Bman's Blues Report

Buster Pickens (June 3, 1916 – November 24, 1964) was an American blues pianist. Pickens is best known for his work accompanying Alger "Texas" Alexander and Lightnin' Hopkins, although he did record a solo album in 1960. He was born Edwin Goodwin Pickens in Hempstead, Texas. In the 1930s Pickens, along with Robert Shaw and others, was part of the "Santa Fe Circuit", named after touring musicians utilising the Santa Fe freight trains.From that time, Pickens described people doing the slow drag to "slow low-down dirty blues" in barrelhouse joints. Following service in the United States Army in World War II, Pickens returned to Houston, Texas. He appeared on his first disc recording on January 13, 1948, providing backing for Perry Cain on his single "All The Way From Texas" / "Cry Cry", released by Gold Star Records. Further recording work followed over the next eighteen months, as he played on different sessions as part of the ac...

Buster Pickens (June 3, 1916 – November 24, 1964) was an American blues pianist. Pickens is best known for his work accompanying Alger "Texas" Alexander and Lightnin' Hopkins, although he did record a solo album in 1960. He was born Edwin Goodwin Pickens in Hempstead, Texas. In the 1930s Pickens, along with Robert Shaw and others, was part of the "Santa Fe Circuit", named after touring musicians utilising the Santa Fe freight trains.[4] From that time, Pickens described people doing the slow drag to "slow low-down dirty blues" in barrelhouse joints. Following service in the United States Army in World War II, Pickens returned to Houston, Texas. He appeared on his first disc recording on January 13, 1948, providing backing for Perry Cain on his single "All The Way From Texas" / "Cry Cry", released by Gold Star Records. Further recording work followed over the next eighteen months, as he played on different sessions as part of the acc...