I've read Calt's book on James. A good portion of his income during the last couple years of his life came from the royalties he received from Cream's cover of I'm So Glad, but according to Calt he didn't write it. It was adapted from a mid '20s Broadway show tune. James was obviously a complicated man with something of an unsavory past and some horrible attitudes, but I think he was the first blues player with the self awareness to realize he was making art.
My introduction to him wasn't Cream, I didn't hear that until much later and it's not a patch on the original. I heard John Martyn's free adaptation of Devil Got My Woman, entitled I'd Rather Be the Devil, on his Live at Leeds album with Danny Thompson and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble drummer, John Stevens. A few years later, Fred Frith recorded Hard Time Killing Floor Blues, and Henry Kaiser did Special Delivery Blues as instrumentals on their second duo album, Who Needs Enemies. Then David Soldier arranged a medley of three delta blues for his Soldier String Quartet, including James' 20-20 Blues, Patton's Moon Goin' Down and Waters' Country Blues #2. He assiduously avoided straightening out the rhythms and the microtonality in those tunes, which he said rose organically from the melodic phrasing. For instance he notes that 20-20 Blues has measures in 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 7/8. More than anything, it was Frith's, Kaiser's and Soldier's interest in James' music which prompted me to seek out the 1931 recordings when they were finally compiled and released.
This is great info, Lenny. I was not aware of James' influence on Firth and Soldier. I'm anxious to listen to some of those tracks. Thanks for taking the time to add this valuable information.
You're welcome. The reissue of the Frith & Kaiser albums is a CD entitled Friends & Enemies on Cuneiform and can be heard on bandcamp if it's not on Youtube. The two original albums were on Metalanguage. The Soldier tracks come from The Soldier String Quartet's album, Sequence Girls, originally on Rift. They did another one called She's Lightning When She Smiles, which is nearly all blues covers. James is represented by Cypress Grove, and there are tunes by John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Pete Williams, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Willie Brown, Waters and Pop Staples (who I understand played with Charley Patton). It involves the string quartet but has an expanded lineup. Those albums are probably on Youtube, and can definitely be streamed from Qobuz.
If I were trying to describe the Blues to someone, I think I would play them Skips, "The Devil Got My Woman." He brought magic! Indeed he did. 🤘😎🤘
I've read Calt's book on James. A good portion of his income during the last couple years of his life came from the royalties he received from Cream's cover of I'm So Glad, but according to Calt he didn't write it. It was adapted from a mid '20s Broadway show tune. James was obviously a complicated man with something of an unsavory past and some horrible attitudes, but I think he was the first blues player with the self awareness to realize he was making art.
My introduction to him wasn't Cream, I didn't hear that until much later and it's not a patch on the original. I heard John Martyn's free adaptation of Devil Got My Woman, entitled I'd Rather Be the Devil, on his Live at Leeds album with Danny Thompson and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble drummer, John Stevens. A few years later, Fred Frith recorded Hard Time Killing Floor Blues, and Henry Kaiser did Special Delivery Blues as instrumentals on their second duo album, Who Needs Enemies. Then David Soldier arranged a medley of three delta blues for his Soldier String Quartet, including James' 20-20 Blues, Patton's Moon Goin' Down and Waters' Country Blues #2. He assiduously avoided straightening out the rhythms and the microtonality in those tunes, which he said rose organically from the melodic phrasing. For instance he notes that 20-20 Blues has measures in 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 7/8. More than anything, it was Frith's, Kaiser's and Soldier's interest in James' music which prompted me to seek out the 1931 recordings when they were finally compiled and released.
This is great info, Lenny. I was not aware of James' influence on Firth and Soldier. I'm anxious to listen to some of those tracks. Thanks for taking the time to add this valuable information.
You're welcome. The reissue of the Frith & Kaiser albums is a CD entitled Friends & Enemies on Cuneiform and can be heard on bandcamp if it's not on Youtube. The two original albums were on Metalanguage. The Soldier tracks come from The Soldier String Quartet's album, Sequence Girls, originally on Rift. They did another one called She's Lightning When She Smiles, which is nearly all blues covers. James is represented by Cypress Grove, and there are tunes by John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Pete Williams, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Willie Brown, Waters and Pop Staples (who I understand played with Charley Patton). It involves the string quartet but has an expanded lineup. Those albums are probably on Youtube, and can definitely be streamed from Qobuz.
These musical resources of America! So very rich and deep, almost beyond words. Thank you, Tyler.
Fantastic Tyler. Thank you for this.