Skip James - I'm So Glad (1931)
@hellraiser
“…Returning to Skip, one day he decided to enter a competition for musicians. Singing the words “I’d rather be a devil than to be that woman’s man” he won a contract with Paramount Records and a train ticket to reach the studios in Grafton. The recording room was in the attic of a chair factory. It was in that place that he developed an absolutely innovative technique called “three-finger-picking,” which meant he played the guitar by plucking the strings with three fingers. He used melodies in open D minor and the chord progression D-A-D-F#-A-D that gave a desolate and dark tone to his compositions, contrasting with his touching but at times unsettling falsetto. He was able to mix blues and spirituals and create covers by changing lyrics and words to make them his own, personalizing them to the fullest through his virtuosic playing and his laments, like “I’m so glad,” which was originally “I’m so tired” by Art Sizemore and George A. Little. On that night in February 1931, there was a session that became legendary. More than 10 pieces were recorded, including “Devil got my woman,” “Cherry ball blues,” and “22-20 blues” (the latter would be picked up by Robert Johnson). The songs were made with voice and guitar or voice and piano, instruments he uniquely, extraordinarily, and innovatively played equally well. That session was paid just $40, but he returned home as happy as a king who had conquered the world.”