Two years
October 1, 2007 by nonotes
Amazingly enough, this month marks the two-year anniversary of this site — still, so far as I know, the world’s only one-song blog.
That means it’s been more than two years since I updated the “St. James Infirmary” essay, and there are some things I’d like to add to it or change, based on all the amazing feedback that readers of this site (or those who simply stumbled upon it while Googling “SJI” themselves) have contributed and tipped me off about since 2005. But that essay is still a fairly decent overview of what I know about the song, and why I’m interested in it. And it still exists in the archives of The Gambit, the New Orleans weekly that published the piece as a book excerpt when LfNO came out.
Thanks to all who have ever chimed in, or enjoyed anything about, this curious little project.
A couple of years ago I did some research into the song "St. James Infirmary," wrote up what I found, emailed that essay to friends and posted it on my web site (as part of a series of "Letters From New Orleans," as I was living in that city at the time). Based on the feedback, I wrote a second version of the essay, and asked for more feedback. Based on that, I wrote a 
Thanks for the St James Infirmary exposition. I had to gather most of what I found here from a variety of sources and vett them individually for credibility. Since I have verified most of the ‘fact’ you have elsewhere, I feel no need to do so now.
A version of St James Infirmary that is unreferenced, and for my money, one of the very best is the Cisco Houston version. It was almost a signature tune for him.
Cisco’s catalogue is largely unavailable in CD format from what I understand. A shame. He does versions of Woody Guthrie’s stuff that is the best anywhere, better than Woody’s even. On some of it, Woody plays mandolin. He was a better than passable mandolin player. Woody and Cisco were runnin buddies in the days when they could run. Even joined the Merchant Marines together during WWII.
Undoubtedly, the likes of Dave Van Ronk and Ramblin Jack Elliott came across Cisco’s version first. They do a very fine version together.
Thanks for the St James Infirmary exposition. I had to gather most of what I found here from a variety of sources and vett them individually for credibility. Since I have verified most of the ‘fact’ you have elsewhere, I feel no need to do so now.
A version of St James Infirmary that is unreferenced, and for my money, one of the very best is the Cisco Houston version. It was almost a signature tune for him.
Cisco’s catalogue is largely unavailable in CD format from what I understand. A shame. He does versions of Woody Guthrie’s stuff that is the best anywhere, better than Woody’s even. On some of it, Woody plays mandolin. He was a better than passable mandolin player. Woody and Cisco were runnin buddies in the days when they could run. Even joined the Merchant Marines together during WWII.
Undoubtedly, the likes of Dave Van Ronk and Ramblin Jack Elliott came across Cisco’s version first. They do a very fine version together.