Blind Lemon Jefferson

Clarence " Blind Lemon" Jefferson (born in September 1893 with the Texas and died in December 1929 with Chicago) was a Chanteur and Guitariste of American Blues . It remains like one of the most popular singers of the blues of the Années 1920.

Biography

Beginnings

Clarence Jefferson was born with Couchman with the Texas close to Wortham. It was believed a long time that it had been born in 1897 but of undertaken research one century later reveal a Recensement on which its birth is specified in September 1893. In the same way, the historians do not put an agreement on the Cécité of Jefferson. Indeed, some think that it was born blind whereas for the others, its sight was degraded with time for unknown reasons. Its nickname Blind Lemon which one can translate by failing blind man rests on this ambiguity.

Still adolescent, towards 1912, Jefferson start to live music while occurring with Pique-nique S or festivals. He also plays in the streets of several cities of Texas. On his beginnings, his/her cousin, Alec Jefferson, will write: They were unpleasant and coarse. The men prostituaient the women and made alcohol smuggling while Lemon sang for them lasting all during the night. It started towards 20:00 and continued until 4:00 of the morning.

In 1917, Lemon leaves to play Dallas, where he plays with Leadbelly and Marie.

First recordings

Towards December 1925 or January 1926, it is brought to Chicago in the Illinois to record its first piece. Surprisingly, its first two recordings are Gospel S ( I Want to Be like Jesus in my Heart and All I Want is that Pure Religion ) left under the pseudonym Deacon L.J. Packsaddlled . In March 1926, it takes part in a second session of recording. This first disc under its true name contains successes Booster Blues and Dry Southern Blues what brings the two other songs of this session to being also left: Got the Blues and Long Lonesome Blues .

Between 1926 and 1929, it records a hundred pieces: 43 are published including 42 for Paramount Records. Unfortunately, the techniques of studio and the quality of the recordings of Paramount Records were not sufficient. This brings, in May 1926, Paramount to re-record successes of Jefferson Got the Blues and Long Lonesome Blues in the installations of the Laboratoires Marsh. The various versions appear besides on various compilations and can thus still be compared.

Success

It is mainly thanks to the popularity of artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and its contemporaries like Blind Blake and My Rainey that Paramount becomes the first label of Blues of the Années 1920.

The incomes of increasing Jefferson, it is allowed to buy a chauffeur-driven car (although there remains also a debate on this precise point). Mayo Williams , the bond of Paramount with the black community, gets a Ford " to him; exceeding the 700 Dollar S " , a compensation attends for the fees registration at that time.

Apparently regularly dissatisfied with its Royalty S although Williams reports that the bank account of Jefferson exceeded the 1500 dollars, it leaves Paramount for Okeh Records in 1927 trained by Williams. OKeh records and publishes quickly the pieces Matchbox Blues and Black Snake Moan , which will remain its only recording for this label (certainly because of contractual obligations with Paramount).

When it returns to Paramount a few months later, Matchbox Blues became such a success that Paramount re-records it and leaves two new versions there. Once again, the recordings of Paramount do not hold the comparison compared to the version of OKeh.

In 1927, Jefferson leaves another its traditional, See That My Grave is Kept Clean (once again under the pseudonym Deacon L.J. Packsaddlled ) accompanied by two other surprisingly spiritual songs, He Arose from the Dead and Where Shall I Be . See That My Grave is Kept Clean is such a success that it is re-recorded and republished in 1928.

Died

Jefferson dies without a penny in Chicago in December 1929. The precise cause of its death remains unknown. The rumors speak about the poisoning of its coffee but a more probable scenario seems to be a Heart attack after Jefferson was lost during a snowstorm.

Paramount Records pays the return of its body in Train towards the Texas, accompanied by the Pianiste Will Ezell. Jefferson is buried with the Wortham Negro Cemetery (become the Wortham Black Cemetery ). Its tomb remains virgin and unknown until in 1967, date on which a marker is set up in the vicinity, the precise place being unknown. In 1996, the Cemetery and it mark were in very bad condition. A tomb stone in Granite was thus installation in 1997.

Style

Jefferson has a fast play of Guitare and intriguing coupled to a particularly high voice.

It is one of the pioneers of the Texas blues and a great influence for the generation of singers and guitarist of Blues which will follow in particular Leadbelly and Lightnin' Hopkins.

Jefferson is also famous to have travelled much for the time in particular in the south of the the United States what involves a relative difficulty of categorizing its music. It was freed indeed from musical conventions, modifying its fronts and its rate/rhythm S and singing complex and expressive texts in an exceptional way for a " simple singer of country blues" of the time.

He is the author of many topics like, See That My Grave is Kept Clean , which will take again later of other musicians. Another of its pieces, Matchbox Blues , was recorded 30 years later by the Beatles in a credited version Country with Carl Perkins, which even had not mentioned to him Jefferson in its version of 1955.

Anecdotes

At the same time as its celebrity grew, the rumors concerning its life also became extensive while often utilizing the author of those.

T-Bone Walker affirmed that child, it was employed by Jefferson to direct it in the streets of Dallas. At that time it would have indeed had the suitable age.

An employee of Paramount told with the Biographe, Orrin Keepnews, that Jefferson was a womanizer, alcoholic and débraillé whereas the neighbor of Jefferson to Chicago, Romeo Nelson, described it like cordial and cordial . In the same way, the Singer, Rube Lacy ensured that Jefferson always refused to play the Sunday " even if you give me 200 dollars" .

It is also suspecté to have earned its living like Lutte ur before its musical success, which would be a proof that it was not blind at that time.

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