Leadbelly, The Tradition Masters (Ryko, 2002)
Huddie Ledbetter was born in 1889 in Louisiana. He played diatonic accordion, guitar, harmonica and a touch of piano. By 1904 he had fathered his first child, by 1905 he went to jail for assault and then escaped, and in 1917 he had murdered a man in a bar fight and was sentenced to 30 years. Another escape attempt added six years to his sentence. Ledbetter had been a working musician for a while, traveling around with Blind Lemon Jefferson, and he continued to perform in Huntsville Prison. They allowed him to keep his guitar because he exerted a good influence on the other prisoners. In 1925 he wrote a song entitled "Governor Pat Neff" which he sang when the governor visited Huntsville. Neff was impressed and granted him parole. Only five years later he was in trouble again, and sentenced to Angola Prison. Song collectors John and Alan Lomax visited Angola and recorded Ledbetter. They then petitioned the Governor of Louisiana who released Ledbetter to serve as their chauffeur!
The legend of Leadbelly is filled with this kind of fascinating stuff. But the music tells the whole story.
Leadbelly was not a blues singer, but rather a living encyclopedia of American folk music. The songs on The Tradition Masters were recorded in 1942 and 1944 for the Stinson label. Most of the best known tunes associated with Leadbelly are included on this collection, and the fact that the source was a New York studio means that these are about the best recorded versions too. The sound is clear and full. Leadbelly is usually solo, just him and his 12 string guitar, but Sonny Terry joins him on harmonica and vocals for Leroy Carr's "How Long" and Josh White plays 6 string guitar on "Pretty Flower in Your Backyard." Leadbelly sings in a strong and clear voice. "Rising Sun Blues" (here called "New Orleans") is the same lyric as the Animals' version ("House of the Rising Sun") but in a radically different arrangement. "Goodnight Irene" is Leadbelly's signature tune and the version here both is powerful and melodic. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is the song Kurt Cobain was later to record, yet Leadbelly had more punk credentials to bring to the song than Nirvana ever dreamed about!
Not strictly the blues, but bluesy; not a songster but melodic and entertaining, Leadbelly covered a range of material. Cowboy songs, field hollers, gospel songs and dance numbers, he would do it all. His 12-string guitar playing set the style and the standard for every 12-string guitarist who followed. Listen to Van Morrison's playing on his earlier albums for echoes of the master. "The Gallis Pole," "Black Betty," "Bourgeois Blues," "Bring Me Li'l' Water, Sylvie," all the classics are here, save for "Rock Island Line."
This historic music deserves to be heard. Everyone with an interest in roots music, or Americana, or folk song, or blues, should have at least one Leadbelly album in their collection. This is a fine place to start.
Find out more at the Rykodisc Records Web site.
