Biography by Uncle Dave Lewis
James "Yank" Rachell was the primary exponent of blues mandolin, although he also played guitar, violin, harp and sang expertly well. Born on a farm outside Brownsville, Tennessee, Yank Rachell picked up the mandolin at the age of eight, mainly teaching himself; an early encounter with "Hambone" Willie Newbern early on helped him as well. Rachell began to work dances with singer and guitarist Sleepy John Estes in the early '20s. In early 1929, he co-formed the Three J's Jug Band with Estes and pianist Jab Jones. The Three J's Jug Band were an instant hit and managed to work the dances during the lucrative jug-band craze in Memphis and traveled often to Paducah, Kentucky. The group recorded 14 sides credited jointly to Estes and Rachell for Victor for 1929 and 1930.
After the record business was flattened by the depression, the Three J's broke up. Estes and harmonica player Hammie Nixon went on to Chicago to seek their fortune in the nightclubs, but Yank Rachell decided to try his hand at farming and also worked for the L&N Railroad. Ironically, it was Rachell who was next to record -- during a stopover in New York Rachell teamed up with guitarist Dan Smith and laid down 25 titles for ARC in just three days, though only six of them were issued.
Shortly before the ARC date, Yank Rachell had discovered a kid harmonica player that he believed had real talent, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson. They worked together at the Blue Flame Club in Jackson, Tennessee starting in 1933. In 1934 Williamson went north to Chicago. With the success of Williamson's first Bluebird dates of 1937, Rachell decided to join Sonny Boy in Chicago for sessions in March and June of 1938. Yank Rachell also contributed four sides of his own to each session, and then 16 more in 1941 with Sonny Boy backing him up. Some of the 1941 tracks are among his best: "It Seem Like a Dream," "Biscuit Baking Woman," and "Peach Tree Blues" were all successes for both Rachell and Bluebird.
But in 1938, while working in St. Louis with Peetie Wheatstraw, Yank Rachell had married and started to raise a family. During the peak of his musical career, Rachell kept his day job and did not lead "the life," at least not the same one that claimed his friend Sonny Boy Williamson on June 1, 1948. After Williamson's murder, Rachell drifted away from music and relied solely on straight jobs to make his living, settling permanently in Indianapolis in 1958. His wife passed away in 1961, and afterward he began to resume performing. In 1962, Rachell was re-united with Nixon and Estes, and the three of them began tearing up the college and coffeehouse circuit, recording for Delmark as Yank Rachell's Tennessee Jug Busters. Estes died in 1977, and from that time Rachell worked mainly as a solo act. Yank Rachell was a long-time regular at the Slippery Noodle in Indianapolis, and recorded only sporadically in his last years. Nonetheless, he was working on a new album when he died at age 87.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/yank-rachell-mn0000684627/biography
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Biografía de Uncle Dave Lewis
James "Yank" Rachell fue el principal exponente de la mandolina de blues, aunque también tocaba la guitarra, el violín, el arpa y cantaba con maestría. Nacido en una granja a las afueras de Brownsville, Tennessee, Yank Rachell cogió la mandolina a la edad de ocho años, principalmente enseñándose a sí mismo; también le ayudó un temprano encuentro con "Hambone" Willie Newbern. Rachell comenzó a trabajar en bailes con el cantante y guitarrista Sleepy John Estes a principios de los años 20. A principios de 1929, formó la Three J's Jug Band con Estes y el pianista Jab Jones. La Three J's Jug Band tuvo un éxito inmediato y consiguió trabajar en los bailes durante la lucrativa moda de las jug-bandas en Memphis y viajó a menudo a Paducah, Kentucky. El grupo grabó 14 lados acreditados conjuntamente a Estes y Rachell para Victor para 1929 y 1930.
Después de que el negocio de las grabaciones se viera afectado por la depresión, los Three J's se separaron. Estes y el armonicista Hammie Nixon se fueron a Chicago a buscar fortuna en los clubes nocturnos, pero Yank Rachell decidió probar suerte en la agricultura y también trabajó para el ferrocarril L&N. Irónicamente, fue Rachell el siguiente en grabar: durante una escala en Nueva York, Rachell se asoció con el guitarrista Dan Smith y grabó 25 títulos para ARC en sólo tres días, aunque sólo se publicaron seis de ellos.
Poco antes de la fecha de ARC, Yank Rachell había descubierto a un chico que tocaba la armónica y que creía que tenía verdadero talento, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson. Trabajaron juntos en el Blue Flame Club de Jackson, Tennessee, a partir de 1933. En 1934 Williamson se fue al norte, a Chicago. Con el éxito de las primeras fechas de Williamson en el Bluebird de 1937, Rachell decidió unirse a Sonny Boy en Chicago para las sesiones de marzo y junio de 1938. Yank Rachell también contribuyó con cuatro lados propios en cada sesión, y luego 16 más en 1941 con Sonny Boy respaldándolo. Algunos de los temas de 1941 están entre los mejores: "It Seem Like a Dream", "Biscuit Baking Woman" y "Peach Tree Blues" fueron éxitos tanto para Rachell como para Bluebird.
Pero en 1938, mientras trabajaba en St. Louis con Peetie Wheatstraw, Yank Rachell se había casado y había empezado a formar una familia. Durante el apogeo de su carrera musical, Rachell mantuvo su trabajo diurno y no llevó "la vida", al menos no la misma que se cobró su amigo Sonny Boy Williamson el 1 de junio de 1948. Tras el asesinato de Williamson, Rachell se alejó de la música y se dedicó exclusivamente a los trabajos directos para ganarse la vida, estableciéndose definitivamente en Indianápolis en 1958. Su mujer falleció en 1961, y después comenzó a reanudar sus actuaciones. En 1962, Rachell se reencontró con Nixon y Estes, y los tres empezaron a arrasar en el circuito universitario y de cafés, grabando para Delmark como Yank Rachell's Tennessee Jug Busters. Estes murió en 1977, y desde entonces Rachell trabajó principalmente en solitario. Yank Rachell fue durante mucho tiempo un habitual del Slippery Noodle de Indianápolis, y sólo grabó esporádicamente en sus últimos años. Sin embargo, estaba trabajando en un nuevo álbum cuando murió a los 87 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/yank-rachell-mn0000684627/biography
Tracklist:
A1 - My Baby's Gone - 5:25
A2 - Moonshine Whiskey - 3:20
A3 - She Changed The Lock - 3:35
A4 - Bugle Call - 2:16
A5 - Dreamy Eyed Woman - 2:58
B1 - Cigarette Blues - 3:22
B2 - Make My Love Come Down - 5:25
B3 - Black Snake - 3:42
B4 - Des Moines, Iowa - 5:42
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Producer, Liner Notes – Peter Roller
Design [Album] – Grace Faustino
Drums – Leonard Marsh, Jr.
Electric Bass – Sheena Rachell
Engineer – Alan Johnson
Harmonica – Peter "Madcat" Ruth
Illustration [Front Cover] – Diane Johnson
Photography By – Ira Landgarten
Vocals, Mandolin, Written-By – Yank Rachell
Label: Blind Pig Records – BP 1986
Released: 1986
Genre: Blues
Style: Chicago Blues
https://www.discogs.com/Yank-Rachell-Blues-Mandolin-Man/release/5195970
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