THE LOST TAPES…THE LOST YEARS…..VOL.1

Lonesome In The Dawn

LINER NOTES: In keeping with more recent re-interest in the blues, the series of films once airing on public television in the United States as “The Year of the Blues”, and, of course, in discovering more about the backgrounds and identities of the performers who sang them, a great deal of attention is being paid to the very many singers and musicians lacking more widespread notice and recognition. They represent in a way an undiscovered treasury of the past and a chronicle of the lives of people from and cultures of that time. Such a musician was T - “Big Cat Daddy” – Jones  Mr. T, Daddy (born circa 1933-1947…..d…?)  played regionally throughout the South, appearing most often on what has been called the “chitlin and hog maw circuit”….smaller spaces and venues frequented nearly exclusively by those of African American descent.

Not much of T - “Big Cat Daddy” seems to have survived however…mostly a few songs and what can only be called blues fragments…scraps of paper containing a variety of half-finished lyrics. There is only one known surviving recording to date: “Lonesome in the Dawn” for the now defunct MoonShine Record Label (MSR 001), uncovered by noted blues documentarian, Randolph (Who My Daddy?) Lomax…..the often rumored offspring of Allen (“No Child O’Mine”) Lomax…and a short-order cook by the name of Sadie (You Eat Grits… White Boy?) Stephenson. Repeated attempts to trace the heritage and paternity of the younger Mr. Lomax, through DNA sampling, have been repeatedly denied by the Lomax estate, who nevertheless have generously agreed to secure a “Hardee’s Big Boy” franchise in Texiola for the two eldest daughters of Ms. Stephenson….  Corinthia and Penelope….This aside, Mr. Jones followed in the footsteps of Robert Johnson, Robert Lockwood and Honeyboy Edwards, with a feeling and spirit much in keeping with that tradition.

As to the sole surviving 78 rpm vinyl disc for MoonShine Records, it was backed with Theodophilus “Small Mouth” Bass’ cover of.. “Gimme Some Fat Head Possum”.

On the strength of that recording, Mr. Bass quickly and deservedly faded back into obscurity. As for Mr. Jones, there have been persistent rumors that his blues career came to an abrupt end, owing to the reputed loss of two fingers in a bar fight…leaving him obviously unable to play guitar anymore. While impossible to trace and to satisfactorily verify, there is speculation that Mr. Jones went back to complete his interrupted schooling and ultimately became a man of the cloth, and perhaps, later… entered politics as well.

What follows is a printed version of the sole song that we know… written and recorded by T - “Big Cat Daddy” Jones.

Lonesome in the Dawn

Well, I cry in the morning

            weep come sun down too

Shiver from the cold

            sweat like day light dew

Lonesome come the dawn

            night bring solitude

Comfort passed around

            a bottle off the shelf

Women come around

            bad whiskey off the shelf

Too much and too many

            Lord, you forget yourself

Well, I cry in the morning

            weep come sun down too

Shiver from the cold

            sweat like day light dew

Lonesome come the dawn

            night bring solitude

Hard in the country

            hard in the city too       

It’s hard in the city

            pavement pounding dues

Walkin’ miles to nowhere

            bound to wear your shoes

Well, I cry in the morning

            weep come sun down too

Shiver from the cold

            sweat like day light dew

Lonesome come the dawn

            night bring solitude                                        

all music copyrighted: Litter Box publishing

for appearances and bookings, contact:

Box  873 Buffalo NY 14215

drtljonesged@aol.com

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