Song:Easy Rider Blues
Album:Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Lemon Jefferson was a pioneer of the blues known as Father Of The Texas Blues or King Of The Country Blues. His life and even his death are a bit of a mystery but there's no question of his musical influence. He was apparently born Sept. 24, 1893 in Coutchman, TX now known as Wortham, TX between Dallas and Houston. I say apparently because he gave a different date of birth when he registered for the draft in 1917. By that time he had already been a street musician in Dallas for several years working frequently with Leadbelly. He also taught guitar to T-Bone Walker. So by the early 1920s he was making a living as a musician and by 1926 he was brought to Chicago to record gospel songs under the name Deacon L. J. Bates. This led to a second session under his own name. From 1926-29, he recorded pretty much exclusively for Paramount Records. And those are the recordings you will find on comps like this one from Milestone Records. This one is recommended because the sound quality has been improved greatly. Details about Jefferson's life are very sketchy. He apparently died in December 1929 at age 36 though the exact date isn't known. It appears he froze to death during a Chicago snowstorm but there are several stories about his death. I guess the only thing we do know is that Blind Lemon Jefferson was a huge influence on many of the musicians who would follow him. Here's a video for Easy Rider Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson.
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