ROOTS LP RL-330: Tommy Johnson & Ishman Bracey – The Famous 1928 Session - 1969
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Background -
Next to Son House and Charley Patton, no one was more important to the development of pre-Robert Johnson Delta blues than Tommy Johnson. Armed with a powerful voice that could go from a growl to an eerie falsetto range and a guitar style that had all of the early figures and licks of the Delta style clearly delineated, Johnson only recorded for two years -- from 1928 to 1930 -- but left behind a body of work that's hard to ignore.The legend of Tommy Johnson is even harder to ignore. The stories about his live performances -- where he would play the guitar behind his neck in emulation of Charley Patton's showboating while hollering the blues at a full-throated level for hours without a break -- are part of it. So is his uncontrolled womanizing and alcoholism, both of which constantly got him in trouble. Johnson's addiction to spirits was so pronounced that he was often seen drinking Sterno -- denatured alcohol used for artificial heat -- or shoe polish strained through bread for the kick each could offer when whiskey wasn't affordable or available in dry counties throughout the South. Then there's the crossroads story. Yes, years before the deal with the Devil at a deserted Delta crossroad was being used as an explanation of the otherworldly abilities of young Robert Johnson, the story was being told repeatedly about Johnson, often by the man himself to reinforce his abilities to doubting audiences.
Then there's the music. His "Cool Water Blues" got amped up in the '50s by one of his early admirers, Howlin' Wolf, and became "I Asked for Water (She Brought Me Gasoline)." Another signature piece, his "Maggie Campbell" came with a chord progression that was used for infinite variations by blues players dating all the way back to his contemporary Charley Patton and up through Robert Nighthawk. Two of his best-known numbers have survived into modern times; "Big Road Blues" is probably best known to contemporary blues fans from adaptations by Floyd Jones and others, while his "Canned Heat Blues" -- a bone-chilling account of his complete addiction to alcohol and his slavish attempts to score it by whatever means necessary -- was the tune that gave a California blues-rock band its name. After a while, all of the above starts adding up: no matter how you slice it, Tommy Johnson was one tough hombre, and a real piece of work.
He was born in 1896 in Hinds County, MS, on the George Miller plantation. Once the family moved to Crystal Springs in 1910, Tommy picked up the guitar, learning from his older brother, LeDell. By age 16, Johnson had run away from home to become a "professional" musician, largely supporting himself by playing on the street for tips. By the late teens/early '20s, Tommy was frequently playing in the company of rising local stars Charley Patton, Dick Bankston, and Willie Brown, their collective oeuvre planting the seeds that would later become the first greening of the Mississippi Delta blues. Johnson spent most of the '20s drinking, womanizing, gambling, and playing in the company of Rubin Lacy, Charley McCoy, Walter Vincent, and Ishmon Bracey when the money got low and, apparently, only when the mood struck him. By all accounts, Tommy felt no particular drive to promote himself relentlessly and -- while he played music for pay until the very end of his life -- he certainly wasn't as serious about his career as he was about his drinking. He cut his first records for the Victor (later RCA Victor, now BMG) label at sessions held in Memphis, TN, in 1928. Johnson's first releases hit the area hard, inspiring a raft of up-and-comers that reads like the proverbial who's who list; you could easily count Howlin' Wolf, Robert Nighthawk, Houston Stackhouse, Floyd Jones, Boogie Bill Webb, K.C. Douglas, Johnny "Geechie" Temple, and Otis Spann among his many disciples.
He cut one more stack of great records for the Paramount label in 1930, largely through the maneuvering of fellow drinking buddy Charley Patton. Then the slow descent into alcoholism started taking its toll, the one-too-many-nights of Sterno and shoe polish buzzes reducing his once prodigious talents to small, sporadic flickerings of former genius. He worked on a medicine show with Ishmon Bracey in the '30s, but mostly seemed to be a mainstay of the juke and small-party dance circuit for the rest of his days. He was playing at just such a local house party in November of 1956 when he suffered a fatal heart attack and went out in probably the exact fashion he wanted to. Whether the story about the deal with the Devil at the crossroads was something he truly believed, or just something Johnson said to drum up local interest in himself, it seems odd that you'll find him buried at the Warm Springs Methodist Church Cemetery in Crystal Springs. Maybe he mellowed out toward the end, maybe he found God. Some things about the blues you'll never know, no matter how many computers you hook up to it. - Cub Koda
Ishman Bracey (certain 78 rpm record labels are incorrectly spelled "Ishmon," and this has carried over in some sources) was an early figure in Mississippi Delta blues and an associate of singer Tommy Johnson. Bracey learned guitar from "Mississippi" Ruben Lacy, and starting in the 1910s he played local dances, juke joints, fish fries and other local events in rural Mississippi. Bracey first recorded for Victor in Memphis in February, 1928 with Charlie McCoy on second guitar, and the two returned to Memphis for a second batch of records on August 31 of that year. Ishman Bracey finished out his recording career at Paramount with a group called the New Orleans Nehi Boys featuring Kid Ernest Michall on clarinet and Charles Taylor on piano. Bracey also accompanied Taylor on four selections of his own. As in the case of his close friend Tommy Johnson, Ishman Bracey's recording output is small; only 16 titles in all, although four of them are known in alternate takes. Two additional titles, "Low Down Blues" and "Run to Me at Night," were apparently issued by Paramount, but have never been found. Original copies of Ishman Bracey's 78-rpm records are among the most valued items sought by blues collectors.
Of Bracey's songs, "Trouble Hearted Blues" and "Left Alone Blues" are very highly regarded, but in general his work is quite consistent and listening to his small output in its complete form certainly has its rewards. After his recording career ended, Bracey continued to perform, again with Tommy Johnson, on the medicine-show circuit. After World War II Bracey "got religion," and wasn't even interested in discussing his career as a bluesman when rediscovered in the late '50s. However, he did provide advice to researchers that led to the rediscovery of Skip James, and it is worth noting that Ishman Bracey continued to perform sacred material in local churches up until the day he died. - Uncle Dave Lewis LP made by ROOTS Records, in AUSTRIA
LP released in 1969
LP recorded in MONO Record Catalog Number: RL-330
This listing is for a rare, out of print LP title - an OPENED and in Near MINT minus overall condition LP PRESSED and ISSUED by ROOTS Records of a highly collectible title from their catalog - a superb title featuring -
Tommy Johnson & Ishman Bracey
LP Title -
The Famous 1928 Session
Track Listing -
A1. Tommy Johnson - Cool Drink Of Water Blues
A2. Tommy Johnson - Big Road Blues
A3. Tommy Johnson - Bye-Bye Blues
A4. Tommy Johnson - Maggie Campbell Blues
A5. Tommy Johnson - Canned Heat Blues
A6. Tommy Johnson - Lonesome Home Blues (Take 1)
A7. Tommy Johnson - Lonesome Home Blues (Take 2)
A8. Tommy Johnson - Big Fat Mama Blues
B1. Ishman Bracey - Saturday Blues
B2. Ishman Bracey - Left Lone Blues
B3. Ishman Bracey - Leavin" Town Blues
B4. Ishman Bracey - My Brown Mamma Blues
B5. Ishman Bracey - Trouble-Hearted Blues (Take 1)
B6. Ishman Bracey - Trouble-Hearted Blues (Take 2)
B7. Ishman Bracey - The Four Day Blues
Performers / Other Information -
• Record Company – Saydisc
• Compiled By, Producer – Evelyn Parth
• Guitar – Charlie McCoy (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1 to B4)
• Remastered By – Hans Peter Strobl
• Research – John Godrich, Robert Dixon
• Vocals, Guitar – Ishman Bracey (tracks: B1 to B7), Tommy Johnson (tracks: A1 to A8)
Charlie McCoy is credited as "second guitar", but there is a body of opinion that he is actually playing mandolin
• Matrix / Runout (Side A runout): RL 330A-1
• Matrix / Runout (Side B runout): RL 330 B-/
• Matrix / Runout (Side A label): RL 330-A
• Matrix / Runout (Side B label): RL 330-B
CONDITION Details: The LP jacket is in near mint minus condition! The jacket is tight and clean, with NO seam splits, NO discoloration, and NO cut-out marks. The corners are solid, with just a bit of shelf wear the seams and corners. The colors on the jacket are clean and sharp and the jacket is laminated, front and back. The LP is in near mint minus overall condition! The vinyl looks superb. The LP surfaces may have a slight spider mark or two, and/or dust and a finger print or two. Comes with the original paper inner sleeve - spider marks may be audible, but that really depends on the sensitivity of your audio gear. This vintage LP title is in top notch collectors grade condition and very collectible, in near mint minus shape. As this is a vintage LP title, don't expect it to sound like a brand new audiophile LP....some extraneous sound is inevitable and should be expected for a vintage LP. The LP retains much of the original gloss and sheen! There are NO serious spindle marks on the record labels either.
A Short Note About LP GRADING - Mint {M} = Only used for sealed items. Near Mint {NM} = Virtually flawless in every way. Near Mint Minus {NM-} = Item has some minor imperfections, some audible. Excellent {EXC} = Item obviously played and enjoyed with some noise. Very Good Plus {VG+} = Many more imperfections which are noticeable and obtrusive.
For best results, always thoroughly clean your LPs before playing them.
LPs can be audiophile quality pressings (any collector of fine MFSL, half speeds, direct to discs, Japanese/UK pressings etc., can attest to the difference a quality pressing can make to an audio system).
Don't let this rarity slip by!!!
