Blues, Stomps, & Rags #17
Rich DelGrosso describes Eddie Dimmitt as an "unknown" mandolin player, who appeared on a few recordings, but otherwise disappeared from musical history. Dimmitt recorded and played with the Tommy Bradley and James Cole group in Indiana. DelGrosso says, "His strong, passionate playing added a hard-driving blues element to the guitar/violin combo" (Mandolin Blues, p.38).
Here are a couple of old recordings, not of great quality, with the mandolin often being overwhelmed by the fiddles. Still, we get a sense of Dimmitt's drive. The first recording, from 1931, is under Tommy Bradley's name. If the connections don't work, search YouTube for "Tommy Bradley, Four Day Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBtmbQTEWl8
The second video was recorded under the name, Buster Johnson with James Cole's Washboard Band, in 1932. The YouTube poster says that the mandolin player is probably Eddie Dimmitt, which seems likely. If the connections don't work, search YouTube for "Undertaker Blues, Buster Johnson with James Cole's Washboard Band".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZMtVF3D7sQ
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
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