Decoration Blues
John Lee Williamson, the original Sonny Boy, helped establish the smooth, professional "Bluebird Beat" that dominated Chicago before World War II. During a 1938 session held in a hotel in Aurora, Illinois, he recorded...
John Lee Williamson, the original Sonny Boy, helped establish the smooth, professional "Bluebird Beat" that dominated Chicago before World War II. During a 1938 session held in a hotel in Aurora, Illinois, he recorded "Decoration Blues." Backed by a rhythm section featuring Elijah Jones and Yank Rachell, Sonny Boy sang about Decoration Day (the precursor to Memorial Day) using the cemetery setting as a metaphor for lost love. His unique "cross-harping" technique and his rhythmic vocal delivery proved that the harmonica could function as a dynamic lead instrument in a modern ensemble setting.