Rappahannock Blues:
John Jackson
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Although Jackson recalled a thriving blues guitar tradition in his home community, few black Virginians were recorded. During the 1920s and 1930s only three musicians produced a significant body of recordings. William Moore, a barber from Tappahannock, recorded for Paramount in 1928. Half of his eight issued songs were ragtime or country dance instrumentals reflective of the pre-blues string band tradition. Lynchburg's Luke Jordan also recorded a number of sides for Victor in 1928 and 1929. Carl Martin, a native Virginian, moved out of the state as a youngster, but his 1930 recordings show his Appalachian roots. Stephen Tarter and Harry Gay made a single recording for Victor in 1928, harmonica player Blues Birdhead cut several sides for Okeh in 1929, and several inmates including Jimmie Strother were recorded by John A. Lomax and Harold Spivacke at the State Farm in Lynn, Virginia, in 1936.
During the 1940s and 1950s Alec Seward of Newport News made some records in New York City; Silas Pendleton from Rappahannock, Virginia, was field-recorded by folklorist Horace Beck; and John Tinsley of Franklin County made a single recording. Spurred by the Folk Revival of the 1960s, other artists with Virginia ties were located, including Richmond-born songster Bill Williams, a brilliant guitarist who claimed he had toured with Blind Blake. Pete Lowry recorded Pernell Charity of Sussex County, and Kip Lornell recorded a number of musicians for the Blue Ridge Institute, most notably the Foddrell family. Franklin County's Archie Edwards recorded several fine CDs in 1991 and 2001. Only John Cephas, from Bowling Green, Virginia, recorded as extensively as Jackson.
Jackson on the festival circuit in 1970, with Michael Cooney, left, and John Cephas. Besides recording John also began touring on the folk and blues revival circuit:
And from then on they used to drive me to Newport to the festival there; the Philadelphia Festival, and one time they brought me clean into Chicago; Atlanta, Georgia, you know, different places. And that's how I got around; and I would play some at each and every one of them. I met Lightnin' Hopkins and Roosevelt Sykes, just about everybody, you know, at one time or another over the years. I didn't go to Europe until 1969. And I had made two records for Arhoolie. In 1969 Chris took me on tour around Europe, and we went to pretty near every little country over there. And then he asked me to do a recording in Stuttgart, Germany. That was in 1969, and that was my first tour there. I can remember everybody that was on the tour; it was myself, Earl Hooker, Magic Sam, and Clifton and Cleveland Chenier with his band out of Louisiana, and whistling Alec Moore, who was a blues piano player. That's who was on that tour. Magic Sam was very nice; I liked Magic Sam. He was very cool. But Earl Hooker was very sick on that tour, and they both died later on that year.
He also toured in Asia for the State Department, teaming with country rather than blues artists:
That was in 1984. We went on tour around the world; it was a great tour. Ricky Skaggs was on that; and Buck White and the Down Home Folk; Jerry Douglas and myself.
Two years later he was designated a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts for his role as a teacher and traditional artist. A quietly confident heritage caretaker, he carried on the family traditions, bringing his version of American roots music to a worldwide audience.
In October 1990 his wife Cora died; three sons and one daughter preceded him in death. Through it all he continued to work, performing his last show on New Year's Eve 2002, just twenty days before he died. Shortly before his death, he spoke of how he wanted to be remembered:
I think I've been discovered as a bluesman, [but] I'm more of a songster than a bluesman, because I play music other than blues. But I would like to be remembered the same as Josh White, or Blind Boy Fuller, or Blind Blake. I really would like to be. Of course, I don't say I'm as great a blues player as Blind Blake or Blind Boy Fuller and those people, but I would like to be remembered that way.
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