blind blake

Biography

Arthur "Blind" Blake, often celebrated as the "King of Ragtime Guitar," was born in Newport News, Virginia, likely in 1896, to Winter and Alice Blake, though definitive records are scarce[1][3][4]. Blind from birth or early childhood, Blake faced the considerable challenges of living with a disability in early 20th-century America. He spent his formative years as a traveling musician, busking on street corners and performing in minstrel and medicine shows throughout the South and Southeast, with Jacksonville, Florida, serving as a key hub for his artistry[1][2][4].

Blake's prodigious guitar skills, characterized by intricate fingerpicking, syncopated rhythms, and a ragtime dance style, caught the attention of Paramount Records in the mid-1920s. Between 1926 and 1932, he recorded nearly 80 sides, including classics like "West Coast Blues," "Southern Rag," and "Police Dog Blues," which showcased his technical mastery and charismatic personality[1][2][7]. Blake's music blended humour, poignant storytelling, and dazzling guitar work, making him a sought-after session musician and a prolific solo artist in Chicago's vibrant Bronzeville neighborhood[4][7].

Despite his commercial success, Blake's life ended tragically. The collapse of Paramount Records and the economic devastation of the Great Depression left him unemployed. He settled in Milwaukee with his wife, Beatrice, and died of tuberculosis in 1934 at the age of 38, leaving behind a legacy that profoundly shaped American blues and ragtime guitar[1][3][4][5].

Fun Facts

• Blind Blake's grave was unmarked and its location unknown for decades until rediscovered in 2011[2].
• He was renowned for his extraordinarily fast and intricate three-finger picking technique, which many guitarists have tried to emulate with limited success[2].
• Paramount Records promoted Blake as possessing 'a gift of inner vision,' highlighting his ability to create beautiful music despite his blindness[1].
• Blake's 'West Coast Blues' became a standard for aspiring guitarists and helped popularize ragtime guitar across the South[1].

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Traditional ragtime and blues musicians - Blake drew inspiration from the ragtime and blues traditions prevalent in the South, especially those he encountered while busking and performing in medicine shows. (Influence evident in 'West Coast Blues', 'Southern Rag') [Early 1900s–1920s]

Key Collaborators

• Charlie Spand - Detroit piano legend; Blake recorded the instrumental 'Hastings Street' with Spand, blending guitar and piano in a boogie-woogie style. ('Hastings Street' (1929)) [1929]
• Ma Rainey - Blake played guitar accompaniment for Ma Rainey, one of Paramount's leading blues singers. (Session recordings for Paramount Records) [1926–1932]
• Leola Wilson - Blake provided guitar accompaniment for Wilson's recordings. (Paramount Records sessions) [1926–1932]
• Bertha Henderson - Blake played guitar for Henderson's blues recordings. (Paramount Records sessions) [1926–1932]
• Chocolate Brown - Collaborated as a session guitarist for her recordings. (Paramount Records sessions) [1926–1932]

Artists Influenced

• Rev. Gary Davis - Davis adopted and expanded Blake's ragtime fingerpicking techniques in his own gospel and blues guitar style. (Fingerstyle guitar repertoire) [1930s–1970s]
• Ry Cooder - Cooder cited Blake as a major influence on his approach to acoustic blues and ragtime guitar. (Solo albums and performances) [1970s–present]
• Stefan Grossman - Grossman studied and taught Blake's guitar techniques, publishing instructional materials. (Instructional books and recordings) [1960s–present]
• Jorma Kaukonen - Kaukonen incorporated Blake's fingerstyle techniques into his own blues and folk performances. (Hot Tuna, solo work) [1970s–present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Police Dog Blues (Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker)
2. Southern Rag (Georgia Bound)
3. Police Dog Blues (One Time Blues)
4. Diddie Wah Diddie (Georgia Bound)
5. Too Tight Blues No. 2 (Georgia Bound)
6. Rope Stretching Blues, Pt. 1 (Georgia Bound)
7. Come on Boys, Let's Do That Messin' Around (Georgia Bound)
8. Hastings St (One Time Blues)
9. They’re Red Hot (Rough Guide To Blind Blake)
10. Police Dog Blues

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #country-blues, #piedmont-blues