Lemon Henry Jefferson
b. September 24th, 1893 in Couchman (Texas)
d. December 19th, 1929 in Chicago (Illinois)
COMPLETE RECORDED WORKS
Document
Volume 1 (December 1925 - December 1926)
Volume 2 (March - October 1927)
Volume 3 (February - August 1928)
Volume 4 (January - September 1929)
CLASSIC SIDES
JSP
December 1925 - September 1929
Père du blues texan, Blind Lemon Jefferson se distingue par une voix haut perchée mais puissante. Son jeu de guitare s'avère d'une grande complexité que peu d'artistes réussiront à reproduire. Pourtant, son influence sur "T-Bone" Walker, "Lil' Son" Jackson, "Funny Paper" Smith et Lightnin' Hopkins sera déterminante. Fils d'Alec et Clarissa Jefferson - modestes cultivateurs - Lemon Henry Jefferson nait aveugle et grandit au milieu de sept frères et soeurs. Dès 1912, il joue de la guitare à des piques-niques ou des fêtes locales. Il développe rapidement une grande virtuosité à la guitare se caractérisant par un jeu complexe très fluide. Il gravite autour de Dallas et y rencontre successivement Leadbelly et "T-Bone" Walker. En 1925, il est enregistré par un des chercheurs de chez Paramount. Cet enregistrement de démonstration est envoyé au producteur J. Mayo Williams qui fait venir le guitariste à Chicago. Il enchaine alors les séances pour Paramount - environ 80 morceaux (parfois sous la supervision du producteur Arthur Laibly) - entre Spirituals et Blues Texan (dont il est le créateur) : "Jack O'Diamonds", "That black snake moan", "Matchbox blues", "See that my grave is kept clean", "Got the blues", "Long lonesome blues", "He arose from the dead", "Electric chair blues", "Prison cell blues", "One dime blues", "Black horse blues". De nombreuses fausses rumeurs ont couru sur sa mort prématurée.
Father of the Texas Blues, Blind Lemon Jefferson is distinguished by a high pitched but powerful voice. His guitar playing is of great complexity that few artists will succeed to reproduce. Still, his influence on "T-Bone" Walker, "Lil' Son" Jackson, "Funny Paper" Smith and Lightnin' Hopkins will be strong. Son of Alec and Clarissa Jefferson - modest sharecroppers - Lemon Henry Jefferson was born blind and raised among seven siblings. As early as 1912, he played guitar at picnics or local parties. He quickly develops a great virtuosity on guitar characterized by a very complex but fluid playing. He gravitates around Dallas and successively meets Leadbelly and "T-Bone" Walker. In 1925, he was recorded by one of the researchers at Paramount. This demo recording is sent to producer J. Mayo Williams who brings the guitarist to Chicago. He then goes on sessions for Paramount - around 80 songs (sometimes under the supervision of producer Arthur Laibly) - between Spirituals and Texas Blues (of which he is the creator) : "Jack O'Diamonds", "That black snake moan", "Matchbox blues", "See that my grave is kept clean", "Got the blues", "Long lonesome blues", "He arose from the dead", "Electric chair blues", "Prison cell blues", "One dime blues", "Black horse blues". There were many false rumors about his untimely death.