Cassandra Wilson & her band performing at the 32º Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, 17 July 2008.
Musicians:
CASSANDRA WILSON - vocals
MARVIN SEWELL - guitar
JONATHAN BAPTISTE - piano, keyboards
REGINALD VEAL - double bass
LEKAN BABALOLA - percussion
HERLIN RILEY - drums
"St. James Infirmary Blues" is an American folksong of anonymous origin, though sometimes credited to the songwriter Irving Mills. Louis Armstrong made it famous in his influential 1928 recording. "St. James Infirmary Blues" is based on an 18th century traditional English folk song called "The Unfortunate Rake". There are numerous versions of the song throughout the English-speaking world. The title is derived from St. James Hospital in London, a religious foundation for the treatment of leprosy. It was closed in 1532 when Henry VIII acquired the land to build St. James Palace. The song was first collected in England in its version as "The Unfortunate Rake" by Henry Hammond by a Mr. William Cutis at Lyme Regis, Dorset in March 1906. Notable performers of this song include Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Cassandra Wilson, Janis Joplin, The Doors and many-many others. Also guitarists like Marc Ribot and Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones have recorded instrumental versions.
I went down to St. James Infirmary,
Saw my baby lying there,
He was stretched down on a long white table,
So sweet, so cold, so fair.
Let him go, let him go, God bless him,
Wherever he may be,
He can search this whole wide world over,
But he's never gonna find another girl like me...
7 сен 2024
