Skip James
Crow Jane has roots in the Piedmont (North and South Carolina, Virginia)
and the song is said to have been a favorite among the best bluemen.
Certainly many early versions can be traced to the Greenville, SC area
and was in the repertoire of Greenville bluemen Blind Willie Walker and
Rev. Gary Davis both born in 1896.
Other Piedmont bluemen such as Josh White did the song as "Blood Red River" in 1933 and Blind Boy Fuller as "Bye Bye Baby Blues" in 1937. It's also been done by John Cephas (Cephas and Wiggins) and Skip James. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee later did versions.
Crow Jane Blues was first recorded in 1927 for Victor by Julius Daniels (b. November 20, 1901 in Denmark, South Carolina; d. October 18, 1947), a Piedmont bluesman originally from Greenville, SC. His song "99 Year Blues" appeared on the box set Anthology of American Folk Music and his "Can't Put the Bridal on this Mule," an early version of "This Morning, This evening Right Now" are important contributions to old-time country blues genre.
Although he only recorded a few tunes, Daniels plays an important role in the history of Piedmont blues. One of the first black artists to record in the Southeast, Daniels inspired future bluesmen with his mix of finger-picked blues, sacred and country music. Recording for the first time, in 1927, Daniels was accompanied by the guitarist Bubba Lee Torrence, with whom he shared billing. During his second recording session, Daniels was joined by the guitarist Wilbert Andrews.
Daniels lived in Pineville, in Berkeley County, between 1912 and 1930. Relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1930, he lived the rest of his life there, working in a variety of jobs, including as a firefighter.
Other Piedmont bluemen such as Josh White did the song as "Blood Red River" in 1933 and Blind Boy Fuller as "Bye Bye Baby Blues" in 1937. It's also been done by John Cephas (Cephas and Wiggins) and Skip James. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee later did versions.
Crow Jane Blues was first recorded in 1927 for Victor by Julius Daniels (b. November 20, 1901 in Denmark, South Carolina; d. October 18, 1947), a Piedmont bluesman originally from Greenville, SC. His song "99 Year Blues" appeared on the box set Anthology of American Folk Music and his "Can't Put the Bridal on this Mule," an early version of "This Morning, This evening Right Now" are important contributions to old-time country blues genre.
Although he only recorded a few tunes, Daniels plays an important role in the history of Piedmont blues. One of the first black artists to record in the Southeast, Daniels inspired future bluesmen with his mix of finger-picked blues, sacred and country music. Recording for the first time, in 1927, Daniels was accompanied by the guitarist Bubba Lee Torrence, with whom he shared billing. During his second recording session, Daniels was joined by the guitarist Wilbert Andrews.
Daniels lived in Pineville, in Berkeley County, between 1912 and 1930. Relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1930, he lived the rest of his life there, working in a variety of jobs, including as a firefighter.
