Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers

Subject: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,Busker On A Budget
Date: 02 Jun 18 - 09:28 PM

Jesse "Lone Cat" Fuller was a street performer by trade before, during and after his heyday as a recording artist.

Certainly, there were musicians who sometimes busked around, but how many folk musicians were primarily street performers, regardless of any recording success?

I've read that Burl Ives did a good bit of playing while hoboing in search of work.

Who can you think of? Have you done?

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 02 Jun 18 - 09:37 PM

The Gipsy Kings.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: RTim
Date: 02 Jun 18 - 10:36 PM

Don Partridge with Rosie Oh Rosie

I even saw him performing in the street at Sidmouth years after Rosie was a hit!

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: Mark Ross
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 12:33 AM

Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Arvell Gray. Jack Elliott started out busking with Woody Guthrie and later went to Europe with his wife June, and Derrol Adams.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: meself
Date: 05 Jun 18 - 10:42 AM

Nana Mouskouri, according to her song 'Nickles & Dimes'.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: meself
Date: 05 Jun 18 - 10:44 AM

Andy Irvine, according to one of his songs.

Me, according to me. And one of my songs, now that I think of it.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,bluesbramstedt
Date: 06 Jun 18 - 02:22 AM

Many of the early bluesmen were buskers: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Boy Willie Mc Tell and Blind Willie Johnson, to name a few. Quite a few singers on the British folk scene of the 60´s followed Jack´s and Derroll´s footsteps to Paris and the rest of Europe: Alex Campbell, Wizz Jones,Davy Graham, Mick Softley, Clive Palmer and Ralph Mc Tell. And Americans like Sandy Bull, Tom Rush, Geno Foreman and Richard Farina.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 06 Jun 18 - 06:38 PM

Snooks Eaglin.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: reggie miles
Date: 08 Jun 18 - 02:31 AM

I've not done much in the last couple of years, but I've spent decades on the streets.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,larepole(guest)
Date: 09 Jun 18 - 06:33 PM

I busk here in Sonoma County 2-3 times a week.
https://www.facebook.com/karin.lease/videos
It helps to have a rainbow harp with lights, street music and performing is more visual that audial.
Lare

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The link was broken and required some research to reach the correct Facebook user; it won't land on an exact video, but at least it lands on the correct Facebook user.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: Mark Ross
Date: 10 Jun 18 - 12:48 PM

Stu Jamison sat me down in 1976 when we were at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival to give me a tutorial on banjo brushes, which are visually attractive. He learned them from Rufus Crisp, who used to go to the mineyards on payday to busk when everybody got paid. They were a device to get attention. Which brings me to my point; Busking isn't about playing music, it's PERFORMANCE!

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: reggie miles
Date: 12 Jun 18 - 06:33 PM

In general terms, street performing isn't strictly a musical thing. There's all sorts of entertainment happening on the street. From a musical perspective, it's been proven that even the best players can be and do get ignored, even when flawlessly performing what is considered some of the most beautiful music in the world. It's a bit of both talent and the artistry of being entertaining. However, even the most talented entertainer can find himself befuddled on the street. I've seen well known musical celebs, completely fail at bringing their talents, that were born in a studio setting, to the acoustic scene on the street. Like anything, it's finding the right market for your skills and talents.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 12 Jun 18 - 08:23 PM

Peg Leg Howell, Charlie Patton, Furry Lewis, Bo Weavil Jackson, the Mobile Strugglers, many many many others about their age. I saw Jesse Fuller play on the street in Oakland and it was musical and he did have non-musical shtick.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 12 Jun 18 - 08:27 PM

Blind Jesse Harris is worth a mention because he was born in about 1864 and was recorded.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST,larepole, guest
Date: 12 Jun 18 - 11:00 PM

In terms of musicality, performance and visual appeal. My former partner Claudine Langille and I once played in Georgetown of a Friday night (1976?) with fiddle and guitar and after 45min. set no one had stopped. We got out a limberjack (toy dancing doll) and after about 5 min. we had a crowd of 30 people! Yoyo Ma or Mark O'Connor cant compete on the street with a limberjack, a clogger or a visual instrument like the hammer dulcimer.
Lare

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jun 18 - 11:15 PM

Clone please indicate for what reasons you removed the contribution of the two alter ego names of our Mudcat member and concertina expert.

They pertained to the topic.
They promoted an international busking treasure.

With this sort of behavior by the clones...there is obvious reason for the rumblings of the masses in the lower kingdom

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Garg, you lecturing on behavior - that's rich. The man himself would protest the post you put up so someone either removed it anticipating a PM or because they actually received one. If you appreciate Dick Miles' performances, just say so.

Garg, I deleted it. It was likely to be perceived as hurtful. You know that I usually leave you alone, but this one crossed the line. -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: reggie miles
Date: 16 Jun 18 - 12:28 PM

I know that even playing an unusual instrument, like musical saw, as I do, sometimes, many times, just doesn't cut it, in some street scenes. And, not meaning to brag, but I happen to very talented sawplayer. Almost three years ago, as I was playing, on the 4th of July, with my flag shirt on, offering every patriotic song I know, America The Beautiful, My Country Tis Of Thee, God Bless America, Oh Say Can You Saw... with my trusty hand tool Rusty, I played for the first 45 minutes of my hour set being almost completely ignored but the vast majority of passersby. You see, I was performing in the street performer location that was nearest to where the fish throwers do their thing at the Pike Place Market. There were at least a hundred people with their backs to me, with their cell phone's held high, trying to capture an image of a dead fish being thrown through the air. Somehow dead fish carcasses, being tossed about, has superseded the art of flexing a razor sharp spring steel blade betwixt one's knees, with the pointy parts mere millimeters away from body parts both near and dear, as entertainment value. Who'd a thunk it?

After 45 minutes of trying and getting nowhere, I picked up my homemade Nobro geetar and began to offer my song "Just Another Passerby" and that when one of the sweetest moments of my entire life happened... I'll share more later. Gotta fly for now.

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: reggie miles
Date: 16 Jun 18 - 05:16 PM

I choked on my lyrics after getting a gulp of greezy meat smoke from the Greek deli down the street and that's when, Gregg Allman walked up and introduced himself. We chatted like we were old friends, for the last 15 minutes of my set. During which time, he checked out my Nobro resophonic and he asked me if I would make him a guitar like mine. He also asked if I minded if he recorded one of my songs. His wife captured a couple of images of Gregg and I. My day on the street could hardly have gone any better than that! Unless, of course, a giant recording company signed me!

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: meself
Date: 17 Jun 18 - 03:14 PM

Great story. I love the saw btw. Tried to play one once. You know - it's not as easy as it looks - and it doesn't look easy!

Subject: RE: Jesse Fuller And Other Buskers
From: Mark Ross
Date: 17 Jun 18 - 08:09 PM

The trouble with playing the musical saw is that it's always sharp!

Mark Ross