Arthur Blake
b. 1896 in Newport News (Virginia)
d. December 1st, 1934 in Milwaukee (Wisconsin)
BOOTLEG RUM DUM BLUES
Biograph
September 1926 - July 1930
SEARCH WARRANT
Biograph
September 1926 - June 1932
NO DOUGH BLUES
Biograph
September 1926 - June 1929
ROPE STRETCHIN' BLUES
Biograph
October 1926 - October 1931
RAGTIME GUITAR'S FOREMOST FINGERPICKER
Yazoo
September 1926 - June 1932
ALL THE PUBLISHED TITLES
JSP
July 1926 - June 1932
On ne connait pas grand chose de sa vie. Une seule photographie (issue d'une publicité) existe de Blind Blake. Aveugle, on a longtemps cru qu'il s'appelait Arthur Phelps et qu'il venait de Floride. Finalement, en 2011, grâce aux chercheurs du magazine Blues & Rhythm, Alex Van Den Tuuk, Bob Eagle, Rob Ford, Eric LeBlanc, Angela Mack, on sait aujourd'hui que Blind Blake s'appelait Arthur Blake et qu'il était originaire de Newport News (Virginie). Blake a gravé environ 80 morceaux en six années pour le label Paramount. Guitariste accompli, il possède un jeu en fingerpicking complexe mais très fluide. Sa grande virtuosité influencera des générations de guitaristes en particulier "Blind Boy" Fuller, Josh White et Reverend Gary Davis. A ce titre, Blake doit être reconnu comme le fondateur du Piedmont Blues. Son répertoire se compose essentiellement de Ragtimes, de quelques Blues ainsi que des pièces jazzy ou issues du music-hall. Il commence à enregistrer en juillet 1926 sous la supervision de J. Mayo Williams pour Paramount. Ses premiers titres attirent l'attention sur lui : "Too tight", "West coast blues", "Blake's worried blues", "Skeedle loo doo blues" puis plus tard "Dry bone shuffle", "Detroit bound blues", "Diddie wah diddie", "Righteous blues". Certaines pistes sont d'une éblouissante virtuosité technique comme "Southern rag", "Slippery rag", "Guitar chimes", "Blind Arthur's breakdown". Blake accompagne aussi parfois la chanteuse Leola Wilson ("Wilson dam") ou Irene Scruggs. Il se marie avec Beatrice Mc Gee vers 1931. Sa carrière musicale se termine avec la faillite de Paramount en 1932. Hospitalisé en avril 1933 pour une pneumonie, il connaitra plusieurs ennuis de santé dans les mois qui suivirent. Blind Blake décède finalement d'une hémorragie pulmonaire. Dès 1968, le label Biograph (fondé par Arnold Caplin) édite une série de 4 LPs reprenant cette oeuvre majeure. Puis, la firme Document proposera l'intégralité de ses enregistrements mais avec une qualité sonore parfois très limitée. Enfin, le label britannique JSP publiera le coffret "All the published sides" avec une meilleure qualité sonore. La meilleure sélection de son oeuvre reste sans conteste le "Ragtime guitar's foremost fingerpicker" proposé par Yazoo.
We do not know much about his life. Only one photograph (from an advertisement) exists of Blind Blake. Blind, it was long believed that his name was Arthur Phelps and he came from Florida. Finally, in 2011, thanks to Blues & Rhythm researchers, Alex Van Den Tuuk, Bob Eagle, Rob Ford, Eric LeBlanc, Angela Mack, we know today that Blind Blake was named Arthur Blake and that he was from Newport News (Virginia). Blake has written about 80 songs in six years for the Paramount label. Accomplished guitarist, he has a complex and very fluid fingerpicking playing. His great virtuosity will influence generations of guitarists in particular "Blind Boy" Fuller, Josh White and Reverend Gary Davis. As such, Blake must be recognized as the founder of Piedmont Blues. His repertoire consists mainly of Ragtimes, some Blues as well as jazzy pieces or songs coming from music hall. He began recording in july 1926 under the supervision of J. Mayo Williams for Paramount. His first titles draw attention to him : "Too tight", "West coast blues", "Blake's worried blues", "Skeedle loo doo blues" and later "Dry bone shuffle", "Detroit bound blues", "Diddie wah diddie", "Righteous blues". Some tracks are dazzling technical virtuosity as "Southern rag", "Slippery rag", "Guitar chimes", "Blind Arthur's breakdown". Blake also accompanies sometimes singer Leola Wilson ("Wilson dam") or Irene Scruggs. He married Beatrice Mc Gee around 1931. His musical career ended with the bankruptcy of Paramount in 1932. Hospitalized in april 1933 for pneumonia, he will suffer several health problems in the following months. Blind Blake finally dies of pulmonary hemorrhage. Since 1968, the label Biograph (founded by Arnold Caplin) publishes a series of 4 LPs compiling this major work. Then, the firm Document will propose the entirety of his recordings but with a sometimes very limited sound quality. Finally, the British label JSP will publish the box "All the published sides" with a better sound quality. The best selection of his work remains unquestionably the "Ragtime guitar's foremost fingerpicker" proposed by Yazoo.