Introducing "Bluesmen" series from VS

[randooch]

Dang, Thunderball, thanks for the link! So much for using the main computer this evening. (better speakers)

Man, I miss Stevie.

 

[tonyb]

OK, OK, how about "Pinetop"

Light sage, pure beaver
5 3/4" crown, deep diamond crease
2 1/2" raw brim
Dark forest 19 ligne crown ribbon

I'm seeing what looks like a couple of rows of decorative stitching near the brim edge. Nice touch.

 

[barrowjh]

If only I didn't already own so darned many hats!!! I love that pinetop, nice lid.

 

[frussell]

Stevie! I remember talking to Stevie Ray for about an hour before a show he played for a charity I worked with in college at UT Austin. He was wearing one of his flat brim "bolero/pimp" hats with a purple feather that seemed to be about a foot long. I was amazed at what a sweet, soft-spoken and kind man he was. He insisted that we do a free sound check with the actual recipients of the charity money a few hours before the concert, which wound up being a free 2-hour concert-before-the-concert. He also seemed almost frail up close, which was hard to reconcile with the larger-than-life onstage persona. I gathered he'd just gone "clean," and was smoking a dog-head pipe full of fine tobacco, which he shared with me when I mentioned I had inherited one just like it from my grandfather. Classy guy, and really all about the fans. Certainly one of the few who could carry off his style of hat and not look silly. His brother doesn't get as much recognition outside Austin, but he's a monster bluesman as well. I lost count of how many times I went to some dive in the 80s to see him with the Thunderbirds. Great hats Art, first really cool tribute I've seen to these giants since R. Crumb's series of bluesmen portraits. Excellent idea and execution. Frank

 

[tonyb]

If only I didn't already own so darned many hats!!! I love that pinetop, nice lid.

It's just like Jello, John. Always room for another helping.

 

[Blackthorn]

Wow, those are some gorgeous hats, Art!

Thunderball, I love that concert with Albert and Stevie! I have that CD, it's one of my very favorites.

 

[scooter]

Great hats by a master, great music by a master. Long live SRV's memory! I was just listening to him the other day. He's first on my Pandora music list.

 

[JonnyO]

WOW, that 'Tater Red' is striking! An awesome color combo! Art, you did an fantastic job on these three.

 

[W4ASZ]

I'm headed down to the crossroads to see about a Robert Johnson. :eeek:

 

[Art Fawcett]

I'm headed down to the crossroads to see about a Robert Johnson. :eeek:

Believe it or not W4ASZ, he is soon up on the list but everyone in the industry that I talked to in Memphis just called him "Po Bob" so that's what his tribute hat will be called. I haven't conjured up the mental picture yet but as soon as it comes to me, it will happen.
Thank you Gentlemen for the kind comments, it's what keeps me going in new directions. TonyB, Thank you. Now you see what I've been working on, at least a start at it and why I've been so excited over it.
More to come

 

[danofarlington]

If Art made a Robert Johnson model, I might have to buy it just for the name. A Robert Johnson hat, in my mind's eye, would be a high-crowned city fedora, dark, almost black.

Actually, in his photo he wears a fedora, which I guess would have to be the model. Seeing it again on Google, it's a style that Alive n amplified would embrace--stingy, wide ribbon. I wouldn't go for that one for myself, but the high crown style might inspire Art to do a "line" of Robert Johnson hats--his genuine photo hat, but others in a 20s urban style.

 

[Rudie]

I'm curious. Robert Johnson is kind of the epitome of pre-war country blues. Why would you envision a Robert Johnson hat in an urban style? Being a poor traveling bluesman I imagine he couldn't afford the latest in style?

 

[SpeedRcrX]

Those are really beautiful hat !!!

I think my restyle black cherry is inspire from this series.

I'll have to refrain form ordering one, I have to save for a hat for my next summer vacation

 

[Thunderball]

I don't know how far you want to wander outside of the traditional bluesmen. But I think a "Midnight Rider" Greg Allman hat would be nice. The colors could include peach (for GA), black and or Navy? Just a thought.

 

[Feraud]

If Art made a Robert Johnson model, I might have to buy it just for the name. A Robert Johnson hat, in my mind's eye, would be a high-crowned city fedora, dark, almost black.

Actually, in his photo he wears a fedora, which I guess would have to be the model. Seeing it again on Google, it's a style that Alive n amplified would embrace--stingy, wide ribbon. I wouldn't go for that one for myself, but the high crown style might inspire Art to do a "line" of Robert Johnson hats--his genuine photo hat, but others in a 20s urban style.

There definitely needs to be a R. Johnson model!

 

[Art Fawcett]

I'm thinking along the same lines Dan as far as pure '30s design. Where I get stuck is his lifestyle was so rural and "day to day" that it wouldn't be clean, wouldn't be new, wouldn't be fancy, so I can see what it wouldn't be, just not what it SHOULD be. Does that make sense? It will most likely be in charcoal or dark brown, it will definitely have a wide ribbon, most likely welted edge and not very distinctive. Remember, "Po Bob". I would love to build something grandiose but it wouldn't fit the character. For me one of the keys is fitting the character of the man to the hat and asking myself, "Would he wear this given the chance"

 

[Art Fawcett]

Here's another for you Gents. I posted this in another thread but should move it here to keep them together

"Honeyboy"

Color= Dove, pure beaver
crown 5 3/4" open, 4 1/2" creased in a diamond
brim= 2 5/8 bound in 6 ligne "glen"
Crown ribbon 22 ligne "glen"

 

[mayserwegener]

I'm curious. Robert Johnson is kind of the epitome of pre-war country blues. Why would you envision a Robert Johnson hat in an urban style? Being a poor traveling bluesman I imagine he couldn't afford the latest in style?

Might be a chamois finish.

 

[danofarlington]

On Robert Johnson, although it's been years since I read his bio blurb, I thought he played in Chicago at one time, or at least cities. Maybe Memphis also. I don't think he would've gotten very far in the cities with a country hayseed look. The first photo of him that came up on Google, shows him with a suit and a city stingy brim, like Alive n Amplified has. Nearly identical. He had a city style in the photo. So I think it's in context for a Robert Johnson hat, by all means. On the other hand, I would expect Lightnin Hopkins to have some kind of country hat, ditto for Leadbelly. Campdrafts might be appropriate for them (though I have no idea what Mississippi blues guys would have worn in the rural area). Want to add that my reading of cultural history (I read a whole book on that once) is that people's common theme is a "search for refinement," and to dress up for people of any locality, urban styles may have held sway. You know, even Western cowboys wore derby hats, supporting the "refinement" point. That said, I wouldn't want a Robert Johnson stingy brim, because I wouldn't wear it; so I personally would like to see a brim at least 2 3/8, or better yet 2 /12, in the Robert Johnson line. Anyway, if Art Fawcett came up with a Robert Johnson line of hats, it might see some popularity, in my opinion.

 

[Rudie]

He played in several cities. He was even up in Canada. But he was a notorious rambler, never staying in one place for long. I didn't mean a Johnson hat should be in a backwoods country style. But he wasn't exactly a star making huge amounts of money at that time. He was playing for tips on street corners. And being a rambler he probably didn't have a huge wardrobe. I wouldn't be surprised if they lend him a sharp suit and hat for this 1936 promo picture. In my mind I always envision him in a kind of disheveled look. No rags, but a well worn suit and hat probably not of the latest style.

I actually like the look of his stingy very much. I have a beat up English hat, probably early 30s or even earlier, with a two inch brim and straight crown that looks very similar.