Jimmie Rivers

Despite his obscurity, Jimmie Rivers is among the great western golf swing/bop guitarists. His legacy can be miniscule, comprising a disc’s well worth of live paths along with his group, the Cherokees, documented between 1961-64, but these low-fidelity papers display a guitarist having a near-unparalleled capability to create thrilling, melodic solos in the vein of Charlie Christian. Created Jimmie Fewell in Hockerville, Alright in 1926, Streams was introduced towards the fiddle by his dad, switching to acoustic guitar before he was a decade older. The music of Bob Wills offered the youngsters his first impact, specifically the twin guitar preparations of Leon McAuliffe and Eldon Shamblin. In senior high school, he also performed trumpet before his family members moved western to Oakland in the first ‘40s. Although Streams’ style acquired generally matured by enough time he was a past due teenager, it had been in Oakland that he received his most significant musical instruction. Sitting down along with a jazz combo one night time, he fulfilled a pianist called Don Burke, who presented him towards the music of the fantastic guitar pioneer Charlie Christian. (Amazingly, although Streams’ electric guitar playing had been saturated with be-bop stylings, the youngsters had never heard about Christian; rather, he previously utilized the technique of Barney Kessel, himself a Christian enthusiast.) After 2 yrs in the Navy, in 1946 Streams transferred to Corpus Christi, TX and produced a trio known as the Gadabouts. His popularity being a guitarist was developing, bringing job presents from both Spade Cooley and Bob Wills. Streams, however, dropped, as by this time around he was producing more money by himself than either bandleader could guarantee. In 1954, he transferred back again to Oakland and had taken are a DJ at KVSM. Before his initial broadcast, he was re-christened “Jimmie Streams” by an area man who portrayed distaste for the name Fewell. (Streams, who was simply half-Indian, had described that his primary family members name was “Two Streams.”) Immediately after, he shaped a western golf swing group known as the Cherokees, who all began appearing over the California Hayride tv program dressed up in Indian headdresses. The Cherokees also cut some information for the Cavalier label and sometimes supported Tommy Duncan on his single recordings. In 1958, the group used residence in the 23 Golf club in Brisbane, CA. That same yr, Streams installed with ex-Billy Jack port Wills metal guitarist Vance Terry, and in 1959 Terry became a member of what would end up being the definitive Cherokees lineup. They performed the 23 Golf club for six years, before Streams disbanded the group in 1964. Apart from an extended gig using the Fulton Road Jazz Music group and a 1992 Rivers-Terry reunion concert, he continues to be retired from music.