The Importance of Ishmon Bracey

 

Ishmon Bracey

Why Ismon Bracey is so Important to the Delta Blues

Ishmon Bracey is more than another predominant bluesman from the Delta.  Named after an Old Testament  character, Ishmon was a combination of musician, preacher, showman, and entertainer.

Also, Ishmon Bracey is one bluesman witness that most researchers can rest their theories on – his eye witness accounts could almost all be backed up with fact. 

 

Bracey was actually recorded three times, though his third recording session went unreleased for an unnamed director.  Rediscovered in 1963 by Gayle Dean Wardlow, a predominant blues researcher, Ishmon by that time had turned himself back to the church.  At this point he outright refused to play the blues, except for once when he was sure his wife Annie could not be listening.  

The most interesting thing about Ishmon is the amazing people he came into contact with over his many years as a blues artist.  This includes Tommy Johnson, Robert Johnson, H.C. Speir, who first got him on record, Kid Bailey, Rosie Mae Moore, Sam Collins, Bullet Williams, Kid Earnest, Rube Lacey, Charlie McCoy, Charlie Taylor, and many, many others.

Usually, in blues history and research specifically, eye witness accounts and interviews can only be taken at face value.  The thing about research is that in order for it to be solid, it needs to be backed up with evidence and fact.  Of course, this site itself is just as guilty of spewing out unconfirmed theories, but we try to back them up as much as possible.  But with Ishmon, who Wardlow interviewed several times over a two year period, it was different. Wardlow was able to confirm a lot of his stories, and back them up with documents, and other accounts.  

However, resting a lot fo your research on one source can end up poorly, or with undesired results.  However, the fact remains that Ishmon Bracey is a special breed – not only did he live until 1970, and was able to be rediscovered by Wardlow, but he provided quite a bit of insight into not only other musicians of the era, but also concerning life at that time.  Juke joint dangers, along with the way other bluesmen drank, used different names, etc, really brings a lot of questionable content to the forefront.  

So what did Ishmon say about Robert Johnson?  He insists two guitars were used on his albums – he goes on to say it is impossible to carry the baseline and the melody that way.  And Tommy Johnson?  He wouldn’t play till he was drunk, and once he was drunk, he wouldn’t play.  Ishmon even walked into a juke where Mississippi John Hurt was playing.  After Hurt had finished, Bracey went on stage and played so well, Hurt was never able to go back on stage that night.  Afterwards, Hurt asked Bracey how he was tuned – when Bracey showed him, they ended up becoming friends.  He even said Blind Blake was so fast on the guitar, very few could keep up – though Tampa Red and Guitar Slim tried, and were close.

So what does all this mean?  It simply means that Wardlow was able t find a true gem.  Not only was Bracey a phenomenal bluesman in his own right, but he knew everyone from that time at one time or another, and was more than willing to talk about it.  The things he told Wardlow that Wardlow was able to dispute can be chalked up to a faulty memory – but most of his outlandish stories were able to be proven in one way or another.

Ishmon Bracey was a true pioneer – not only in music, but in research as well.

 

 

 

~ by thedeltablues on June 1, 2009.