From wikipedia…
Sylvester Weaver (July 25, 1897 – April 4, 1960) was an
American blues guitar player and pioneer of country blues.
On October 23, 1923, he recorded in New York City with the
blues singer Sara Martin "Longing for Daddy Blues" / "I've Got
to Go and Leave My Daddy Behind" and two weeks later as a soloist
"Guitar Blues" / "Guitar Rag". Both recordings were
released on Okeh Records. These recordings are the very first country-blues
recordings and the first known recorded songs using the slide guitar style.
"Guitar Rag" (played on a Guitjo) became a blues classic and was
covered in the 1930s by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys as "Steel Guitar
Rag" and became a country music standard too.
Weaver recorded until 1927, sometimes accompanied by Sara
Martin, about 50 additional songs. On some recordings from 1927 he was
accompanied by Walter Beasley and the singer Helen Humes. Weaver often used the
bottleneck-style method, playing his guitar with a knife. His recordings were
quite successful but in 1927 he retired and went back to Louisville until his
death in 1960. Though many country blues artists had a revival from the 1950s
on, Weaver died almost forgotten.
In 1992 his complete works were released on two CDs, the
same year his (up to then anonymous) grave got a headstone by engagement of the
Louisville-based Kentuckiana Blues Society (KBS). Furthermore the KBS has
annually honored since 1989 persons who rendered outstanding services to the
blues with their Sylvester Weaver Award.
Sylvester Weaver, Walter Beasley g.
Bottle Neck Blues also appears on the John Fahey Lp, "Voice of the Turtle". Fahey I believe, plays along with the 78 by Weaver & Beasley, or it might just be Weaver and Beasley- Fahey was a bit of a joker, more so than usual on this Lp. As always, thank you!
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