Customer Reviews

Best Of Blind Lemon Jefferson

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This new reissue of blues, party songs and hymns by Lemon Jefferson begins brilliantly with what is probably his best-known song today, "Match Box Blues." The name "Blind Lemon" is familiar to many people in one guise or another, but his music is not. So those who haven't heard Lemon should prepare to be startled, once they adjust to the inevitably antiquated sound. Alongside a rich and expressive voice, Jefferson's guitar laughs and swoops, bends and chatters and defies you not to tap your foot, to a beat that has little regard for the 12-bar lockstep that many people (even many musicians) think is the sum total of "blues." In this 1927 masterpiece, he seems to be looking decades ahead even as he remains rooted in the northeast Texas countryside where he did his early rambling.

Blind Lemon Jefferson is an essential American folk music artist. As the booklet notes say, he basically created the recording market for male blues singers; his influence on the form was profound, though his style was so personal that he had few direct imitators; and almost every blues guitarist who's thrown off a flashy lick in a bid to impress is walking in Lemon's footsteps. B.B. King, viewed by some as the ultimate Mississippi bluesman, says that Lemon, along with T-Bone Walker - both Texans, as he points out - remain to this day his deepest influences. Beyond that, Jefferson's a wonderful, soulful singer whose voice cuts through today's hi-tech speakers just as it did the old acoustical horns. His lyrics, while containing their share of "floating" blues verses, are often unusual and original-sounding.

Yazoo's "The Best of Blind Lemon Jefferson" takes the place of the now-deleted "King of the Country Blues." Brand new digital transfers have been made from the original 78s; there also seem to be fewer scratches audible than in the former disc, though to be sure there's plenty of surface hiss. Still, Yazoo has always had, to my taste, superlative standards in 78 remastering, and this one holds fast to that quality.

To be truly celebrated about "Best of" is the presence of almost all of Lemon's earliest blues sides, including some that were skipped on "King of." During his first two years of recording, and especially the first, Jefferson displayed great variety in his guitar arrangements, and the earliest sessions show awesome energy, in addition to the assured professionalism of a seasoned street singer.

Lemon Jefferson recorded the first blues hit by a male vocalist and one of the first hits by a country musician - "Long Lonesome Blues," paired with "Got the Blues," issued in early 1926. Even more to be celebrated is that the versions of both of these that appear here are the second takes, recorded about a month after the first when staggeringly good sales caused the original masters to simply wear out. The earlier takes are both fantastic, but for the later ones, Lemon has upped the intensity yet again; both are pitched a whole tone higher, his singing is more confident, and on "Long Lonesome" he reaches a fevered tempo that would be hard for your average metal-axe hero to keep up with even today. It's one of the best recordings ever made, and it's great to have it here in the best sound. (But Lemon's first several sessions were recorded acoustically, before there were microphones, and Jefferson's label had no regard for quality as to engineering and pressing, so the sound can never be that great.)

Almost as good as the earlier two-sided hit is another two sides paired on 78, both recorded at the same session (early 1928) on a day when everything - Lemon's voice, his playing, his inspiration, the technical staff, the recording setup - must have been just right. "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" is Lemon's signature tune (the words adorn his grave monument) and the mastering job here is the best I've heard, with the vocals especially clear. The other tune, "Electric Chair Blues," is not common in reissues, but it's stunning in every respect; again, Lemon's vocal is especially impassioned, and the song is truly disturbing. Both songs also feature the audible thump of Lemon's presumably-unshod foot, pounding out the beat.

Fans and completists will note that again, Yazoo has chosen to exclude one of his most notorious records, "That Black Snake Moan," which has a characteristic Lemon arrangement in C, of which there are no examples on this new "Best of." Equally puzzling to me is the inclusion of "How Long How Long," an early version of the "Sitting on Top of the World" melody that features a mournful vocal by Jefferson and a jaw-dropping disconnect between him and the accompanying pianist. The CD times at 67 minutes, and given that Yazoo has recently issued anthologies of up to 79 minutes, it's odd that room couldn't have been found for a couple of additional tracks, such as "Bad Luck Blues, "Shucking Sugar" or "Stocking Feet Blues."

Stephen Calt's notes from the earlier Yazoo CD are reproduced here, though abruptly shortened.

Completists should appreciate the upgraded sound (Yazoo's approach does have its detractors), as will Jefferson fans who should also enjoy some of the more unusual track choices. Among these is his very first recording, the hymn "I Want to Be Like Jesus in My Heart." Not usually anthologized, it is simple, stately, and quite beautiful. If you're new to this, if you've come to like country blues (through, say, R. Johnson) and are ready to explore Lemon's world, this is the one to get. If he manages to get under your skin, which can happen, then there's more to hear, as all his issued recordings are available on various CDs.

Blind Lemon Jefferson should be heard, and on this CD he really can be heard. Dig him.

The music of Blind Lemon Jefferson is just as important as the music of Robert Johnson. This release sounds miles ahead of anything which has been available before. Paramount's race records were manufactured of the poorest quality, so the sound is often substantially rougher then other recordings from the 1920's. So believe me when I say that this cd is a godsend. It's like hearing the music for the first time again. And what music! I won't even get into the remarkable guitar work or beautiful singing. Any blues collection without this disc is seriously lacking.

After listening to HARP's "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" which is Blind Lemon's "Out and Down", and listening to the Carter Family's "See That My Grave's Kept Green" which I confuse with Blind Lemon's "See That My Grave's Kept Clean", I obviously had to return to The Best of Blind Lemon Jefferson. As always it is an absolutely luxurious aural experience -- the joyful beat of "Beggin Back", the early gospel sound of "He Rose From the Dead", the haunting blues of "'Lectric Chair Blues". Blind Lemon's music evolved as a street musician with more freedom in his beat than those bluesmen who played for dances. Add a voice that he used superbly ... understandable, musical, emotional. Others may have recorded the same songs as he but few have matched his performance.

For more detail on this collection, see the review by bigthumb.

It's not surprising that Blind Lemon was the most popular bluesman of his era for when you have the pleasure of hearing him for the first time you are subconsciously captivated by a voice which is obviously blessed with such rare subtle harmony that it can only be desribed as other worldly.
In fact other worldy is probably how I would describe this music as although it often follows rythmic patterns of conventional country blues, Lemon adds his own quirky notes which embellish the fingerpicking basslines and his greatest asset - his voice and the end result, although defined as blues, falls outside the traditional blues canon.
I highly recommend this CD as an overview of his work. The first time I heard Lemon was on a blues compilation CD featuring his great hit Matchbox Blues, and while that hooked me instantly I could tell that in this compilation the tracks had been remastered to a higher standard.
Be aware that there will be hiss on any Blind Lemon recording, this music goes back to the 1920's afer all, a fact which makes these timeless melodies all the more astonishing.

If you are not familiar with Blind Lemon, please don't assume this is some Cheech and Chong character. Jefferson was the first true male blues artist recorded in 1926 by Paramount. Up til that time, only female blues artists were on the market (Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Clara Smith). Blind Lemon opened the doors for other artists to be recorded, like Tommie Johnson, Skip James, Blind Willie McTell and ultimately Robert Johnson. His recordings were extremely popular and sold all over the south and even north, just like Bessie Smith. Unfortunately, these recordings were always somewhat scratchy and unlistenable, unless you were a folk or blues historian. Yazoo has done an excellent job of cleaning up these recordings with more prescence and overall cleaner sound. Of course, it's not going to sound like 2007, but condiering Paramount's reputation for lousy sound, these are a revelation. Jefferson is a seminal name in American music, along with Louis Armstrong, Elvis, Gershwin and Bob Dylan. The fact that he made true blues records marketable, opened up the door for all other blues artists. This is a must for any folk, blues, or music history collection. He was an excelleny singer and a fantastic guitarist, utilizing odd meters and tricks. He was not a linear guitarist and did not always follow the rhythm. His reputation, I understand dates back to the streets of Dallas as far back as 1905 to 1910, so his birthdate of 1880, seems more likely and most of these songs he recorded in 1926, he had played for about 20 years. A true historical document with great sound!

Taking the place of Yazoo's previous compilation, 1985's "King Of The Country Blues", this fine collection of Blind Lemon Jefferson's prewar singles is just about the best on the market (unless you want to spring for JSP's superb four-disc boxset "The Complete 94 Classic Sides").

The earliest of these 23 very well-chosen cuts are some of the first electrically recorded songs, and there is generally quite a lot of surface noise present, but that is the case with every available Blind Lemon-compilation, and this one is certainly one of the better sounding, along with Catfish's equally excellent Blind Lemon-CD "Squeeze My Lemon".
Lemon Jefferson was one of the pivotal figures of early 20th century blues, and one of the most important and influential bluesmen ever to come out of Texas...an intricate guitar player and a fine songwriter whose best songs ("Match Box Blues", "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean", the eerie "'Lectric Chair Blues") are all part of the fabric of the blues.
Highly recommended.

Along with men like Frank Stokes, Charley Patton, Furry Lewis, Mississippi John Hurt and Cryin' Sam Collins, Blind Lemon Jefferson was one of the original bluesmen. Although it's commonly thought that he was born in 1897, more recent research has suggested that he was born in 1893. During the years of his adolescence, the blues was first beginning to take shape. Songs like "Black Horse Blues," "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," "Matchbox Blues," "Corinna Blues," and "Rabbit Foot Blues" are all absolutely essential to anyone's blues collection, or to their general understanding of American music. Jefferson's strange and unconventional vocals controlled and dictated what he played on guitar. His guitar playing was highly influenced by the Flamenco playing of Mexican workers whom he lived near during his life. His lyrics are bright, original, often sarcastic and humorous, and great poetry. Unfortunately, both this disc and a Yazoo Blind Blake disc that I have, often skip when I play them. Better luck to others who purchase this Jefferson disc!

For those previously unfamiliar with Blind Lemon, he single handedly changed the face of the blues in the 1920's and 1930's. We can thank him for the recordings of countless masterful male blues singers/guitarists, who were most often excluded from the race record industry prior to his incredible success.

Jefferson's voice rings out clear and expressive, conveying moving, unique and often surreal lyrics. His guitar playing was (particularly on his early sides) utterly original. He often played in free meter, adding or subtracting bars and riffs where he pleased. His playing often had an edge of the seat improvisatory quality, all the while maintaining a clarity of purpose and melody. Other bluesmen scoffed at the fact that his music wasn't danceable, but as the liner notes will attest, this was music for listening to rather than dancing to (though I still maintain I could dance to it!). The variety of Jefferson's repertoire (especially in his earlier recordings) ensures that listeners remain captivated and surprised, and that his songs did not sink into the monotony which could plague other recording artists of the time. If you have any interest in early acoustic blues, Blind Lemon Jefferson simply cannot be overlooked.

So what of this compilation? Yazoo records are known for the care and attention they put into making their transfers to ensure the best lossless sound quality. I find their transfers to be of the highest calibre, particularly in terms of maintaining presence and dimension. With Blind Lemon's recordings, this is absolutely imperative, as they were originally recorded for Paramount records-a company which produced notoriously bad sounding/poor quality 78s. As someone who also owns the JSP set, I can honestly say the sound quality here is superior. And while it's nice to own all of Jefferson's known recorded sides, this compilation provides an excellent overview featuring well chosen and sequenced material. I do have a few objections (no "Shuckin' Sugar", no "Black Snake Moan"), but no single disc compilation will ever completely satisfy individual preferences.

So to the beginning blues buff, this disc provides an excellent sampling of songs by an artist who simply cannot be overlooked. And to the resident experts out there, there is no better place to hear the nuance, intricacy and emotion in stunning sound quality. Highly recommended!

This man is the foundation of country/texas blues; everyone has been directly or indirectly influenced by him.This collection is the most accurate representation of Blind lemon jefferson's music;which includes country blues,spirituals & folk songs.Being a texas country bluesman myself; in my opinion, Blind Lemon Jefferson & Charlie Patton are the best bluesmen that ever lived .

This man is the foundation of country/texas blues; everyone has been directly or indirectly influenced by him.This collection is the most accurate representation of Blind lemon jefferson's music;which includes country blues,spirituals & folk songs.Being a texas country bluesman myself; in my opinion, Blind Lemon Jefferson & Charlie Patton are the best bluesmen that ever lived .