Blind Lemon Jefferson Tribute Page

Photo: Blind Lemon Jefferson
Photo: Smagata Archives 1999

This page is dedicated to the famous bluesman, Blind Lemon Jefferson. Blind Lemon was a mysterious performer heard in pubs and coffeehouses in the 70's and 80's. Although long since vanished from public view, a few loyal fans keep his memory alive with rare bootlegs and home recordings. The Internet offers a new means for these fans to trade Blind Lemon's music.

Blind Lemon's following was established strictly through his rare performances. While it is possible that actual studio recordings may yet surface, at present Blind Lemon's work is preserved for posterity only in his famous Bootleg Tapes. The following three cuts are all from "Live at the Basement Cafe" made in March 1979. As with many bootlegs from this period, the sound quality varies throughout. Considerable debate has raged over the source of this recording but it is generally agreed that it is likely one of the many "Smagata Tapes" that have surfaced from time to time. Many of the Blind Lemon Tapes were recorded by audience members resulting in garbled and incomplete recordings. The Smagata Tapes were probably taken directly from the sound board which explains their superior quality when compared to other bootlegs. Most fans agree that the sound man for the "Basement Cafe" was probably the same mysterious "J. Smagata" credited on the Blind Lemon classics "Exile on St. Paul St." and "Highway 401 Revisited". It's worth noting as well that unlike other performances, this night Blind Lemon remained sober enough to actually complete the whole show.

Photo: Smagata Archives 1999

Click a title to hear the song in RealAudio. You must have the Real Player to listen. I recommend version 6 which you can download for free from www.Real.com. To download a song to your computer so you can listen off-line, right click and "Save Target As...". Enjoy.

Warning: This server tends to be quite slow. Be patient but do let me know if you experience continued problems.

Kansas City 4:05 min.

This is a standard from Blind Lemon's vast blues repertoire. Most of his performances began with "Kansas City" as he says, "To get my fingers movin' and start you groovin'". The Basement Cafe captures a classic version of this songs. As in most of the songs in this show, Blind Lemon demonstrates his classic vocal style defined equally by generous amounts of whiskey and lips clamped firmly around a cigarette throughout.

Gimme That Whiskey 8:06 min.

A Blind Lemon original, GIMME THAT WHISKEY rarely failed to get a good audience response. Here the crowd comes alive, singing and shouting along with Blind Lemon. The verses to this song seemed to change often from show to show. Here, Blind Lemon includes the "President verse":

Although this was sung about President Carter, the current Mr. C. seems a more appropriate participant.

The Hotel Russell Hustle Shuffle 4:45 min.

While the original Hotel Russell has long since fallen to the wrecking ball, it lives on in this Blind Lemon Jefferson classic. This remarkable recording is the encore for the Basement Cafe show. It is remarkable for many reasons, particularly since Blind Lemon was rarely sober enough at the end of an evening to actually do an encore. A lively nostalgia piece for listeners today, "The Hotel Russell" captures the anguish of a blues singer in an era of Disco and Urban Country. Undoubtedly, this is Blind Lemon's "biggest hit".

Future updates of this web page will feature other Blind Lemon cuts from my personal collection of recordings and memorabilia. I have a few pictures and posters too so the web site may become quite a bit larger over time. Above all, I hope to hear from other fans of Blind Lemon Jefferson and share their memories of this great bluesman. Read my Guestbook or leave a message for all of us Blind Lemon fans. Click the email icon below to drop me an e-mail.