Jefferson, Blind Lemon

Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Lemon Jefferson;
basic information
Date of Birth	or
Place of Birth	;
Date of death
A place of death	;
A country	;
Professions	, , ,
Years of activity	since
Instruments	guitar
Genres	blues
Labels

Blind Lemon Jefferson ( English Blind Lemon Jefferson , real name Lemon Henry Jefferson English; Lemon Henry Jefferson ; September 24, 1893 , Texas , USA - December 19, 1929 , Chicago ) - American bluesman and guitarist.

Content

1 Biography
2 Creativity
3 Bluesmen about Jefferson
4 notes
5 Literature
6 References

Biography

Born September 24, 1893 in Wortham, Texas, and was the seventh child in the family. Partially or completely blind in early childhood (or born blind). Not having due to his physical lack of ability to perform agricultural work, he was engaged in music. He learned to play the guitar early, and as a child, he already voiced parties and dances. Later, when the 1910s began, he was already performing on the streets of Dallas. In Dallas, he met Ledbelli , with whom they performed in a duet. In 1916, the duo broke up due to the fact that Ledbelli was imprisoned for a fight. Already in the 1940s, Ledbelli dedicated a song to Jefferson in which he recalled that time. In 1917, Jefferson met with Aaron Thibault Walker ( T-Bone Walker ). Jefferson taught him the basics of the blues guitar in exchange for Walker being his guide. From 1920–1923, Walker was a guide to Lemon around Dallas. In the early 1920s, Jefferson made enough money to support his wife, and possibly a child. However, there is no solid evidence of his marriage. It is worth noting that Lemon had two Ford cars (an unheard-of luxury for those times for a black man). Jefferson died in 1929, freezing to death in a snowstorm.

Creativity

Although Jefferson is better known as a bluesman, he also performed religious hymns, spirituals, work songs, and folk tunes of the South. His vocal style developed under many influences, but his high, slightly sharp voice was very peculiar. Jefferson's guitar style is intriguing with its polyphonic, texture and rhythm changes. He used spectacular arpeggios, repetitive moves on low strings, jazz-like improvisations that brought special flavor and energy to his game. Jefferson was one of the first musicians to record his own songs.

Jefferson Bluesmen

I still can't understand the secret of Jefferson's blues. If I could explain their attractiveness - I swear, I would start playing the same way. Something special about his phrasing is funny. Double rhythm. He could play: one-two-three-four, and then immediately (two times faster) one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four. And the size remained the same - but - twice as fast! And he did it with such laid-back ease! I transcribed his records onto a cassette and I drive myself everywhere. His touch of the strings is unique, completely different than the rest of the guitarists, and remains so to this day. No matter how I tried, no matter how I tried, I tried everything - and yet I did not get the same sound as his. He was a wizard! And he played only on a simple little six-string guitar with a small round hole. It is impossible to imagine with what pleasure I would listen to him. And in my opinion, the way he used rhythmic figures far outstrips his time.

Bb king

It was the case, I drove Blind Lemon Jefferson, played along with him and walked with a mug in a circle, drove him from one pub to another. I enjoyed listening to him play. He sang like that - everyone was far from that! He was a friend of my father. On the street, people gathered around him so tightly that he was not even visible.

T-Bone Walker