Robert Cooksey

THE TOWN of Brotherly Like claims this early blues artist as you of its, yet birth records for Robert Cooksey certainly are a trifle sketchy. Not his harmonica design, which was just about his very own and a significant contrast to the united states blues norm. Foregoing the wail of wahs-wahs as well as the shrieks of overblown high records, Cooksey prepared up a simple-and-clear folk broth that some critics possess identified as the foundation of Bob Dylan’s harmonica technique, while some resent the current presence of Dylan’s name and what “harmonica” and “technique” in the same word. Obviously, Dylan was motivated with the duo of Cooksey and guitarist Bobby Leecan, one of many settings how the harmonica player documented in through the ’20s. Cooksey and Leecan developed a musical mix between blues, vaudeville, and jazz on some tracks lower for the Victor label. There’s a amazing blend between your harmonica as well as the cornet of Thomas Morris on a number of the recordings out of this period, musical magic that actually glows using its symbolic mingling of jazz and blues designs. Cooksey also documented some duo amounts with guitarist Alfred Martin which were mistakenly acknowledged to Leecan. The initial schedules for the harmonica guy in the studio room was the springtime of 1924, when he supported blues vocalist Viola McCoy on periods for Vocalion. That places him within a few months of the extremely first saving of harmonica available, the Clara Smith saving “My Doggone Lazy Guy,” which highlighted harmonica participant Herbert Leonard. “Western world Indies Blues” was the unforgettable name Cooksey cut using the dramatic but extremely real McCoy. The next year, he supported Sara Martin with an Okeh time in the studio room. It was 2 yrs afterwards when he finally teamed up with Leecan, who also performed some electric guitar and a good little bit of kazoo. Among their records continues to be chosen as some sort of anthem for blues record enthusiasts, who always believe they “Want Even more Blues.” Cooksey’s many documented features on harmonica possess found their method into compilation selections of early recordings around the small axe, such as for example Harmonica Blues and Harmonica Experts.