Smoky Babe
Encyclopedia
Smoky Babe was an American
acoustic blues guitarist
and singer. He is variously described as a Louisiana blues
, Piedmont blues
and blues revival musician
, whose recording
career was restricted to a couple of recording sessions in the early 1960s. His most noteworthy recordings
were "Going Downtown Boogie," and "Ain't Got No Rabbit Dog."
, United States. Smoky Babe was recorded by Harry Oster
of Louisiana State University
in 1960 and 1961, and the results were released by the Folk Lyric, Bluesville
and Storyville
labels
.
Outside of his recordings little is known of his life. The definite circumstances concerning his demise in June 1975 are also unclear.
His song, "Boogy," was included on the compilation album
, Blues Roots: Give Me The Blues (1979); whilst "Hottest Brand Goin'" and "Locomotive Blues" appeared on the 1998 collection, The Bluesville Years, Vol. 9: Down the Country Way.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
acoustic blues guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and singer. He is variously described as a Louisiana blues
Louisiana blues
Louisiana blues is a genre of blues music that developed in the period after World War II in the state of Louisiana. It is generally divided into two major sub-genres, with the jazz-influenced New Orleans blues based around the city and the slower tempo swamp blues incorporating influences from...
, Piedmont blues
Piedmont blues
Piedmont blues refers primarily to a guitar style, the Piedmont fingerstyle, which is characterized by a fingerpicking approach in which a regular, alternating thumb bass string rhythmic pattern supports a syncopated melody using the treble strings generally picked with the fore-finger,...
and blues revival musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, whose recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
career was restricted to a couple of recording sessions in the early 1960s. His most noteworthy recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
were "Going Downtown Boogie," and "Ain't Got No Rabbit Dog."
Career
He was born Robert Brown, in Itta Bena, MississippiItta Bena, Mississippi
Itta Bena is a city in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,208 at the 2000 census. The town's name is derived from the Choctaw phrase iti bina, meaning "forest camp"...
, United States. Smoky Babe was recorded by Harry Oster
Harry Oster
Dr. Harry Oster was an American folklorist and musicologist, working at The University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1964 to 1994....
of Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in 1960 and 1961, and the results were released by the Folk Lyric, Bluesville
Bluesville Records
Bluesville Records is a subsidiary of Prestige Records, launched in the 1960s with the primary purpose of documenting the work of the older classic bluesmen passed over by the changing audience...
and Storyville
Storyville Records
Storyville Records is a large international record label based in Copenhagen, Denmark, specializing in jazz and blues music. Besides its original material, Storyville Records has licensed and reissued many vintage jazz recordings that previously appeared on such labels as Paramount Records,...
labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
Outside of his recordings little is known of his life. The definite circumstances concerning his demise in June 1975 are also unclear.
His song, "Boogy," was included on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Blues Roots: Give Me The Blues (1979); whilst "Hottest Brand Goin'" and "Locomotive Blues" appeared on the 1998 collection, The Bluesville Years, Vol. 9: Down the Country Way.
Discography
- Smoky Babe and his Friends: Hot Blues (1961) - Folk-Lyric, 77 Records77 Records77 Records was a British record label set up in 1957 by Doug Dobell, the proprietor of Dobell's Jazz Record Shop at 77 Charing Cross Road, London...
, ArhoolieArhoolie RecordsArhoolie Records is a small record label run by Chris Strachwitz. The label was founded by Strachwitz in 1960 as a way for him to record and publish previously obscure "down home blues" artists such as Lightnin' Hopkins, Snooks Eaglin and Bill Gaither... - Hottest Brand Goin (1961) - Bluesville
- Smoky Babe, Herman E. Johnson: Louisiana Country Blues (1997 ) - Arhoolie