Ishmon Bracey
Ishmon Bracey | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Also known as | Ishman Bracey Ishmael Adams |
Born | Byram, Mississippi, U.S. | January 9, 1899 or 1901
Died | Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. | February 12, 1970 (aged 69-71)
Genres | Delta blues, country blues |
Instruments | Guitar |
Years active | 1910s–1951 |
Ishmon Bracey (January 9, 1899[1] or 1901 – February 12, 1970), sometimes credited as Ishman Bracey, was an American Delta blues singer-guitarist.[2] Alongside his contemporary Tommy Johnson, Bracey was a highly influential bluesman in Jackson, Mississippi, and was one of the area's earliest figures to record blues material. Bracey's recordings include "Trouble Hearted Blues" and "Left Alone Blues", both of which appear on several compilation albums.
Biography
Bracey was born in the small town of
In most of his recordings, Bracey used distinctive variations on the usual three-line verse form of blues songs, and was one of the few Mississippi bluesmen who sang with a nasal tone without embellishment.[6] Bracey returned to the studio in 1929 and early-1930 for Paramount Records, backed by the group the New Orleans Nehi Boys. The band featured Kid Ernest Michall on clarinet and Charles Taylor (who Bracey accompanied on four sides of his own) on piano, both unusual instruments to appear on Mississippi Delta blues recordings.[7] Like his associate Tommy Johnson, Bracey's total discography is relatively limited with only 16 songs, and original copies of his 78-rpm records are among the most valued items sought by blues collectors. His compositions "Trouble Hearted Blues" and "Left Alone Blues" are his most recognized works.[7]
He was an associate of Johnson's, and the two performed regularly together on the
Discography
- The Famous 1928 Tommy Johnson–Ishman Bracey Session (Roots, 1970)
- Complete Recordings in Chronological Order (Wolf, 1983)
- Ishman Bracey & Charley Taylor 1928–1929 (Document, 2000)
- King of the Blues, vol. 12 (P-Vine, 2003)
- Suitcase Full of Blues (Monk, 2010)
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b c "Ishmon Bracey". Msbluestrail.org. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Ishman Bracey". Thebluestrail.com. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ISBN 9781604733280.
- ^ "Ishmon Bracey discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ Oliver, Paul (2011), Ishmon Bracey and Charley Taylor 1928-1929 (CD booklet), Document Records
- ^ a b c Uncle Dave Lewis. "Ishman Bracey - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ISBN 9780786412709.