Blues File: Frederick Usher's "One-String Blues" with Eddie "One-String" Jones & Edward Hazelton

Blues File: Frederick Usher's "One-String Blues" with Eddie "One-String" Jones & Edward Hazelton

Series: Blues File
From: WXPN
Length: 00:04:24

Frederick Usher, a collector and scholar of many kinds of art and music has died. He gave us the intriguing 1960 album "One String Blues." Read the full description.

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Piece Description

Industrial desginer Frederick Usher had a mind for, and an interest in, all sorts of art and music. In 1960, he encountered Eddie "One-String" Jones, a street musician who built his "one-string" from stuff found in the trash. He recorded Jones. The music was captivating, as was his story, his way of talking, and his surprisingly upbeat personality, considering that he lived on skid row. Looking for Jones one day, usher found harmonica player Edward Hazelton, a great player whose mood was much less upbeat. He recorded him too. Both ended up on the album "One String Blues" and both soon disappeared from Los Angeles where Usher found them. Frederick Usher died this past April, and this Blues File is a remembrance of the wonderful album we have because he decided to record Jones and Hazelton.

Broadcast History

WXPN-FM 6-25-2009

Timing and Cues

4:23 self-contained. Opens with opeing theme and host intro. Ends with artist Edward Hazelton saying "You might think I'm joking but it's the truth" right after host out.

Related Website

http://www.xpn.org/blues

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