8.20.2008

One Man Band




Paul Blackman One Man Band LP (Folkways, 1957)

Born in Louisiana sometime in the late 1800s, Paul Blackman made his tiny mark playing on the streets of New York City, where this recording was done at an unknown time and place. Even the liner notes that come with this lack any solid information, a rarity for Folkways releases.

Blackman's one man band is one of the few that I've heard a recording of that is so percussion heavy. It's drums, drums, and drums that propel Blackman's songs, leaving us something that sounds more "Bongo Joe" George Coleman than Abner Jay. And since the recording is nice and raw, the overall sound is more frantic than most one man band recordings.



Comments:
Totally great!

And since it was on Folkways, it's probably still available thru the Smithsonian.
 
Theres a version of "Sheik of Araby." That's all I need to know.

You can indeed buy this from the Folkways website--mp3, custom CD or custom cassette.
 
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