Skip
James
Born Nehemiah
Curtis James, 9 June 1902, Bentonia, Mississippi, USA, d. 3
October 1969, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. A solitary figure,
James was an emotional, lyrical performer whose talent as a
guitar player and arranger enhanced an already impressive body
of work. His early career included employment as a pianist in
a Memphis whorehouse, as well as the customary appearances at
local gatherings and roadhouses. In 1931 he successfully auditioned
for the Paramount recording company, for whom he completed an
estimated 26 masters. These exceptional performances included
'Devil Got My Woman', written when his brief marriage broke
down, as well as 'Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues' and 'I'm So
Glad', which was subsequently recorded by Cream. James abandoned
music during the late 30s in favour of the church and was ordained
as a Baptist minister in 1942. He briefly resumed more secular
pursuits during the 50s, and was brought back to public attention
by guitarists John Fahey, Bill Barth and Canned Heat 's Henry
Vestine, who discovered the dispirited singer in a Mississippi
hospital. James remained a reserved individual, but his accomplished
talents were welcomed on the thriving folk and college circuit
where he joined contemporaries such as Mississippi John Hurt
and Sleepy John Estes. Two superb collections for the Vanguard
Records label, Skip James Today and Devil Got My Woman, showcased
James' remarkable skills. His high, poignant voice brought an
air of vulnerability to an often declamatory genre and his albums
remain among the finest of the country-blues canon. Recurring
illness sadly forced James to retire and he died in 1969 following
a prolonged battle with cancer.
J.B.
Lenoir
J.B. Lenoir
(aka JB/KB Lenore) was born on March 5, 1929 in Monticello,
Mississippi. During the early 40's Lenoir worked with blues
artists Sonny Boy Williamson (Alex Miller), and Elmore James
at the New York Inn in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1949, Lenoir
moved to Chicago and began to perform at local clubs with blues
greats Memphis Minnnie, Big Maceo, and Muddy Waters. During
the 1950's Lenoir recorded on various labels in the Chicago
area such as: Chess, JOB, Parrot, and Checker. During the 1960's,
Lenoir toured Europe and performed in 1965 with the American
Folk Blues Festival in England.Lenoir suffered injuries in an
auto accident in 1966 and consequently suffered a heart attack,
dieing on April 29, 1967 in Urbana, IL. He is buried in Salem
Church Cemetery in Monticello, Mississippi. Some of his recorded
songs include: Born Dead, Carrie Lee, Don't Dog Your Woman,
Don't Touch My Head, Eisenhower Blues, Feeling Good, Natural
Man, Korea Blues, and Vietnam Blues.
