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Gavin B. · 12-12-2013, 03:22 AM

Blind Willie McTell

Blind Willie McTell- 12 String Troubadour

Blind Willie McTell (1898-1958) was a Georgia based ragtime blues guitarist who was best known for composing the blues classic Statesboro Blues a song that's been covered by nearly aspiring every blues band in existence, including the Allman Brothers Band, Taj Mahal, and the David Bromberg Band.

He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont regional blues, although, unlike his contemporaries, he came to use twelve-string guitars exclusively. His skill on the 12 string guitar exceeded Leadbelly's, who was the most famous 12 string guitarist of the pre-WWII era. McTell was also an adept slide guitarist, unusual among ragtime bluesmen.

His vocal style, a smooth and often laid-back tenor, differed greatly from many of the harsher voice types employed by Delta bluesmen, such as Charley Patton. McTell embodied a variety of musical styles, including blues, ragtime, religious music and hokum. Technically speaking, most of McTell's song's weren't blues because he used minor chords and bridge transitions in most of them. His use of chord patterns were far more complex than a simple twelve bar blues blues progression.

McTell was first and foremost a troubadour who rarely played clubs and eked out a living busking in public areas. McTell would frequently play for tips in the parking lot of the Pig N' Whistle Barbecue in Atlanta . He was also known to play behind the nearby building that later became Ray Lee's Blue Lantern Lounge.

The Dylan Connection

McTell's vocal talents and his guitar virtuosity overshadowed the fact that McTell was perhaps the finest lyricist and storyteller from the pre-Dylan era. Bob Dylan himself, has worshiped McTell's music and has covered three different McTell songs and even borrowed McTell's lyrics for his own original compositions. Dylan's 1965 song Highway 61 Revisited, the second verse begins with "Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose", referring to one of Blind Willie McTell's many recording names. Dylan's 1983 song of tribute to McTell, simply titled Blind Willie McTell, is considered to be one of Dylan's absolute masterpieces.

Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues

The original recording date of Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues is unknown, but it's probably sometime between 1925 and 1932, McTell's most prolific period of recording.To maximize his royalty revenues, McTell would sign "exclusive contracts" with several recording labels using various aliases, thus making it difficult to ascertain the original recording date of many of his songs.

I selected Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues because it's a great showcase of McTell's lyrical talents. It's the story of Little Jessie, a real life gambler & bootlegger associate of McTell's who achieved a level of notoriety before being gunned down by the Atlanta Police Department sometime in the Roaring Twenties. The song describes the funeral march for Little Jessie and the lyrics have the carnivalesque surreal quality of a Fellini film.

I've posted the lyrics the song beneath the YouTube embed. In one of the last verses McTell refers to three locations: Hampton Hotel, the South Belle, and the North Atlanta (Hotel)...all of which were houses of ill repute in Atlanta during the Roaring Twenties.

Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues
Lyrics & music by Blind Willie McTell

Little Jesse was a gambler, night and day
He used crooked cards and dice.
Sinful guy, good hearted but had no soul
Heart was hard and cold like ice

Jesse was a wild reckless gambler
Won a gang of change
Altho' a many gambler's heart he left in pain
Began to spend a-loose his money
Began to be blue, sad and all alone
His heart had even turned to stone.

Police walked up and shot my friend Jesse down
Boys i got to die today

He had a gang of crapshooters and gamblers at his bedside
Here are the words he had to say:

Guess I ought to know
Exactly how I wants to go

Eight crapshooters to be my pallbearers
Let 'em be veiled down in black
I want nine men going to the graveyard, bubba
And eight men comin back

I want a gang of gamblers gathered 'round my coffin-side
Crooked card printed on my hearse
Don't say the crapshooters'll never grieve over me
My life been a doggone curse

Send poker players to the graveyard
Dig my grave with the ace of spades
I want twelve polices in my funeral march
High sheriff playin' blackjack, lead the parade

I want the judge and solic'ter who jailed me 14 times
Put a pair of dice in my shoes
Let a deck of cards be my tombstone
I got the dyin' crapshooter's blues

Sixteen real good crapshooters
Sixteen bootleggers to sing a song
Sixteen racket men gamblin'
Couple tend bar while i'm rollin' along

He wanted 22 womens outta the Hampton Hotel
26 off-a South Bell
29 women outta North Atlanta

Well his head was achin'
His heart was thumpin
Jesse went down bouncin' and jumpin' said,
"folks don't be standin' around moanin' and cryin"

He wants everybody to do the charleston whilst he dies
One foot up and a toenail draggin'
Throw my buddy Jesse
In the hoodoo wagon

Come here mama
With your can of booze
Dyin' crapshooter's blues
The dyin' crapshooter's blues
Goin' down with the dyin' crapshooter's blues

12-12-2013, 03:22 AM	#8 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	Blind Willie McTell Blind Willie McTell- 12 String Troubadour Blind Willie McTell (1898-1958) was a Georgia based ragtime blues guitarist who was best known for composing the blues classic Statesboro Blues a song that's been covered by nearly aspiring every blues band in existence, including the Allman Brothers Band, Taj Mahal, and the David Bromberg Band. He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont regional blues, although, unlike his contemporaries, he came to use twelve-string guitars exclusively. His skill on the 12 string guitar exceeded Leadbelly's, who was the most famous 12 string guitarist of the pre-WWII era. McTell was also an adept slide guitarist, unusual among ragtime bluesmen. His vocal style, a smooth and often laid-back tenor, differed greatly from many of the harsher voice types employed by Delta bluesmen, such as Charley Patton. McTell embodied a variety of musical styles, including blues, ragtime, religious music and hokum. Technically speaking, most of McTell's song's weren't blues because he used minor chords and bridge transitions in most of them. His use of chord patterns were far more complex than a simple twelve bar blues blues progression. McTell was first and foremost a troubadour who rarely played clubs and eked out a living busking in public areas. McTell would frequently play for tips in the parking lot of the Pig N' Whistle Barbecue in Atlanta . He was also known to play behind the nearby building that later became Ray Lee's Blue Lantern Lounge. The Dylan Connection McTell's vocal talents and his guitar virtuosity overshadowed the fact that McTell was perhaps the finest lyricist and storyteller from the pre-Dylan era. Bob Dylan himself, has worshiped McTell's music and has covered three different McTell songs and even borrowed McTell's lyrics for his own original compositions. Dylan's 1965 song Highway 61 Revisited, the second verse begins with "Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose", referring to one of Blind Willie McTell's many recording names. Dylan's 1983 song of tribute to McTell, simply titled Blind Willie McTell, is considered to be one of Dylan's absolute masterpieces. Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues The original recording date of Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues is unknown, but it's probably sometime between 1925 and 1932, McTell's most prolific period of recording.To maximize his royalty revenues, McTell would sign "exclusive contracts" with several recording labels using various aliases, thus making it difficult to ascertain the original recording date of many of his songs. I selected Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues because it's a great showcase of McTell's lyrical talents. It's the story of Little Jessie, a real life gambler & bootlegger associate of McTell's who achieved a level of notoriety before being gunned down by the Atlanta Police Department sometime in the Roaring Twenties. The song describes the funeral march for Little Jessie and the lyrics have the carnivalesque surreal quality of a Fellini film. I've posted the lyrics the song beneath the YouTube embed. In one of the last verses McTell refers to three locations: Hampton Hotel, the South Belle, and the North Atlanta (Hotel)...all of which were houses of ill repute in Atlanta during the Roaring Twenties. Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues Lyrics & music by Blind Willie McTell Little Jesse was a gambler, night and day He used crooked cards and dice. Sinful guy, good hearted but had no soul Heart was hard and cold like ice Jesse was a wild reckless gambler Won a gang of change Altho' a many gambler's heart he left in pain Began to spend a-loose his money Began to be blue, sad and all alone His heart had even turned to stone. Police walked up and shot my friend Jesse down Boys i got to die today He had a gang of crapshooters and gamblers at his bedside Here are the words he had to say: Guess I ought to know Exactly how I wants to go Eight crapshooters to be my pallbearers Let 'em be veiled down in black I want nine men going to the graveyard, bubba And eight men comin back I want a gang of gamblers gathered 'round my coffin-side Crooked card printed on my hearse Don't say the crapshooters'll never grieve over me My life been a doggone curse Send poker players to the graveyard Dig my grave with the ace of spades I want twelve polices in my funeral march High sheriff playin' blackjack, lead the parade I want the judge and solic'ter who jailed me 14 times Put a pair of dice in my shoes Let a deck of cards be my tombstone I got the dyin' crapshooter's blues Sixteen real good crapshooters Sixteen bootleggers to sing a song Sixteen racket men gamblin' Couple tend bar while i'm rollin' along He wanted 22 womens outta the Hampton Hotel 26 off-a South Bell 29 women outta North Atlanta Well his head was achin' His heart was thumpin Jesse went down bouncin' and jumpin' said, "folks don't be standin' around moanin' and cryin" He wants everybody to do the charleston whilst he dies One foot up and a toenail draggin' Throw my buddy Jesse In the hoodoo wagon Come here mama With your can of booze Dyin' crapshooter's blues The dyin' crapshooter's blues Goin' down with the dyin' crapshooter's blues __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt Last edited by Gavin B.; 12-13-2013 at 12:55 PM.