Muddy Waters Talks To Alan Lomax About Robert Johnson and Son House

This interview is from the legendary 'Down On Stovall's Plantation' field recordings in Mississippi done in 1941 and 1942. In this second part, Alan Lomax asks Muddy about his life, his guitar-playing style and his song writing process.
This video is for educational and historical purposes

[@theharlequin2821]

If it wasn't for the Lomax's, we probably wouldn't even know 50% of the Blues music & history... that we do today. -Great share!

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

And a lot of rural folk music too. Thanks for watching!

[@hilmarwensorra1215]

In very loving memory of Mr. Alan Lomax (1915 - 2002 R.I.P. // gone but not forgotten).

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

He was an essential reason many know the blues today.

[@dereklevesque5283]

Wow! The very last line is pretty significant for guitar players into the delta blues. He called the name of E tuning “Crossnote”. That’s a favorite of Skip James like in the song “Hard time killing floor blues” It flattens the 3rd to a minor chord.

[@TwentyTwenty90]

Just amazing to hear history like this.

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

I agree. History from a first-hand witness. Thanks.

[@johnb6850]

It's really unbelievable isn't it. To have this kind of account frpm a blues musician of this time period, but the fact that it's muddy, I just don't have words to express how amazing this is on so many levels.

[@Dan0948]

And I got to see Muddy Waters perform live a number of times. Mentioning that gives me goosebumps

[@user-tf1sw9ml3r]

The song fell into my mind.

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

Pretty cool way to put it.

[@liammcgovern4470]

Very surprised at the Son House comment, I know he recorded him but obviously he was just one of many and hadn’t been refound when this was recorded, great to hear Muddy giving so much credit to Son House

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

That may be the case. I think Son House was 're-discovered' in 1960 or 61 by Dick Waterman. Muddy was a humble guy and gave credit where it was due. He really looked up to Son House. Thanks and take care.

[@williamfagan7835]

@@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086 Son House was recorded by Lomax about a month later in August 1941 and again in July 1942 when Lomax returned to record Muddy again. The Waterman 're-discovery' was many years later. It is interesting that Muddy referred to House as being a 'boy' even though he was about 40 years old. In his own words Muddy was influenced more by House rather than Johnson. Even back then, Johnson was something of an enigma. In more recent years Johnson has become a mythological character, but a lot of the stories about him are more fiction than fact. The book 'Alan Lomax - Assistant In Charge' by Ronald D Cohen and published by the University of Mississippi Press is well worth reading. It contains many contemporary notes by Lomax. I bought my copy in 2011 in the bookshop of the Library of Congress in Washington.

[@williamfagan7835]

Correction: Looking at the dates there may have been less than a week between the 1941 recordings of Muddy and House

[@juco100it]

R.I.p Robert Johnson

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

May he rest in peace.

[@timmyw1484]

Legends!!! 2024!⚡🎸⚡🎸⚡🙌🙌🙌😎😎😎😎🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@skychiefonewitheverything6667]

😎💯 Love muddy

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

He was the man! Thanks a lot.

[@psaint60]

I love picking through that ALA. Always discover something cool. Thank god he had the notion to put that together to preserve it.

[@Dan0948]

I know the person who organized the purchase of Son House's headstone.

[@trockuplays7363]

"Sonhouse who?" Love Lomax

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

Edward James "Son" House Jr.

[@getpeko54]

"...Robert Johnson, he put it out Walkin' Blues." They're talking about a Muddy song but what song are they talking about?

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

Muddy is talking about learning the tune "Walking Blues" that both he and RJ learned from Son House. RJ recorded it on record and it was released in 1936. Son House had been playing that song and teaching it to others as early as 1930.

[@cobraferrariwars]

Country Blues it is called on the albums

[@fleadoggreen9062]

Who is playing the intro music 😊

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

That's a sample blues track from the KZbin creator studio.

[@joehardrocker735]

What did he say was another name for open e tuning?

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

He called it 'Spanish' tuning. You might also hear the older blues cats refer to open D as Sebastopol tuning.

[@angelvox1603]

@@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086 What was the other name for straight E?

[@marcandrelegermusic]

He said Cross Note.

[@marcandrelegermusic]

Spanish tuning is G not D. He played open G right after saying it! lol

[@dereklevesque5283]

It’s “Crossnote”. You lower the 3rd a half step. So in E your tuning would be EADF#BE as opposed to open E tuning which is EADGBE. Skip James’ “hard time killing floor blues” is in Crossnote

[@iicjguitar0416]

How old did he say Son House was?

[@harpandguitar-peopleandmus5086]

He said, "I'm not even certain... he's aged (pronouncing it 'ay-jed'.) He's about 40 something."