Piedmont Blues Players
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Here is another one from Syracuse South Carolina, (Boo!!!) Syracuse is in Darlington County. Maybe this will be an unknown person for people. Scrapper Blackwell. A lot of people tend to know him as the guitar player for piano player Leroy Carr.
Sonny Terry got his start in Shelby North Carolina. When you talk about Sonny Terry you can’t forget Brownie McGhee. Tommy your friend Ben Hernandez displays a lot of traits that remind me of Sonny Terry.
I guess I should start putting up some players from other parts of the Piedmont. I guess I will start with Georgia since I have already put up Blind Willie McTell. This guy did some collaborations with Blind Willie. Curley Weaver, some people would refer to him as Slim Gordon from what I have read about him.
I discovered this guy while searching up on Curley Weaver. I have not heard of him before, so I guess this forum is doing what it is supposed to do. LOL. Help us discover new people. If anyone knows so stuff about this guy let me know. This is Bumble Bee Slim from Georgia.
I picked my friend’s brain that has been a long time player. he has played with everyone form Otis Rush, to John Lee Hooker, to Wilson Pickett. He told me about these two guys out of Virginia that were big mentors to him growing up.
John Jackson
Interview of John Jackson (interviews are always cool)
John Cephas
Man, I always assumed Scrapper Blackwell was from the North Carolina mountains because I knew he was part Cherokee. I looked up Syracuse on google maps and I think I got lost around there trying to get to Myrtle Beach for my brother in law’s batchelor party a few years ago.
My friend Tad Walters, who got me on the right musical path years ago, was also mentored by John Jackson. Tad is worth a look on youtube. He is a killer guitar player, singer, and harmonica player. In fact, if you have ever seen Bob Margolin it is likely that Tad was playing with him.
Tommy mentioned has mentioned you to me as well and was surprised that Charlotte and Raleigh are so far apart. I think we are both scientists too. God only knows what Tommy must think of this state now.
Yeah that Syracuse area, actually all of that Darlington area,is not a whole lot going on. So it can be easy to get lost because everything looks the same. Thanks for sending the info on Tad Walters. I dug what i heard. My friend here Michael Wolf has a similar vibe. They do not sound the same, but you can tell they come from the same roots if that makes any sense. It must be the John Jackson connection. Wolf has played with Margolin a good bit also. I have yet to meet Bob. Mac Arnold is another one he plays with a lot. Mac is another Carolina native. He is most known for his work with the Muddy Waters Band as well, and playing bass with Otis Redding and BB King. He has moved back here and does a festival out this way every year.
I do work in the science field as well. I am in biology research here at UNCC. I was just up your way not too long ago for a conference at the North Carolina Bio Center across form the Glaxo building in RTP. I went out to the Lemur Center and then to Soundpure music to geek out on guitars the day before the conference started. I was planning on taking Tommy out to Soundpure when we come in August for Lenny’s thing. I will let you know so you can meet us out there if you want.
Thanks for posting all the vids. I learned about Pink Anderson from Roy Bookbinder lessons years ago. I really like him. We’re considering a move to Sanford NC from Tucson at the end of the year. My girlfriend owns a house there. It’s a small town but Raleigh’s not that far and I understand there’s a good music scene there. Looking forward to checking checking it out.Mike
That is funny you mentioned Pink Anderson and Sanford NC. That is because Floyd Council, the other person who Pink Floyd pulled their name, is from Sanford NC. I am guessing since your girlfriend owns a house out there you are already aware of the drastic change from Tuscon, Sanford will be. I am not sure what the music scene is like out in the Raleigh/Durham area because I am about 3 hours away. I am down near the Charlotte area. I have played a few times in Chapel Hill, which is pretty much the same area, and always had a good time. It has been many years so I do not know what all is still out there.
Yes it will be culture shock. We’re flying out soon to check it out and if we make the move it’ll be a 2 year trial stay to see if we like it. It’s very old South there. Thanks for the info on Pink Floyds name source. Never knew that. Now I have to check out some Floyd Council stuff. It’s an amazing time we live in that we have access to all this historical music. Alot of these guys could only be found in out of the way record stores 20 years ago.
You are right, it is amazing the access we have to music now. Not only to the old music that used to be hard to find, but also the access to learn. You can’t find a teacher now it doesn’t matter, just jump online. It is wild. It makes it much easier when you get stuck, but sometimes getting stuck is what makes the journey fun. I don’t know how many cool things I have come across on accident from being stuck trying to figure something else out.
In moving out here, I think the whole humidity thing is going to be the big shock for you. Our summer days that hit 98-100 degrees with 45% humidity, and a dew point of 72 degrees. I had family from the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, and always loved it when we went out there in the summer. 95-100 degrees out there felt a whole lot better out there than 95-100 does here. It weighs on you here and makes you sweat in places you don’t need to by just simply walking outside and standing. Now when you guys hit 110 then it doesn’t matter. Then it is just F-in hot, dry heat or not. LOL. Tuscon is a pretty place.
Quick story, when I was drivimg to the clinic two years ago I got lost, when I pulled off the freeway we parked near a community center to get our bearing, and litterally 10 seconds later a whole second line procession piles out of the center. It was pretty awesome. I then knew this place was gonna be cool. I think you are gonna like it Mike.
Sorry I have been slack. Here are some more players. Lesley is another native of North Carolina. He was born in Burnsville, Nc and finished up his career in Ashville, NC.
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