Delta Blues, Part 1 - Charley Patton
by Don Erickson
The success of the first blues recordings in the early 1920s by the
classic women singers generated interest from the record companies to
seek out other artists who also played the blues. Many trips throughout
the South by various talent scouts resulted in many
"discoveries" of musicians who had been pioneering this brand
of music since the early years of this century.
In the northwestern area of Mississippi called the Delta region, many
bluesmen were found on the many plantations and juke joints. This area
of land was a large expanse of very flat, fertile farmland where many
sharecroppers made their living working in incredibly harsh conditions
for very little compensation. One of the few diversions that made life
more bearable was the music that was played by the various musicians who
traveled around the region. Their brand of blues was generally more
simple, direct and emotionally charged than other regions.
The man who is regarded as the first star of the Delta blues is Charley
Patton. He was born outside of Edwards, Mississippi, probably in 1887.
Some historians place his birth date as early as 1881, others as late as
1891. Charley Patton was not the first man to play the Delta blues, but
he was one of the first to be recorded and become popular. The man
largely responsible for teaching Patton was Henry Sloan. Patton was
already gaining recognition in the area by 1915 or so. However, his
music was not recorded until 1929 in Richmond, Indiana for the Paramount
label. Some 60-odd tracks of his were recorded in a short, but prolific
career that ended with his death on April 28, 1934 in Indianola,
Mississippi.
He lived a very fast, colorful life while he was here. He had a
reputation as a hard-drinkin', easily provoked man who definitely had an
eye for the ladies. He was married at least four, and possibly as many
as eight times.
He was only about five feet, five inches tall and 135 pounds, but
possessed a powerful, gravelly voice. In fact, Sleepy John Estes claimed
Patton was the loudest blues singer he had ever heard. His guitar
playing was equally impressive, fueled with a propulsive beat and keen
rhythmic sense. Patton was a pioneer of slide guitar and also popped his
bass strings, beat on his guitar like a drum and stomped his feet to
create excitement. As if his playing style was not enough, he was one of
the first entertainers to excite crowds by playing his guitar between
his knees or behind his back.
He also knew a variety of songs beyond the blues form, performing folk,
popular or gospel tunes, depending on the situation. He played at
picnics, parties, juke joints and levee camps, often with fellow
musician and friend, Willie Brown.
Charley's first recording session in Indiana produced 14 tracks,
including "Pony Blues" which became a trademark of his. He
traveled to Grafton, Wisconsin with fiddler Henry "Son" Sims
in October 1929 to record 13 more sides. These were released in 1920. In
a return trip to Grafton later that year, he brought along Willie Brown,
Son House and pianist Louise Johnson, all of them cutting tracks.
There would be one more session before he died, in New York in early
1934. His health was failing him by this time and he passed away from a
heart condition a few months later in Mississippi.
His influence on country blues artists was greater than anyone except
for perhaps Blind Lemon Jefferson from Texas. His legacy has been
carried on by numerous artists. Most of these will, in turn, be profiled
in the months to come. Many talented musicians from the Delta added
their own unique stamp to the form and it evolved as these bluesmen
traveled north to Helena, Memphis and St. Louis, eventually reaching
Chicago and Detroit. Many of the most recognizable names in Blues can
trace their roots back to Charley Patton and his fellow pioneers of the
Delta blues.
Next month, the great Son House will be featured.
Reprinted with permission from the March 1997 issue of the Blues Crier
