The other night I pulled the I Blueskvarter – Chicago 1964, Volume 2 CD from my collection (Jefferson Records SBACD 12655/6) wanting to enjoy the fantastic blues from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Washboard Sam, Avery Brady, Little Brother Montgomery, Arvella Gray, St. Louis Jimmy (w/Sunnyland Slim, Mike Bloomfield, and Washboard Sam), and John Lee Granderson, along with the very interesting interviews of Brady, Montgomery, Gray, and Granderson with moderator Olle Helander. 

And indeed, for roughly the next 167 minutes, I was in blues heaven.  These 1960s selections absolutely amaze!  In fact, the greatest share of these blues are only currently available on this double-disc set.

But from the get-go of my listening session, I was again extremely intrigued with the music of John Lee Granderson.  He has five titles on the collection, including “Death Valley Blues,” “Easy Street,” “Bumble Bee Blues,” “That’s All Right,” and “Minglewood Blues.”  Each of these outings is strong, representative of a blues artist who, while so unfortunately unknown and therefore under-appreciated, was capable of blues of the highest quality.

Since John Lee Granderson is on my mind, and because I have not previously provided a brief overview of his life and blues career, now is the ideal time to do so.

Granderson came into the world in early April, 1913 in Ellendale, Tennessee, an unincorporated area in Shelby County, a stretch in the far southwestern portion of the state.  As is often the case with blues artists, not much is known about Granderson’s early formative years, but it is generally accepted that he took an interest in the guitar due to his father playing the instrument, and through him having access to blues musicians active in Memphis, Tennessee, located a short 18 miles west of Ellendale, such as Memphis Minnie, Sleepy John Estes, and most importantly Willie Borum, the fine guitarist, harmonica player, and singer who was a family acquaintance.

When he was 15-years-old in 1928, Granderson had left Tennessee and made his way north to Chicago, Illinois.  In Chicago, Granderson first of all decided that he needed a steady source of income to make his way in the big city, so he took it upon himself to learn vehicle mechanics, working a series of jobs in various repair stations. 

Granderson, of course, was drawn to all the blues activity in Chicago’s joints, and although at this early time he was not considering himself a professional blues artist, he was taking in as much of the music as he could, and making valuable contacts.  During this period, Granderson was able to witness performances by the cream of Chicago’s vast blues roster, including those by harmonica giant Jazz Gillum, then-Chicago blues patriarch Big Bill Broonzy, and harmonica titan Sonny Boy Williamson I (John Lee Williamson).  Occasionally, Granderson would be invited to sit in with the Chicago blues greats he would go out to see.

Granderson continued to work as a mechanic, and into the 1940s he could be found playing blues at Chicago’s famed Maxwell Street Market which was concentrated on the city’s southwest side.  He became a familiar face on Maxwell Street, either playing alone to earn extra money while keeping his broad his blues skill set polished, or by partnering with other blues artists such as guitarist, mandolin player, and singer Johnny Young, and slide guitar virtuoso Robert Nighthawk,

And so the life of John Lee Granderson went, working as a mechanic, being a frequent presence in the blues venues, sometimes sitting in when invited to do so, and performing open-air on Maxwell Street.  In the early 1960s, 1962 to be exact, the great blues historian, record producer, writer, and preservationist Pete Welding stumbled upon Granderson plying his blues trade on Maxwell Street.  By this time, Granderson had left mechanic’s work behind due to an injury, and was attempting to make a living being a full-time blues artist.  He had even started a band that included the impressive harmonica player Prezs Thomas.

Welding knew quality blues when he heard it, and found great merit in Granderson’s guitar playing, singing, and songwriting, and recorded him quite a bit over the next few years, with Granderson’s work being released on Welding’s Testament Records label on a number of anthologies including Modern Chicago Blues (Testament T-2203 – an LP – from 1964), a collection that also included blues from the likes of Johhny Young, Robert Nighthawk, Maxwell Street Jimmy, and John Wrencher, among others, and Can’t Keep From Crying (Topical Blues On The Death Of President Kennedy) (Testament S-01 – an LP – from 1964).  Granderson also appears on Testament Records LP T-2220 that is entitled The Chicago String Band, where Granderson was aligned with violin player Carl Martin and the aforementioned Young and Wrencher.  Obviously, Welding saw something in Granderson that he very much liked.

It is important to note that in 1966 and 1967, both the Milestone and Storyville labels included Granderson’s work on blues compilations.

However, the Testament collections didn’t sell as well as was hoped, bookings for Granderson were thin, and by 1966 Granderson was back working a day job as a custodian.

In 1969, Granderson teamed with Delta blues legend Big Joe Williams on cuts for the Adelphi label release entitled Really Chicago Blues and, after this outing, Granderson stopped performing in public.

In 1975, Granderson experienced a stroke, and ultimately lost his life due to the effects of pancreatic cancer in late August, 1979.  By that time, Granderson was a virtual unknown in the blues world, except among the keenest of enthusiasts.

So, what makes Granderson’s blues so appealing?  First, he was a very good songwriter, with his blues uniformly well-constructed in both subject matter and musically.  He was a declamatory vocalist who did not border on shouting; he had a resoundingly strong singing voice.  His guitar work was steeped in country blues structures, but he adapted it to the electric style of the urban north to terrific results.  His choice of sidemen on recordings and in performance was excellent, especially the harmonica by Prezs Thomas that frequently aided his compositions.  Simply, Granderson’s blues were a very good example of the post-war Chicago blues mold.  It is a great shame that his work was not held in higher acclaim, as they stack up quite favorably to other works from the same period.

On final note: Testament Records finally released a full-length John Lee Granderson CD entitled Hard Luck John (Testament TCD 5031).  It’s 16 tracks date to 1962-1996, all were recorded in Chicago, and also include accompaniment by blues artists Johnny Young, Sonny Boy Williamson I, Prezs Thomas, Jimmy Walker, Carl Martin, William Mack, and Bill Foster, with certain of the cuts performed solo by Granderson.

Hopefully, if you’re not aware of the superb blues provided by John Lee Granderson, you will now consider seeking out his music.  You will be fully awarded for your search, if you do so.