The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8704   Message #54591
Posted By: rick fielding
17-Jan-99 - 08:10 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Coal Man Blues (Peg Leg Howell)
Subject: RE: Looking for Lyrics and performer
Hi Murray. Before Sandy waxes eloquently about Jerry, let me do a bit of waxing myself. Sandy has recorded him several times and may be a bit modest in his appraisal. Jerry is simply to me, one of the great folk surprises of the nineties. I discovered his music through hearing Sandy sing a piece called "Handful of Songs" which I subsequently (mis)learned and recorded. I love that song! Then I started hearing others of Jerry's. The man can flat out write. He has sent me a couple of tapes chock full of his material, and my guess is that he's written a couple of hundred since then. I'm sure Sandy will let you know how to get his recordings, I'm just here to say: do it. You won't be disappointed.

Peg Leg Howell "and his gang" recorded a lot in the 20s, 30s, and a very exploitive recording in the 60s. He shouldn't be hard to find in blues anthologies. I believe he spent most of his days in Atlanta.