message last night but couldn't find it on the
main message board. My apologies if it's posted twice. Samuel B.
Charters wrote in his book 'The Country Blues' about 'Pick Poor Robin
Clean': "Everybody knows some snappy version of this roving song of the
gambler." Also if you're interested I put up a website for Larry Johnson
having recently caught two of his shows at the House of Blues in
Cambridge, MA last month, being completely blown away. He is quite
amazing. Here's the URL:
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/john.i/Larrysite.html ---John