It’s hard to trace the exact source of “Crow Jane”, but it’s a song that has outlasted many others from the early days of the blues. Its roots lay in the Piedmont region of Virginia and North and South Carolina. Rev. Gary Davis was known to perform it during the 1920’s, and the first recording was made in 1927 by guitarist Julius Daniels. Daniels is important partly because he was one of the first Black guitarists to record in the Southeast, inspiring others to follow.
Piedmont blues guitar has a distinct sound that’s very different from Delta blues, which emphasized single note melodies, often played on slide-guitar. Piedmont guitar is based on a fingerpicking style, with the thumb playing rhythm and the fingers playing melody notes. It is also different from Delta blues in that the rhythms are related to ragtime.
Skip James developed his unique fingerpicking guitar style while living in Mississippi in the 1920’s, and was one of the first bluesmen to record, with a session in 1931. His songs have influenced everyone from Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton. Because of the onset of the Great Depression, James had no luck selling records and left the blues world, eventually becoming an ordained minister. Some 30 years later, in the early 1960’s, Skip James was re-discovered by enthusiasts John Fahey, Bill Barth and Henry Vestine (later of Canned Heat), who helped him re-establish his career. He recorded “Crow Jane” in 1964. This is a wonderful live clip of Skip James performing “Crow Jane” in 1967: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVww5r4Nk0
Derek Trucks was a child prodigy guitarist, and now at age 33, is considered one of the world’s most expressive players. As the nephew of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks, he had an early exposure to the world of touring, and had formed his own band and released an album when he was 18. His slide guitar style is sometimes reminiscent of Duane Allman, but his playing also incorporates world–music and jazz styles. Trucks always includes well-chosen blues material in his sets, and “Crow Jane” appears on his 2006 release Songlines, with Mike Mattison on vocals. This is an astounding live performance of the song from the same year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fukDidyz4y4
Here are the complete versions of “Crow Jane” tracked through time:
Julius Daniels “Crow Jane Blues” 1927
Skip James “Crow Jane” 1964
Derek Trucks Band “Crow Jane” 2004
