Message Board Archive: Thread Number 82

Can anyone tell me whether or not Arthur Blake used a three-finger
picking style? I learned to play Police Dog Blues from the Baxter's
Fingerpicking book and three fingers works comfortably for me. Thanks.

Lisa

Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 12:21:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: ari@secondmind.com (Ari Eisinger)
Subject: Feedback: Re: Arthur Blake's picking style
Message Number: 82.1

Thanks for asking about my hero!

There's no doubt that Blake used at least three fingers (thumb, index
and middle). I can't say for sure whether he used more. A few licks on
some of his recordings seem nearly impossible without adding the ring
finger. However, he's such an unparalleled technician that I'm sure he
could have pulled it off. However, I doubt that he did use the ring
finger because his picking is always so strong sounding. Hard to say for
sure, but I've found the ring finger to be worse than useless: it is
weak, and seems to bring down the level of playing of the
_other_fingers, too, by making the whole right hand awkward.

In sum, at least three, and probably always exactly three.

Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 10:23:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Owner-HyperNews@ComCAT.COM (tom)
Subject: as long as the topic is Blake
Message Number: 82.1.1

What about Blake's timing in some of his breaks -- where he begins to
double-time (or whatever you'd call it)for a few measures. Is this
unique to him, or is this something piano players were doing and he
picked it up from them? I'm not familiar with piano of the period, and
can't think of any guitarists who do this. For an example of what I'm
talking about, listen to Blake's "Steel Mill" song on one of the
Document CD's.

Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 10:58:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: Owner-HyperNews@ComCAT.COM
Subject: Question: piano players who possibly influence Blake?
Message Number: 82.1.1.1

Hi,

I've listened to Blake for a few years now (he's my hero too), but, much
to my loss, I've only recently listened to piano players of the era who
may have had some influence on Blake's style (which, by the way,
although alot of people call it ragtime, I wouldn't characterize it as
ragtime at all). I think people like Jelly Roll Morton, James P.
Johnson, and Fats Waller (although I'm not sure he was a contemporary of
Blake) are reflected in his playing to some degree, but this is pure
conjecture. Or was it just the popular music of the time (like the
Charleston?)?

What piano players do you think had the most direct influence on Blake,
if any?

Do you think he heard them off recordings or heard them "live"? Playing
with people like Johnny Dodds makes me think that he was possibly
plugged into a larger community of jazz musicians.

Fun conjecture only -- I don't want to start any rumours or create
anything that could be interpreted as fact!

Brian

Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 20:54:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: zeppa@earthlink.net (Frank Basile)
Subject: More: Re: piano players who possibly influence Blake?
Message Number: 82.1.1.1.1

I'm no expert on piano styles of the day, but what I have listened to of
Jelly Roll Morton suggests some similarities between their styles. Jelly
Roll is certainly more harmonically sophisticated, but there are some
figures that Blake uses in the bass that sound to me like they were
lifted just about verbatim from Jelly Roll. I don't think that it's
inconceivable that they ran across one another at some point during
their itinerant lives.
On the other hand, in his autobiography, _Mister Jelly Roll_, JRM
recounts a number of formidable pianists in various locations around the
country (all of whom JRM reports having one-upped). It would seem (if
JRM can be considered a reliable source) that pianists were in no short
supply, so Blake may have run into any number of able, albeit obscure
pianists whose styles he could assimilate. Even upon a cursory listen,
the resemblance between Blake's style and piano playing is evident -
even on a "guitarry" piece like Police Dog Blues. The resemblance gets
even closer when one considers Tootie Blues, Too Tight Blues #2, Itching
Heel and Wilson Dam.
Frank Basile