Weldon “Juke Boy” Bonner – Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal / Arhoolie CD-375

Description

CD 375

Weldon Bonner — vocal guitar & harmonica with drummer accompanying on about half of the selections.

Weldon “Juke Boy” Bonner’s life was a constant struggle. Growing up in rural Texas he turned to poetry and music as a young man in order to vent his frustrations. In Houston Weldon Bonner became a living one-man juke box playing the blues hits of the day in neighborhood taverns. This collection of recordings made between 1967 and 1969 brings you some of Juke Boy Bonner’s best poems put to music.

The first selection is previously unissued all others were previously available on ARH LPs 1036 and 1045.

1. Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal
2. Going Back To The Country
3. Sad Sad Sound
4. She Turns Me On
5. Hard Luck
6. Trying To Be Contented
7. Life Is A Nightmare
8. It’s Time To Make A Change
9. Stay Off Lyons Avenue
10. My Blues
11. I’m Getting Tired
12. Over Ten Years Ago
13. I Got My Passport
14. I’m In The Big City
15. Houston The Action Town
16. Running Shoes
17. Just A Blues
18. It Don’t Take Too Much
19. Struggle Here In Houston
20. Railroad Tracks
21. Watch Your Buddies
22. When The Deal Goes Down
23. Being Black And I’m Proud

REVIEWS

“Life for Bonner seems to have been one long struggle even with the ‘success’ of the Arhoolie (and Flyright) albums. I can’t help feeling that if he’d ever really had success he’d not have been able to sing the blues anywhere near as effectively as he did. For him singing the blues really meant his blues summed up in the title of the first track on this CD. And look at some of the other titles; these are deeply personal blues songs. Whilst owing a lot to Lightnin’ Hopkins in his styling he was always basically a one man band (although a drummer is generally present also) – in life as well as music apparently. His harmonica styling also owed much to Jimmy Reed and Sonny Boy Williamson and his lyrics are quite often superb natural poetry. He died in 1978 and while he could never be classed as a ‘great’ he was a true bluesman. The tracks are from Arhoolie vinyl albums 1036 and 1045 recorded in Houston between 1967 and 1969 apart from the title track which was recorded in Berkeley and is previously unissued.”

(Byron Foulger — Blues & Rhythm)

“If you had to choose a poet laureate of the late ’60s / early ’70s blues scene you would be hard pressed to find someone more qualified than Juke Boy Bonner. Bonner’s songs speak beautifully and forcefully of the struggle of African Americans. While many blues song-writers focus attention on themselves and their place in the world Bonner’s songs display a social consciousness that stretched far beyond himself.

His songs although at times personal laments (‘Life Is A Nightmare’ and ‘Hard Luck’ are incredibly deep and thoughtful blues) express a concern for society as a whole. Take Being Black And I’m Proud. Bonner takes a popular lyric personalizes it turns it upon society at large and then turns it back on African Americans: ‘You know a bunch a talk been around about bein’ black and I’m proud This is all fine and dandy/You know I’m black too and I’m proud/ But let me explain something to you/Everybody should be proud of their race/Nothin’ wrong with that/That’s all right/But me myself I think first of all/That we black folks ought to start treatin’ (each) other right.’

Born in Bellville Texas in 1932 Bonner was schooled in the sounds of Lightnin’ Hopkins and Jimmy Reed. He played a rack harp and often performed as a one-man band adding cymbals and/or drums to his act. His boogies can’t help but remind one of Dr. Ross. Like other great guitar boogie bluesmen who perform alone it’s his boogie and he’ll let go of it when he’s damn well ready tothree bars seven bars just whenever he’s through with it. It’s boogie blues the way it’s meant to be.

This CD combines Arhoolie LPs 1036 and 1045 from 1968 and ’69. The CD contains one additional cutthe title cut but does not include ‘Working With Juke Boy’ and ‘Jumping At The Zydeco’ off Arhoolie 1036. Bonner did not record very often in his all too brief life and these sides done by Chris Strachwitz are the best. You owe it to yourself to sit down and listen to what this man had to say.”

(Brett J. Bonner — Living Blues)