Category Archives: This Historic Day In Music
This Historic Day In Music: “Bull Frog Moan”
Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang needed another side. How so? Well… In 1929, the standard format for the commercial release of recordings was a flat disc made of shellac resin and measuring 10 inches in diameter. The 78 RPM playback … Continue reading
This Historic Day In Music: “A Handful Of Riffs” & “Blue Guitars”
On Wednesday, May 8, 1929, Blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson and Jazz guitarist Eddie Lang returned to the OKeh Records studio at 11 Union Square in New York City. Having cut “Guitar Blues” – their third duet – the day before … Continue reading
This Historic Day In Music: “Guitar Blues”
In the late 1920’s, Blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson and Jazz guitarist Eddie Lang recorded ten landmark duets. Lonnie and Eddie recorded their first two duets – “Two Tone Stomp” and “Have To Change Keys (To Play These Blues)” – on November … Continue reading
This Historic Day In Music: Mary Chapin Carpenter
Songwriter, singer & guitarist Mary Chapin Carpenter has performed at the Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, three times over the past five summers. She shared the stage with singer/songwriter Marc Cohn on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 and … Continue reading
This Historic Day In Music: Elizabeth Cotten – Take 3
It’s been five years since I last celebrated Elizabeth Cotten’s birthday here on sixstr stories. I think it’s time to do so again. On January 5, 1893, in the town of Carrboro, North Carolina (right next to Chapel Hill), George … Continue reading
This Historic Day In Music: “Two Tone Stomp” & “Have To Change Keys To Play These Blues”
In the Fall of 1928, Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang were the two best and busiest studio guitarists in New York City. Lonnie Johnson… …was born Alfonzo Johnson in the Storyville section of New Orleans, Louisiana on February 8, 1894. … Continue reading
This Historic Day In Music: Georgia Turner & The Rising Sun Blues (Yes, again.)
I love this story. In September of 1937, Alan Lomax and his wife, Elizabeth, took a song-collecting trip through the mountains of Kentucky. Alan had recently been appointed as the Assistant in Charge of the Archive of Folk Song of … Continue reading
This Historic Day In Music: “Crazy Blues”
From the opening notes of the introduction, “Crazy Blues” sounds like a Jazz record. But when Mamie Smith starts to sing, the music takes a turn. “I can’t sleep at night, I can’t eat a bite because the man I … Continue reading
The Past Five Historic Days In Music
Day One. John Smith Hurt was born in Teoc, Mississippi, on July 3, 1893. He grew up to be the singer, finger-style guitarist, recording artist and performer know around the world as Mississippi John Hurt. Here is a recording that … Continue reading
