William Samuel Mac Tier (or Mac Tear)
b. May 5th, 1903 in Thomson (Georgia)
d. August 19th, 1959 in Almon (Georgia)
COMPLETE RECORDED WORKS
Document
Volume 1 (October 1927 - October 1931)
Volume 2 (October 1931 - September 1933)
Volume 3 (September 1933 - April 1935)
CLASSIC YEARS
JSP
October 1927 - November 1940
Sa date de naissance est encore sujette à caution : 1898, 1901, 1903 ou 1905 selon les sources. Les chercheurs Bob Eagle et Eric LeBlanc proposent l'année 1903 pour son année de naissance. Aveugle dès l'enfance, il joue d'abord de l'harmonica et de l'accordéon avant de choisir la guitare. A la mort de sa mère, Willie devient musicien itinérant notamment à Atlanta sur Decatur Street. Sa carrière discographique démarre en octobre 1927 pour le label Victor puis Columbia avec de superbes titres comme "Dark night blues", "Statesboro blues" (repris plus tard par le Allman Brothers Band et par Taj Mahal), "Atlanta strut", "Travelin' blues", "Love changing blues", "Southern can is mine", "Searching the desert for the blues". Véritable songster, il est capable de tout jouer : blues, ragtime, spirituals, airs folkloriques et traditionnels. Willie est surtout un remarquable technicien de la guitare - 6 cordes et surtout 12 cordes - développant notamment un fingerpicking virtuose d'une fluidité sans pareil qui influença de nombreux guitaristes. Pour Okeh, il enregistre les magnifiques "Stomp down rider", "Scarey day blues", "Georgia rag". Sous la marque Vocalion en 1933, Blind Willie Mac Tell est souvent associé à son ami Curley Weaver, autre grand guitariste d'Atlanta, en particulier sur "Savannah mama", "Broke down engine", "My baby's gone", "B&O blues". Il se marie avec Ruth Kate Mac Tell en 1934 qui enregistre parfois avec lui. Il faut aussi mentionner que Blind Willie Mac Tell utilisa un grand nombre de pseudonymes comme Blind Sammie, Pig & Whistle Red, Hot Shot Willie, Georgia Bill. En avril 1935, Willie arrive chez Decca, toujours associé à Curley Weaver ou à sa femme Kate Mac Tell. Il y enregistre beaucoup de spirituals ("I got religion I'm so glad") et quelques blues ("Bell Street blues"). Pour apprécier cette oeuvre fondamentale, il vaut mieux se tourner vers le coffret JSP qui possède une qualité sonore supérieure aux CDs Document.
His date of birth is still unreliable : 1898, 1901, 1903 or 1905 depending on sources. Researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc propose the year 1903 for his birth year. Blind from childhood, he first played the harmonica and the accordion before choosing the guitar. On the death of his mother, Willie becomes a traveling musician especially in Atlanta on Decatur Street. His recording career started in october 1927 for the Victor label then for Columbia with superb titles like "Dark night blues", "Statesboro blues" (later covered by the Allman Brothers Band and by Taj Mahal), "Atlanta strut", "Travelin' blues", "Love changing blues", "Southern can is mine", "Searching the desert for the blues". A true songster, he can play everything : blues, ragtime, spirituals, folk and traditional tunes. Willie is above all a remarkable guitar virtuoso - 6 strings and especially 12 strings - developing in particular an outstanding and fluid fingerpicking which influenced many guitarists. For Okeh, he records the magnificent "Stomp down rider", "Scarey day blues", "Georgia rag". Under the Vocalion imprint in 1933, Blind Willie Mac Tell is often associated with his friend Curley Weaver, another great Atlanta guitarist, especially on "Savannah mama", "Broke down engine", "My baby's gone", "B&O blues". He married Ruth Kate Mac Tell in 1934 who sometimes recorded with him. It should also be mentioned that Blind Willie Mac Tell used a large number of pseudonyms such as Blind Sammie, Pig & Whistle Red, Hot Shot Willie, Georgia Bill. In april 1935, Willie arrives at Decca, still associated with Curley Weaver or his wife Kate Mac Tell. He recorded a lot of spirituals ("I got religion I'm so glad") and some blues ("Bell Street blues"). To appreciate this fundamental work, it is better to turn to the JSP box set which has a higher sound quality than Document CDs.
COMPLETE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RECORDINGS
RST
Document
LEGENDARY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SESSION
Melodeon
Storyville
November 1940
En 1940, John et Ruby Lomax trouvent Blind Willie Mac Tell, l'interviewent et l'enregistrent pour la Bibliothèque du Congrès lors d'une séance de 2 heures dans un hôtel d'Atlanta. Les morceaux joués par Blind Willie Mac Tell sont entrecoupés d'extraits d'interviews. Malgré le fait que Lomax le fasse interpréter des morceaux qui ne sont pas dans son répertoire usuel, le programme est de très haut niveau, peut être légèrement inférieur à sa production avant guerre. Les extraits parlés sont également intéressants et informatifs. Entre Blues et Spirituals, il y a de superbes moments comme "Boll weevil", "Dying crapshooter's blues", "I got to cross the river Jordan", "Murderer's home blues".
In 1940, John and Ruby Lomax find Blind Willie Mac Tell, interview and record him for the Library of Congress during a 2-hour session in an Atlanta hotel. The songs played by Blind Willie Mac Tell are interspersed with extracts from interviews. Despite the fact that Lomax asks him perform songs that are not in his usual repertoire, the program is of a very high level, may be slightly lower than his pre-war production. The spoken extracts are also interesting and informative. Between Blues and Spirituals, there are great moments like "Boll weevil", "Dying crapshooter's blues", "I got to cross the river Jordan", "Murderer's home blues".
ATLANTA TWELVE STRINGS
Atlantic
November 1949
Cette séance fut enregistrée pour le label nouvellement crée Atlantic sous la supervision d'Ahmet Ertegun et Herb Abramson. Malheureusement, des 15 titres gravés ce jour là, seulement 2 furent édités. Il faudra attendre 1972 pour que Pete Lowry, Mike Leadbitter et Simon Napier réussissent à faire publier la séance complète auprès d'Atlantic. Encore en belle forme, Blind Willie Mac Tell offre des moments intenses comme "The razor ball", "Broke down engine blues", "Pinetop's boogie woogie", "On the cooling board", "You got to die".
This session was recorded for the newly created label Atlantic under the supervision of Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Unfortunately, of the 15 titles recorded that day, only 2 were issued. It was not until 1972 that Pete Lowry, Mike Leadbitter and Simon Napier managed to release the full session with Atlantic. Still in beautiful form, Blind Willie Mac Tell offers intense moments like "The razor ball", "Broke down engine blues", "Pinetop's boogie woogie", "On the cooling board", "You got to die".
TRYING TO GET HOME
Biograph
PIG 'N WHISTLE RED
Biograph
May 1950
Ces titres furent enregistrés en mai 1950 pour le label Regal et le producteur Fred Mendelsohn. A l'exception de quelques titres qui virent le jour, une bonne partie du matériel resta longtemps inédite. Il fallu attendre les LPs Biograph en 1969 et 1971 pour découvrir cette belle production. Blind Willie Mac Tell est ici accompagné par son ami Curley Weaver à la guitare. Les deux hommes sont en pleine forme sur les remarquables "Good little thing", "You can't get this stuff no more", "Love changin' blues", "Talkin' to you mama". Tous les morceaux ont été repris dans le CD "Pig 'n Whistle Red" (à l'exception d'un titre disponible sur le CD Delmark "The Back Porch Boys").
These titles were recorded in may 1950 for the Regal label and the producer Fred Mendelsohn. With the exception of a few titles that were released, much of the material remained unissued for a long time. We had to wait for Biograph LPs in 1969 and 1971 to discover this great production. Blind Willie Mac Tell is here accompanied by his friend Curley Weaver on guitar. The two men are in great shape on the remarkable "Good little thing", "You can't get this stuff no more", "Love changin' blues", "Talkin' to you mama". All the songs were included on the CD "Pig 'n Whistle Red" (with the exception of one title available on the Delmark CD "The Back Porch Boys").
LOVE CHANGIN' BLUES
Biograph
PIG 'N WHISTLE RED
Biograph
May 1950
Suite des séances Regal de mai 1950 avec quatre titres inédits dont l'excellent "Savannah mama". Ces morceaux sont bien sur repris sur le CD "Pig 'n Whistle Red".
Remaining part of the Regal sessions of may 1950 with four unissued titles including the excellent "Savannah mama". These songs are of course included on the "Pig 'n Whistle Red" CD.
THE BACK PORCH BOYS
Delmark
May 1950
Un titre inédit provenant des séances Regal de mai 1950. Il s'agit d'une prise alternative de "It's my desire".
An unissued title from the Regal sessions in may 1950. It is an alternative take of "It's my desire".
LAST SESSION
Prestige - Bluesville
September 1956
Alors que son diabète et son alcoolisme l'ont affaibli, Willie est redécouvert par Edward Rhodes qui possède un magasin de disque à Atlanta. Rhodes lui fait graver une poignée de morceaux dans son magasin sur Peachtree Street. Ceux-ci sont entrecoupés de quelques monologues informatifs du bluesman. Malgré une voix légèrement limitée et un jeu de guitare un peu moins fluide, il faut reconnaitre que le matériel présenté ici est globalement de bon niveau : "The dyin' crapshooter's blues", "Don't forget it", "Broke down engine blues". A partir de 1957, Willie est devenu prêcheur dans une église d'Atlanta. Il meurt en 1959 dans une grande misère. Il s'agit d'un album posthume puisqu'il ne paraitra qu'en 1960 chez Prestige - Bluesville.
While his diabetes and alcoholism have weakened him, Willie is rediscovered by Edward Rhodes who owns a record store in Atlanta. Rhodes makes him record a handful of tracks in his store on Peachtree Street. These are interspersed with a few informative monologues from the bluesman. Despite a slightly limited voice and a guitar playing a little less fluid, it must be recognized that the material presented here is generally of good level : "The dyin' crapshooter's blues", "Don't forget it", "Broke down engine blues". Beginning in 1957, Willie became a preacher in an Atlanta church. He died in 1959 in great misery. It is a posthumous album since it will not be released until 1960 on the Prestige - Bluesville label.