Re: Billy Bizor?

[tony_m <morielli@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Apparently, Billy Bizor and Lightning Hopkins were cousins.  I have an
album by Billy Bizor called "Blowing my blues away" (COL-CD-5225) with
several cuts that include LH. The liner notes say that to get his rich
tone, he sometimes blew into a tin can that he filled with water.  I don't
know how to describe his harp style except to say that it sounds like
country blues with a small but significant helping of Chicago in certain
songs. He's got a unique sound both tonally and with respect to his
favored turnarounds and techniques.  He was born and lived in Texas, but I
don't know enough about the subject to say whether his playing is a Texas
style blues harmonica (if there is such a distinction).  Regardless of how
it should be classified, his playing is moving. 

His singing is also very moving. I don't know how to describe it.  I'd say
it's full of soul, somewhat sad and tired, with a certain tone of
resignation, even in the faster songs.  I especially like the fourth
track, "When I'm dead".  It's worth the price of the album by itself. 
It's a slow blues and his melodic singing and harmonica playing still give
me a chill after the 100th listening.  He was sick with dropsy and within
a month of dying (in April of 1969) when "When I'm gone" was recorded. 
Maybe that's why he sung it so hauntingly. 

Anyway, I really like his sound.  He didn't record much.  The liner notes
identify only one other album, "Soul in the Beginning" (Avco #30006).  
Are there any more albums out there?
 

On Wed, 8 Jun 1994, Steven D. Levine wrote:

> I recently met and jammed with a traditional country and blues guitarist 
> singer named Mark Brine. He does a lot of Lightnin' Hopkins and he told 
> me that Hopkins used to play with a harp player named Billy Bizor (or it 
> might be Bizer). Apparently he played with Hopkins played with him for 
> years and that Bizor was the one harp player who coule follow Hopkins' 
> guitar leads and general style well. Anyone know about him, or heard 
> him? 
> 
> -Steve
>