egroj world: Blind James Campbell • Blind James Campbell and His Nashville Street Band

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Blind James Campbell • Blind James Campbell and His Nashville Street Band

Review
by Jason Ankeny
On their lone release, Blind James Campbell and His Nashville Street Band serve up a singular blend of blues, jazz, old-time, skiffle and jug band music; while their material is traditional, the presentation is anything but, with a tuba taking the place of bass guitar and Campbell's gravelly voice going lower and deeper than either.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blind-james-campbell-and-his-nashville-street-band-mw0000173961

Artist Biography
by Jason Ankeny
Among the last of a dying breed of Southern street musicians, bluesman Blind James Campbell and his Friendly Five were a staple of the Nashville musical landscape for decades. Campbell was born in Music City on September 17, 1906; although he played guitar from the age of 13, he did not pursue performing as a livelihood until he was 30, when he was left permanently blind following an accident at the fertilizer plant where he worked. He then formed a group dubbed the Nashville Washboard Band, a loose-knit aggregation which consisted of himself on vocals and guitar, and mandolin, lard can (or tub bass), and washboard players; they honed their skills not only on the streets but also at area parties, typically playing to white audiences but also sitting in at Black roadhouses. Campbell followed much the same path in the years and decades that followed, later informally rechristening the band the Friendly Five; in 1962 he was discovered by Arhoolie Records chief Chris Strachwitz, who recorded him with a backing group consisting of multi-instrumentalist Beauford Clay, trumpeter George Bell, second guitarist Bell Ray, and tuba player Ralph Robinson. Unhappy with the quality of the recordings, Strachwitz returned to Nashville a year later and recorded Campbell again; the best selections were then assembled for release on the LP Blind James Campbell & His Nashville Street Band.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blind-james-campbell-mn0000127923

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Reseña
por Jason Ankeny
En su único lanzamiento, Blind James Campbell and His Nashville Street Band ofrecen una singular mezcla de blues, jazz, old-time, skiffle y jug band; aunque su material es tradicional, la presentación es cualquier cosa menos eso, con una tuba ocupando el lugar del bajo y la voz grave de Campbell más grave y profunda que cualquiera de los dos.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blind-james-campbell-and-his-nashville-street-band-mw0000173961

Biografía del artista
por Jason Ankeny
El bluesman Blind James Campbell y sus Friendly Five, uno de los últimos grupos de músicos callejeros del sur, fueron un elemento básico del paisaje musical de Nashville durante décadas. Campbell nació en la ciudad de la música el 17 de septiembre de 1906; aunque tocaba la guitarra desde los 13 años, no se dedicó a la interpretación como medio de vida hasta los 30, cuando quedó ciego de forma permanente tras un accidente en la planta de fertilizantes donde trabajaba. Entonces formó un grupo llamado Nashville Washboard Band, una agrupación muy poco compacta formada por él mismo como vocalista y guitarrista, y por músicos que tocaban la mandolina, la lata de manteca (o el bajo de bañera) y la tabla de lavar; perfeccionaron sus habilidades no sólo en las calles, sino también en las fiestas de la zona, tocando normalmente para el público blanco, pero también en los bares de carretera negros. Campbell siguió prácticamente el mismo camino en los años y décadas siguientes, y más tarde rebautizó informalmente a la banda con el nombre de Friendly Five; en 1962 fue descubierto por el jefe de Arhoolie Records, Chris Strachwitz, que le grabó con un grupo de acompañamiento formado por el multiinstrumentista Beauford Clay, el trompetista George Bell, el segundo guitarrista Bell Ray y el tubista Ralph Robinson. Descontento con la calidad de las grabaciones, Strachwitz volvió a Nashville un año después y grabó de nuevo a Campbell; las mejores selecciones se reunieron entonces para su publicación en el LP Blind James Campbell & His Nashville Street Band.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blind-james-campbell-mn0000127923

Tracklist
1 - Have I Stayed Away Too Long - 3:15
2 - I'm Crazy About You Baby - 3:25
3 - Buffalo Gal - 1:49
4 - Will The Circle Be Unbroken - 4:02
5 - The Moon May Rise In Blood - 3:59
6 - John Henry - 2:25
7 - Baby Please Don't Go - 2:19
8 - Jimmy's Blues - 4:52
9 - Monkey Man Blues - 3:43
10 - This Little Light Of Mine - 2:55
11 - Detroit Blues - 2:46
12 - Beauford's Breakdown - 1:40
13 - Gambling Man - 2:37
14 - Sittin' Here Drinking - 2:34
15 - Jam Piece (George's Boogie) - 2:37
16 - I Never Had Nothing - 3:06
17 - Do You Remember (Theme Song) - 3:22
18 - My Gal Got Evil - 4:22
19 - Beauford's Boogie Woogie - 3:03
20 - When The Saints Go Marching In - 3:04
21 - I Am So Blue When It Rains - 3:18
22 - Pick And Shovel Blues - 4:58
23 - Detroit Jump - 2:33

Credits

    Banjo – Beauford Clay (tracks: 6)
    Bass Tuba – Ralph Robinson (3)
    Cover, Design – Dick Bruce, Tom Diamant, Wayne Pope
    Featuring – James Campbell's Friendly Five
    Fiddle – Beauford Clay
    Fiddle, Guitar – Bell Ray
    Photography By, Producer, Recorded By, Liner Notes – Chris Strachwitz
    Trumpet – George Bell (4)
    Vocals – Bell Ray (tracks: 10)
    Vocals, Guitar – James Campbell*

Notes
Recorded by Chris Strachwitz in Nashville, Tenn.: #11, 16, 17 & 18 on October 25, #1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22 & 23 on October 26, 1962 and #4, 6, 9 & 20 on April 14, 1963 with one Capps condensor microphone and a Magnecord tape recorder
Selections #15-23 previously unissued

Label: Arhoolie Records – 438, Arhoolie Records – CD 438
Released: 1995
Genre: Blues
Style: Country Blues
https://www.discogs.com/release/5766467-Blind-James-Campbell-Blind-James-Campbell-And-His-Nashville-Street-Band