The Mississippi Sheiks consisted mainly of the Chatmon family, who came from Bolton, Mississippi and were well known throughout the Mississippi Delta. The father of the family had been a "musicianer" (someone with good technical ability on his or her instrument adept at sight-reading written music) during slavery times, and his children carried on the musical spirit. Their most famous (although by no means permanent) member was Armenter Chatmon - better known as Bo Carter - who managed a successful solo career as well as playing with the Sheiks, which may have contributed to their success.
When the band first recorded in 1930, the line-up consisted of Carter with Lonnie and Sam Chatmon, and Walter Vinson. Charlie McCoy (not to be confused with Charlie McCoy, a later American musician) played later, when Bo Carter and Sam Chatmon ceased playing full time. It was Lonnie Chatmon and Vinson who formed the real center of the group.
Bo Carter's solo work is notable for being sexually suggestive in songs and this is carried on to an extent with the group. They primarily earned their income like Robert Johnson and Skip James. They toured throughout the Southern United States, but also reached as far north as Chicago and New York.
Their first and biggest success was "Sitting on Top of the World" (1930), later to be recorded by Bob Wills (numerous times), Howlin' Wolf, Nat King Cole, Bill Monroe, Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Cream, Grateful Dead, Jeff Healey, John Lee Hooker, Bill Frisell and Jack White, and re-done by Robert Johnson, as "Come On in My Kitchen". The song was also the theme to the film A Face in the Crowd (1957) produced by Elia Kazan and starring Andy Griffith. Throughout their five active years, the Mississippi Sheiks recorded over seventy songs for the Okeh, Paramount and Bluebird labels.
Their last recording session as the Mississippi Sheiks was in 1936. Bo made a few more sessions on his own, but by 1938 he too was dropped. When the band dissolved, the Chatmon brothers gave up music and returned to farming.
The Sheiks and related groups under other names, such as Mississippi Mud Steppers and Blacksnakes, recorded about a hundred sides in the first half of the 1930s, among them original compositions (probably by Vinson) like "The World is Going Wrong" and "I've Got Blood in My Eyes For You" (1931) - both recorded by Bob Dylan - or the topical "Sales Tax" (1934).
Sam Chatmon made more recordings in the 1960s and Walter Vinson contributed three selections (using the Mississippi Sheiks band name) to Riverside's 1961 series, Chicago: The Living Legends.
In 2004, they were inducted in the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. Their 1930 blues single "Sitting on Top of the World" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
In 1978 Rory Gallagher recorded a tribute song "The Mississippi Sheiks" for his Photo Finish album.
In 2009, Black Hen Music released Things About Comin' My Way, a tribute album to the Mississippi Sheiks. The album's seventeen artists include Bruce Cockburn, Bill Frisell, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Geoff Muldaur, Kelly Joe Phelps and John Hammond.
In 2013 Jack White's Third Man Records teamed up with Document Records to reissue The Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order of Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell and The Mississippi Sheiks.
The Jazz Fiddler
Mississippi Sheiks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen here people gonna play a little tune
It's the jazz violin of a Mississippi coon
It's too bad, it's too
Listen to that old violin
You got the fiddle and take out your bow
It's too bad, it's too bad
Boys this is something you never have seen
A man playing jazz on a violin
It's too bad, it's too
Listen to that old violin
A quick finger and a shaking bow
A stooping heel and a tickle toe
It's too bad, it's too bad
Boys this is something you never have seen
A man playing jazz on a violin
It's too bad, it's too
Listen to that old violin
A quick finger and a shaking bow
A stooping heel and a tickle toe
It's too bad, it's too bad
Boys this is something you never have seen
A man playing jazz on a violin
It's too bad, it's too
Listen to that old violin
A quick finger and a shaking bow
A stooping heel and a tickle toe
It's too bad, it's too bad
The song “The Jazz Fiddler” by Mississippi Sheiks is a lively tune that celebrates the performance of a jazz violinist. The song praises the musician and his abilities, as the lyrics speak of the quick finger movements, the shaking bow, and the stooping heel that accompanies his playing. The fiddler is described as a “Mississippi coon”, a derogatory term used to describe African Americans at the time, showcasing the deeply ingrained racism of the era.
The song is a reflection of the time it was written and performed, during the early 20th century, when jazz music was just starting to gain popularity in America. Jazz had a foundation in African American musical traditions and was seen as a subversive form of music during the time. The song reflects the excitement that this new style of music brought, but it also shows how it was viewed through the lens of racism and segregation at the time.
Overall, the song “The Jazz Fiddler” is a celebration of the new style of music that was emerging in America, but it also highlights the racism and segregation that was so common in the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen here people gonna play a little tune
I am about to start playing music and I invite you to listen
It's the jazz violin of a Mississippi coon
I will be playing a jazz tune on my violin, despite facing racial discrimination as a black musician from Mississippi
It's too bad, it's too
Unfortunately, it is the reality of the situation and cannot be changed
Listen to that old violin
Hear the sound of my violin and enjoy the music being created
You got the fiddle and take out your bow
If you have a violin or fiddle, take it out and follow along
This is a tune all the fiddlers ought to know
This is a classic tune that any fiddler should recognize and be able to play
Boys this is something you never have seen
This may be a new experience for some of you
A man playing jazz on a violin
This is a unique and impressive skill, as jazz is not a typical genre played on the violin
A quick finger and a shaking bow
Playing jazz on the violin requires quick finger movements and a bow that moves in a non-traditional way
A stooping heel and a tickle toe
The musician is tapping their foot and moving their body to feel the rhythm of the music
Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.