Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Jack O'Diamonds - Lonnie Donegan and His Skiffle Group

Jack O'Diamonds - Lonnie Donegan and His Skiffle Group
2:52
single, 1957
Traditional

I know this song from its recording by folk-blues giant "Spider" John Koerner.   This rendition is a clattering express train that slowly gains tempo.  The rattletrap percussion and sharp picked guitar notes create a primitive beat.  Donegan's vocal starts stately, but is fairly shouting the lines by the end, his nasal yowl cutting through the din as the tempo edges ever upward.  The performance feels improvised not in structure but in momentum, as if no one involved is quite sure how fast it’s going to end up.

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