Post by Baronessa on Sept 23, 2019 21:38:29 GMT
Charlie Patton (c. 1887 - 28 April 1934)
Vocal Range: F♯2 - A4
Immediately recognizable for his squashed, laryngeal approach and completely incomprehensible diction, despite what his exterior may show at first glance, Charley's musical stylings were quite eclectic for their time. While he always sported his exaggeratedly drunk vocal tone, Charley regularly went on to complement his odd chord voicings and inventive ornamentation with folksy vocal melodies that were seminal in the evolution of what we know today as the Delta blues movement.
Due to the boxed-in melodies of his genre and the relative lateness of his actual recording career, though he always sounded pained, Charley never exerted himself to go above and beyond the precedent of vocal range in Delta blues at the time. Regardless, his influence is integral to the popular music of the twentieth century. Even if Charley's vocals during the last five years of his life tend to leave a bit to be desired, the conviction to his style with a dash of intellectual flavor is what arguably really made him such a cornerstone in American music history.
Significant High Notes:
A4 ("Devil Sent the Rain Blues", "When Your Way Gets Dark")
G♯4 ("Revenue Man Blues", "Stone Pony Blues")
G4 ("Heart Like Railroad Steel", "High Water Everywhere", "A Spoonful Blues", "Tell Me Man Blues")
F♯4 ("34 Blues", "Devil Sent the Rain Blues", "Green River Blues", "Hang It on the Wall", "Lord, I'm Discouraged", "Mean Black Cat Blues", "Prayer of Death: Part 2", "Rattlesnake Blues", "Some Happy Day", "When Your Way Gets Dark", "You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die")
F4 ("Bird Nest Bound", "Circle 'Round the Moon", "Dry Well Blues", "Going to Move to Alabama", "Heart Like Railroad Steel", "High Water Everywhere", "Jersey Bull Blues", "Magnolia Blues", "Moon Going Down", "Oh Death", "Pony Blues", "Revenue Man Blues", "Some Summer Day", "Stone Pony Blues", "Tell Me Man Blues")
E4 ("34 Blues", "Devil Sent the Rain Blues", "Down the Dirt Road Blues", "Farrell Blues", "Hang It on the Wall", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "I'm Goin' Home", "Lord, I'm Discouraged", "Love My Stuff", "Mean Black Cat Blues", "Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues", "Pea Vine Blues", "Prayer of Death", "Rattlesnake Blues", "Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues", "Some Happy Day", "A Spoonful Blues")
E♭4 ("Banty Rooster Blues", "Down the Dirt Road Blues", "Dry Well Blues", "Farrell Blues", "Going to Move to Alabama", "Green River Blues", "Hammer Blues" take 1, "Heart Like Railroad Steel", "High Water Everywhere", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Jim Lee", "Magnolia Blues", "Mean Black Moan", "Revenue Man Blues", "Runnin' Wild Blues", "Shake It and Break It (But Don't Let It Fall, Mama)", "Some of These Days I'll Be Gone", "Some Summer Day", "Stone Pony Blues", "Troubled 'Bout My Mother", "When Your Way Gets Dark")
D4 ("Bird Nest Bound", "Circle 'Round the Moon", "Dry Well Blues", "Frankie and Albert", "Hammer Blues" take 2, "High Sheriff Blues", "I'm Goin' Home", "It Won't Be Long", "Jersey Bull Blues", "Joe Kirby", "Love My Stuff", "Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues", "Moon Going Down", "Oh Death", "Pea Vine Blues", "Pony Blues", "Poor Me", "Prayer of Death: Part 1", "Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues", "Shake It and Break It (But Don't Let It Fall, Mama)", "Tom Rushen Blues", "Troubled 'Bout My Mother", "You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die")
Significant Low Notes:
D3 ("Circle 'Round the Moon", "Dry Well Blues", "I'm Goin' Home", "It Won't Be Long", "Lord, I'm Discouraged", "Moon Going Down", "Pony Blues", "Prayer of Death: Part 1", "Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues", "Shake It and Break It (But Don't Let It Fall, Mama)", "Stone Pony Blues", "Tell Me Man Blues", "Tom Rushen Blues", "You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die")
C♯3 ("34 Blues", "Down the Dirt Road Blues", "Frankie and Albert", "Green River Blues", "Hammer Blues", "Jersey Bull Blues", "Jim Lee", "Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues", "Poor Me", "Prayer of Death", "Rattlesnake Blues", "Revenue Man Blues", "Runnin' Wild Blues", "Some Happy Day", "Some of These Days I'll Be Gone", "A Spoonful Blues", "When Your Way Gets Dark")
C3 ("Banty Rooster Blues", "Bird Nest Bound", "Elder Green Blues", "Going to Move to Alabama", "Heart Like Railroad Steel", "High Sheriff Blues", "High Water Everywhere", "It Won't Be Long", "Jesus Is a-Dying (Bed Maker)", "Joe Kirby", "Love My Stuff", "Oh Death", "Pea Vine Blues", "Shake It and Break It (But Don't Let It Fall, Mama)")
B2 ("34 Blues", "Devil Sent the Rain Blues", "Down the Dirt Road Blues", "Frankie and Albert", "Hammer Blues" take 2, "Hang It on the Wall", "Mean Black Cat Blues", "Mean Black Moan", "Poor Me", "Some Happy Day", "When Your Way Gets Dark", "You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die")
B♭2 ("Banty Rooster Blues", "Bird Nest Bound", "Elder Green Blues", "Going to Move to Alabama", "Hammer Blues" take 1, "High Sheriff Blues", "Jersey Bull Blues", "Jesus Is a-Dying (Bed Maker)", "Moon Going Down", "Oh Death", "Revenue Man Blues", "Shake It and Break It (But Don't Let It Fall, Mama)", "Troubled 'Bout My Mother")
A2 ("It Won't Be Long", "Love My Stuff", "Pea Vine Blues", "Prayer of Death: Part 2")
G♯2 ("Elder Green Blues", "Hang It on the Wall", "Mean Black Moan")
G2 ("Joe Kirby", "Troubled 'Bout My Mother")
F♯2 ("Mean Black Cat Blues")
..................................................
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark obscured notes.