Robert Johnson meets Lonnie Johnson
Only havae reviews to go on, but the word is that Robert Johnson had more crossings with Bing Crosby-stype music than his recorded work would indicate. That emerges from looks at Elijah Wald's new book From my lil experience here I think a point that may be missed is that the blues players were not on the main technically well versed muscians in these other forms. Wald one can be sure knows this, as he played quite a bit with Howard Armstrong.Howard's version of Tumbling Tumbleweeds would not be confused with the Sons of the Pioneers'. Expect the same if we had recordings of Robert Johnson doing Sons of numbers. Blues was his innate form.Crossing of culture forms matters a lot. Of course, on first hearing, Robert seemed immune to that. On second hearing too. But he got what was in the air, a thief on par with Picasso. Picking riffs from Son House, Leroy Carr, and Lonnie Johnson - this abilites giving his work an incredible fluency that lifts his oevre out at least a bit from amidst his hoboin mates' work.
Did you hear about the Chet Atkins diet for muscians? Instead of eating you just pick at your food.
8:20:13 AM 
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