John Jackson – Rappahannock Blues

Smithsonian Folkways Spotlights John Jackson and his Appalachian Blues with ‘Rappahannock Blues’

So who is John Jackson?  You mean you don’t know?

Born  John H Jackson in Woodville, Virginia into a musical family, he learned to play as a boy before moving in his twenties to Fairfax, VA, where he had a day job as agravedigger, one of many jobs he performed.  Jackson died in 2002 of liver cancer in Fairfax Station, Virginia, at the age of 77.  John was a talented blues musician in the Piedmont style; his music did not become primary until his accidental “discovery” by folklorist Chuck Perdue in the 1960s. In fact, he had effectively given up playing for his community in 1949.  But man, the guy can play.

John Jackson

To those in the know, however, John Jackson is regarded as a national treasure in the blues/folk community.  His agent even makes mention that he was a “spiritual leader” in his community, always being a man of principle in a business that was often shady.  And he was a man of his word. Though gravely ill, he insisted upon fulfilling an obligation to perform at the Fall’s Church First Night concert on New Year’s Eve, a mere three weeks before he died.  Dealing with many tragedies and vicissitudes in his life, including the loss of his wife, Cora Lee Carter Jackson, in 1990 and three sons, including the accidental shooting by the police of his son, John Jr., in 1978, he could have become bitter. But he remained warm and gracious through it all, accepting such circumstances with his usual equanimity and resignation. I can truly say that John Jackson never had a mean bone in his body and he touched and enriched everyone with whom he had contact.

As with many first generation bluesmen, John Jackson’s life began in lowly circumstances. Born February 25, 1924 in the rolling hills of Woodville, VA, in Rappahannock County, he was one of fourteen children. As the son of farmers who were no better off than sharecroppers, he was raised in a family that was dirt poor, but rich in musical heritage. His father, Suttie, left-handed, played a battered guitar upside down and often fashioned crude musical instruments like a penny whistle which he would play at house parties and other neighborhood functions. His mother, Hattie, preferred the spiritual side to the secular and favored the accordian and harmonica. Almost by osmosis, the young John absorbed this musical ambiance and by the age of four, he was already demonstrating his phenomenal talent for mimickry by picking on his father’s guitar, and shortly after another which was purchased mail order by an older sister for the then princely sum of $3.95. However, he would still need a tutor to perfect his technique.

He found such a mentor in the person of the enigmatic “Happy,” a water boy on a chain gang that was constructing Interstate 29-211 through south Virginia during the height of the Depression. John, who by then had to forego formal schooling in order to help the family survive, befriended the young convict, who, in turn, taught his protege open tuning and the nuances of the slide. Happy, in fact, lived with the Jackson family for a few years after his release and suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, but not before his pupil had acquired all the requisite skills.  John would practice a lot, soon earning a few extra bucks playing locally.  Later, he would become a legend.

NOTE: A portion of the above biography was taken from Blues World.  Read more about John Jackson from Blues World by clicking here.

To honor the great life – and music – of John Jackson, Smithsonian Folkways has released ‘Rappahanock Blues’, a phenomenal release containing 20 great selections by a man who vowed never to play again.  See, in 1946, John survived a vicious house party fight he was playing at.  he payed his guitar down, and vowed never to play again.  Soon, though, he would be rediscovered.

Soon after being rediscovered, he layed ninety tracks in twelve hours, and some of these songs are included in this collection, the “Rappahannock Blues“.

It is indeed a great blues album.  In fact, for those into the blues but unaware of this guy, this is a must own album.  Though it is drenched with the Appalachian blues, it also shows hints of his mother’s influence, who was a strong Christian woman.  The music itself though, is pretty much timeless.

This album not only showcases John Jackson and his amazing ability to play the guitar and sing the blues, but it also showcases the true power and emotion of Appalachian Blues.  John Jackson preferred to be remembered as a bluesman.   After listening to this album, there is no doubt in my mind that’s exactly what he is.

Below is the track listing, but I highly suggest buying this album.  Check out the Smithsonian Site for more information.  You can buy thr album, sample songs, and more.

Track Listing

(*denotes previously unreleased track)

1. Rocks and Gravel (John Jackson) *

2. Too Tight Rag (Blind Blake) *

3. Candy Man (Mississippi John Hurt) *

4. Truckin’ Little Baby (Blind Boy Fuller)*

5. Railroad Bill (traditional)

6. Nobody’s Business (If I Do) (traditional) *

7. Don’t You Want to Go Up There (trad.; arr. John Jackson) *

8. The Year Clayton Delaney Died (Tom T. Hall) *

9. John Jackson’s Breakdown (John Jackson) *

10. Red River Blues (traditional) *

11. Brown’s Ferry Blues (The Delmore Brothers) *

12. Cindy (trad.; arr. John Jackson) *

13. You Ain’t No Woman (Bill Jackson) *

14. John Henry (traditional)

15. Diddy Wah Diddy (Blind Blake) *

16. Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Kenneth Morris) *

17. Frankie and Johnny (traditional) *

18. Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down (trad.; arr. John Jackson) *

19. Step It Up and Go (Blind Boy Fuller; arr. John Jackson) *

20. West Coast Rag (Blind Blake) *