Houston’s Little Joe Washington (April, 2008) — Image by kenne
“Personal inconvenience, experience, and environmental impact notwithstanding, a willingness to drive all over and beyond Harris County has its rewards for the Houston blues aficionado wanting to make the rounds. Not only is that travel necessary to access the various widely separated business establishments featuring live performances on a weekly basis, but for those in the know, it’s also the key to experiencing some unique presentations of the music — both of which evoke an earlier era.”
— Roger Wood (Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues, 2003)
Houston Blues Legend, Little Joe Washington, — 2003 Image by kenne
From the Houston Blues Society’s Newsletter:
On Wednesday afternoon, bluesman Little Joe Washington passed on, leaving a hole in the blues community’s heart that belies his diminutive 5′ 5″ frame. One of Third Ward’s legendary blues guitarists, comprising Albert Collins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Johnny “Guitar” Watson and Joe “Guitar” Hughes, Little Joe displayed a raw and sparkling talent that earned great respect from his peers.
It’s true to say that he knew more than a few dark days in his 75 years, but with surprising tenacity he’d always bounce back to delight audiences with his virtuoso guitar skills, often finishing his set by running around the room and using his hat for a tip jar before disappearing into the night on a rickety bicycle.
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Roger Wood wrote of the Third Ward eccentric guitarist in his 2003 book on Houston blues, Down In Houston: Bayou City Blues:
“I first picked up a guitar when I was playing drums with Albert Collins. I taught myself after that,” Washington explains. “I figure it out on my own.” Once he began to experiment with the guitar, however, the diminutive and now perpetually scruffy-looking fellow developed a unique style that is best described as raw and unpredictable — some would say wild. “I play with my teeth, my tongue, my head. I used to hang on the rafters when I was in Old Mexico,” he said.
“. . . Little Joe Washington has evolved into a Houston folk hero of sorts.”
Any talk of The Blues being dead needs to check out the scene down in Houston. Live Blues music in Houston has been the star of Texas for some time and now with the help of the Houston Blues Society and the continued support of KPFT Blues programmers, healthier than ever. . . . more at Houston Press.
The Houston Press article doesn’t mentioned it, but I would suggest the that growth of social media is playing a big role in the live music market in Houston. One of my most viewed videos is that of Sonny Boy Terry IBC @ Dan Electro’s, October, 2009. (1,200 views)
Houston Blues Legend, Little Joe Washington, — 2003 Image by kenne
Becoming is Superior to Being 