Week beginning: ... Friday 22nd March 2024

 
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Back to where it all began ... It all started in a small town bar in Louisiana; it was like travelling back in time, dusty, rickety tables, chairs, and a bare wooden floor. Sat on a little platform was a lady and a guy with a guitar, and then the lady began to sing the blues. I could have closed my eyes, although I didn’t realise it at the time, I could have been listening to Ma Rainey or Bessie Smith. Quietly listening, and with encouragement from others we joined with the ‘Tell us your story’...

We knew and felt the songs were telling us of a deep sadness, borne of a deprivation beyond our comprehension. I was listening to the 'Blues' long before that, but never really understood, until then, what was meant by 'Feeling the Blues' ... Each time I produce ‘Backtracking’ I try to show my love and respect for the people and the lives these songs are about, this deprivation, sadness and misery. We are honouring them by keeping their presence and their simple music alive and well.

Each time, we are taking a journey back in time to the abomination of slavery, the depth of the spirituals and of course the expressive blues from all those years ago. Our research and journey since that day has been a discovery of the ‘Blues’ that never ends, of a culture and history that has faded in the mists of time, but remains for us to find. We're honoured and privileged to share with you this great music and its history, back a hundred years and beyond, a genre so rich, so vast so diverse and so real.

Now based in Somerset (UK) What started all those years ago with a handful of blues tracks, a few faded photographs and books has grown exponentially with the help of our good friends, Alan, Terry and Graham, the ‘Doc’ even my dear late cousin Len (Houston) the never ending patience of Pam and so many people from around the world, far too many to mention, Backtracking has become a library of music and resources so vast it’s often difficult to keep track of it all, as it continues to grow.

Thank you for listening to ‘Backtracking’ from here in the UK. At PD Productions, we extend our best wishes to you all.
David – PD Productions (UK)

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Going Back, to where it all began ... At PD Productions, our research and journey of discovery never ends, simply because the culture of the blues never ends. We're honoured and privileged to share the music within the genre of the Blues back in time a hundred years and beyond, a genre so vast and so diverse. So many people from around the world have contributed to our research, and indeed, our library of music, far too many to mention by name. Released every Friday, we invite you to join Backtracking, the blue time machine as we go back to the Roots of the Blues, back, to where it all began ......
Featured on Backtracking ..
  • The lady sings the blues.
  • Blues on the Bayou.
  • Gospel blues train.
  • Featured artist of the week.
  • Spirituals – The blues connection.
  • Prison work songs.
  • Myths and Legends of the blues.
1   Download current Backtracking
1   Backtracking archive (Download)
1   Blues Research resources (Links / articles)
Featured artist of the week .... Esther Bigeou
 

Blues singer, Esther Bigeou 1892  – November 15, 1936) Billed as 'The Girl with the Million Dollar Smile' she was a cousin of the legendary drummer, Paul Barbarin, which made her part of one of the most famous musical  families in New Orleans in the 1920s.

Despite her Jazz pedigree, her style tends to be more vaudeville oriented than Blues and Jazz sounding. Esther came to prominence as a singer in the musical revue ‘Broadway Rastus' (Esther being later replaced by: Lillyn Brow) The show was moderately successful, running on and off between 1915-1928.

She was one of  many vaudeville singers who picked up on the Blues style and recorded Blues  records after the amazing success of Mamie Smith’s 'Crazy Blues'. On her 1923 recordings Esther is accompanied by Rickett Stars. On the December 13th, 1923 recordings she is accompanied by  The 'New Orleans Orchestra' all  other sides she is accompanied by Clarence Williams.

Esther's singing style is reminiscent of Mamie Smith which is hardly surprising considering the influence of artists such as Mamie Smith, and Bessie Smith at the time. Esther toured throughout the 1920s working on the Theatres owners booking circuit. She reportedly left the music business and returned to New Orleans sometime around 1930. Why, isn't reliably recorded although may have been due to poor health.

Esther has been described as a singer at the pop end of African-American entertainment. She seems to have disappeared from music, aged only 35. She settled in New Orleans, where she died circa 1936.

 
 
     
    Esther Bigeou - Four O Clock Blues 1923
    Download featured artist track of the week
    Next time - ... Doctor Clayton
 
 
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