Jaybird Coleman

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Jaybird Coleman
Background information
Birth nameBurl C. Coleman[1]
Born(1896-05-20)May 20, 1896
Gainesville, Alabama, United States
DiedJanuary 28, 1950(1950-01-28) (aged 53)
Tuskegee, Alabama, United States
GenresCountry blues
Occupation(s)Instrumentalist, singer
Instrument(s)Harmonica, guitar
Years active1926 – late 1940s
Labels

Burl C. "Jaybird" Coleman (May 20, 1896 – January 28, 1950)[1] was an American country blues harmonica player, vocalist, and guitarist.[2] He was a popular musical attraction throughout Alabama and recorded several sides in the late-1920s and early-1930s.

Biography

Coleman was born to a family of

physical labor, he was exposed to musical influences from his fellow sharecroppers in singing and discovering traditional folk songs.[2]
At age 12, he was introduced to the harmonica, in large part teaching himself, and was encouraged by his parents to hone his skills as an alternative to their wearying occupation. He performed locally for small wages at dance halls and parties.

In 1914, upon the outbreak of the

First World War, Coleman joined the United States Army and was stationed at Fort McClellan for the entirety of the conflict. At the fort, he developed a reputation for being stubbornly independent, often disobeying the Army's strict code of conduct.[4] As a result, his superior officers would call him Jaybird, a nickname associated with him for the rest of his life. During this time Coleman first performed for large crowds as he entertained his fellow soldiers. After his military discharge, he briefly returned to Gainesville, working for a few months as a farm labourer, before relocating with his younger brother, Joe, to Bessemer, Alabama, and becoming a full-time musician.[5]

In 1922, Coleman teamed up with the singer and guitarist

gospel songs. As a blues musician, Coleman was popular with black and white audiences alike. Occasionally he would play a harmonica as he strolled through the streets, drawing a crowd that followed him.[7]

In 1926, Coleman began recording for

OKeh Records and Columbia Records. In 1930, he recorded "Coffee Grinder Blues" for Columbia, which, in a dispute with the label over payment, he blocked from wider release. It is his rarest record.[5]

Coleman continued to perform on street corners in Alabama throughout the 1930s and 1940s. By the end of the 1940s, he disappeared from the music scene.

He died of cancer on January 28, 1950, in Tuskegee, Alabama.[9]

Compilation

  • Jaybird Coleman & the Birmingham Jug Band, Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order: 1927–1930 (Document, 1992)

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-135-95832-9
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8154-1020-1
    .
  3. ISBN 978-1-61312-252-5
    .
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Jaybird Coleman – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Jaybird Coleman (1927–1930) (CD booklet). Document Records. 1993.
  6. ^
    ISBN 9781461661023
    .
  7. ^ Oliver, Paul (2001). Yonder Come the Blues: The Evolution of a Genre. Cambridge University Press. p. 156. jaybird coleman.
  8. ^ Owens, Thom. "Jaybird Coleman (1927–1930) – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  9. ISBN 978-0-87930-736-3
    .

External links
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