Big Joe Williams

Big Joe Williams

Photo: Dick Waterman

Source: Past Blues

Like early jazz which had two main branches, developing out of New Orleans in the south and Chicago in the north, so it was with the blues, musicians gravitating north to Chicago along the major vein of the Mississippi River, forming the heart of the blues in the Delta region. Though early country blues arose in other regions of the South it is the Delta where most early blues were centered, Mississippi in particular excepting Memphis, Tennessee. In Mississippi the major blues hub was Clarksdale where now resides blues slide guitarist, Watermelon Slim.

Region of the Mississippi Delta

Source: Carnegie Mellon 

Born in Crawford, Mississippi on 16 October 1903, Big Joe Williams (Joseph Lee Williams) often played a nine-string guitar. The twenties saw him with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels for a time. Others who worked for that tent show were Arthur Happy Howe, Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, Butterbeans and Susie, Tim Moore, Louis Jordan, Brownie McGhee and Rufus Thomas.

Williams is thought to have first recorded on December 11, 1930, with the Birmingham Jug Band in Atlanta, GA. American Music lists the first two of nine tracks as 'German Blues' and 'Airplane Blues released on OKeh 8856. According to Williams the Birmingham Jug Band consisted of Burl "Jaybird" Coleman at harmonica, "Honeycup" at jug and "New Orleans Slide" at washboard with guitars and/or mandolin by "One-Armed Dave" (Dave Miles), "Dr. Scott", "Bogus Ben Covington" (Ben Curry) and himself. Vocals aren't identified. The caveat with this personnel list is that Wirz at American Music remarks that it is probably not identical with the group that made the recordings [see the Birmingham Jug Band under Jaybird Coleman at American Music]. It is likely Jaybird Coleman, though, on both harmonica and vocals on tracks below:

Composition: Williams

Composition: Williams

Composition: Williams

Williams' career received a major boost upon signing with the Bluebird record label in 1935. Unlike many blues artists who faded away after some early recordings until rediscovery during the blues and folk revival of the sixties, Williams remained well-known as he worked the Delta region. Wikipedia has him partnering with a young Muddy Waters during the thirties. He performed in St. Louis, MO, with Peetie Wheatstraw about 1939. Along the way he and Sonny Boy Williamson I backed Robert Lee McCoy at the Leland Hotel in Aurora, Illinois, on 'Prowling Night-Hawk' on 5 May 1937 (Bluebird B6995). Those were Williamson's debut recordings. Williamson's first name session followed with McCoy and Williams supporting 'Skinny Woman' / 'Got the Bottle Up and Gone' (Bluebird 7012). McCoy and Williamson then supported Williams' 'I Know You Gonna Miss Me' / 'Brother James' (Bluebird B7022). That trio also recorded on May 5: Williams' 'Rootin' Ground Hog' /' I Won't Be in Hard Luck No More' (Bluebird B7065), Williamson's 'Blue Bird Blues' / 'Jackson Blues' (Bluebird 7098), and McCoy's 'Sweet Pepper Mama' (Bluebird B7090) and 'Tough Luck' (Bluebird B7115). Williamson supported Williams severally over the years, including the former's last known recordings, those on December 18, 1947, for Williams' 'Banta Rooster Blues', 'House Lady Blues', 'King Biscuit Stomp', 'Don't You Leave Me Here', 'P Vine Blues' and 'I'm a Highway Man'. Those were issued per Columbia 30119, Columbia 38190, Columbia 30129, Columbia 30191.

Composition: Williams

Composition: Williams

Victoria Spivey had issued 'Black Snake Blues' in 1926 on OKeh 8338 the same year that Blind Lemon Jefferson released his 'Black Snake Moan' on OKeh 8455. It was 1941 when Williams first recorded his similarly titled 'Crawling King Snake'. Among the numerous who have covered that are The Doors in 1971, Canned Heat with John Lee Hooker in 1985 and Etta James in 1993.

Composition: Williams

Composition: Charley Patton

Williams recorded and issued his initial LP in 1958: 'Piney Woods Blues', his popularity to increase in the sixties.

Composition: Williams

Composition: Williams ?

Composition: Williams

Upright bass: Willie Dixon   Drums: S.P. Leary

Composition: Williams

Composition: Williams

Composition: Williams

American Music traces Williams recording to as late as 8 September 1979 at the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival hosted by Willie Dixon in Freedom Village, Mississippi, performing 'Tell Me Mama':

Delta Blues Festival    21:49   Big Joe Williams (guitar / vocal)   1979

See 'Delta Blues Festival '79'   Delta Arts Project   1980

Composition: Williams

Williams had recorded with several labels, and toured to both Europe and Japan before his death in Macon, Mississippi, on December 17, 1982, at age seventy-nine.

Further Reading: Weenie Campbell Forum   

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