Welcome to the New 12th Gate Coffee House We have looked some at the great blues tradition among African-American musicians and I would like to focus the next couple of weeks on this great tradition. Join me in continuing this celebration tonight by bringing to our virtual stage two blues masters whose collaboration begun in the 40s helped popularize this genre.
Brownie McGhee
Brownie McGhee was born Walter Brown McGhee in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1915 and suffered from polio as a child, which incapacitated his leg.
Sonny terry
Sonny was born Saunders Terrell in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1911. His
musical education began in the Baptist church, where as a child he sang at tent
meetings. Those early musical experiences would serve him well later in life. Sonny Terry wasn’t born blind — he lost sight in one eye when he was five, the other at age 18. That left him with extremely limited options for making any sort of feasible living, so he took to the streets armed with his trusty harmonicas
Whooping and wailing like a man possessed, Sonny Terry drew listeners into a
sultry musical world. Though he often employed an ethereal falsetto voice, he
was also capable of unleashing hair-raising hollers. His harmonica style was
similarly compelling. The North Carolina-born legend would vocalize through his
harp, thus intensifying the plaintive moan of the instrument.
McGhee first met Sonny Terry in North Carolina in 1939 and worked with him and singer Paul Robeson in Washington, DC, in 1940. McGhee began to record for Okeh Records in 1940. He had Sonny Terry play on his recording session of Workingman’s Blues, and a long-standing partnership was formed. Shortly after they relocated and broke into the New York Folk scene, working alongside Leadbelly, Josh White, and Woody Guthrie. From 1942 to 1950 McGhee also ran his own music school, ‘Home of the Blues’, in Harlem.
Tonight’s program is a bit of a tease. There are lots of clips on YouTube and I invite you to explore further. Let me start with a short introductory tape that came the Blues Masters program. Pardon the Japanese subtitles.
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee perform Hooting the Blues\ and a medley
(“Poor Man / Fighting a Losing Battle”). From the DVD “Sonny Terry: Whoopin’ the Blues 1958-74.”
This closing segment from an early Pete Seeger program shows
off Terry’s unique harmonica style and ends with a little extra magic – When the Saints Go Marchin’ In.
Let me close with Sonny Terry singing the Beautiful City – with all 12 Gates!
Have we heard that before?
That’s some good stuff. I really like the harmonica work.
John – I really appreciate these concerts and look forward to them each week. Thanks for taking the time to arrange them for us.